Canvassing Materials

(1) In the course of an election campaign candidates, parties, coalitions and nomination committees may create and distribute posters, addresses and other canvassing materials. Each canvassing material shall contain an indication on whose behalf it has been issued.

(2) Each canvassing material shall contain a statement that vote buying and selling is a criminal offence and that statement shall take up not less than 10 per cent of the front-side area of the canvassing material and it shall be laid out in a separate field. In audio and audio-visual materials this information shall take the form of an unambiguous and easy to understand message.

(3) Canvassing materials shall be displayed at spots designated by the Mayor, while their display on buildings and fences and in shop windows shall require the permission of the owner or manager of the property.

(4) (Suppl. - SG 39/16, in force from 26.05.2016) It shall be prohibited to use canvassing materials that jeopardize human life and health, private, Municipal and state-owned property and traffic safety, or materials that harm public decency, the honour and reputation of the candidates. It shall be prohibited to use in the canvassing materials the coat of arms or the flag of the Republic of Bulgaria or of another state, as well as religious signs or images.

(5) It shall be prohibited to destroy and deface any canvassing materials, displayed according to the procedure established by this Code, before the closing of the polls.