Article 19 of the Constitutional Law “Electoral Code” defines the term “pre-election campaign”.
Period of the election campaign shall be the period prescribed by this Code, during which the rules prescribed by this Code on making use of public resources, conducting election campaign and ensuring financial transparency are in place for the purpose of ensuring equal opportunities for the political parties running in elections and candidates.
The campaign on the voting day and on the day preceding it through public speeches, public events, as well as through print media, radio companies and television companies (including during satellite broadcasting) carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting shall be prohibited.
This day is often referred to as “Day of Silence” during which the citizen should decide who to elect.
The period of election campaign shall start on the 7th day following the last day of the time period prescribed by this Code for the registration of the electoral lists of political parties running in elections and of the candidates and shall expire one day before the voting day. The campaign during that period shall be hereinafter referred to as “the election campaign”.
Halls of general education institutions may be provided to candidates, political parties running in elections only after 18:00, or on non-working days, and only in cases where there are no other relevant halls for conducting election campaign in the given community (administrative district of the city of Yerevan)>
No later than 20 days after calling elections of the National Assembly, the Councils of Elders of Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor, the marz governor and, in case of Yerevan, the Mayor of Yerevan shall submit to the Central Electoral Commission the list of halls and other premises that are provided free of charge to political parties running in elections. This list shall be posted on the website of the Central Electoral Commission.
Information shall be submitted in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Central Electoral Commission.
After calling elections, election campaign offices may be formed. Election campaign offices may not be located in the buildings occupied by state and local selfgovernment bodies (except for cases where election campaign offices occupy an area not belonging to such bodies), in the buildings of general education institutions, as well as in the buildings where electoral commissions are functioning.
Signboards placed on election campaign offices shall not be regarded as printed campaign materials within the meaning of this Code where they do not contain direct appeals to vote for or against a candidate, a political party running in elections, the number of such posters does not exceed the number of election precincts formed for elections, and where the surface area of each signboard does not exceed 6 square metres.
