The period starting on the eve of Polling Day (i.e. Cooling-off Day) and ending with the close of polling on Polling Day is called the “cooling-off period”. This is a campaign silence period to give voters some time to reflect rationally on issues raised during the election. This means campaigning is banned and no fresh election advertising shall be published or publicly displayed during the cooling-off period. The rules apply to any person, i.e. candidates, election agents and third parties authorised by a candidate or any of his election agents.

	PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

The following acts are not allowed during the cooling-off period:

• publish or publicly display, or cause to be published or publicly displayed any election advertising, including Online Election Advertising (OEA) and non-online election advertising such as traditional election advertising (i.e. non-online election advertising in the form of a banner, flag or poster), that is not already lawfully published or displayed;
• canvassing, walkabouts, door-to-door visits, visiting homes and workplaces of voters for election purposes in connection with the election;
• wearing, using, carrying or displaying campaign propaganda (with the exception that only the candidate is allowed to wear a replica of the symbol allotted to him); and
• holding of election meetings.

Candidates should therefore refrain from visiting electors or attending public events on Cooling-off Day and Polling Day. However, attending religious ceremonies or worship services, or attending functions in the course of work or employment is still permissible.

	EXCEPTIONS TO PROHIBITIONS

There are some exceptions to the prohibition of election advertising during the cooling-off period:

• non-online election advertising (e.g. banners, flags and posters) that was lawfully publicly displayed before the start of Cooling-off Day and not relocated, altered or modified since the start of the cooling-off period;
• lawful OEA that was already in place before the start of Cooling-off Day, and has not had its reach widened during the cooling-off period;
• public display of any non-online election advertising within or on an exterior wall or exterior window of the office or committee room of a candidate provided that the non-online election advertising:
• consists only of permissible electoral matter; and
• is solely for the purpose of indicating that the office or room is the office or committee room of the candidate;
• news reports relating to election matters by authorised news agencies;
• promotional materials relating to the commercial sale of literary or artistic works such as books, if these works were previously scheduled for publication regardless of any election;
• the communication of content between two or more individuals that is of a private or domestic nature using electronic means; and
• the communication of content using electronic means to a closed-group of end-users who are employed or engaged in a business, for the conduct of that business.