Election Expenditure Limit
The statutory cap on what a candidate may spend on their campaign.
Short answer
What is Election Expenditure Limit?
The election expenditure limit is the maximum amount a candidate may lawfully spend on their campaign, set by the Election Commission and varying by the type of constituency and state. Candidates must file audited accounts after the poll.
Definition
The election expenditure limit is the maximum amount a candidate may lawfully spend on their campaign, set by the Election Commission and varying by the type of constituency and state. Candidates must file audited accounts after the poll.
Why It Matters
Exceeding the limit or misreporting expenditure can lead to disqualification. Campaign planning must therefore work inside a documented budget, with expenditure recorded as it is incurred rather than reconstructed afterwards.
Example in Indian Elections
Every campaign engagement includes an expenditure recording discipline so that the statutory return is assembled continuously rather than in the days after polling.
Related Terms
- Model Code of ConductECI guidelines governing party and candidate conduct once an election is announced.
- Silence PeriodThe 48 hours before polling closes when public campaigning is prohibited.
- Candidate AffidavitThe sworn declaration of assets, liabilities and criminal cases filed at nomination.
- DPDP Act 2023India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, governing personal data processing.
- Paid NewsEditorial coverage secretly purchased and presented as independent journalism.
- Polling BoothThe individual polling station where a defined group of voters casts their votes.