the essential
From the night of Friday to Saturday at midnight, and until Sunday 8 p.m. when the results of this first round of the legislative elections are published, the media are prohibited from talking about the candidates or their programs. This is the “electoral reserve” period which applies before each election. For what ? Who does it concern and what are its terms?
Elections are strictly regulated by law to ensure their smooth running. They are in particular through the electoral code. And according to article L47A of the latter, the electoral campaign period ends on the “eve of the poll at midnight”, i.e. from Saturday June 29 midnight in the case of the first round of these 2024 legislative elections. In the event of a second In turn, the campaign will resume the day after the election.
The end of this campaign period has many consequences. It means the ban on all “electoral propaganda”. Thus, candidates, activists and parties are no longer authorized to organize meetings, towing, to carry out collages or to canvass by telephone. The same goes for their public speeches, which must not amount to the defense of their political program. Moreover, criticism of his political opponents and their positions is no longer authorized. According to article L48-2 of the electoral code, it is even “prohibited for any candidate to bring to the attention of the public a new element of electoral controversy at a time such that his adversaries do not have the possibility of responding usefully to it. before the end of the electoral campaign.” The end of the campaign therefore marks the end of hostilities between the candidates and opens a phase reserved for voting. She submits to “electoral silence”.
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In this sense, the media also respond to very precise legislation, always with the objective of letting citizens express their vote as freely as possible. They too must respect electoral silence. This implies a ban on interviewing candidates. Law 77-80 of July 19, 1977 also prohibits the publication and commenting on polls until the last polling station closes. Only a reminder of the day and methods of voting is authorized. On voting day, the same principle applies, the media can show the candidates voting, but without giving them the floor. Only participation figures can be given. The Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom) ensures compliance with these measures.
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Government members, prefects and public officials are subject to a reserve period of 3 to 4 weeks before the election. This is intended to strictly preserve the neutrality of the State and public services while ensuring fairness between candidates. Thus, it is forbidden to support a candidate as a member of the government (this must be done in a personal capacity) or to use State resources to support a candidacy.
According to the Constitutional Council, French citizens “are not exempt from respecting these rules”. Any breach of this reserve period results in a fine.
