RIGA, June 5 (LETA) - On Friday as well as on Saturday, which is the official day of Latvia's municipal elections, the distribution of campaign materials in public spaces is prohibited, the Corruption Prevention Bureau (KNAB) informed LETA.

This means that on these two days, election campaign materials may not be published in the press, the outdoor environment and on electronic media. Paid campaigning on social media or elsewhere on the internet is prohibited.

Campaigners, including political organizations and candidates running in the elections, as well as persons not related to them, may not distribute campaign materials in urban and other public spaces during these days, and may not campaign through state and local government social media accounts. It is also prohibited to distribute to potential voters various goods, including sweets and items printed with political parties' symbol.

Free campaigning on social media and elsewhere on the internet in an exception. The election campaign law does not prohibit publishing and sharing free content or expressing political views on social media and elsewhere on the internet, including on election day and the day before, but it does prohibit paying for the promotion of these posts. In addition, the promotion of videos and other material on the internet for a fee, the visual content of which has been created using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, is prohibited.

Election campaign material can include adverts, interviews, social media posts. If citizens find unauthorized campaigning in public spaces, in the press or on the internet during the next two days, when the strictest campaign bans are in force, they should report it to the KNAB.

This can be done in several ways, including anonymously via the online reporting platform or the mobile app Zino KNAB! (Report to KNAB!), by calling the KNAB hotline 8000 20 70 or by sending an email to pasts@knab.gov.lv.

The campaigning period before this year's local elections started on February 8 and will last until the election day - June 7.