An activity that meets the purpose test, may have other aims as well as being ‘reasonably regarded as intended to influence how people vote’.
It is immaterial whether an activity can reasonably be regarded as intended to achieve another purpose or purposes if it can also be reasonably regarded as intending to influence voters to vote in a particular way.1
For example, a campaign activity is intended to achieve two purposes, purpose X and purpose Y. If purpose X meets the purpose test, it is irrelevant that purpose Y does not also meet the purpose test.
Intention
It is important to consider how a reasonable person would see your activity and whether they would think your campaign is intended to influence people to vote for or against a political party, parties or category of candidates at an upcoming election. Whatever the goals or intentions of your campaign, it may be that a reasonable person would regard it as having a different intention, or a further intention, from what you envisioned.
The primary intention of your campaign may not be to influence voters. For example, you might run a campaign 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
A campaign that can be reasonably regarded as having one of these intentions will not meet the purpose test unless it can also be reasonably regarded as having the intention to influence voters to vote for or against a political party or category of candidates.
Even if your primary intention is something else, your campaign will still meet the purpose test if it can be reasonably regarded as intended to influence voters to vote for or against a political party or category of candidates.
For example, suppose your intention is to influence political parties to adopt a policy. If you go about this by identifying and promoting parties and candidates who have already adopted the policy, then this will meet the purpose test.