Political campaigning and trustworthy information
How do you choose who to vote for
Your vote belongs only to you, it is your decision to make. It is illegal to pressure, blackmail or bribe someone to vote in a certain way.
Political campaigning
So how do you choose who to vote for? Most importantly your vote belongs only to you, no one should pressure you into voting a certain way. Take the time to research your candidates and pay extra attention to the information around you, so you can make the best decision for you. It can feel like information overload for some elections. You will see a lot of adverts from political parties encouraging you to vote for them. This is called campaigning. Campaigning can be a whole range of things, learn more about campaigning at electoralcommission.org.uk/learning.
So how do you choose who to vote for? Most importantly your vote only belongs to you. No one should pressure you to vote a certain way. Take the time to research your candidates and pay extra attention to the information around you, so you can make the best decision for you. It can feel like information overload before some elections. You will see a lot of adverts from political parties to encourage you to vote for them. This is called campaigning. Campaigning can be a whole range of things.
The media. Newspapers will publish articles about political parties, policies as well as interviews with politicians in the run-up to elections. Many newspapers publicly support a political party. This means you could see a newspaper publishing more positive stories about one political party, than any other. You'll also see these articles shared on social media.
Adverts. Political parties buy large billboards, give out loads of leaflets and stick posters up around your area. In the UK, political parties aren't allowed to buy TV advertising. Instead, the main political parties are given time on TV to put their policies to voters. These are called 'Party Election Broadcasts'. Supporters of political parties might put posters in their windows, it's not unusual to see entire streets displaying these signs. You'll also see campaign adverts online, including on social media. This could be adverts directly from political parties, as well as groups who support them, or even those who are against them.
Talking to your candidates. Campaigners might knock on your door to talk to you, this is called canvassing. You're welcome to ask them questions, it's why they are there. Candidates might also take part in public debates with other candidates, these are called 'hustings'. For some elections, political parties publish documents outlining all their policies. This is called a manifesto. They are a good place to find out what a political party stands for.
Knowing what to trust and what is fair. Campaigns should be fair and open. You should be able to easily find out where campaigning information is coming from, and that it is trustworthy. There are limits on how much political parties are allowed to spend on campaigning, if they break these rules, they may have to pay fines. There are rules about what is and isn't allowed in campaigning. For example, a candidate can't try to get you to vote for them by promising to buy a chocolate bar for everyone in your town if they win. Candidates can't tell lies about another candidate's character or behaviour.
Fake news. There can be some misleading information during campaign periods, especially on social media. This false information, or fake news, can be shared thousands of times without anyone questioning it. Sometimes you will be able to spot really easily when something isn't true. 'The Prime Minister admits they are an alien' is likely to ring some alarm bells. But often it's not that easy to spot. Not everything you see is true, so it is important to check that information is reliable and trustworthy, before you share it. Learn more about campaigning at electoralcommission.org.uk/learning
Knowing what to trust and what is fair
Knowing what to trust and what is fair. Campaigns should be fair and open. You should be able to easily find out where campaigning information is coming from, and that it is trustworthy. There are limits on how much political parties are allowed to spend on campaigning, if they break these rules, they may have to pay fines. There are rules about what is and isn't allowed in campaigning. For example, a candidate can't try to get you to vote for them by promising to buy a chocolate bar for everyone in your town if they win. Candidates can't tell lies about another candidate's character or behaviour.
The media and campaigning
The media. Newspapers will publish articles about political parties, policies as well as interviews with politicians in the run-up to elections. Many newspapers publicly support a political party. This means you could see a newspaper publishing more positive stories about one political party, than any other. You'll also see these articles shared on social media.
Fake news
Fake news. There can be some misleading information during campaign periods, especially on social media. This false information, or fake news, can be shared thousands of times without anyone questioning it. Sometimes you will be able to spot really easily when something isn't true. 'The Prime Minister admits they are an alien' is likely to ring some alarm bells. But often it's not that easy to spot. Not everything you see is true, so it is important to check that information is reliable and trustworthy, before you share it.
Talking to your Candidates
Talking to your candidates. Campaigners might knock on your door to talk to you, this is called canvassing. You're welcome to ask them questions, it's why they are there. Candidates might also take part in public debates with other candidates, these are called 'hustings'. For some elections, political parties publish documents outlining all their policies. This is called a manifesto. They are a good place to find out what a political party stands for.
Source: Electoral Commission
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