Election candidates may have jumped the gun

This election sign may have been too early.

Whanganui District Council has been speaking to election candidates over erecting campaign billboards too early.

At least one candidate, National Party contender Harete Hipango, has displayed a mobile hoarding in various locations around the city in what may be a breach of electoral laws.

The Electoral Act only permits billboards from two months out from the election, which is on September 23. That means Saturday, July 22, was the first day that such hoardings could be erected.

Ms Hipango's billboard is mounted in a trailer which has been parked in Heads Road and Great North Road among other locations. The law does not seem to make any distinction between billboards planted in the ground and those that are mobile.

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said local councils could set rules around when and where election hoardings could be placed in the district, but not all councils did so.

"As the rules may vary between local authorities, the Electoral Act allows election signs up to a limit of three square metres in size to be put up from July 22 for this year's general election.

"However, this provision does not prevent the display of larger election signs or election signs to be put up before July 22, if a council allows it."

It appears Whanganui District Council does not have any specific rules around such billboards for, when approached, a council spokeswoman referred the Chronicle back to the Electoral Act.

"We have informed our compliance officer, who is going to follow it up to make sure the candidates and campaign managers know the rules."