Tottori assembly passes ordinance on election poster board use

The Tottori Prefectural Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed an ordinance banning the use of official boards for election candidates’ posters for purposes unrelated to election campaigns.

The move came after many unrelated posters were displayed during the campaign period for the July 7 Tokyo gubernatorial election. The Tottori Prefectural Government aims to implement the ordinance promptly.

It is the first time a prefecture has enacted such an ordinance since the Tokyo poll, according to the National Governors’ Association.

In addition to the ban on unrelated posters such as those for commercial purposes, the ordinance clarified that only one poster can be displayed per candidate on each board.

While there are no penal provisions for violators, the measure allows local election authorities to take necessary steps against violations, such as issuing orders to remove problematic posters.

“The (content of the) ordinance itself is already written in the public offices election law,” Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai told a news conference after a prefectural assembly meeting.

“I believe it should be applied from the upcoming election for the House of Representatives” on Oct. 27, he added.