Northern Ireland Assembly and local elections 2027: Party spending

Example A

A political party produces a letter that sets out the party’s policies and in the final lines it asks voters to vote for specific candidates in a particular order in that electoral area. Since the candidates are identifiable, the letter is to be regarded as distributed for the purposes of the candidates' election.

Example B

A political party produces an advert that sets out the party’s policies and asks voters to vote for the party in a particular electoral area. Although the advert does not name the candidates, it identifies the electoral area. Therefore, the advert is to be regarded as distributed for the purposes of the party’s candidates in that electoral area.

Example C

A political party produces a letter that sets out the party’s policies and encourages voters to vote for the party. Although the letter is addressed to a household in an electoral area, the letter itself does not identify the candidates or the electoral area. This is not to be regarded as used for the purposes of the candidates' election. This is just party spending.

Example D

A political party holds a public campaign event. Party figures promote the party at the event. They also spend 25% of the event promoting a local party candidate. That 25% of the event is to be regarded as used for the purposes of the candidate’s election.