Slew of campaign signs come with varied rules
Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008
BENTONVILLE - Red, white, blue and, occasionally, green signs line roads and garnish properties throughout Benton County in preparation for the May 20 primary and nonpartisan judicial elections.
Signs, which play a major role in many candidates' campaigns, also come with the responsibility for candidates to play by the rules set by state and local governments.
County Clerk Mary Lou Slinkard said when it comes to regulations, state law does not provide many specifics for candidates to follow.
"Campaigns have to stay at least 100 feet away from the voting place, according to the state law, and it's a given that the candidate should ask permission from the property owner to put a sign on private property," Slinkard said.
Campaign banners, signs or bumper stickers are prohibited on state-owned vehicles, according to the state statute.
Slinkard said her office discussed the placement of campaign signs when early voting began at the end of April.
"(County judge candidate ) Kevin Harrison had his sign pretty close to the county administration building; he told me it was 100 feet away," Slinkard said. "I said, ' I know, but it just doesn't look right, ' and I asked him to move it."
During early voting, campaigners - whether handing out fliers, holding signs or wanting signatures for a petition - must stay 100 feet away from a pollingplace entrance.
"There are people who hold up signs close to the voting place during voting hours, and that's well within their right as long as they follow the 100-foot rule," Slinkard said.
Political signs are also prohibited in state highways' rights of way, said Gary Anderson, rightof-way specialist at the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.
"We have a big problem with it all over the state," Anderson said. "I get calls from candidates who want to know what happened to their signs. Well, area maintenance crews are the ones who see the signs and remove them, and I don't get notified until the district removes the sign."
Denver Jennings, the department's area maintenance manager in Garfield, said Benton County candidates have not caused much trouble for maintenance crews.
"It's been pretty good this year as far as rights of way go, and if the signs do get a little close, we pick them up," Jennings said.
Slinkard said she first had a question about campaign signs when she saw Rep. Ron Paul's (R-Texas ) presidential campaign signs tacked onto telephone poles.
"I thought our state law said signs couldn't be put up on public utilities; it seems like that used to be in the law, but after researching it, I couldn't find anything more specific that the 100-foot rule or the vehicle rule," Slinkard said.
Referencing publicly funded property, the statute only states that it is unlawful for public servants to use their personal property provided with public funds for campaign purposes.
Slinkard said that if residents notice an illegally placed sign, they should report it but keep in mind that the law is not very specific, and what appears to be unlawful may very well be legal.
"And all the candidates received a running-for-public-office handbook, which talks about these laws, so there shouldn't be much of a problem," Slinkard said. "There are so many candidates this election that a lot of places are filled with every candidate's signs."
Violation of any provision in statute 7-1-103 is a class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $ 1, 000 and up to one year in a city or county jail.
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