Help us monitor the election and keep the campaign clean
There’s the regular rough and tumble of election campaigns, and then there are practises that erode our already fragile democratic process. When we asked Cable members what we should look into this election, this was a key concern.
In partnership with investigative journalists at OpenDemocracy, we are on the lookout for any misleading data, dodgy money and half truths spread by political parties and their candidates, as well as other groups that are working alongside them.
Along with Bristol West, East and South, we are looking at two local battlegrounds in particular: Filton and Bradley Stoke, and Bristol North West. As the contests for all these seats heat up, we want to make sure there is an honest relationship with the truth by all concerned!
But we need you to be the eyes and ears. Here’s how:
Printed promotional campaign materials
Whether it is dodgy bar charts and suspect polling data, or facts that need checking, we’re keen to collect all printed promotional materials from parties and campaigners. Whatever you get through your door or see in the local cafe, we want to see it.
What can you do?
Simply take pictures of the materials and upload them in the form below.
This will help us do real-time analysis of the claims made, as well as check candidate spending declarations after the election is over.
Social media and online
Social media is a key platform for election campaigns, but by its nature it is hard to monitor what each of us see on our timelines and feeds. As concerns rise about shady groups pushing suspect messages, we’re asking the public to keep an eye on what you get shown online and help shine a light on it.
What can you do?
Simply take screenshots of sponsored political adverts you see on social media and upload them to the form below.
You can also install ‘Who Targets Me’ a free plugin that tracks who is seeking to win your vote and how they are getting messages to you online. The software scans your Facebook newsfeed for ‘Sponsored’ posts (ignoring everything else). These sponsored posts are then matched against categorised lists of political advertisers.
Submit a political advert you’ve spotted
The information in this form is sent through Formstack.
