Presidential election 2022 : Arcom's role

An initial period

• an initial period running from January 1, 2022 to March 7, the day before the publication of the list of candidates drawn up by the Constitutional Council: during this period, broadcasters ensure that candidates and their supporters receive equal speaking and airtime.

A second period

• a second period running from March 8, the day of publication in the Journal Officiel of the list of candidates drawn up by the Constitutional Council, to the day before the start of the election campaign: equal speaking and airtime for candidates and their supporters must be respected under comparable programming conditions.

The election campaign period

• the actual campaign period for the two rounds of voting, as defined in article L. 47 A of the Electoral Code; television and radio services must respect equal speaking and airtime under comparable programming conditions.

Arcom relies on TV channels' and radio stations' counts of speaking and airtime in the various programs (news, magazines and other programs).

According to the timetable set out in the notice, the publishers concerned notify Arcom of the speaking times of candidates and their supporters, as well as airtime, which includes :

• a candidate's speaking time,
• interventions in support of the candidate and all sequences devoted to the candidate, unless they are explicitly unfavorable.

Other publishers provide Arcom, at its request, with :

• All information relating to the speaking and airtime of candidates and their supporters.
• All information required, in particular for the investigation of submissions of a case before the court.

Statements of speaking time during the election period

For the presidential election, the principle of fairness replaces that of equal speaking time during the period from publication of the list of candidates to the eve of the "official" campaign. Only the last two weeks before the election are therefore still subject to equal speaking time in the audiovisual media.

The day before and on election day

The "reserve period", the day before and on polling day

The day before and on polling day, it is forbidden to show any message having the character of electoral propaganda, as stipulated in the Electoral Code (paragraph 2 of article L49). No polls, results or electoral statements may be shown on air during this period, in order to avoid influencing voters' votes.

During this "reserve period", TV channels and radio stations may show documentaries on the voting of candidates and the personalities who support them, without giving them the floor. This ban also applies to Internet media.

Programs available prior to this date on TV channel and radio station websites or via an audiovisual medium on demand may remain accessible to the public.

The rule applicable to the announcement of results

In accordance with article L. 52-2 of the French Electoral Code, no results, partial or final, may be communicated to the public by any means before the shutdown of the last polling station in mainland France.

Arcom participates in the fight against information manipulation and the dissemination of infox, which threaten democratic functioning. The law of December 22, 2018 on combating the manipulation of information makes provision in Title III Article 11 for a duty of cooperation in combating the dissemination of false information on the part of the main online platform operators.

On May 15, 2019, Arcom sent online platform operators notices aimed at improving the fight against the diffusion of false information likely to disturb public order or undermine the sincerity of the ballot. This notice is part of the movement to make platforms more accountable and transparent, a crucial issue for our democracies.

As a guarantor of the fair representation of all political currents in the audiovisual media, Arcom encourages the inclusion and active participation of all citizens in the democratic process. The main national channels must provide access (by subtitling or sign language) for deaf or hard-of-hearing people to the main programs devoted to election news and shown at peak times.

Other television service editors are required to provide deaf or hard-of-hearing people with access (by subtitling or sign language) to the main programs devoted to election news at peak times, and in particular to make available the broadcasting of debates between candidates.