Campaign finance is understood as all monetary and in-kind contributions and expenditures collected by and incurred by candidates, their political parties or their supporters for electioneering. Campaign finance regulation covers rules on contribution and expenditure limits, the reporting and disclosure obligations of electoral contestants to provide information about the origins of received contributions, the nature of incurred expenditures, and the enforcement of campaign finance rules by an oversight body.
Throughout the world, there are a variety of campaign finance systems, and campaign finance regulations need to be analysed in reference to the broader legal framework and the political and cultural context. The interest in the issue of campaign finance is a relatively recent phenomenon, and its importance has increased in the last few years. Like all aspects of the electoral process, campaign finance needs to be assessed against international standards and good practices.
