Non-party campaigners: Scottish Parliamentary elections

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Activities that will not be regulated

The following activities are not regulated: 

  • costs associated with publishing anything (except adverts) appearing in a newspaper, periodical or on a licensed broadcast channel1
  • costs that are reasonably attributable to translating anything from English into another language2
  • costs that are reasonably attributable to an individual's disability3
  • volunteer time4
  • reasonable personal expenses incurred by an individual in travelling or in providing for the individual's accommodation or other personal needs5
  • anything that counts as campaign spending by a registered political party or a candidate’s election expenses6

Translation costs

Reasonable costs you incur in relation to translating anything from English into another language will not be regulated and will not count towards your spending limit.

For example, hiring a translator to translate your campaign material from English into another language.

Expenses incurred in relation to an individual’s disability

Any additional support costs for disabled people who are working on any regulated activities, or for disabled people to access or take part in any regulated activities that you are organising, also do not count towards your spending limit.

For example, producing a supply of Braille campaign leaflets to distribute to blind members of the public or hiring adapted equipment so that disabled members of the public can take part in a public event.

Volunteer time

You do not need to include the time volunteers spend on regulated campaign activity as regulated expenses. However, spending money on any resources that you provide for your volunteers to carry out regulated campaign activities will be covered. For example, if a minibus is hired to transport volunteers to carry out canvassing, the cost of the hire will count towards your spending limit.

Sometimes you may not be sure if someone is a volunteer or if their time should be treated as notional spending. For example, they may offer similar services professionally to the ones they are performing for you.

They are likely to be a volunteer if, for example, the time they spend on your campaign is not paid for by their employer (unless it is their usual annual leave). If they use specialist equipment or materials, you should consider whether their use is notional spending.

Personal expenses

Reasonable expenses incurred by an individual on travelling, accommodation or other personal needs in relation to regulated campaign activities will not be regulated.

For example, if an individual travels to another city for the weekend to join your local campaign and pays these costs themselves, these costs will not count towards your spending limit.

However, if you reimburse an individual for their personal expenses, these expenses will be regulated campaign spending and must be reported.

Party and candidate expenses

Spending that must be reported by a registered political party or candidate as election expenses should be reported only by that organisation or individual. It does not count towards your spending limit and must not be included in your spending return.

Last updated: 19 August 2025