# Distribution of election literature before election called



## Imperator (1 Feb 2011)

A few days ago (maybe even a week ago) somebody posted election literature through my letterbox. It was a standard sheet asking to vote for candidate 'x'. I had intended to put up a sign asking for material not to be posted but this particular canvassing team was ahead of me.

Are there any rules or regulations governing the distribution of election literature before an election has been announced, or is it considered to be the same as a normal 'sales' mail drop?

Thanks in advance for your help

Imperator


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## JoeB (1 Feb 2011)

Not sure about that.

I also received some election stuff already... and one of the candidates sent a election letter in an envelope marked 'Dail Eireann'.. shock!.. could this be his downfall?... Is he using state stationery to promote his own campaign? Are those envelopes official or not?


Posters up on lamp-posts today as well...  I wonder have the councils insisted that only cable ties with candidate details on them can be used? Otherwise we'll have loads of cable ties left over on the lamp-posts... and no-one to prosecute for littering.


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## Brendan Burgess (1 Feb 2011)

> I wonder have the councils insisted that only cable ties with candidate details on them can be used?



Great idea, but I reckon that they would be expensive. But maybe the name of the party?

Better still, ban postering. 

Brendan


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## shesells (1 Feb 2011)

No law governing distribution of political literature - as with any other non-requested mail, they are free to deliver it to you at any time.

Regarding the Oireachtas envelopes, every TD and Senator get an allowance of envelopes each month for use in Constituency correspondence. The envelopes can be used for electoral purposes but have to be declared as an election expense if used after an election has been called.


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## JoeB (2 Feb 2011)

Postering must be expresssly allowed under some legislation. Does anyone know the particular legislation. Any comments within about cable ties and complete removal of posters including cable ties, within a timeframe?

If the legislation requires the removal of the cable ties, and the cable ties are un-identifable then the legislation is un-enforceable in respect to the cable ties... because of the councils failure to insist on labelled cable ties.


Another thing about the letter I received is that there was an address on the leaflet itself, that seems to be the address of the candidate. The address is next door to me and he doesn't live there. I'm uncertain though,... perhaps the address is different on each leaflet, and the one destined for next door to me was placed into my box. The address can't be seen unless the leaflet is taken out of the unsealed envelope, and unfolded. 

Perhaps the envelopes were packed and stacked in a particular order, and then delivery was attempted in that order. (The envelopes were machine fill type).


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## csirl (2 Feb 2011)

Postering should banned full stop - its a form of official littering. There are enough other ways for candidates to inform the electorate that they are running i.e. leaflets in letterbox, canvassing, media etc.


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## Mucker Man (2 Feb 2011)

AFAIK in Kenmare, Co Kerry, election posters are not allowing in the town, just on the approach roads.
Personally I think they should be banned.


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## Eithneangela (2 Feb 2011)

I had hoped that my very visible 'No Junk Mail' sign on my letter box would be an indication to anybody trying to stuff unsolicited mail in that they maybe should not!  Oh No!  Not the bould local FG Candidate who was out of the traps with his cohort of mail stuffers last weekend.  For his trouble, I told him I would not vote for any candidate who belongs to a party that has Inda as a leader.  I don't think his volunteers will be knocking on my door again, or trying to stuff their rubbish, in free Government envelopes, in my mail box.  Now, bring on the SF guy!


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## onq (2 Feb 2011)

Hopefully Inda will look more confident on the posters than he did on RTE the other night after his return from Brussels.

That utterly unnerved rabbit in the headlights look made me reconsider voting for FF.

ONQ.


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## jenjocks (25 Feb 2011)

shesells said:


> No law governing distribution of political literature - as with any other non-requested mail, they are free to deliver it to you at any time.
> 
> Regarding the Oireachtas envelopes, every TD and Senator get an allowance of envelopes each month for use in Constituency correspondence. The envelopes can be used for electoral purposes but have to be declared as an election expense if used after an election has been called.



Does declaring it as an election expence mean that they have to pay for it out of their own pocket or is it covered by TD's expenses I wonder?


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## Complainer (27 Feb 2011)

Imperator said:


> Are there any rules or regulations governing the distribution of election literature before an election has been announced, or is it considered to be the same as a normal 'sales' mail drop?
> r


There are no regulations about when stuff can be dropped, but there are regulations about accounting for the cost. If something is specifically relating to an election, then the cost of the leaflet must be accounted for by the candidate, and the total spend on the election must not exceed the statutory limits. 

Candidates will generally have a very clean split between literature used before/after election is called, so that the costs of pre-election literature are not counted as an election spend.



Brendan Burgess said:


> Better still, ban postering.





csirl said:


> Postering should banned full stop - its a form of official littering. There are enough other ways for candidates to inform the electorate that they are running i.e. leaflets in letterbox, canvassing, media etc.


Postering is a horrible, dangerous, dirty, time consuming expensive job - the enthusiasm for postering is just because it works. It is advertising, and most businesses find that advertising works.

I spoke to some colleagues who were involved in some elections in the 90s where Dublin Corpo banned postering, and the results of that election favoured existing incumbent candidates over new candidates.


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