The fall election campaign is starting to pick up steam and the Iowa Department of Transportation is issuing a friendly reminder about putting up political signs. D-O-T spokeswoman Dena Gray-Fisher says you shouldn’t just slap up a sign anywhere.
Gray-Fisher says there are laws about where the signs should go and you should check with your local campaign headquarters to find out the rules before putting up signs. Gray-Fisher says safety is one of the top reasons for regulating where the signs are placed along roadways. She says they can become a hazard if you run off the road, or they can obstruct your view and distract you as you drive.
Gray-Fisher says the D-O-T will remove signs if they’re in the wrong place. She says the highway crews will make a reasonable attempt to preserve the sign and contact the campaign headquarters of the person on the sign. Gray-Fisher says signs are usually put in the wrong place by well-meaning people who don’t know the rules.
Gray-Fisher says that’s the main problem and they want to avoid any problems by letting people know in advance. Gray-Fisher says political campaign signs include any temporary advertising device or sign that is designed to influence the passage or defeat of any measure on the ballot or designed to influence the voters with respect to the nomination, election, defeat, or removal of a candidate from public office at any national, state or local general or special election.