Electoral misinformation
We want you to be confident when you encounter electoral campaign material, or want to check if information about an election or electoral process is accurate.
This page has advice on:
- how to engage with campaign material
- who to contact if you have questions about information you've seen or heard.
It also sets out what we're doing to make sure voters have access to accurate electoral information.
Electoral campaign material
'Electoral campaign material' means any material that seeks to influence the way you vote. This could be published by:
- candidates
- political parties, or
- non-party campaigners (influencers).
Laws around electoral campaign material
There are no laws in Victoria that regulate truth in political advertising. However, all electoral campaign material must be authorised. This needs to include the authoriser's name and address. This lets everyone know the origins of the electoral campaign material.
More information about authorisation can be found on our Authorising state election material page or Authorising local council election material page.
Generative AI
Generative AI means any application that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create or modify content based on prompts given by users. This content could include:
- text
- images
- audio
- video.
For more information, visit eSafety's Generative AI – position statement.
Generative AI in campaign material
Some campaigners may use generative AI to create or modify electoral campaign material. We expect that all campaigners carry out their role of informing voters in a responsible and transparent manner by:
- properly authorising all electoral campaign material
- clearly labelling where content is created or modified with AI.
Knowing this information upfront will help you make an informed decision or lead you to undertake further research.
