PCC Election

Candidates, agents and campaigners at the PCC elections on 2 May 2024 must follow the Electoral Commission’s Code of Conduct for Campaigners.

The Code provides a guide for campaigners, electoral administrators and police forces to what is, and is not, acceptable behaviour at polling stations and in the community during the lead-up to polling day.  

The code also provides information relating to the offence of the handling of postal voting documents by political campaigners and the requirement of secrecy for postal voters. If found guilty of handling postal votes as a campaigner, a person could face a fine and/or imprisonment up to two years. Further information about changes to postal voting is available on the Electoral Commission’s website.

A political campaigner is defined in legislation as:

1. a candidate at the election
2. an election agent of a candidate at the election
3. a sub-agent of an election agent at the election
4. employed or engaged for the purposes of that person’s activities as a candidate
5. a member of a registered political party and carries on an activity designed to promote a particular outcome at the election. This includes displaying posters, distributing leaflets, posting promotional material on social media accounts and canvassing.
6. employed or engaged by a registered political party in connection with the party’s political activities
7. employed or engaged by a person within paragraphs (a) to (f) to carry on an activity designed to promote a particular outcome at the election
8. employed or engaged by a person within paragraph (g) to carry on an activity designed to promote a particular outcome at the election.