To some they are an eyesore and to others a necessary tool for turning out the vote, but the public is now being asked to have their say on the future of election posters.
An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission, is seeking views from the public to inform research on postering at election time.
Last year’s series of referendums and elections saw posters fly up on a massive scale and the commission says they are a “key feature of Ireland’s democratic landscape”.
It said the use of posters during election campaigns has been the topic of debate in communities, between political scientists, in the media and among the wider public for decades.
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“Posters perform a public information and communication function in raising awareness that a vote is about to take place and provide visual clues to voters as to who they will see on the ballot paper,” it said.
“At the same time, however, there are critics of election posters who call for a reduction or changes in their use or even for their elimination entirely, citing environmental impacts, visual pollution and safety concerns.”
The commission’s research will “look at the rules and practices around postering in other countries while taking account of Ireland’s particular electoral and democratic system”.
It will also “examine the existing rules in Ireland and how they work, as well as the evidence regarding posters, their objectives and any advantages and disadvantages of their use”.
Particular areas of interest in the research are the role of posters as a political communication tool in election campaigns in Ireland and elsewhere compared to other methods of political communication both traditional and online.
[ The debate: Is it time to ban election posters?Opens in new window ]
It will also look at how and whether posters impact political engagement and electoral awareness among the electorate “including among people who may be marginalised from the political process”.
The research will also examine the environmental and safety impacts of posters. The commission may make recommendations to Government arising from the findings.
People who wish to offer their views on election posters can do so through the commission’s website, by email or post, with May 9th the deadline for submissions.
