Campaign Signs
Monday
May 4, 2009
Years ago, I attended a seminar where a top campaign professional was asked about the best place to put up campaign signs. He said to put them on the candidate’s route from his home to his office since the candidate is the one who most enjoys looking at his name on the roadside 
. Actually, your campaign volunteers also enjoy seeing the signs. Even though campaign signs aren’t the most effective type of campaign advertising, they do give people a feeling that they are involved in an active campaign that has a chance of winning.
If your supporters want to see lots of campaign signs, encourage them to get permission from property owners for good yard sign locations rather than making midnight runs to put up signs wherever they can find a spot. Keep in mind that it is even easier for your opponents to take down your signs than it is for you to put them up. Yard signs are more likely to be left alone because the risk of getting caught is much higher and most people are hesitant to trespass on private property.
A campaign sign in someone’s yard may be very effective advertising since it represents an endorsement from someone that people know, but signs slapped up on the public right of way don’t have as much impact. In fact, in these environmentally sensitive days, many people look at massive displays of campaign signs in public places as blight.
If you should decide that you want to display signs in the public right of way, be sure to find out the rules before you even order the signs. In most places, local jurisdictions have ordinances to regulate signs. There can be limits on where signs are posted, deadlines for removing them after the election, and, in some cases you may have to spend money on a permit or deposit before you post signs. If you are running for a state legislative seat, you may have to deal with multiple cities and one or more counties for the unincorporated areas of your district.
A state highway agency or utility company may own or control some areas of the right of way so you should also check on their rules. Utility companies typically don’t want campaign signs posted on their equipment, particularly utility poles which are tempting targets for campaign posters. You may also have some developments in your district that have their own restrictive covenants on signs. It’s a good idea to check with these communities through their homeowners’ associations before you start putting up signs. Your local planning department or someone who has run campaigns in that area in the past may be able to help you find the information you need to avoid violations. There may even be restrictions on yard signs in some areas.
You need to be certain that whoever is posting your signs is careful to note the rules in each jurisdiction. They also need to take care not to post signs on private property without permission. Nothing will lose a family’s votes faster than for them to see your sign on their fence if you didn’t have permission to put it there. They will also let their friends know what a jerk they think you are . So, if you have a contractor putting up the signs, make sure that your contract with them requires them to post the signs legally and appropriately. And, if it’s a volunteer effort, make sure that everyone involved has careful instructions and accurate information so they will do it right.
You should also tell all of your volunteers in advance that you don’t want them taking down the opposition’s signs. Sign wars take off in a lot of campaigns because some volunteers think it’s part of the political game. In fact, it is taking and destroying someone’s property and they could be prosecuted for theft. Folks taking down signs also start a cycle that brings revenge from the other side. The other side starts stealing your signs which makes the “game” pretty expensive.
If the opposition starts stealing your signs, focus your volunteers on surveillance, not on revenge. I know of a number of campaigns that were embarrassed when their key people (in some cases even the candidate or his family members) were caught stealing signs. The public doesn’t think people who do this sort of stuff should be trusted with public office. So, use your opponent’s bad habits against him, but don’t escalate the sign war. Just like on the playground, the kid who starts the fight isn’t necessarily the one who gets caught in the act. If your campaign gets caught, “He started it!” won’t be a very good defense.
And, please be sure to make arrangements to take the signs down after the election. Nobody likes to see fading signs several months after the election.
