Time to Take Down Election Signs
Not because it’s played out, but because it’s actually a law (which Erica discovered earlier last month):
City statute restricts campaign signs in Minneapolis throughout the year. However, state law allows greater leeway for these signs during election periods and up to ten days after Election Day.
Nov. 14 marks the ten-day limit.
This requirement only applies to messages directly tied to the election.
Well, good thing mine got stolen then. Now I don’t have to worry about cleaning it up!
Is this a new law or something, because John Kerry signs were left up all over Mpls for months, even years – and no one seemed to care.
Erica- They did you a favor! I bet they were concerned about the environment, and made bird houses out of the sign.
Moe- I doubt it’s enforced much, but it seems to have been on the books since at least 1990 (with a change to the language in 2004). I think it serves more to allow people to have the signs up than to regulate when to take them down.
The only political sign thta was in my yard was broken over my back last week by a ranting maniac.True story.
This is a myth.
The statute actually says that there can be no restrictions on the size or number of noncommercial signs from 45 days before to 10 days after an election. It gives more rights during that period. It does not limit election signs to only that time.
In fact, banning lawn signs has been found to an unconstitutional restriction on speech. You can keep your political sign up for eternity.
That’s not what the this bulletin from the City of Minneapolis says:
All campaign signs must be removed from Minneapolis lawns/property after Nov. 14. City statute restricts campaign signs in Minneapolis throughout the year and signs must be removed ten days after Election Day.
Along with removing their own campaign signs, Minneapolis residents are encouraged to tell their neighbors and friends about this requirement so they can follow suit.
This requirement only applies to signs directly tied to the election just concluded. In other words, only signs that have people or issues that voters cast ballots on must come down. Signs that address issues not on a ballot are not affected by this ordinance.
For whatever reason, there appears to be a distinction within noncommercial for election signs.
The Minneapolis ordinance is unconstitutional and would not survive a challenge.
Ladue v. Gilleo, 512 US 43 (1994).
Other states have similar laws, which aim to eliminate "election litter."
[…] was crossposted to Minneapolis Metblog on […]