From staff report
Even if the election is (for the most part) over, under North Carolina law, no one can pull up a campaign sign and throw it away — at least until Friday.
State law allows campaign signs to be left on roads and streets from 30 days before early voting to 10 days after Election Day.
During those 10 days (Election Day is November 8th, or 10 days later is November 18th), only candidates may remove the sign. This will allow time for the candidate to obtain the indications if necessary.
However, online sources say that after the 10-day period, the signs are considered “illegally installed and abandoned property” and can be removed and thrown away by anyone.
State law stipulates that anyone can remove campaign signs 10 days after an election. The law said only campaigners and candidates could remove the signs after 10 days of him.
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According to a news release from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, if anyone other than the candidate removes or destroys the sign before the Nov. 18 deadline, they could be subject to a Class 3 misdemeanor summons from law enforcement. There is a nature.
The news release reads, “Post-deadline signs violate state law and NCDOT is authorized to remove and dispose of them.”
Cities and towns can make their own laws about how long political signs can be maintained after an election. For example, according to an article in The News & Observer, Durham gives candidates her 15 days to collect autographs before it is considered abandoned property.
Marion City spokeswoman Landis Holyfield said the state law preempts conflicting local ordinances regarding the posting of political signs regarding state right-of-way. Most of Marion’s political signs are located along state right-of-way lines.
“Ten days after the election is over, City Planning and Development staff typically remove any remaining signs on the city’s roads and highway right-of-way,” she added.
County manager Ashley Wooten said McDowell County’s off-site sign control ordinance does not regulate non-commercial signs. Also, almost all political markers in McDowell County are along state-administered routes.
Therefore, the removal of the remaining signs, whether by city street workers or DOT workers, could ultimately be paid for by taxpayers.
The McDowell News attempted to contact Old Fort town officials about the rules for campaign signage.
A survey of the roads in Marion and Nebo on Wednesday noon found that most campaigns had successfully removed the candidate signs, leaving only a handful.
