All Traditional Election Advertising (TEA) (i.e. banners, flags or posters), must be publicly displayed in the manner set out in sections 61G to 61J of the Parliamentary Elections Act 1954 (PEA), and must not contain illegal content such as seditious materials or materials that may cause alarm and distress.

If any TEA does not adhere to the conditions stated in the Returning Officer’s permit; or does not comply with the controls on the quantity, size, location, manner of and period of display, the Returning Officer may direct that the TEA be removed or ceased to be publicly displayed.

	PUBLISHED-BY REQUIREMENTS FOR TEA

To comply with the published-by requirements, all TEA that are publicly displayed during the election period must include the following information as required under section 61B of the PEA:

Note: In cases where the information for “Approved by” or “Publicly displayed for” is the same as the “Publicly displayed by” information, then it is not necessary to state the information for “Approved by” or “Publicly displayed for” on the face of the election advertising.

	RETURNING OFFICER’S PERMIT FOR TEA

At the end of nomination proceedings, the Returning Officer will issue to every candidate/group of candidates a permit authorising the public display of TEA by or on behalf of the candidate/group of candidates. Candidates must ensure that the display of their TEA complies with the conditions stated in the Returning Officer’s permit, which may include the following:

1. before each TEA is publicly displayed, a copy, image, detailed diagram or drawing of the TEA, together with its published-by requirements, must be lodged with the Returning Officer;
2. each TEA must be affixed with an official stamp issued by the Returning Officer for the entire period that it is publicly displayed within the electoral division that the candidate/group of candidates is contesting in (i.e. large stamps for large TEA and small stamps for small TEA);
3. each TEA must only contain permissible electoral matter for the entire period that it is publicly displayed; and
4. each TEA must be properly secured when it is displayed in a permissible location.

	LODGMENT OF TEA PRIOR TO PUBLIC DISPLAY

Candidates or their election agents must lodge a copy, image, detailed diagram or drawing of each TEA (including details of its published-by requirements) with the Returning Officer before the TEA are displayed by the candidate, election agent or their authorised third parties. They are encouraged to do so via Candidate Services.

The lodgement of TEA over the Elections Department (ELD)’s public counter will only be available when the online service for TEA lodgement is open after 2pm.

	MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE NUMBER AND SIZE FOR TEA

The maximum permissible number and size for small and large TEA are as follows:

Small or large TEA that are displayed by authorised third parties will count towards the maximum permissible number of small or large TEA allowed to be publicly displayed by or on behalf of a candidate.

All TEA publicly displayed must bear the official stamp issued by the Returning Officer identifying them as either a small or large TEA. Multiple small TEA displayed so closely to one another as to form a large TEA will each be counted towards the maximum permissible number for small TEA and must each be affixed with a small stamp. The large TEA so formed will also be counted towards the maximum permissible number for large TEA and must also be affixed with a large stamp.

To avoid ambiguity or confusion to voters, the candidate’s name or image (or both) and the symbol allotted to the candidate/group of candidates should always be clearly displayed.

	WHERE AND HOW TEA MAY BE DISPLAYED

Permissible locations

TEA can be hung on lamp posts, subject to the following conditions:

• the lamp post must not have any public sign, traffic camera or any other road or traffic infrastructure installed on it; and
• the same candidate’s TEA are only allowed on alternate lamp posts, i.e. the same candidate’s TEA cannot be hung consecutively on an entire stretch of lamp posts.

TEA may also be displayed on any premises, conveyance, thing or structure if consent has been sought from the owner of the premises, conveyance, thing or structure; and provided that the premises, conveyance, thing or structure does not fall under any of the following descriptions:

• trains;
• public service vehicles (e.g. buses, taxis, private-hire vehicles) other than a vehicle hired for the sole purpose of conveying a candidate/group of candidates or any person authorised by the candidate/group of candidates during the campaign period;
• any vehicle hired by or on behalf of a candidate, group of candidates or political party that is:
• located within 100 metres of an election rally and is staying or moving within that location for reasons not related to the conveyance of persons attending the election rally; or
• located within 100 metres of an election rally organised by or on behalf of another candidate, group of candidates or political party; and
• on trees and plants.

For the avoidance of doubt, candidates are not allowed to display any TEA on any premises, conveyance, thing or structure:

• without the consent of the owner of the premises, conveyance, thing or structure;
• without a licence, permit or other like approval required by or under any written law;
• in a manner or in circumstances such as to cause a serious and imminent risk of damaging other property or injuring an individual or an animal if the TEA does fall;
• save for limited exceptions (e.g. premises used by a candidate as an office), in any area within 50 metres of any polling station established for the conduct of a poll in an election (i.e. a restricted signage zone). Candidates may check the restricted signage zone of each polling station via OneMap app from the start of the campaign period; or
• outside of the electoral division that the candidate/group of candidates is contesting in.

Manner of display

The display of TEA should not obstruct the view of TEA belonging to other candidates. Candidates and their election agents ought to ensure that their TEA are not nailed, pasted or inscribed directly onto any surface or otherwise affixed in a manner that significantly damages the premises, conveyance, thing or structure. They should also ensure that the mounting method is non-rigid such as using cable ties or string, and that all materials used for the display (e.g. cable ties, string) are completely removed after the election.

They should also ensure that the display does not pose a safety hazard or risk. This includes ensuring that the TEA:

• must be properly secured and do not dislodge or damage other property or injure an individual or an animal;
• must not obstruct the movement of pedestrians or cyclists on footpaths or pavements;
• must not obstruct the traffic view of drivers of vehicles on a road;
• must not obstruct the view of any public sign, traffic camera or any other road or traffic infrastructure (whether permanently or temporarily set up); and
• comply with prevailing safety guidelines or requirements, such as:
• must not encroach into footpaths, pavements or roads so as to cause obstruction of movement or view;
• complies with height clearance of at least 2.4 metres when placed on structures on or near footpaths and pavements; and
• appropriate equipment (e.g. A-frame ladder) is used to facilitate the installation or dismantling of displays at height.

	REMOVAL OF UNAUTHORISED TEA

The Returning Officer may direct the removal of unauthorised TEA. Examples of unauthorised TEA are those that do not adhere to the conditions stated in the Returning Officer’s permit; or those that do not comply with the controls on quantity, size, location, manner of and period of display. Such removals may be carried out by any person authorised by the Returning Officer (e.g. ELD’s contractor).

During the campaign period, candidates or their election agents will be contacted as part of investigations on TEA suspected to be unauthorised or in breach of the law. When such TEA are detected, the candidate or his election agent will be notified to rectify the TEA in question within three hours of receiving the notification. However, if the unauthorised TEA infringes safety requirements, the rectification window will be one hour. An email with a case number will be sent to the candidate and his election agent to log the case. Once rectified, the candidate or his election agent is to submit photos of the rectified TEA to ELD’s contractor for documentation and to close the case. The photos should be taken less than five metres from the TEA in question, and should clearly identify its location and surroundings.

During cooling-off period

The cooling-off period refers to the period starting on Cooling-off Day (i.e. the eve of Polling Day) and ending at the close of polling on Polling Day. During this period, candidates and election agents will continue to be notified in advance to remove any unauthorised TEA within the time specified in the notification (i.e. generally within the same rectification window as during the campaign period, save that a 1-hour rectification window will be given for any TEA displayed within 50 metres of a polling station). Further, during the cooling-off period, ELD’s contractor will conduct an island-wide sweep to detect and remove any TEA that is displayed within 50 metres of a polling station.

After Polling Day

Candidates or their election agents must ensure that all their TEA are removed within six days after Polling Day, and the failure to do so is a criminal offence. After the grace period of six days, ELD’s contractor may conduct an island-wide sweep to detect and remove any TEA that are not removed by candidates and their election agents.

	SUM RECOVERABLE FOR REMOVAL OF EACH UNAUTHORISED TEA

Candidates are required to bear the expenses if unauthorised TEA are removed or stopped from being publicly displayed by the Returning Officer or ELD’s contractor. The amount to be borne for each removal (or ceasing of public display) is a sum of $50, and this is recoverable as a debt due to the Government. During the campaign and cooling-off periods, candidates and their election agents will be notified of the $50 payment upon removal of each unauthorised TEA. By the 10th day after Polling Day, candidates will be notified of the consolidated number of removals, the total amount payable, and the deadline for the payment. This cost must be included in the candidates’ election expenses.

Election advertising forming part of any of the following does not need to comply with the published-by requirements if it consists only of the name, image or symbol of the candidate/group of candidates:

Candidates and their election agents are to ensure that the items above do not contain or display any false statement of fact in relation to the personal character or conduct of any candidate/group of candidates, for the purpose of affecting the return of the candidate/group of candidates, or in relation to the withdrawal of any candidate/group of candidates at the election for the electoral division, for the purpose of promoting or procuring the election of any other candidate/group of candidates.