Parliamentary Elections (Posters and Banners) Regulations

Parliamentary Elections Act

(Chapter 218, Section 78)

Parliamentary Elections (Posters and Banners) Regulations¹

¹Replaces Rg 3, 1990 Ed. (S 200/88).

Rg 3

G.N. No. S 527/1996

REVISED EDITION 1997

(13th December 1996)

[13th December 1996]

Citation

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

Display of posters and banners without permit prohibited

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

Permits for display of posters and banners

3.—(1) As soon as possible after the day of nomination, the Returning Officer shall issue to every candidate or group of candidates or his or their election agents a permit substantially in the form set out in the Schedule authorising the display of posters and banners in the electoral division in which the candidate or group of candidates seek election.

(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 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 in the electoral division.

Number of posters and banners to be displayed

4.—(1) The Returning Officer shall, for any election, determine the number of posters and banners which may be displayed between the day of nomination and polling day in respect of any candidate or group of candidates in the electoral division in which the candidate or group of candidates seek election, and shall allot equally among the candidates or groups of candidates in any electoral division the number of posters and banners which may be so displayed.

(2) In determining the number of posters and banners which may be displayed in any electoral division, the Returning Officer may have regard to the area of the electoral division and the number of electors therein.

Other forms of display prohibited

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

Posters and banners to bear official stamp

6.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), 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 any poster or banner on the day and at the site of any election rally held by a candidate or group of candidates.

(3) Paragraph (1) shall also not apply to the display of any poster or banner or its contents by means of —

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

Copy of poster or banner to be lodged with Returning Officer

7. 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 group of candidates or his or their election agents; and
(b)	he is in possession of a written authority to conduct election activity signed by a candidate or his election agent in accordance with section 83(2) of the Act.

Size of posters and banners

8.—(1) The size of a poster shall not exceed —

(a)	1,750 millimetres by 1,200 millimetres for display in a group representation constituency; or
(b)	850 millimetres by 600 millimetres for display in any constituency, other than a group representation constituency.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), no banner shall exceed 9 metres in length and 1.2 metres in breadth.

(3) Paragraph (2) shall not apply to the display of any banner on the day and at the site of any election rally held by a candidate or group of candidates.

Posters and banners not to exceed authorised number

9.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), no person shall display or cause to be displayed in any electoral division posters or banners in excess of the maximum number authorised by the Returning Officer for display in that electoral division.

(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall prohibit the display of any poster or banner on the day and at the site of any election rally held by a candidate or group of candidates.

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 Telecommunication Authority of Singapore, 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 and banners not to be obscured

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

Prohibition on display of posters and banners near polling stations

12. No person shall display or cause to be displayed by any means any poster or banner within 200 metres, or such shorter distance as the Returning Officer may determine having regard to the area of the electoral division, of any polling station.

Prohibition of inscriptions on roads 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 poster or banner on or in any building, premises or property without the express consent of the owner or 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 or any broadcast or transmission thereof which is displayed in contravention of any of the provisions of these Regulations or of any term or condition contained in any permit issued under regulation 3.

Offences

16. Any person who —

(a)	destroys, obliterates, defaces, alters 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 contained in any permit issued under regulation 3;
(c)	obstructs the Returning Officer, or any member of his staff 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 under these Regulations.

Presumption relating to any poster or banner

17. If any poster or banner —

(a)	relating to any candidate or group of candidates is found to be displayed in contravention of any of these Regulations; or
(b)	relating to the political party which a candidate or group of candidates represents is found to be displayed in any electoral division in which the candidate or group of candidates seek election,

it shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, that the poster or banner was displayed or caused to be displayed by the candidate or group of candidates.

Other written law not affected

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

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