The electoral campaigns of candidates and political parties seek to win voter support in the period preceding an election. Candidates use a variety of techniques to reach voters, and communicate their message through the media. Access to the media may be defined in electoral legislation to ensure that broadcasting time is allocated fairly to parties and candidates. The release of public opinion poll findings may be controlled by law to prevent potential integrity problems and ensure that voters receive the most balanced information possible.
The electoral calendar sets the dates for the official campaign. This is usually a period of around a month leading up to election day. Actual campaigning may start much earlier, but benefits are available to political parties and candidates only during the period specified in the electoral calendar. For example, they are assured of access to the media during the official campaign period only.
Election campaigns are increasingly expensive. The need to collect large sums of money raises serious integrity concerns. The sources of these funds, the amounts that may be accepted and the lack of equal resources present potential threats to electoral integrity. To ensure honest campaigns, most countries have adopted campaign financing rules that limit allowed contributions and spending, and require political parties and candidates to publicly disclose the sources of their funding as well as the nature and amount of their spending. For legal provisions to be effective, campaign financing enforcement is absolutely necessary. Most electoral systems try to minimize the influence of political contributions and give public funds to campaigns. Public funding acts as a counterbalance to political financing, and provides considerable assistance to parties and candidates for their campaign expenses. Public funding also increases voter confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. [1]
Access to information on political financing, including campaign contributions and expenses, must be specified in legislation. These measures are essential for protecting integrity since they promote transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.
NOTES
[1] Birch, Sarah, “Explaining Confidence in the Conduct of Elections,” paper presented to the Public Opinion and Political Parties Conference, University of Essex, U.K., September 9–11, 2005.
