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

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

2. Campaign posters, printed and other campaign 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, premises (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), 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 a natural person or on paid billboards fixed to the external walls thereof.

Campaign posters, printed and other campaign materials may be posted or used without restrictions during holding of election gatherings, meetings with electors and other events related to election campaigning — at the places of holding such events. Campaign posters, printed and other campaign 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 conduct election campaigning may carry campaign materials with them without restrictions.

3. The head of community shall be obliged to — 10 days before the election campaigning starts — designate free places for posting a campaign poster, printed and other campaign 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 and other campaign materials within a 3-day period following the adoption of such decision.

5. Organisations disposing outdoor billboards shall — in case of placing campaign posters, printed and other campaign materials, during the period of the election campaigning — 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 a 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 the 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 the election campaigning 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 applications to the Central Electoral Commission for placing a campaign poster, printed and other 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 the outdoor billboard for posting a campaign poster, printed and other 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 person disposing theoutdoor billboard shall be free to conclude another contract for using that 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 and other campaign 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 and other campaign materials shall be prohibited.

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

In case of failure to remove within a 3-day period the campaign posters, printed and other campaign materials by candidates, political parties running in elections the registration whereof 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 the registration whereof has been revoked or declared invalid compensation for the expenses incurred by him or her.

9. A campaign poster, printed and other campaign 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 campaigning 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 campaigning shall also be subject to removal in the communities where elections are held, and in which these candidates, political parties are running. Posters, printed and other materials with a surface area of up to 5 square metres recognised as being associated with election campaigning, as well as posters, printed and other materials with a surface area exceeding 5 square metres deemed as being associated with election campaigning during elections of local self-government bodies shall be subject to removal, where the expenses for the indicated posters, printed and other materials are not included in the 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 are 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.