Electioneering

A man smiles as he hands a flyer to a woman outside a building, while several people stand in line behind them, holding similar papers.

Click image to view full size.

Last Updated on February 18, 2026 by Hannah Seeley

Electioneering happens when a candidate campaigns near a polling place during an election. It can take the form of distributing flyers or making last-minute appeals to voters, either in person or online. Depending on the structure of the election – especially when in-person voting is involved – there may be rules that prohibit electioneering within a certain physical or digital distance from voting platforms. Electioneering may sound similar to canvassing, but they’re not the same. Canvassing is generally easier to oversee and happens before the election, while electioneering is more likely to exert undue influence at the point of voting.