Election candidates and campaigners can install a campaign sign, or an election sign, in the City of Lethbridge during an Election Period. An election sign is a temporary sign announcing or supporting political candidates or issues in connection with any municipal, provincial or federal vote or referendum.

View the guidelines on:

• The types of signs permitted in different locations
• Where and when you can install signs
• When you need to remove signs

Any illegal signs will be impounded for the entire Election Period.

Sign requirements and sizes

All election signs must include the candidate’s name, telephone number or email address and if appropriate, their political affiliation. Candidates must keep signs neat and clean, and all signs must be freestanding and secure. To place a sign on private property, candidates must have permission from the property owner.

Public property and provincial right of ways (ROWs) signs

No signs are permitted within municipal ROWs or public property. Signs are only permitted on private property and on provincial ROWs.  Any signs that are in an illegal location will be removed. They will not be given back until after Election Day.

Candidates can place signs on provincial ROWs including:

• Highway 3 (Crowsnest Trail)
• Highway 4
• Highway 5

Signs on provincial ROWs can be up to 1.5 square metres in size.

Private property signs

There are no size limitations for election signs on private property. Permission is required from the owner before their placement.

When to install and remove election signs

Federal and provincial election signs can be placed on provincial ROWs starting the Day of the Writ.  Municipal Election signs are allowed on private property once the candidate has filed nomination papers and on provincial ROWs on Nomination Day.  Signs on both public and private property must be removed within three days of Election Day.

Disposing of signs

If you are a resident with individual plastic election signs, you can recycle them in your blue cart after removing the base. You can dispose of sign bases and vinyl signs in your black cart. Candidates who need to dispose of many election signs can call 311 to arrange a drop off at the Waste and Recycling Centre.

Prohibited locations

Election signs cannot be placed:

• On any municipal ROWs including boulevards
• On interchange ramps
• On any traffic control device or where it obstructs, detracts from or could be confused with a traffic control device
• On any physical roadway structure including bridges, guardrails, retaining walls, fences, concrete barriers, fire hydrants, sidewalks, pathways, crosswalks or streetlight poles, on any street or highway sign or signpost
• Within 500 meters of a construction zone
• Within a playground zone/area or adjacent to a school
• Within 2 meters from the edge of pavement
• Within 20 meters of the same candidate’s signs
• At or adjacent to a polling station on Election Day or an Advance Voting Day
• Within a road ROW adjacent to a park
• In a park

Prohibited types of signs

For safety and aesthetic reasons, election signs cannot:

• Be illuminated
• Display any flashing, rotating or moving light or have moving parts
• Have balloons, kites or inflatable devices attached to or near them
• Imitate or resemble the appearance of a traffic sign

For more information about election signs, view election sign guidelines.