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Guidance for Social Media

Social Media Guidelines for Candidates

Many candidates use social media to create a presence during their election campaign. Social media use requires sound judgement and common sense. You, and anyone acting on your behalf, are personally liable for the content you publish.

Social media sites are considered to be in the public domain. It is important to ensure you are confident of the nature of the information that you publish, as you could be quoted on it.

Once published, content is almost impossible to control and may be used without your consent in ways you would prefer it was not. Familiarise yourself with the terms of service of any social media site and do not post any material that could leave you vulnerable. Candidates must comply with the following guidelines for social media use and presence related to campaigning:

Authorising a social media account

Election advertising, using any media, including social media, must identify the person under whose authority they have been produced, as per sections 113- 115 of the Local Electoral Act 2001. This means in your profile photo/bio, you must have a statement saying that all content/images on your social media channel are authorised by you or your agent. You must include the true name and contact details of the person under whose authority they have been produced.

The contact details can be one or more of the following:

  • residential or business address; or
  • an email address; or
  • a post office box number; or
  • a phone number; or
  • a link to a page on an Internet site (if the page contains one or more of the contact details specified above)

As a candidate, you can choose to set up a social media account to promote your election campaign. If you do this, please remember to include an authorising statement on the account’s main page (or profile page), confirming that the account has been authorised by you, the candidate.

Should you choose not to set up a separate account for election purposes but instead use your personal social media account for electioneering, you should place an authorising statement on the account’s main page for the duration of the time that the account is used for electioneering.

It's not necessary to authorise:

  • Each individual post or tweet
  • Likes, comments, shares, retweets etc.

Ruapehu District Council's social media channels

Council’s Social media channels are council resources and must remain politically neutral at all times.

Council will promote elections and the importance of voting but will not associate these posts with any candidates.

Council social media accounts will not follow any candidates.

Council’s social media accounts are not permitted to be used as a communications channel by anyone (candidates or members of the public) for promotion, electioneering or campaigning. This also applies to all social media accounts owned by council-controlled organisations.

Council’s social media accounts will be monitored and any campaign related or electioneering content (including posts relating to candidacy) will be removed immediately.

During the pre-election period from 11 July to 11 October:

  • Candidates may not post on the Council’s social media channels.
  • Candidates must not link their own social media accounts to the Council’s social media accounts.
  • Council’s social media channels must not be used by anyone for campaigning purposes. Council will remove any campaign-related material including posts related to nominations and candidacy of third parties.
  • Council social media accounts will not follow any candidates. This may result in a candidate’s account being unfollowed three months prior to the election date. This protocol is in line with the Local Electoral Act 2001.
  • Candidates cannot rate, review, check-in or mention with a tag the Council’s social media channels (e.g. @RuapehuDistrictCouncil)
  • Candidates cannot like posts on Council’s social media channels.
  • Candidates may not reply to comments or posts on Council’s social media channels. This includes encouraging people to like or follow your social media accounts. Any posts that do this will be removed immediately.
  • Candidates may share the Council’s posts to their private social media channel(s) and then comment on the thread on their own social media channel. The candidate will then be responsible for managing the discussion and activity on their personal social media channels.
  • Council will remove any social media post (whether positive or negative) referencing a candidate’s nomination, intention to run for Council, or election campaign.
  • During the lead up to the elections, the current Mayor and Elected Members may be used in social media posts where it is appropriate and is considered 'business as usual' to use them.
  • It is illegal to post a photograph/display your completed voting documents on social media.

Social media safety

General Safety and Security Strategies

  • Sanitizing your social media profile.
  • Practicing self-regulation when posting and commenting in social media.
  • Saving threatening posts for evidence.
  • Varying your travel routes and daily routines so it is difficult to anticipate your location based on what you are putting online
  • Informing the Police if you are receiving threatening comments in social media.

Ask yourself the following:

  • Are you posting and commenting on social media that is making your time and place predictable?
  • Are you receiving threatening, abusive and intimidating comments in your personal social media profile?
  • Have you reported these to the Platform provider? Facebook, Instagram etc
  • Have you reported these to Police? On 105 if not immediately life threatening, or 111 if they are?
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