Q: The pictures of candidates they use on posters are so boring. Can I, uh, embellish their images? Draw a party² hat or some flowers, maybe?

A: Probably not. It is an offence to knowingly destroy, damage, deface or remove a traditional election advertisement during the campaign period of an election, punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.³

For those who think that their additions are art, not defacement, you're free to make your case to the Judge.

And yes, someone has actually gotten into trouble for this before.⁴

Note however that the regulations provide that this is an offence "during the campaign period of an election", and that the "campaign period" ends at the start of the cooling-off period.⁵ Does this mean that come 2 May 2025, you're free to go around taking down posters to keep as souvenirs? Well:

(a) while it may or may not be a criminal offence, there's a separate question of whether the posters still belong to the respective candidates or political parties, or whether they have - legally speaking - abandoned both possession and ownership over the property.⁶ I'm not going to express a view on this, but it might be a fun law school hypothetical, maybe for a personal property module; and

(b) in any event, candidates must remove all traditional election advertisements within 6 days after polling day (i.e. by 9 May 2025), punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.⁷ So, uh, you might be doing them a favour?⁸

Q: I really don't like a particular candidate. Can I bring a megaphone to heckle them at a rally?

A: Please don't. It's an offence to operate any "loudspeaker or other instrument for the production or reproduction of any... sound", so as to interfere with any rally or annoy those conducting or attending the rally, punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,500 or to imprisonment for up to 12 months.⁹

I couldn't find anything specific about verbal heckling, but public nuisance is an offence under the Penal Code 1871,¹⁰ so I wouldn't recommend that either.

Q: I can't decide who deserves my vote. Can I do a Facebook or WhatsApp poll asking my friends who they intend to vote for?

A: Please don't. That's an offence, punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,500, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.¹¹

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Anyway, snark aside, the most important PSA is this:

Vote wisely, y'all.