Imprints on election and campaign material
Imprints are details that must appear on political or election-related material. This briefing explains the requirements for imprints.
An imprint is information on a piece of campaign material that tells voters who is responsible for producing it.
Imprints help voters understand who is trying to influence them.
Printed campaign material for candidates has required an imprint for many years. National party and referendum campaigns have also been required to show imprints on printed campaign material since 2007.
Until recently only print-based campaign material was covered by the imprint requirements, although the Electoral Commission recommended as best practice non-print campaign material should also include an imprint.
Digital imprintsDigital material includes online ads, social media posts, websites, and electronic billboards. Paid for digital campaign material is required to have an imprint.
Material that has not been paid for, for example social media posts or sharing something online, is called organic material, and may need an imprint. It will need an imprint if it is published by a candidate or registered third party campaigner during an election campaign (or on their behalf) and is encouraging people to vote in a particular way. If someone is not a candidate, elected representative or registered campaigner and they publish organic material on their own behalf, it will not need an imprint.
Sharing something that already has an imprint is unlikely to need a new imprint. Something shared that has been altered in some way, may need a new imprint added by the person sharing the material.
Digital imprint requirements were first introduced in Scotland for the 2014 independence referendum. The Scottish legislation was extended to all devolved Scottish elections in 2020.
The Elections Act 2022 introduced a new digital imprint regime. This came into force from 1 November 2023. The rules on digital imprints in the Elections Act 2022 apply across the whole UK including at Scottish Parliamentary elections and council elections in Scotland (devolved Scottish elections). Candidates, parties and other campaigners at devolved Scottish elections must follow both sets of rules. This briefing primarily refers to the UK-wide regime from the Elections Act 2022.
In 2025 the Scottish Parliament passed new legislation. When activated this will revoke the separate scheme in Scotland. Election or referendum campaigners will need to apply the only the Elections Act rules. There is one key difference. The Scottish legislation has one additional add-on. This requires digital imprints during Scottish Parliament and Scottish council elections on campaign material from third-party campaigners who are not registered with the Electoral Commission.
Imprint guidanceStatutory guidance has been produced by the Electoral Commission for the new digital imprint requirements introduced by the Elections Act 2022. Non-statutory guidance exists on the commission’s website for print imprints and for the separate digital imprint regime that operates for devolved elections in Scotland.
This briefing outlines the requirements for imprints and gives background to the introduction of digital imprints. The information is based on the guidance mentioned above but should not be relied upon as legal or professional advice, or as a substitute for it.