Rules for Running and Financing Electoral Campaigns in Poland and Lithuania. Comparative Analysis

Abstract

The issues of electoral campaigns have been a key notion in the realm of democratic elections. The rules for conducting them must, above all, guarantee equal opportunities for candidates and the fairness of the electoral process. Equally important are the regulations defining the legal framework for the financing of election campaigns. They serve to prevent electoral corruption and attempts by external entities or interest groups to influence the state policy. The aim of this article is to analyse the key provisions regulating the rules of conducting and financing election campaigns in Poland and Lithuania. These countries share a similar history and the conditions in which their democratic institutions were shaped. The article analyses issues relating, in particular, to the way of understanding election campaigns and electioneering in both legal systems, entities authorized to conduct election campaigning activities, permissible forms of electioneering, and prohibitions in this area. Measures employed for the principles of election campaign financing and their review mechanisms are also compared. Research has shown that although the electoral laws of both countries contain similar instruments, regulations differ significantly in many detailed aspects, which may affect the implementation of the basic principles of electoral law. For the purposes of the analysis, the method of interpretation of the law in force is used to examine the shape and content of the relevant regulations, as well as the comparative method to juxtapose election campaigns and their financing in Poland and Lithuania. The study also presents a review of literature devoted to
the topic.