Day of stripped billboards and small manipulations (PHOTOS)

The "day of silence" – when any campaigning on the eve of the election is prohibited – has finally come. According to the law, today, March 30, there should not be even a single mention of any of the 39 candidates for the presidency and their political forces – not on television screens, not on the radio, not on fences, not on "outdoor media", that is, citylights and billboards. Let’s talk about the latter.

We took a ride around Uzhgorod to see if the candidates’ election teams adhere to the laws and have removed their advertising.

Admittedly, we did not notice any frank violations in the city. Mostly, we saw torn down billboards where faces and slogans used to be yesterday. Where advertisers were acting in good faith, the billboards are covered with paper…

Or were stripped clear without the remnants of the previous advertisement.

But in most cases, the billboards were just torn down in uneven strips. So now they look messy but funny. Mostly because by looking at these patches, it is quite possible to guess what used to be there. Pieces of ears, noses, beards and hairstyles, party colors…

However, the most noticable are the billboards which can be safely classified as subtle but frank manipulations: when the image features a seemingly innocent text, which, nevertheless, is clearly associated with a particular candidate. I am sure that these texts were thoroughly reviewed by the lawyers of the party teams to make sure they would be clear in courts, but potential voters were still influenced on the day the campaigning is prohibited. It would seem there is nothing wrong in the appeals to "think", "change" or "put a check mark". Completely neutral slogans. But everyone understands…

Probably the candidates think it is very smart. But, in my own opinion, it is a dirty trick. Manipulation. Even insidiousness. Are these petty tricks considered so effective means of propaganda that it is worth to resort to fraud? Even if legally safe… I do not know, honestly.

However, there was one election-related advertisement, which did not cause rejection and negativity. The photos of the soldiers who are now at the front defending our right to democracy, to a peaceful life. "Vote! We will cover you" – the soldiers tell us from billboards.

Thank you, Heroes! We know and appreciate.  I hope the country will not let you down.