Election poster panels

Election poster panels for the public domain

Election poster panels are the panels a municipality puts up in the public domain in the run-up to polling day, so that every participating list gets an equal and equally visible place to display posters. They replace fly-posting on electricity cabinets, traffic signs and shop windows, and make the campaign in the streetscape orderly and manageable.

For the municipality this is mainly a matter of neutrality and of clearing up. If you channel poster display towards a series of fixed panels at agreed locations, you do not have to go through the streets with a pressure washer afterwards and you avoid arguments about who is hanging what where. For the lists themselves it is a level playing field: the same division of surface, the same locations, the same visibility.

Where they stand

• On the approach roads into the municipality and at busy through routes
• At the polling stations themselves and along the routes leading to them
• On squares, markets and near community facilities
• At car parks, stations and other places with heavy footfall

Versions

The simplest version is a flat panel on two legs, free-standing and movable. Double-sided versions use both faces and are worthwhile in places where traffic comes from two directions. There are also triangular or trapezoidal structures that stand stable by themselves and offer three poster faces.

You organise the division of the surface with a fixed grid: an equal number of equally sized fields, numbered or marked, so that allocation per list runs without discussion. We can apply that numbering straight away.

Material and finish

Panels in coated metal or in weather-resistant board on a metal frame will last outdoors for years. Wooden versions look softer but require more maintenance. For single use there are cardboard and composite versions.

What matters is how well the surface takes paste: posters have to stick properly and come off again afterwards. A smooth, closed coating makes cleaning afterwards a good deal easier.

Wind loading deserves your attention. Free-standing panels on an open square catch a lot of wind. Provide enough ballast at the base or an anchoring, and if in doubt opt for a lower, wider set-up.

In practice: installation, maintenance and storage

Determine the locations well in advance and record them in a list with the exact spot for each panel. That makes putting them out straightforward and lets your technical department know precisely what goes where. Make sure panels do not narrow the passage on the pavement: pedestrians, wheelchair users and pushchairs must be able to pass easily, even when people stop in front of a panel to look.

Plan an interim round during the campaign period to catch loose posters and damage, and one collection round shortly after the election. Clean the panels before storing them: removing old glue residue is far harder after a year in storage.

Here too, reckon with the shared calendar: every municipality orders and installs within the same window. Book in good time and you have a choice of version and lead time; order late and you take what is left.

What determines the price?

The price of election poster panels is determined by the number of panels, the size and the number of poster faces, the construction (single-sided, double-sided or triangular), the material and weather resistance, the numbering or printing, and the anchoring or ballast. Hire or purchase, delivery and installation at the various locations, collection afterwards and storage between two elections also play a part. We calculate all of that against your specific list of locations.

Drawing up your poster plan together

Send us the number of locations, the desired number of fields per panel and your timing, and we will propose a suitable version and a realistic schedule. Feel free to contact us early in the process.