The changing face of election posters in the social media age

With hefty printing and production costs involved and environmental concerns, are election posters as effective as social media posts?

Election posters placed on railings in Limerick. Picture: Don Moloney

As the world becomes more environmentally conscious and the number of political campaigns being pushed online increases, are election posters still serving their purpose in the modern age?

With a hefty cost of printing and producing the posters, along with the strategic placing of posters in prime locations, are posters as effective as a social media post?

Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy adopted a poster-free campaign as he was inspired by Douglas Tidy Towns' plea for candidates to refrain from erecting posters in and near the village.

Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy said canvassing was his 'main visibility strategy'. Picture: Howard Crowdy

“I have been particularly inspired by the work of Douglas Tidy Towns who have advocated the non-postering of posters in Douglas village," he said. "I also have a very keen and active interest and participation in promoting the environment and heritage in the city”.

The lord mayor said canvassing was his main visibility strategy.

"I won’t get to each of the over 15,000 houses in the electoral area, but certainly and against the backdrop of a very busy mayoralty post, I am daily trying to knock on doors in the various districts of my local electoral area."

Independent councillor for Skibbereen and former Fine Gael candidate Karen Coakley ditched tradition and had a poster-free campaign.

The first thing I think of is Tidy Towns, and they ask people to not put them up. I think they are an awful waste and I don’t agree with them.

“I never liked posters but because I was involved with a political party previously, I had no say in it so the fact that I’m independent now, I decided from the start to be poster free,” Ms Coakley said.

She left Fine Gael in April 2022 after claiming the party was “out of touch” and “doesn’t listen to voters.” 

Donation to local charity

Ms Coakley will make a donation to a local charity instead of printing and erecting posters.

She instead sent out canvass cards to homes, with a twist on the conventional style.

“I have canvass cards but I put useful phone numbers for hospitals, Cork County Council, and emergency [numbers] on the back of them that people could attach to a noticeboard or a fridge. It’s important that the leaflet will have some purpose and use after the election,” she said.

“People say you have to put up posters, so people know that you are running for election; and maybe I’m taking a gamble, but I just feel it’s something I always wanted to do. We have to think of the environment and cutting down on plastic use,” she said.

Independent councillor for Youghal Mary Linehan-Foley erected posters but finds them “embarrassing.” 

I find them slightly embarrassing as every route I take I see my face on a pole. 

“And I find them very costly for independent councillors in general, and starting off. I’m using mine because I have some of them from the last five to 10 years, and I didn’t print new ones, as such,” she added.

Ms Linehan-Foley would prefer to not use posters but feels like she must if other candidates are.

“I would love no posters at all, but in saying that, there is a benefit because people know you are running if you can’t get to their doors. If everyone is using posters, I feel I have to.

“There are still a lot of people who aren’t on social media and older generation will always remember posters because that’s the way elections used to run,” Ms Linehan-Foley said.

This reporter spoke to people on St Patrick’s Street in Cork city to ask their opinions on election posters.

Bus driver Denis Lowe from Mallow said he doesn’t mind the posters as long as they’re taken down promptly after an election.

“I don’t mind the signs as long as they are taken down straight away as soon as possible after the election. As for politics in general, I just have a sense of apathy over it so I don’t vote," he said.

Stephen O’Leary from Blarney said posters are useful as they let people know “what is happening” but they wouldn’t influence his vote.

“You know something is happening alright, but they wouldn’t influence me, no,” he said.

Galway student and budding musician Rebecca Stoker was setting up her equipment on St Patrick’s Street and said she doesn’t care “too much” for electoral posters.

“Personally, I don’t care for them too much, like I think with Facebook and social media and stuff now we don’t really need them any more," she said.

I know it’s still going with tradition, which I appreciate, but it’s not going to make much of a difference for who I vote for at the end of the day.

Antoinette O’Mahony from North Cork believes the posters are a “waste of money".

"I think I would prefer for someone to knock on my door and give me face-to-face information,” she said.

Bernadette Clarke from Mayfield is a firm supporter of electoral posters and said: "They serve a purpose, I like them.”