Imprints for non-party campaigners at Scottish Parliamentary elections and council elections in Scotland

| Print full guidance

Election material

Printed material, and organic digital material (unless it is published by an unregistered individual campaigner), must contain an imprint if it is election material.

Election material is material whose purpose can reasonably be regarded as intending to promote or procure electoral success for:

  • one or more political parties
  • a candidate or future candidate
  • political parties, candidates, or future candidates that are linked by their support for or opposition to particular policies, or by holding particular opinions
  • other categories of candidates or future candidates that are not based on policies or opinions – for example, candidates or future candidates who went to a state school, or independent candidates (who do not stand for a political party)
  • any combination of the above

It includes material that can reasonably be regarded as intended to influence voters to vote for or against one of the entities listed above – for example it includes both a positive campaign about a party’s policies, and a negative campaign criticising a party’s policies.

Election material is very similar to material which meets the ‘purpose test’ for regulated non-party campaigner spending (see the Commission’s spending guidance for more information). If you have determined that your organic digital material meets the purpose test, then it will also need to carry an imprint. 

If material meets any of these criteria, it will be election material even if the material can reasonably be regarded as intended to achieve other purposes as well.

Intention

The primary intention of your material may not be to influence voters. For example, you might publish material with one or more of the following intentions:

  • raising awareness of an issue
  • influencing political parties to adopt a policy in their manifestos
  • campaigning for or against government legislation
  • providing information to voters
  • encouraging people to register to vote
  • encouraging people to vote, but not for anyone in particular

Even if your primary intention is something else, your material will still be election material if it can reasonably be regarded as intended to influence voters to vote for or against certain parties, candidates or future candidates.

For example, suppose your intention is to influence political parties to adopt a policy. If you go about this by publishing material promoting parties and candidates who have already adopted the policy, then this will be election material because the purpose of your material can reasonably be regarded as being to influence voters to support those parties and candidates.

Examples

The following are examples of organic material that constitute election material:

Example campaign asset against a party that reads 'Anyone but the Grey Party'. An imprint in the bottom right corner reads 'Promoted by The Campaign Group, 62 High Street, Engleston, AB12 3CD'.
Election material which can reasonably be regarded as intended to influence voters to vote against a political party.
Example campaign asset that reads “Vote. Vote Jane Doe for the Grey Party”. There is an imprint in the bottom right-hand corner that reads “Promoted by the Engleston Grey Party on behalf of Jane Doe, both of 110 High Street, Engleston, AB12 3CD”.
Election material which can reasonably be regarded as intending to promote or procure electoral success for a candidate
An example campaign asset supporting a specific issue that reads 'Use your vote to save Engleston Library. Vote for a condidate who has signed our pledge'. An imprint in the bottom right hand corner reads 'Promoted by Campaigners Ltd, 98 High Street, Engleston, AB12 3CD'.
Election material which can reasonably be regarded as intending to promote or procure electoral success for a category of candidates that are linked by their support for a policy
An example asset not promoting a specific issue that reads 'Vote for a candidate who lives and works in Engleston'. An imprint in the bottom right hand corner reads 'Promoted by Campaigners Ltd, 98 High Street, Engleston, AB12 3CD'.
Election material which can reasonably be regarded as intending to promote or procure electoral success for a category of candidates that are linked by something other than a policy
An example campaign asset supporting a specific issue that reads 'Save Engleston Library. Grey Party is in favour'. An imprint in the bottom right hand corner reads 'Promoted by Campaigners Ltd, 98 High Street, Engleston, AB12 3CD'.
Election material which can reasonably be regarded as intended to promote a party on the basis of its support for an issue

If issues-based material cannot reasonably be regarded as intended to influence voters to vote for certain parties, candidates or future candidates, then it is not election material.

An example campaign asset supporting a specific issue that reads 'Stop climate change'. An imprint in the bottom right hand corner reads 'Promoted by the Campaign Group, 62 High Street, Engleston, AB12 3CD'.
Campaign material which is not election material (but which carries an imprint to aid transparency)

More examples are included below.

Before the regulated period starts, an animal welfare organisation publishes a series of posts on social media explaining what it regards as mistreatment of animals in captivity. As well as setting out problems, it argues that one of the causes is government policy and underfunding. It does not mention elections, candidates or political parties.

This is not election material and does not require an imprint. Although the material is critical of the government, it is not reasonably regarded as intended to influence voters in an election.

Two months before a Scottish Parliamentary general election, the animal welfare organisation, that is registered with the Electoral Commission, shares, without commenting on it, a news article reporting that the party of government has announced they will undertake a rewilding programme if they are re-elected.

This is not election material. This is merely sharing information, and the organisation would be expected to share any news relevant to their work. No imprint is required.

Once all the main parties have launched their manifestos in advance of a Scottish Parliamentary general election, the registered non-party campaigner compares their manifesto pledges on rewilding. They create a graphic comparing the parties’ positions on the issue, giving marks out of ten and saying which party has the best policies. They then publish the graphic on their own social media channels.

Because the campaigner has compared the parties and said which is better in this context, they have effectively promoted some over others. The graphic is therefore reasonably regarded as promoting those parties the campaigner considers to have better policies, so is election material. An imprint is required on the material.

Last updated: 20 August 2025