Does electoral propaganda on vehicles cancel insurance?

You may not know this, but supporting a candidate during the election can cause you to lose your auto insurance coverage. To avoid this type of problem, just follow this article.

Since mid-August, electoral propaganda has been permitted throughout the country, both by candidates and parties and by voters. At this time, many people are committed to supporting their preferred candidates.

However, you need to be careful with this attitude during the election period, especially when we talk about electoral propaganda on vehicles. There are some types of propaganda that are not allowed, and if your car has auto insurance, then you need to be extra careful.

In this article, learn about the types of electoral propaganda that are permitted on vehicles, the types that are not, the general rules on this subject and how auto insurance coverage works in these cases.

Image: Getty

Advertisement

What are the permitted types of electoral propaganda?

According to the definition provided by the TSE – Superior Electoral Court, any form of propaganda that aims to attract supporters in favor of a person, idea or party is characterized as political propaganda.

In other words, placing a sticker supporting a candidate or party on your vehicle is considered electoral propaganda. This does not mean that you cannot do it, of course you can, however, there are some rules imposed by the TSE, traffic laws and insurance companies that must be followed.

If they are not complied with, you may be penalized with fines of up to R$25,000, cancellation of your auto insurance, or even imprisonment.

See below what it is allowed by the TSEreferring to electoral propaganda carried out in vehicles:

• Play jingles, messages recorded by candidates on sound cars or through loudspeakers, between 8 am and 10 pm.
• Motorcades or car rides with the reproduction of jingles and messages, as long as they are within the same time indicated above.
• Stickering of vehicles such as cars, motorcycles and bicycles, as long as they do not exceed 0.5m² and are done free of charge.
• Adhesive stickers for the rear windows of cars, as long as they are the maximum size of the rear windshield and are micro-perforated, not obstructing the driver's vision.
• Vehicle body stickers, as long as they are 50 cm X 40 cm stickers, maximum.

Still according to the TSE and the National Traffic Code, wrapping is prohibited or the application of stickers across the entire length of the vehicle, even if it is privately owned and has the owner's permission.

This type of sticker alters the original characteristics of the vehicle, this is characterized as an infraction, by the National Traffic Code, if done without prior permission from the state traffic authority, Detran.

It is also worth remembering that any type of paid advertising carried out using private property, whether real or personal, is against the law. On the TSE website you can see in more detail all types of electoral advertising that are permitted and prohibited.

How do inspections, fines and punishments work in these cases?

Monitoring irregularities in electoral propaganda, regardless of whether it is made by candidates, parties or voters, is carried out by the TRE – Regional Electoral Court.

This body has the power to impose fines that can range from R$5,000 to R$25,000, depending on the type of infraction. Both the person responsible for the infraction and the beneficiary thereof, i.e. the candidate and/or party exposed in the irregular advertising, can be penalized.

The TSE states that parties, coalitions, candidates and the MPE – Electoral Public Ministry, can contact the Electoral Court to assess possible infractions and apply appropriate penalties.

It is worth mentioning that the TSE is only responsible for electoral campaigns for the position of president. Campaigns for other positions must be monitored by the TRE.

Penalties related to electoral propaganda displayed on cars are not restricted to the TSE or TER. Some of them also violate the National Traffic Code, and consequently, may be penalized for this.

Denatran – National Traffic Department, warns that, according to Resolution 254/2007 of Contran – National Traffic Council, decorative panels, inscriptions and pictograms of any nature can be used, as long as they are not in the window area, in a way that obstructs the driver's vision.

Micro-perforated stickers may be placed on the glass areas of the vehicle, as long as they maintain a minimum transparency of 75% or 70% if colored. Any stickers that exceed this limit are subject to a fine.

Applying stickers to the bodywork in a way that covers 50% or more of the original color of the car is also an infraction punishable by a fine of R$195.23 and the loss of 5 points on the license. In addition, the vehicle will be impounded until it is regularized.

How does electoral propaganda work for insurance companies?

Many people don't know, but putting stickers on their vehicles in support of a candidate or party is considered electoral propaganda and, consequently, can cause the person to lose the right to coverage contracted in their auto insurance.

In order to be able to sticker a vehicle without running this risk, the vehicle must be defined in the policy as a vehicle for commercial use or for advertising purposes.

These types of definitions make the policy more expensive, but guarantee your right to the coverage contracted. If you register your vehicle and it is defined in the policy as private use, you may lose the right to coverage in the event of traffic accidents, theft or robbery.

Furthermore, if you have the misfortune of having your car vandalized by a person with a political opinion contrary to yours, you will also not be able to use your insurance to have repairs made to your vehicle.

Some insurance companies accept this type of advertising when it is done on a vehicle owned by the candidate or party in question, but not all of them have this loophole.

Therefore, if you want to put stickers on your car, whether on the bodywork or the rear windshield, it is a good idea to contact your insurance company and find out more about it, before doing so and having a bigger problem.