New Hampshire's Virtual Town Hall
So, what are the regulations for political signage in NH?
We've been generating a lot of discussion here and on Facebook about political signs and whether they are an effective means of campaigning or whether they are litter.
Just what are the New Hampshire regulations on the matter?
They're spelled out here -- within the state's election laws, the chapter having to do with political expenditures and contributions, the section dealing with political advertising, the subsection dealing with "placement and removal of political advertising."
But it's sometimes vague and at times confusing.
It's pretty clear that you can't put a campaign sign on someone's property without that person's permission.
But what about all those signs you see along public roads?
On the one hand the law states: "No political advertising shall be placed on or affixed to any public property including highway rights-of-way or private property without the owner's consent."
On the other hand it says: "Political advertising may be placed within state-owned rights-of-way as long as the advertising does not obstruct the safe flow of traffic and the advertising is placed with the consent of the owner of the land over which the right-of-way passes."
You can't deface a political sign or place one on a utility pole or highway sign.
All signs have to be removed by the Friday after the election "unless the election is a primary and the advertising concerns a candidate who is a winner in the primary."
In some cases, there are municipal laws that regulate political signs even further.
It's all a bit confusing, according to comments made by state Rep. Jim Splaine of Portsmouth to the Union Leader.
He sponsored a bill in 2003 that tried to make placement of campaign signs on public property subject to litter laws.
He said the law is wide open to interpretation on who can place a sign where and who can take it down, particularly in regards to state-owned rights-of-way.
"Instead of prohibiting or limiting, we've actually expanded it and confused the whole matter in the process," Splaine told the Union Leader.
Just what are the New Hampshire regulations on the matter?
They're spelled out here -- within the state's election laws, the chapter having to do with political expenditures and contributions, the section dealing with political advertising, the subsection dealing with "placement and removal of political advertising."
But it's sometimes vague and at times confusing.
It's pretty clear that you can't put a campaign sign on someone's property without that person's permission.
But what about all those signs you see along public roads?
On the one hand the law states: "No political advertising shall be placed on or affixed to any public property including highway rights-of-way or private property without the owner's consent."
On the other hand it says: "Political advertising may be placed within state-owned rights-of-way as long as the advertising does not obstruct the safe flow of traffic and the advertising is placed with the consent of the owner of the land over which the right-of-way passes."
You can't deface a political sign or place one on a utility pole or highway sign.
All signs have to be removed by the Friday after the election "unless the election is a primary and the advertising concerns a candidate who is a winner in the primary."
In some cases, there are municipal laws that regulate political signs even further.
It's all a bit confusing, according to comments made by state Rep. Jim Splaine of Portsmouth to the Union Leader.
He sponsored a bill in 2003 that tried to make placement of campaign signs on public property subject to litter laws.
He said the law is wide open to interpretation on who can place a sign where and who can take it down, particularly in regards to state-owned rights-of-way.
"Instead of prohibiting or limiting, we've actually expanded it and confused the whole matter in the process," Splaine told the Union Leader.
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