Presidential Elections (Posters and Banners) Regulations

Presidential Elections Act

(Chapter 240A, Section 60)

Rg 3

G.N. No. S 182/1993

REVISED EDITION 2000

(31st January 2000)

[14th May 1993]

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Presidential Elections (Posters and Banners) Regulations.

Display of posters and banners without permit prohibited

2. Subject to these Regulations, no person shall, between nomination day and polling day of an election, display or cause to be displayed any poster or banner relating to any candidate in that election unless the person is authorised to do so under a permit issued under regulation 3.

Permits to display posters and banners

3.—(1) As soon as possible after nomination day, the Returning Officer shall issue to every candidate a permit substantially in the form set out in the Schedule authorising the display of posters and banners between nomination day and polling day.

(2) The Returning Officer may, in issuing a permit, impose such terms and conditions as he may think fit, including conditions as to —

(a)	the places where, or the objects or things on which, posters and banners may or may not be displayed;
(b)	the manner in which posters and banners may or may not be displayed; and
(c)	the maximum number of posters and banners to be displayed.

Number of posters and banners to be displayed

4.—(1) The Returning Officer shall determine the number of posters and banners in respect of an election which may be displayed between nomination day and polling day and shall allot equally among the candidates the number of posters and banners which may be so displayed.

(2) In determining the number of posters and banners which may be displayed, the Returning Officer may have regard to the number of electors.

Other forms of display prohibited

5.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), no person shall, between nomination day and polling day of an election, display or cause to be displayed any poster or banner relating to any candidate in that election or the contents of any such poster or banner —

(a)	by means of any television broadcast for reception by the public or any section thereof (whether on payment or otherwise);
(b)	by means of electronic transmissions on the Internet for immediate or future retrieval or access by the public or any section thereof (whether on payment or otherwise);
(c)	by exhibiting the poster or banner or its contents in, or in a manner so as to be visible from, any place to which the public (or any section thereof) have or are permitted to have access (whether on payment or otherwise); or
(d)	by publishing the poster or banner or its contents in any newspaper, magazine or periodical,

unless the person is authorised to do so by and does so in accordance with the directions of the Returning Officer.

(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall prohibit the broadcast or publication (including publication on the Internet) of any item of news or current affairs which contains any reference to a poster or banner relating to a candidate or group of candidates in an election.

Size of posters and banners

6.—(1) The size of a poster in respect of an election shall not exceed 850 millimetres by 600 millimetres.

(2) No banner in respect of an election shall exceed 9 metres in length and 1.2 metres in breadth.

(3) Nothing in this regulation shall apply to the display of banners on the day and at the site of any election rally held by a candidate.

Posters and banners to bear official stamp

7.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), no person shall display or cause to be displayed in any public place any poster or banner unless there is affixed to the poster or banner a stamp issued by the Returning Officer bearing his official mark.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the display of —

(a)

any poster or banner on the day and at the site of any election rally held by a candidate or group of candidates; and

(b)

any poster or banner or its contents by means of —

(i)	television broadcasting;
(ii)	electronic transmissions on the Internet;
(iii)	exhibiting a film or photograph of the poster or banner or its contents; or
(iv)	publication in any newspaper, magazine or periodical.

Copy of poster or banner to be lodged with Returning Officer

8. No person shall display or cause to be displayed by any means any poster or banner unless —

(a)	a copy of the poster or a detailed diagram or drawing of the banner has previously been lodged with the Returning Officer by a candidate or any of his election agents; and
(b)	the person is in possession of a written authority to conduct election activity signed by a candidate or any of his election agents in accordance with section 65(2) of the Act.

Posters and banners not to be displayed at unauthorised places, etc.

9. No person shall display or cause to be displayed —

(a)	posters or banners in respect of an election in excess of the number specified by the Returning Officer in the permit issued under regulation 3;
(b)	any poster or banner in respect of an election at any place the Returning Officer proscribes; or
(c)	any poster or banner in respect of an election bearing a symbol which denotes or implies an affiliation with any political party.

Posters and banners not to be displayed or pasted on certain objects or buildings

10. No person shall display or cause to be displayed any poster or banner by pasting or nailing it on —

(a)	any lamp post or traffic bollard;
(b)	any postal box or on any property belonging to the Public Utilities Board, the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore, the Postal Authority, any public electricity licensee, any public gas licensee, any public postal licensee or any public telecommunication licensee;
(c)	any area, space or building owned or occupied by the Land Transport Authority of Singapore for or in connection with any rapid transit system;
(d)	any painted wall or painted part of a building adjoining a road; or
(e)	any tree or structure on or along any road.

Posters not to be obscured

11. No person shall display or cause to be displayed any poster or banner in respect of an election so as to obscure the view of any such poster or banner already displayed.

Prohibition of display of posters near polling stations

12. No person shall display or cause to be displayed any poster or banner in respect of an election within 200 metres, or such shorter distance as the Returning Officer may determine, of any polling station.

Prohibition of inscriptions on road and buildings

13. No person shall for the purpose of any election activity display or cause to be displayed any poster by way of inscribing or causing any inscription to be made on any road or building.

Consent of owner

14. Nothing in these Regulations shall be deemed to authorise the display of any posters or banners on or in any building, premises or property without the express consent of the owner or the occupier thereof.

Removal of posters and banners by Returning Officer, etc.

15. The Returning Officer or any other person so authorised by him or any police officer in uniform may obliterate, destroy or remove any poster or banner which is displayed in contravention of any provision of these Regulations or of any term or condition specified in any permit issued by the Returning Officer under regulation 3.

Offences

16. Any person who —

(a)	destroys, obliterates, defaces or removes any poster or banner displayed in accordance with these Regulations;
(b)	displays or causes to be displayed any poster or banner in respect of an election otherwise than in accordance with these Regulations or any term or condition specified in any permit issued by the Returning Officer under regulation 3;
(c)	obstructs the Returning Officer, or any person authorised by him or any police officer in uniform, in carrying out his duties under these Regulations; or
(d)	obstructs any candidate or his election agent or any person lawfully conducting any election activity from doing any act which he is authorised to do under these Regulations,

shall be guilty of an offence.

Presumption relating to any poster or banner

17. If any poster or banner relating to any candidate is found to be displayed in contravention of any of these Regulations, it shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, that the poster or banner was displayed or caused to be displayed by the candidate.

Other written law not affected

18. The provisions of these Regulations are in addition to, and not in derogation of, any written law for the time being in force relating to the display of posters, banners or advertisements.

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