Guidance

Security guidance for elections

This guidance provides detailed advice on good election security practice. If you are an election candidate, please visit the Candidate Security Guidance Collection linked at the top of this page to find the specific information you need on protective, cyber and information security.

From:
Cabinet Office
Published
25 March 2021
Last updated
17 June 2024 — See all updates

Documents

Candidate Security Guidance Collection

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/candidate-security-guidance-collection

Cyber Guidance for High-Risk Individuals

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/defending-democracy/guidance-for-high-risk-individuals

Joint Guidance on Intimidation for Candidates in Elections

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-guidance/candidate-or-agent/guidance-about-harassment-and-intimidation

Social Media Security Information for Candidates

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Election security for polling stations and counting venues (PDF)

PDF, 2.23 MB, 32 pages

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Election security for polling stations and counting venues (HTML)

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Online disinformation and AI threat guidance for electoral candidates and officials

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Details

If you are an election candidate, please visit the Candidate Security Guidance Collection to find the specific information you need on protective, cyber and information security

We recommend Returning Officers and local authority staff read:

1. Cyber Guidance for Organisations Coordinating Elections - advice for organisations involved in administering UK elections on good cyber security practices to protect systems and data. 

2. Protective Security Guidance for Organisations Coordinating Elections - state threats guidance from the National Protective Security Authority. This can be accessed on gov.uk by anyone with a gov.uk email address or on the National Protective Security Authority’s extranet. 

3. Election Security for Polling Stations and Counting Venues - guidance to assist Returning Officers develop a security plan to avoid major disruption to the electoral process.

4. Protecting Pedestrian Queues - guidance aimed at polling station staff on how to protect and secure pedestrian queues from the National Protective Security Authority. There is also additional guidance on this page including on insider risk, recognising terrorist threats and social engineering that are aimed at election officials.

5. Mail Screening and Suspect Packages - guidance from the National Protective Security Authority on how to identify suspicious items and how to act when an item of concern is discovered. This advice is aimed at those who operate physical locations associated with elections such as polling stations.

Published 25 March 2021
Last updated 17 June 2024 + show all updates

  1. Added a section: Mail Screening and Suspect Packages

  2. Added an additional point on the document: Social Media Security Information for Candidates Added the document: AI disinformation candidate guidance

  3. Added additional links in the For Protective Security we recommend candidates and political staff read section.

  4. Updated with the new version of: Election security for polling stations and counting venues

  5. Updated to correct an issue with the document: Election security for polling stations and counting venues

  6. Updated the guidance with the most up to date information and links to external guidance.

  7. Added a new section called: Guidance for candidates on submitting nomination papers

  8. Added the following document: Election security for polling stations and counting venues

  9. Updated the document: Online security information for candidates to include a section on TikTok

  10. The Electoral Commission has updated its core guidance for Returning Officers to support the delivery of the May 2022 polls.

  11. First published.

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