Election signs

The manufacture and posting of election signs

The materials used to make the election signs and their holders must be of good quality. Signs must be properly secured and kept in good condition.

Signs must be installed temporarily. The means used to install them must allow for their easy removal. Signs must not leave a mark when removed. Metal nails and staples are therefore not allowed.

The highest part of the sign must not be over five metres from the ground. If there is a identification plate on the pole, the election sign must not obscure it.

Places where posting is permitted

Election signs may be placed on public utility poles (e.g., lamp posts and telephone poles) and on property belonging to :

• The government
• Public bodies
• Public corporations
• Municipalities
• English school boards and French school service centres

Note: election signs may not be placed on a building itself. They can only be placed on the property where the building is located.

Election signs can also be placed on private property, such as the lawn of a residential building, if the owner agrees. The owner cannot be paid to display a sign. If the sign may be placed on a public utility pole located on private property, the owner’s authorization is not necessary, and the owner cannot remove the sign.

The sign must not obstruct the walkways used to enter and exit the building.

Places where posting is prohibited

No signs may be placed on:

• Monuments
• Sculptures
• Classified heritage buildings, classified heritage sites or national heritage sites (these locations are listed in the Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec, which you can refer to)
• Trees
• Fire hydrants
• Bridges
• Viaducts and overpasses
• Electrical pylons
• Bus shelters or public benches, except in a space explicitly designated for advertising
• Right-of-way for a road, such as the shoulder or ditch near to the road if the right-of-way is near a residential building

Election signs must not compromise road and pedestrian safety. They must not:

• Impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic
• Affect the visibility of road signs

Election signs posted near roads are subject to many prohibitions. For instance:

• Election signs must not be installed in the side clearance zone, meaning in the area that must remain free of all fixed objects along a road. The width of this zone varies depending on the configuration of the road and the speed limit.
• Election signs must not affect the visibility of road signs.
• No signs may be displayed on divisional islands, such as medians, on channelizing islands, or on the central islands of roundabouts.
• Signs must not be installed on poles with one or more lights, such as:
  • Flashing lights
  • Lights for buses
  • Lights for cyclists
  • Lights for pedestrians
  • Traffic lights
  • Lights for parking regulations
  • Lights for lane use
• Election signs must not be installed on sign structures such as stop signs.
• Signs must not be installed less than 2.1 m from the ground.
• Signs must not be installed in the right-of-way of roads with a speed limit of 80 km/h or more, including highways, or on the medians or lighting structures of these roads.

For more details on these prohibitions, consult the Election or referendum signage page of the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable website (in French).

Polling places

On voting days, all partisan advertising is prohibited on the premises of a polling place. No election signs are allowed in these areas:

• The room where voting is taking place
• The hallways leading to this room
• The nearest entrance
• The exterior of the building where voting is taking place (walls, doors, windows)
• The grounds of the building where polling stations are located, including the parking lot

School

If voting is taking place in a school, the playground is part of the polling place, so no signs may be placed there. Signs can be posted on the streets and on property near the polling place.

The following image shows areas where posting is and is not permitted when the polling station is located in a school.

Shopping mall

When the room where voting is taking place is located in a building with several entrances, such as a shopping mall, election signs are not permitted on the main route that electors take to reach this room.

Other electoral division or city

Québec’s electoral legislation contains no provisions that would prevent a candidate or party from posting signs in an electoral division, a city or a district other than the one where the election is taking place. However, any such signs must comply with the requirements in force.

Issue

If you have an issue with an election sign, do not hesitate to write to the political party or candidate concerned.

Contents of election signs

All election signs must bear the name of the printer and the name and title of the official agent.

The images and text on the advertising message are not regulated by Québec election laws.

Language of election signs

The language used on election signs is not regulated by Québec election laws. If you have any questions about the language used on an election sign, you may contact the Office québécois de la langue française.

The reuse of election signs from a previous election

Signs that were used in a previous election may be reused for subsequent elections as long as they bear the name and title of the current official agent of the party or candidate. The name of the printer who originally produced the sign must also be included.

There are rules governing the reuse of signs for financing purposes. For example, the cost of advertising materials will be valued as if the materials were produced at the time of their reuse, and then divided by the number of elections in which they were used. For more information on this topic, contact us.

Display period

Before an election is called

Québec’s election laws do not govern the display of election signs before an election is called, that is, before the writ is issued. The only legislation that applies in this context is the Highway safety code or the by-laws of the city where the sign is installed. Signs posted before an election are not illegal, according to Québec election laws. However, the expenses related to their display during the days preceding the election period may not be included in the election expenses of the candidate or the party. These expenses will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

After an election

Signs must be removed no later than 15 days after the election. If you see signs 15 days after polling day, please contact your municipality. The municipality, or the owner of the premises, may have the signs removed at the expense of the political party or candidate after sending them notice. The party or candidate has five days to remove the sign when it receives a removal notice.

Damages on an election sign

If an election sign has been vandalized or covered by graffiti, please contact the affected political party or the police. A complaint can be made under the Criminal code.

Election signs interfering with road safety or placed in a prohibited location

If you see an election sign that interferes with road safety or is placed in a prohibited location (for example, on a stop sign or tree), or if you wish to report any other potential violation, please lodge a complaint.