Campaign Lawn Signs

Nothing signals it is election season in America quite like political lawn signs sprouting up across front yards, peeking out of apartment windows and popping up on busy street corners. It’s all about “visibility,” the campaign term for building name recognition. In addition to making a candidate’s name more familiar, campaign signs are an integral part of “Get Out the Vote (GOTV)” efforts by campaigns to motivate potential voters to go to the polls.

Laws governing the use of political lawn signs vary from state to state regarding the shape and size of signs, the information included on signs, and the location of signs, particularly in relation to polling places and highways. The Departments of State and Transportation in each state typically oversee these regulations. In accordance with these regulations, states also protect a citizen’s right to display a campaign sign. All states make it illegal to steal campaign signs; signs are viewed as private property and an expression of free speech. The Institute has displayed the campaign signs for many of this cycle’s candidates for U.S. Senate.

National elections take place in cycles, every even-numbered year. Every four years the president, vice president, one-third of the Senate, and the entire House of Representatives are up for election (on-year elections). On even-numbered years when there isn’t a presidential election, one third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives are included in the election (off-year elections).

The Institute contacted every U.S. Senate campaign to request a lawn sign for the display.

Participating Campaigns in 2018:

California:

• Kevin de León - D

• Dianne Feinstein - D

Connecticut:

• Matt Corey - R

• Chris Murphy - D

Indiana:

• Joe Donnelly - D

Maine:

• Eric Brakey - R

• Angus King - I

Massachusetts:

• Geoff Diehl - R

• Elizabeth Warren - D

Minnesota:

• Amy Klobuchar - D

Mississippi:

• David Baria - D

Montana:

• Matt Rosendale - R

• Jon Tester - D

New Jersey:

• Bob Hugin - R

New Mexico:

• Mick Rich - R

New York:

• Chele Farley - R

North Dakota:

• Heidi Heitkamp - D

Ohio:

• Sherrod Brown - D

• Jim Renacci - R

Tennessee:

• Marsha Blackburn - R

Texas:

• Beto O'Rourke - D

Utah:

• Mitt Romney - R

Vermont:

• Bernie Sanders - I

Virginia

• Tim Kaine - D

West Virginia:

• Joe Manchin - D

• Patrick Morrisey - R

Wisconsin:

• Tammy Baldwin - D