How to Win Elections

How to Win Elections

Introduction

Starting Point

Types of Election

Electoral Areas

Polling Districts

Pre-Campaign

Electoral Register

Manifesto

Registering as a Candidate

Campaign

Canvassers

Leaflets

Local Press

Press Release

Public Meetings

Online Campaigning

Eve of Election

Knock-Up Areas

Election Day

Number Tellers

Knocking-Up

The Count

Post Election Party

Post Election

Election Expenses

Summary

About The Author

Resources

Election Expenses

By law you are limited in amount of money you can spend or your campaign. These limits are varied from time to time but the Electoral Commission keeps track of this. You can check the details here - http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/elections/election-spending .

Candidates are subject to controls on the election expenses that they can incur in the period before an election, and are regulated by the Representation of the People Act 1983 (RPA). The restrictions on incurring election expenses at an election set out in the RPA are based on controls that have governed candidates' election expenses since the nineteenth century and predate the separate limits controlling expenditure by political parties introduced by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA). However, PPERA introduced controls on candidates' donations, in order to bring the treatment of candidates' donations and party donations into line.

All your expenses should be included even where you haven’t had to pay out money costs must be covered. For example; if your candidate has photos taken by a professional photographer and you use these photos on your leaflets you must include the costs in your election expenses even if the candidate pays for this himself; if someone lets you use their front room as a committee room on polling day you must declare that you paid them a nominal sum, even though you didn’t.

If in doubt the Returning Officer's staff can assist you but the basic rule is if you used it in the election then you have to pay for it and you have to declare what you paid so keep your receipts.

Continue to Summary....