27 March 2025 –Election and referendum posters are currently a key feature of Ireland’s democratic landscape. 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. 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. 

As part of the delivery of its Research Programme 2024-2026 An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission is commencing research on the use of posters, supported by an external research team. An Coimisiún is today launching a public consultation process seeking views from the public and interested stakeholders to inform this research. 

For decades the use of posters during Irish election and referendum campaigns has been the topic of debate in communities, between political scientists, in the media and amongst the wider public. 

This 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 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.

The following are particular areas of interest of the research:

• The role of posters as a political communication tool in election campaigns in Ireland and elsewhere compared to other method of political communication, both traditional and online;
• how and whether posters impact political engagement and electoral awareness among the electorate, including amongst people who may be marginalised from the political process; and
• the environmental and safety impacts of posters.

As provided for in the Electoral Reform Act (2022), An Coimisiún Toghcháin may make recommendations to Government arising from this research.

The deadline for submissions to the Electoral Postering Consultation is 5pm on Friday 9 May 2025. People can learn more and make submissions through the Commission’s website (www.electoralcommission.ie/consultation), by email or by post. 

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For further information, please contact:

Brian Dawson, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, 

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission,

Brian.dawson@electoralcommission.ie / 086 0749344

Editor’s Note:

People can make submissions before the deadline of Friday 9 May 2025 at 5pm at the following links:

• English – www.electoralcommission.ie/consultation
• Irish – www.electoralcommission.ie/ga/comhairliuchan/

Or by email to research@electoralcommission.ie with the subject line Postering Consultation 

Or by post to Poster Consultation, An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2, D02X8X8.

An Coimisiún Toghcháin, The Electoral Commission

An Coimisiún Toghcháin is a statutory, independent body, established on 9 February 2023 with responsibility for a broad range of electoral functions set out in the Electoral Reform Act 2022. An Coimisiún is central to Ireland’s electoral system, carrying out a range of existing electoral functions, including:

• promoting public awareness of, and working to increase public participation in the State’s electoral and democratic processes through education and information programmes;
• responsibility for the registration of political parties;
• overseeing the modernised Electoral Register, making recommendations and setting standards in relation to its maintenance and updating;
• the regulation of online paid-for political advertising, ensuring transparency in respect of online political advertisements during the period of an election or referendum campaign; (Legislation not yet commenced); and
• responsibility for the investigation and monitoring of online disinformation, online misinformation and manipulative or inauthentic behaviour online during election campaign periods, as well as functions to prevent manipulative or inauthentic behaviours online. (Legislation not yet commenced).

An Coimisiún is also tasked with several new electoral roles, including:

• making reports for the Minister in relation to local electoral boundaries;
• preparing research programmes and conducting research on electoral policy and procedure, and providing advice, as required, to the Minister and Government;
• the preparation of ex-post reports on the administration of electoral events;
• the decision-making, oversight, secretariat and supporting services associated with explaining the subject matter of referendum proposals, the promotion of public awareness of referendums and encouragement of the electorate to vote at referendum polls; and
• the conducting of reviews and making reports in relation to the constituencies for the election of members to the Dáil and the election of members to the European Parliament.

It is anticipated that the initial set of functions assigned to An Coimisiún will be expanded upon as it builds capacity and expertise.