Procedure for using a campaign poster, printed campaign and other materials during election campaign

1. Candidates, political parties running in elections shall have the right to disseminate campaign posters, printed campaign and other materials in an unimpeded manner.

2. Campaign posters, printed campaign and other materials visible to the public may only be posted:

(1) at the places designated specifically for this purpose, on paid billboards, on election campaign offices;
(2) on or inside buildings, structures (except for buildings under the ownership of the State and the community, general education schools, block of flats or subdivided buildings, public catering or trading facilities), means of transport (except for public transport and taxi) belonging to or under the possession of natural persons upon their consent. Campaign posters, printed campaign and other materials on block of flats or subdivided buildings may only be posted on premises (including on the balcony, windows, etc.) under the ownership of the natural person or on paid billboards fixed to the external walls thereof.

Campaign posters, printed campaign and other materials may be posted or used without restrictions during holding of campaign assemblies, meetings with electors and other election related events — at the places of holding such events. Campaign posters, printed campaign and other materials posted during such events shall be removed by the relevant candidate, political party running in elections after the event is over.

Natural persons having the right to carry out electoral campaign may carry campaign materials with them without restrictions.

3. The head of community shall be obliged to — 10 days before starting the election campaign — designate free places for posting a campaign poster, printed campaign and other materials in the territory of the community (except for general education schools), establishing such conditions which shall ensure equal opportunities (equal surface area) to candidates for head of community and member of council of elders, political parties running in elections. This power shall be considered as a mandatory power for the head of community.

4. In case of a community with 10 000 or more electors, the head of community shall submit to the Central Electoral Commission the decision on designating free places for posting campaign posters, printed campaign and other materials within a 3-day period following the adoption of such decision.

5. Organisations disposing outdoor billboards shall — in case of placing campaign posters, other printed campaign materials during the period of the election campaign — ensure non-discriminatory and impartial conditions to candidates for head of community and member of council of elders, political parties running in elections.

6. For the purpose of providing the political parties running in elections with billboards with the surface area exceeding 5 square metres during the elections of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan, organisations disposing outdoor billboards shall — within a 21-day period after calling elections — submit information to the Central Electoral Commission on the quantity, surface areas, locations and rental charges for billboards being provided during the period of election campaign to political parties running in elections. Information shall be provided in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Central Electoral Commission. Billboards not included in the list submitted to the Central Electoral Commission may not later be provided to political parties running in elections. The Central Electoral Commission shall post this information on the website of the Commission. Political parties running in elections shall — within the time limits prescribed by this Code for submitting documents for registration of electoral lists of political parties running in elections — submit requests to the Central Electoral Commission for placing a campaign poster, other printed campaign materials on these billboards in the form prescribed by the Central Electoral Commission. Based on this information, the right to post a campaign poster, other printed campaign materials on outdoor billboards shall be distributed among political parties running in elections upon the decision of the Central Electoral Commission. Based on the decision of the Central Electoral Commission, the political party running in elections shall conclude a contract with an organisation disposing outdoor billboards for posting a campaign poster, other printed campaign material. Where no contract is concluded by the political party running in elections within a 3-day period after entry into force of the decision of the Central Electoral Commission, the disposer of the billboard shall be free to conclude another contract for using this billboard for other purposes. During elections of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan the campaign poster with a surface area exceeding 5 square metres may only be posted on an outdoor billboard distributed beforehand by the Central Electoral Commission.

Posted campaign posters, printed campaign and other materials may remain in their places on the voting day and the day preceding it.

7. Tearing off, scratching, as well as making notes on or damaging in any other way campaign posters, printed campaign and other materials shall be prohibited.

8. After receiving the decision of the electoral commission, the head of the community, heads of organisations disposing outdoor billboards shall ensure that a campaign poster, printed campaign and other materials of candidates, political parties running in elections whose registration has been revoked or declared invalid are removed.

In case of failure to remove within a 3-day period the campaign posters, printed campaign and other materials by candidates, political parties running in elections whose registration has been revoked or declared invalid, they shall be removed by the head of community. The head of community may claim from the candidates, political parties running in elections whose registration has been revoked or declared invalid compensation for the expenses incurred by him or her.

9. A campaign poster, printed campaign and other materials posted in violation of the provisions of this Article shall be removed by the head of community, if necessary with the help of the Police. This function shall be considered as a delegated power of the head of community.

During the period of conducting election campaign the posters, printed and other materials with a surface area exceeding 5 square metres recognised by the Central Electoral Commission or district electoral commission as being associated with election campaign must be removed in the communities where elections are conducted, and in which these candidates, political parties are running. Posters, printed and other materials with a surface area up to 5 square metres recognised as being associated with the election campaign, as well as posters, printed and other materials with a surface area exceeding 5 square metres deemed as being associated with the election campaign during the elections of the local self-government bodies must be removed, where the expenses of the given posters, printed and other materials are not included in a campaign fund as prescribed.

10. Printed campaign materials must include information on the client, printing organisation and the print run.

11. Dissemination of anonymous printed campaign materials shall be prohibited. In case of detecting printed campaign materials which is anonymous or not prepared by the relevant candidate, political party running in elections, the informed electoral commission shall apply to competent authorities to stop the unlawful actions.