With election time drawing near, campaign signs alluring you to vote their way are starting to show up almost everywhere we look.  We see them adorning right-of-ways in residential areas, scattered throughout vacant lots, in windows at respective campaign headquarters and in rural areas alongside corn and bean fields.

City officials throughout Guthrie County say there really isn’t a problem with the surge of campaign posters.  The candidate’s representative first meets with the respective City Council Members to make sure their signs comply with that city’s policy.  Once their posters have been approved, they contact the homeowner and request permission to post their campaign sign.

Normally if the homeowner doesn’t want the sign in their yard it won’t get posted.  If a sign has been posted and is not wanted, calling the local police is not necessary; just place a call to the campaign headquarters and request that it be removed.  City officials find that within 24 hours the unwanted poster has been removed, either by the campaign worker or the property owner.  The Iowa DOT has the authority to remove signs once rural property owners contact them.

As a reminder, political campaign signs are not allowed on public right of ways such as government owned buildings, bridges, trees and utility poles.  And on election day, signs cannot be within 300 feet of any outside door of a polling place.

It is recommended that campaign signs be removed within a reasonable time following the election.  City officials say signs for successful candidates usually remain in place a little longer than the unsuccessful candidate.  Even though campaign workers agree to remove signs after an election, the property owner is ultimately responsible for removal of the sign to stay in compliance with City policies.