Election campaign

The election (election) campaign is one of the stages of the electoral process, presupposes the official registration and nomination of candidates (candidates), their pre-election struggle aimed at familiarizing voters with their platforms and programs, personality. Based on the above, the population makes a choice.

The election campaign begins after the appointment of the election date, the formation of electoral districts, the creation of commissions, as well as the specification of the list of participating voters. The subsequent stages include the course of voting itself, the calculation of all votes, the determination of the results. The totality of all stages of the election process is called the electoral system. At the same time, each stage is rather rigidly regulated by the relevant legislation.

The pre-election stage includes the struggle of competing candidates for the votes of voters by explaining the merits of their programs. Mass media are used for these purposes, meetings are held with voters, sociological polls, and other technologies of election campaigns are used.

The average duration of the pre-election stage is from three weeks to a month. However, in some states this stage continues more. The date of the beginning of the pre-election stage depends on the date of the appointment of voting (election day). In some cases, it is defined by law once and for all, in others - the date of voting is appointed by the parliament or the head of state. The election campaign, as a rule, ends one day before the election day.

In the legislation of most states, the nomination of applicants is based on the principle of free nomination. A minimum of formal requirements are required for the process. So, in case of self-nomination, the applicant needs support for a large number of voters in the district (no more than 30); If a group of voters nominates a candidate, then its number should be several hundred people, etc.

According to the general rule, the law on elections does not interfere in the relations within the parties.

As a condition for registration of the applicant in many states, a pre-election pledge is accepted. If the candidate was unable to collect a certain minimum of votes by law, the pledge is not returned. It should be noted that usually its amount is relatively small.

The alternative to elections is designed to ensure freedom when nominating candidates. To some extent, this goal is achieved. However, in general, the nomination of candidates is a monopolized political party process. This is evidenced by a very small number of self-nominees (independent candidates) in the parliaments of many states.

Unlike registration and the process of nomination, pre-election campaigning is a process that is subject to more severe legislative restrictions. The election campaign at this stage is regulated in order to prevent pressure on voters, their bribery, misleading, etc. In addition, in this way all applicants become in equal conditions of struggle. Along with this "equality", the neutrality (non-interference of officials, the state apparatus in the course of the struggle) and loyalty (the challenger with his team should not use rumors and other falsifications defaming rivals) are considered to be the integral rules of campaigning. The strategy of the election campaign presupposes the right of the voter to verify the fact of its inclusion in the lists of voters, to apply to the court in case of violation of his rights.

It should be noted that the shortcomings of pre-election "races" are often the result of insufficient perfection of election legislation. There are abuses in the process of nomination when collecting the necessary number of signatures, in addition, the voter may not always receive sufficient information on the composition of lists of parties and other.