Non-party campaigners: Senedd elections

For example, two organisations run similar campaigns calling for a single transferable vote (STV) voting system at Senedd elections. The first organisation’s campaign focuses on educating voters on STV and the second campaign aims to encourage the public to support only candidates and parties in who are in favour of maintaining and adopting further proportional representation reforms at Senedd elections.

In the lead up to the Senedd election, the two campaigners decide to launch a campaign together with the purpose of promoting parties in favour of STV. For the purposes of this example, this planned campaign consists of regulated campaign activities. They each raise £1,000 with the intention of spending this money together on the campaign.

They plan the campaign by agreeing on five key goals and a timeline for the campaign, which consists of a social media campaign on both of their platforms and in-person events they run together. The teams behind the campaigns both agree on the content of the material before it is published.

Example A

Two organisations run similar campaigns calling for a single transferable vote (STV) voting system at Senedd elections. The aim of both organisations is to encourage political parties to promote a single transferable vote system.

The first organisation sets up a petition in which they ask people to add their name to call on the Senedd to commit to a single transferable vote system. They ask the second organisation to sign the petition and share it with their supporters. After the petition is closed, they also ask the second organisation to add their name to an open letter they place in newspapers which calls on voters to support parties in favour of STV at the upcoming Senedd election.

In this scenario, although the open letter is regulated activity, the organisations have not entered into a plan or arrangement together and there is no intention for both campaigners to incur spending. Therefore, this is not joint campaigning.

Example B

Two organisations run similar campaigns calling for the government to adopt particular policies on climate change. The first organisation calls on voters to vote for parties who have committed to the issues they have identified, and the organisation asks the second organisation to share their material and promote their campaign on X/Twitter and other social media accounts. The second organisation agrees to publicise the first organisation’s work but does not carry out any co-ordinated spending or any regulated campaigning themselves.

In this scenario, the first organisation is carrying out regulated campaign activities by influencing voters to vote in a particular way at the election. The second organisation must assess whether they have spent any money on regulated campaign activities. Even though the second organisation has shared the first organisation’s election material to their followers, the organisations have not entered into a plan or arrangement to incur spending on regulated campaigning together. Therefore, this is not joint campaigning.

Example C

An organisation runs a campaign encouraging voters to vote for parties who have pledged to introduce laws to protect tenants. They identify campaigners and a charity with shared aims and promote these organisations to their supporters and publicly on their social media accounts. They also donate to one of the other campaigners that is supporting tenants.

In this scenario, the organisation is carrying out regulated campaign activities by influencing voters to vote in a particular way at the election. Even if the other organisations they have promoted also spend money on regulated campaign activities, there is no financial commitment or co-ordinated spending between any of the campaigners.

In addition, a donation does not mean campaigners are working (or spending money) together. Each organisation is required to individually assess whether they are spending money on any regulated campaign activities. Therefore, this is not joint campaigning.