Legislative elections 2024: what does “electoral silence” mean, a period we enter this Friday at midnight

A partir de ce vendredi 4 juillet minuit, la campagne s'achève. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

Dernier jour de la campagne avant le second tour des législatives. À partir de ce vendredi 5 juillet minuit, s’ouvre la période dite de "silence électoral. Voici à quoi cela correspond.

Political communication is very regulated during an electoral campaign. Thus, a reserve period is established to guarantee the neutrality of the State and public services. This lasts throughout the campaign and ends after the election.

But this Friday, July 4, the last day of the official campaign before the second round of elections, also marks the entry into a short period described as "electoral silence&quot ;.

It corresponds to the rules which govern the day before and the day of an election, which are detailed by the Constitutional Council. The rules concern the candidates or their teams, but also the media.

Rules to follow for candidates

They do not have the right to carry out official propaganda, to hold electoral meetings, to distribute " leaflets, circulars and other documents", to send messages electronically or to make calls to voters to encourage them to vote.

"Any update or modification of a candidate’s website", is also prohibited, as well as on the day before and on the day of the election "it is prohibited for any candidate to make known to the public u n new element of electoral controversy at a time such that his adversaries do not have the possibility of responding usefully before the end of the electoral campaign", stipulates the Constitutional Council.

Rules to respect for the media

During this period, the media are also subject to rules. For example, "any publication of an interview with a candidate by a daily newspaper is prohibited.

Publications relating to the polls are also very regulated."Their distribution and commentary by any means whatsoever are prohibited throughout the national territory the day before the election and the day of the election, until the closing of the last polling station in the metropolitan territory, notes the Constitutional Council.