Election Postering

Postering Guidelines 

The legislation governing placement of posters at election time is The Litter Pollution Act 1997 as amended by the Electoral (Amendment)(No.2) Act 2009. The legislation provides that erection of posters is only permitted from the date the order is made by the Minister appointing the polling day or 30 days prior to the date of the poll, whichever is the shorter period.

Thereafter posters must be removed within 7 days of the polling day. If posters are in place outside of these dates, fines will be issued by the City Council at the rate of €150 per poster. For the 2024 Local Elections the date that posters can be erected is Wednesday 8th May 2024 and must be removed by Friday 14th June 2024 (midnight). Full Election Postering Guidelines are available below.

Election Postering

1. How many days before the Local Election can posters be erected? In accordance with legislation posters will only be permitted on suitable lamp standards from Wednesday 8th May 2024 until Friday 14th June 2024 (midnight).
2. Can posters be put up on billboards? This is commercial advertising rather than election/referendum postering. As such, any person may purchase this advertising space at any time of the year to advertise their product/service. There are planning regulations relevant to this type of advertising space and it's best to check with your local authority planning section.
3. Can people park vehicles with Local Election slogans printed on the side in free parking spots?
   This is not an offence under the Litter Pollution Acts, however, section 19 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 does make it an offence to place adverts (e.g. flyers) on mechanically propelled vehicles unless they are secured by mechanical means. This, for example, prohibits the placement of flyers under wiper blades.
4. What penalties are in place for breaches of the legislation governing election/referendum posters?
   The responsibility for enforcement of litter law lies with the local authority. Any election/referendum posters in place before or after the stipulated timeframe are deemed to be in breach of the legislation and are subject to an on-thespot
   litter fine of €150. Local authorities are also responsible for the removal of posters which constitute a hazard to either pedestrians or road users. Complaints about such posters should be made directly to the appropriate local authority stipulating their exact location to enable local authorities arrange for their removal.
5. Does the name and address of the printer and publisher have to be printed on the poster?
   Yes. Legislation requires that every notice, bill, poster or similar document having reference to a referendum or Dáil, Local or European Parliament election or distributed for the purpose of furthering the candidature of any candidate at an election must have printed on its face the name and address of the printer and of the publisher thereof. The omission of the name and address of the printer and publisher is an offence.
6. What is the penalty if the name and address of the printer and publisher is not printed on the poster? Where a person is guilty of an offence, such person shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months or to both such a fine and such imprisonment.
7. Where can posters be erected so they do not cause a disruption to road users?
   The Road Traffic Acts contain requirements in relation to maintaining clear lines of sight for road users which may impact on where posters can be placed, e.g. not on road signs, at traffic junctions or on roundabouts where they may cause road safety risks. It is an offence to erect any sign or notice that makes a traffic sign less visible to road users (Road Traffic Act 1961, Section 95, Subsection 14). Those erecting posters should exercise extreme caution when on or near roadways and should be aware of their own and other road users physical safety, e.g. crossing busy roads, obstructing footpaths, parking of vehicles etc. For more information, check with the Roads section of your local authority.

Safety Concerns:

It has been our experience in previous elections that numerous complaints have been received from motorists and pedestrians in relation to safety issues associated with election posters. Our own staff have also raised a number of concerns. The main issues relate to the following:

• Posters that are obscuring the visibility of traffic/pedestrian signals and traffic signs. Many of the problems are caused by posters that are erected on poles adjacent to signals or signs
• Posters that are below head height or resting on the ground. These posters can cause obstructions on footpaths and are particularly hazardous to the visually impaired
• Protruding cable ties that are at a level that could cause injury to pedestrians, particularly children Where Dublin City Council staff become aware of posters that are considered to be causing a hazard they will be removed and disposed. Please note that our Customer Services Centre will handle complaints of any posters that are deemed to be causing a hazard to motorists or pedestrians and they are contactable on telephone number: 2221000 or email [email protected]

The following guidelines may be helpful in ensuring that posters are not a hazard to the public:

• Posters should be erected at a minimum height of 2.3 metres above footpaths, cycle tracks or any area to which pedestrians have access
• Posters should not be erected on lamp standards with overhead line electricity feed, traffic signal poles, bridge parapets, overpasses, pedestrian bridges, or roadside traffic barriers
• Posters should not obscure statutory road signs or traffic/pedestrian signals in any way
• Posters should be securely fixed to poles with cable ties or similar material to facilitate removal without damage to the poles Please note that cable ties be should be removed when the posters are being taken down.

Contact Details:

Tel: 222 2277

Email: [email protected]