Written by The yard sign campaigns are a unique and sometimes entertaining aspect of overall political campaigns. Finding legitimate and approved locations, and then fastening the signs in so that they are sturdy and visible, but not interfering is not always as easy as it seems.
No candidate ever wins because of their yard signs, but if you don’t have any it can really hurt your name recognition and your campaign. So it’s always good for a candidate to find a few dedicated sign staff, and a team of part-time helpers.
About ten years ago the US supreme court declared public right-of-ways to be legitimate zones for political freedom of expression, so many candidates focus their signs on the city easements around major intersections, creating what we frequently refer to as “sign farms.” Occasionally, these will get hit by city brush cutting equipment or random vandals, who will destroy all the signs, and necessitate that each campaign to come out and make repairs or install replacements. Political newcomers will often take it personally when this happens, but more often than not the sign was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time…I’ve never actually seen a campaign removing the other’s signs.
The best sign locations are actually on private property, because they tell surrounding owners and visitors that the candidate has won an endorsement as well as providing name recognition. But sometimes the lines between public and private property are hard to distinguish without a survey, so the whole picture gets messy.
I enjoyed spotting this sign tonight, next to one of Denis Law’s yard signs. This is the first such sign like this that I have seen in 14 years, but I bet it won’t be the last…it seems like a good idea. Yard signs tend to reproduce if placed in a greenbelt that may appear to be public property.
Believe it or not, some of my most fun campaign memories are riding around with other campaign workers, putting up yard signs. The actual installation can be laborious, but the camaraderie and conversations are often the best I’ve ever had. And it is a little like cruising Renton…but with a mission. If you have never done this before, consider volunteering to help with a sign campaign for your favorite candidate sometime. You may decide you really like it.
There used to be a lot of Denis Law signs around town. Now all of a sudden there are lots of Kathy signs, and the Denis signs seem to be fewer. What’s up with that?
Hmmmm…..very suspicious…..