Examples of permitted expenditure ceilings, as of 1995, follow.
France
In 1993, candidates for election as deputy to the National Assembly were limited to 250,000 francs plus 1 franc for each inhabitant in the electoral district.
Presidential elections. In 1995, the ceiling for each presidential candidate was 120 million francs, plus a total of 140 million francs for the two candidates at the second ballot.
Great Britain
Candidates for the House of Commons and for other elective offices are subject to campaign spending limits. In 1994, the limits were: for county (rural) constituencies, £4,642, plus 5.2 pence for every entry in the electoral register to be used at the election; for borough (urban) constituencies: £4,642, plus 3.9 pence per entry.
India
The limit is 150,000 rupees per candidate.
Italy
Each candidate is limited to a total resulting from adding to a fixed amount of 80 million lire, the sum of 100 lire multiplied by the number of citizens residing in the single-member districts. For those candidates who run for seats assigned by proportional representation the corresponding amount is ten lire for every citizen residing in the electoral district.
Election expenses for each party and other groupings must not exceed a total resulting from the sum of 200 lire multiplied by the number of inhabitants of the districts of the Senate and of the chamber in which they are represented by lists of candidates, or by individual candidates.
Japan
Spending limits for candidates apply only to the formal campaign period of twelve days. There are no limits for candidates for election to the upper house through the national constituency. The applicable limits are:
- For lower-house elections (single-member districts): 19,100,000, plus a sum derived from multiplying 15 by the number of registered voters, and dividing by the number of seats in the electoral district.
- For upper house elections: 13,600,000, plus a sum derived from multiplying 8 (or 12) by the number of registered voters, and dividing by the number of seats in the electoral district.
Malaysia
Each candidate standing for election to the House of Representatives is limited to MAL $50,000, and each candidate for election to a state legislative assembly to MAL $30,000.
Mexico
Limits were introduced in 1993.
For federal senators and deputies, the formula includes three elements: an amount per registered voter, geographic area, and population density.
The range of limits for senate campaigns range from a high of about U.S.$9 million for the State of Mexico, to a low of U.S.$426,000 in the State of Baja California Sur. The limits for federal deputies ranged between U.S.$653,000 and U.S.$45,000.
For the 1994 presidential election, the limit was U.S.$42 million per candidate.
Poland
The expenses of nominating lists of candidates and waging the electoral campaign for any registered district list of candidates may not exceed sixty times the average monthly wage.
Russia
Candidates for deputy of the Duma of the Federal Assembly:
- a candidate's own funds, which may not exceed 1,000 minimum salaries
- funds allocated to the candidates by the electoral association or electoral bloc that has nominated them, up to 1,500 minimum salaries
- own funds of an electoral association, or electoral bloc, may not exceed 100,000 minimum salaries
Spain
Each political party is entitled to a sum that is the product of forty pesetas times the number of voters in each electoral district where a party's candidate is standing for election.
United States
Partly as a consequence of the Supreme Court's ban on spending limits, federal campaigns other than for the presidency are not subject to limits.
A presidential candidate is also theoretically free from expenditure limits, but only provided he refuses to accept public subsidies for his campaign. Candidates have invariably accepted such subsidies as, therefore, have at the same time agreed to limit their campaigns to the amounts provided from public funds. In the 1996 race for the presidency, the subsidy and related spending limit for the Democratic and Republican candidates was U.S.$62 million each.
Ukraine
Candidates for president: up to 10,000 minimal salaries.
Candidates for deputy: up to 100 minimal salaries.
Draft Only
