After candidates of any level have passed the nomination and registration procedure, as a rule, the election campaign starts. And no matter what elections take place in the country, it is impossible to imagine them today without election campaigning. This process is enshrined in legislative acts and is strictly regulated by the framework of state law.
A bit of history
Authorities in society have existed since ancient times. And for more than one century, all the posts held in them have been selective. Elections relate to social phenomena that are common at almost all historical stages of the formation of the state. However, only in the 19-20 centuries. their constitutional legal recognition took place and democratic principles were established that serve as the basis of suffrage.
Today, the elections preceding the formation of bodies representing state power and local self-government are an integral attribute of any legal democratic state. They serve as a particularly significant element of universal values, interacting with freedom of speech, the media and the press.
Independent elections generally demonstrate a constitutional order and limit the arbitrariness of public authority. Moreover, they characterize the level of democracy, political and economic freedom that society has achieved in relation to all residents of the country and each person individually.
The concept of election campaigning
During any election process, the moment of its climax comes. He is characterized by the deployment of election campaigning, which allows to reveal the nature of the existing political law in the country. What is this phenomenon? What is the main essence of election campaigning? A similar process is an activity that takes place during an election campaign. Its purpose is to encourage people to vote for or against a candidate.
Election campaigning has its own legal regulation enshrined in federal laws and regulatory documents of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Details of this procedure take the form of instructions provided by election commissions.
The concept of "election campaigning" can be found in Art. 48 of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights ...". Based on the provisions of this article, such a process means:
- Calls for voters to stand for a candidate (s) or more, or cast their vote against him or them.
- An indication of a particular candidate or electoral association for which a majority of voters are expected to vote.
- Description of the likely consequences if the indicated candidate is elected (or not).
- Dissemination of data with a focus on information about a particular candidate or electoral association.
- Acquaintance of voters with information indicating the candidate’s activities not related to his professional duties.
- Any activities that contribute to the creation of either a positive or negative attitude of people towards a candidate or electoral association.
Financing
Conducting election campaigns aimed at inducing voters to the side of a particular candidate is carried out at the expense of funds collected by election funds. Moreover, each of the applicants for a post in the government should have its own source of funding.According to the conditions of the election campaign, enshrined in legislative acts, it is forbidden to pay for a detailed campaign at the expense of funds taken from the funds of other candidates.
Dates
Electoral campaigning of voters is one of the stages of the election process, which is limited to a certain period. These terms, as well as the forms and methods of implementing this campaign, are regulated by Federal Law No. 51 (when electing deputies to the State Duma and the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation), as well as Federal Law No. 138 (when conducting elections to local governments).
There is another Federal Law - No. 19. Its normative provisions are used when the election campaign of the President of the Russian Federation is carried out.
The creation of a positive or negative image of a candidate or an entire electoral association can begin from the day when the nomination of the applicant (or list) for the post takes place. At the same time, election campaigning begins subject to the creation of the necessary fund. When does this period end? The terms of election campaigning can be clarified in the relevant federal laws of the Russian Federation. The end of this campaign should occur at zero hours zero minutes a day before the voting day (local time). Such a temporary restriction is intended to ensure freedom of suffrage.
What methods and forms of election campaigning can be applied? Let's consider them in more detail.
Public performance
This is one of the most common methods used during the election campaign of candidates. Public speaking has been used for a very long time. Even in antiquity, one of the main resources of a politician was his ability to speak figuratively and well, captivating the listener. This also became an integral part of the image of the candidate. After all, personal communication, accompanied by the ability to keep a speech, convince and listen to the interlocutor, is the source of the career of any politician. Such actions allow him to form a team of like-minded people, which in the future will lead the candidate to the desired victory.
During the election campaign, there is a public debate between several opponents. At this time, it is important for each of the candidates to identify their main rival and try to create an idea among voters that he is a person who violates such generally accepted ethical rules as modesty and honesty, courtesy and goodwill.
The main method that is used in the fight against an opponent is to bring his main ideas to absurdity. So, adherents of the environmental direction can be blamed for anti-industrialism, a democrat can be made an extremist, a manager can be blamed for bureaucracy, etc. The main thing here is to prevent personal insults towards the opponent.
Leaflet campaign
Not a single election campaign of candidates is possible without this inexpensive, expeditious and sufficiently effective means. After all, leaflets have significant potential. Based on existing experience, a professionally prepared and competently organized similar campaign in some cases is similar or even superior to that conducted in electronic form or in the media.
Use of the Internet, radio, television and print
Media are the main channel for influencing voters. Well-organized advertising in print media or on television is capable of attracting the attention of voters to a particular candidate as soon as possible. After that, people are usually ready to give such a person a credit of trust.
Effective work with the media involves the preliminary planning of such activities, coordinating it with other propaganda technologies. It should be remembered that advertising sometimes goes unnoticed or causes negative emotions if it is filed in an appropriate design or environment.To obtain the desired effect, it is necessary to determine the scale of the media audience in the region and its popularity among the population. After that, the headquarters of a particular candidate will have to find competent approaches to presenting information, initially focusing on the personality and name of the candidate for the elected post, and then create and strengthen his image. All information submitted to the media should have the status of sensation or news.
Street and outdoor advertising
This method is one of the most common of those that allow you to bring the candidate's appeal to a wide audience.
In this case, the outside is understood not only as an advertisement placed on the street. It can be located in various public places, for example, in the metro, in stadiums, etc.
Targeted Campaigning
What determines the success of submitting information about a candidate? In many respects, it depends on how closely the campaign materials delivered to voters are related to their urgent needs and how deeply they have affected people's emotions and feelings.
To succeed, the advertising message should be addressed to a more cohesive and narrow group of people. Only in this case will there be more confidence that the submitted information will reach the feelings and consciousness of the voter.
For example, American campaign organizers compare its address form with a rifle, which contrasts with a shotgun. Direct agitation allows the information to be delivered directly to those people to whom it was intended. Such activities should be preceded by the creation of voter databases and their constant updating. Only in this case it becomes possible to draw up a personal appeal.
Information transfer from person to person
The essence of this method is expressed in its name. With its application, election campaigning is carried out at any place where voters are. This can be a store and a clinic, street, organization, etc. The main purpose of such a campaign is to make a stranger familiar, turning him not only into a supporter, but also into an agitator.
It is best suited for such a campaign by social and medical workers, teachers and sellers, janitors and postmen, that is, all those whose daily activities are related to people and who cause them a certain level of trust. This method of agitation is in many ways similar to rumor technology. However, recently developed the latest methods of submitting information about the candidate, based on the use of the principles of multi-level marketing. A similar method allows you to realize the potential of each person.
Attraction of famous people
This method of conducting election campaigning is classified as classic. It is worth noting that the participation of famous people in such campaigns, as well as their positive feedback about the candidate, does not always bring the desired votes. Nevertheless, they contribute to increasing interest in the applicant, influence the creation of his image, etc. Technologies for the appearance of candidates against the background of famous personalities are a necessary element of almost every major election process.
Campaigning on the street
It is unlikely that such a situation is possible when a large number of people come to meet with a candidate. It is necessary that he himself go to his voters, organizing special meetings.
The most effective campaign will be that will be conducted directly on the street. The options for organizing such meetings can be as follows:
- Visiting trading enterprises. In this case, the candidate comes to the store and shakes hands with sellers and buyers. In this case, the candidate for the elective post must be accompanied by his team, which will deal with the distribution of campaign material.
- Arrival at the enterprise.In this case, the candidate should not be accompanied by the boss, whom the workers, quite possibly, do not like. For this mission, the union leader or supporter of the applicant working in this enterprise is suitable.
- Visiting schools and universities. This option will be a good prerequisite for a conversation with youth, which can be considered as a potential voluntary assistant.
- Arrival at nursing homes. Older people are very sensitive to personal attention and, as a rule, always participate in voting.
- Visiting discos and places of rest where candidates are not usually expected. That is why his arrival is able to produce a good campaign effect.
- Attracting the attention of voters during special trips or trips. A similar method also allows you to give a good effect. In this case, an agitation train will be the best option. It will allow the candidate to hold a meeting with a wide audience, while not bogging down with voters in a polemic.
Door to door
A similar organization of campaigning is present at elections of any level. Candidates' assistants make rounds of apartments, thus providing personal contact with voters.
However, according to the analysis, such a campaign is effective only if it is properly organized. And this involves a careful selection of agitators, their training, work with the base, which includes voter lists, etc.
In cases where all activities are carried out on the basis of the “just to report” principle, no positive results should be expected. This method is most effective at the local and regional level. Moreover, he often replaces other methods of agitation.
Separate restrictions
There are some prohibitions on election campaigning. So, during the period of this campaign, actions to abuse the freedom of information that violate the rights of others are not allowed. Acts recognized as administrative misconduct and crimes are also prohibited.
The restrictions that exist during the election campaign are set at the level of federal law. These legal acts also provide for certain requirements for candidates.
Federal law considers unacceptable violations of the election campaign that may occur if its terms are misused, the release and distribution of printed materials that do not have the necessary output or without payment, etc.
The assignment of information provided during election campaigns to that which is prohibited by law is possible when certain criteria are defined. For example, does it carry a negative emotional assessment in relation to a certain social, religious and ethnic group, inciting to restrict their rights and freedoms? In addition, it is necessary to establish whether there are any discriminatory statements in the submitted information. Or maybe it only expresses the personal attitude of the candidate to the problem, without calls against his rivals?
Unacceptable, according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, is considered information that violates intellectual property standards. They are protected by regulatory legal acts of the state in the form of related and copyright laws, patents, means of individualization, commercial and official secrets, selection achievements, integrated circuit topology, rationalization inventions.
In order to ensure the free expression of the will of people who came to polling stations, relatively recently, legislation approved a rule prohibiting the holding of lotteries and other risk-based games on election day.
The bribing of those who have the right to cast their vote for the candidate is also considered inadmissible.