Imprints on material published by non-party campaigners
Your location:
This is a summary of imprint rules for non-party campaigners. You can find out more about imprints in our guidance.
If you are non-party campaigner, you can find out more about campaigning in our non-party campaigner guidance.
Read our non-party campaigner guidance for UK Parliament general elections
What is an imprint?
Imprints state who is responsible for publishing campaign material and who they’re promoting it for. Imprints help voters understand who is trying to influence them with campaign material.
Some material must include an imprint by law. There are different rules on imprints based on the type of material.
Imprints on digital material
Some digital campaign material (both organic and paid) must have an imprint. This includes on social media posts, online adverts and electronic billboards.
The rules around imprints on digital material apply across the UK, but there are also extra requirements for imprints on material for Scottish Parliamentary elections and council elections in Scotland.
Any organic election material or recall petition material published by a registered non-party campaigner needs to include an imprint. It also needs to include an imprint if someone is publishing the material on your behalf.
Paid digital adverts need an imprint if the content is political material.
Democratic engagement and imprints
Content that is only encouraging people to register to vote, take part in elections or reminding them to bring ID with them when they vote in person is not election material or political material.
If digital content is promoting democratic engagement, rather than trying to get people to support a political party, candidate or elected office-holder, it typically doesn’t require an imprint.
Imprints on printed material
All printed election material needs an imprint, including newspaper and billboard advertising.
Election material is any material that can be reasonably regarded as intended to promote an outcome in an election. For example, promoting a candidate or a political party.
If the printed material only promotes registering to vote or taking part in an election, it would not need an imprint as it would not be regarded as intending to promote an outcome in an election.
Your location: