Campaign material and campaigning on polling day

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Throughout the year, you might see material from political parties, candidates or campaigners. This could be online or in paper form, such as a leaflet through your letterbox.

Different rules apply to materials from political parties, candidates and campaigners, depending on its content and who publishes it.

Types of material

Campaign material

We use ‘campaign material’ to mean any material that political parties, candidates or non-party campaigners send to voters. It could be an update about what’s happening in the constituency, information about a policy, or promotional material for an election or referendum, for example. 

Electoral law only covers certain types of campaign material.

Election material

Election material has a specific meaning in law: it is material that can be reasonably regarded as intended to promote an outcome in an election. It could be promoting a candidate or a political party.

We are responsible for ensuring that election material promoting a political party complies with the relevant rules whereas the police would investigate material that promotes an identifiable candidate.

Other types of material

There are also separate rules about material which relates to a referendum or promotes an outcome in a recall petition.

Laws and requirements

Election material is subject to a number of requirements under electoral law. 

Broadly, restrictions under electoral law are that printed and digital election material must:

  • not make false statements about the personal character or conduct of any candidate
  • not resemble a poll card 
  • abide by further restrictions relating to the display of material

Imprints

Some campaign material must include an imprint by law. Imprints state who is responsible for publishing campaign material and who they’re promoting it for. Imprints help you understand who is trying to influence you with campaign material.

Find out more about imprints

Other laws relating to published material also apply to campaign material.

Under the Representation of the People Act 1983, campaign material must not contain comments that are defamatory. This means they should not contain a false statement about the personal character or conduct of another candidate.

Under the Public Order Act 1986, it is an offence to publish or distribute threatening, abusive or insulting material that is intended to stir up racial hatred or which is likely to stir up racial hatred.

If you have a concern that campaign material has broken either of these rules, you should contact the police.

What’s not in the law

There is nothing in law that requires a party to include their logo on campaign material. 

There is also no requirement in law to specify what colours or branding a party needs to use in their material.

Our role

We encourage all campaigners to undertake their vital role responsibly and to support campaign transparency.

We also urge all parties and campaigners to consider the confidence of voters in the way they campaign. Clarity about who is responsible for material that voters are viewing is an important part of maintaining that confidence. 

We make sure that printed election material complies with electoral law. We also regulate aspects of online campaigning.

Find out more about online political advertising, as well as who to contact if you have a question or concern.

We don’t regulate the content of election or campaign material. If you have concerns or complaints about the content of printed or online election or campaign material, you should contact the political party or candidate who published it.

You might see political materials, such as posts on social media, all year round. We don’t regulate the content of political material.

Campaigning on polling day

Campaigning is allowed on polling day, so you might see campaign material on social media or receive a leaflet through your door on polling day itself. But campaign material is not allowed within the perimeters of a polling station. This means there shouldn’t be any campaign posters, banners or other advertising literature:

  • in the polling station itself
  • on the polling station building
  • on the land of the polling station, such a car park

However, there’s nothing to stop the house next door to the polling station from displaying campaign material in the window or putting a banner up in the garden. There may be some local planning restrictions that prevent placards or banners being put up nearby, but this would not be covered by electoral law.

Pre-election period

We do not have a role in regulating the 'pre-election period' ahead of elections, or purdah as it is sometimes known.

You may find useful the information about the pre-election period of sensitivity available from the House of Commons Library.

The UK Government publishes guidance on the conduct of civil servants in the pre-election period.

The Local Government Association also has a short guide to publicity during the pre-election period.

Changing the laws on campaign material

We are not able to change the laws on campaign material. However, we do urge parties and campaigners to be responsible in how they campaign, and consider the confidence of voters in what they choose to do. Any changes to the laws on campaign material would require a change to legislation in Parliament.

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