Election Signs

The Town of Whitby’s Enforcement Services Division is responsible for enforcement of election sign regulations on Town and Regional roads within the Town of Whitby. Enforcement includes proactive patrols of election signs on road allowances to ensure the safe movement of motorists and pedestrians. When signs are in contravention of the Election Sign By-law, they may be removed immediately without notice. The enclosed information provides an overview of the Town’s election sign regulations. For additional information, contact Enforcement Services at 905.430.4345 or email bylaw@whitby.ca.

Signs on Town and Regional Roads
Provision	Conditions
Permitted Locations	On boulevards of select Town and Regional roads. Please refer to the maps below to see roads where election signs are permitted. On private property with consent of the property owner
Size	No larger than 1.2 square metres, with a maximum height of 1.2 metres (0.6 metres in height within 20 metres of intersections)
On Boulevard (Where Permitted)	1 metre setback from curb or 2 metre setback from the edge of the road (if there is no curb) 500 metre separation distance between signs for the same candidate
Restricted Locations	On roads, medians, or traffic islands Public parks or open spaces owned by the Town and adjacent boulevards Town owned buildings or structures and adjacent boulevards Properties established as voting locations and adjacent boulevards On fences facing Town or Regional roads
Safety Requirements	Signs supported by rebar or metal must have high visibility safety caps covering the ends of the rebar or metal Signs can not obstruct the vision of drivers or pedestrians using highways or boulevards
Candidate Election Signs (Section 88.3(2) of the Municipal Elections Act) Mandatory information in advertisement An election campaign advertisement purchased by or under the direction of a candidate shall identify the candidate. Provided a candidate’s name as it will appear on the ballot as per the Form 1 is on the sign, the Town will consider that sign to have met the requirement of Section 88.3(2) of the Municipal Elections Act.
Mandatory Information in Third Party Advertisements In accordance with Section 88.5 (1) of the Municipal Elections Act, please note that the following information is required on all third party advertisements, including signs: 88.5 (1) No registered third party shall cause a third party advertisement to appear during the restricted period unless the advertisement contains the following information: 1. The name of the registered third party. 2. The municipality where the registered third party is registered. 3. A telephone number, mailing address or email address at which the registered third party may be contacted regarding the advertisement. 2016, c. 15, s. 48.
Signs may not be installed earlier than 6 weeks prior to an election and must be removed within 7 days following an election. The earliest date to erect an election sign is September 12, 2022.

Permitted Locations (southern portion of Town)

Election signs are permitted on the boulevards of the Town and Regional roads shown on the map below, subject to the conditions noted above, including the requirement for 500 metres of separation for signs for the same candidate.

Whitby Road Network - South

Permitted Locations (northern portion of Town)
Election signs are permitted on the boulevards of the Town and Regional roads shown on the map below, subject to the conditions noted above, including the requirement for 500 metres of separation for signs for the same candidate.

Whitby Road Network - North

For additional information about election signs on Town and Regional roads in the Town of Whitby, view the Election Sign By-law by clicking the button below.

View the Election Sign By-law

Signs on Provincial Roads
The Province of Ontario has different regulations for election signs along its roads. In the Town of Whitby the following roads are owned by the Province:

Highway 7 west of Baldwin Street
Highway 12 north of Garden Street
Highway 401
Highway 407
Highway 412

Highway 401, 407, and 412
Highway 401, 407, and 412 are classified by the Province as Class 1 Freeways/Expressways and as such, election signs are not permitted on these highways, adjacent boulevards, or on-ramps and off-ramps.

Highway 7 and Highway 12
Highway 7 and Highway 12 are classified as Class 4 Major Highways and election signs are permitted adjacent to these highways subject to the following Provincial standards:

Election signs may be erected on the right-of-way or adjacent to a Class 4 Major highway (Highway 7 and Highway 12).
Signs up to 0.7 m² (8 sq. ft.) in size must be placed a minimum of 4m (12 ft.) from edge of pavement. Signs over 0.7 m² (8 sq. ft.) must be placed at the outer limit of the highway right-of-way.
An election sign must not be affixed to a permanent or an official sign, or to the guide rail or other highway structure or facility. It must not be placed where it may interfere with visibility, an official sign, traffic signal, or other safety device.
Permits or Letters of Approval for any election signs erected are not required.
Candidate committees or workers shall be allowed three working days after Election Day to remove candidate advertising (election signs) from the Ministry of Transportation right-of-way and adjacent properties.
Signs not retrieved by this time will be picked up by the Ministry patrol forces and stored in a safe place (patrol yard, etc.,) for a period of two weeks. After this time they will be disposed of.

For further information about election signs along Provincial roads, please contact the Ministry of Transportation Central Region Highway Corridor Management Section at 416.235.5385 or toll free at 1.866.636.0663.