The elections are a race where the winners become not the best ones, but those who are the most capable of acquiring the support of a bigger part of voters. New candidates on the political scene are in a much harder position when it comes to finding their way to the media and media space, and the fact that they are reserved mostly for existing political actors has a significant impact on the starting positions of the election race. The financial strength of an individual and a group, i.e. political option, as well as access to the media greatly influence the electoral outcome. The biggest challenges for new candidates, not coming from the established political options, who compete for political positions, are the collection of financial resources, budget estimates, and access to the media. It is estimated that for a serious political campaign for a mayor in the city of Osijek, a minimum of 1,000,000 HRK is required, while at the same time the Act on election promotion (Political Activity and Election Campaign Financing Act, Narodne novine 24/2011) states that the maximum investment amount may be 600,000 HRK in case of elections in Osijek. Therefore, the question arises as to whether the costs of pre-election promotion shown are correct and true? It is explained to what extent the amount of money invested in a political campaign can provide a better result. It is also explained how big are the chances of success for new political candidates who do not have the support of large parties.
