ITD reminds candidates of campaign sign limits

As the election season races into the home stretch, ITD Chief Engineer Tom Cole encourages candidates to refrain from planting signs in highway rights of way.

“We are continuing to see increasing numbers of signs and posters in our rights-of-way, in spite of efforts to educate candidates,” Cole wrote this week. “While we have full authority to remove these signs and dispose of them, our crews are often accused of favoritism. In light of this fact, it is important that we treat all placement of election signs or posters in our rights-of-way – and their removal – the same across the districts.”

A letter is being sent statewide to candidates, county clerks and officials in the Republican and Democratic parties that outline the department’s policy regarding the removal of election signs and posters.

The letter emphasizes the following:

• Placement of election signs and posters on fences along all interstate corridors or within rights-of-way is unlawful.
  
• There are no circumstances under which the Idaho Transportation Department will grant permission to post election signs or posters on any roadway under its jurisdiction.
  
• ITD will not require any permit or written authorization for posting made on non-ITD property such as utility poles.
  
• The department will remove any signs or posters that are located on fences along all interstate corridors or within rights-of-way
  
• The department will hold election signs or posters in the nearest Idaho Transportation Department maintenance yard where they can be retrieved up to 10 days after the election, after which time they will be disposed of.

Published 9-24-2010