It’s lawn sign day in Newton, with campaign signs for the Nov. 5 city council and school committee contests, popping up across all eight wards.
What’s on your lawn? Which candidates are you passionate enough about that you’re willing to risk alienating your neighbors by displaying a sign?
BTW, here’s a tip for all the candidates and their supporters that I repeat each cycle in my “tips for candidates” presentation to the Newton League of Women Voters.
Campaigns signs will be moved, stolen, vandalized, disappear or defaced.
It’s an awful, unjustifiable, reality that happens every year. But it will happen. Count on it. When it does happen, it’s counter productive to the success of your campaign to dwell on it.
Speaking of messing with political lawn signs …. my neighbor Evan just posted this very bizarre story (including photos) on NextDoor about a politically active bumper thief.
@Jerry. This guy also filched a Rena Getz sign from the candidate’s house in Waban. I know that Evan was also supporting Rena, so I guess this guy probably prefers another candidate.
No one should steal signs. That’s just infantile. Don’t be infantile.
All I know is that Ward 2 is gonna be lit. Lots of signs already up.
After getting myself into a self-inflicted fiasco last election season I publicly swore off political endorsements.
That said, I’m not the only voter in this household and my wife’s been pretty busy.
… and yes I know. I’ll get around to mowing that lawn one of these days soon.
For educational purposes, here are the sign regs on page 12.
http://www.newtonma.gov/documents/election/2019%20Local%20Candidate%20Guide.pdf
In particular,
“Notwithstanding campaign headquarters; are there any regulations concerning how many election signs may be placed?”
“Yes, no more than one election sign per candidate or per ballot question shall be erected on a single lot.”
I only noticed one lot this morning with two signs on it. Pretty sure the candidate involved is aware of it…
Jack:
My view is that unless it is pretty annoying I don’t care. Folks should take a deep breath about this stuff.
I once saw neighbors start arguing because the placement of the sign made folks think neighbor one supported neighbor 2’s candidate. And then they fought when the signs got moved, because it was in the berm, etc etc.
Took then years to talk to each other afterward.
For what? Several of my dear neighbors will support a different set of candidates than me. That is completely fine with me. Life is too short to lose friends over political issues. And there is more than one issue to vote on.
I urge folks to remember that the election ends in 6 weeks but your neighbors could be forever. And no matter who gets elected things will be ok.
Unless Jerry Ran for office. That is surely a sign of the coming apocalypse. Although I do like him more due to his unkempt lawn so maybe it would work out. A perfect lawn makes me question the evil that lives within us all.
@Fig – Ward 2 is pretty lit up indeed! If you want one of my lawn signs, I would love to have you on the team, you can sign up at http://www.bryanbarash.com/
@Jack – If you’re referring to me, there are indeed 2 lawn signs on my lawn. I’m a renter, we are in a 2 family, there is 1 lawn sign for my home, and 1 for my landlord who is super excited about the campaign. So I guess hey, that’s one benefit to being a renter and multifamily living!
@Bryan — I’m not a lawyer. Does the municipal regulation call for 1 sign per lot or 1 sign/candidate/per rental unit?
In any case I think candidates and supporters will appreciate knowing what the regs call for (not easy to find on the unindexed city site).
If I catch anyone trying to grab either of my signs…is due for an butt whooping.
I never knew about the 45-day rule! I was wondering why signs popped up all over town today. Thanks.
Jack – All the political sign ordinances are unconstitutional (Mass ACLU got them knocked down in another town recently) and to the extent the ordinances are followed it is essentially voluntary. (The city isn’t going to spend money going to court to fight a losing battle on this, nor should they.) The limitation on one sign for a candidate per lot is particularly absurd on its face as a restriction, and some residents want more than one sign for a candidate. As another commenter suggested, it’s really not worth dwelling on because ultimately it’s all not very important in the grand scheme of things. Maybe the city council can revisit the ordinance at some point now that it’s clear it’s not on solid legal footing anyway.
Anybody know this guy?
https://d3926qxcw0e1bh.cloudfront.net/post_photos/2f/05/2f053897af7611510c7875b30822ed1e.jpg
@Matt, No butt whoopin’, but the NPD will be knocking on his door shortly. He walked off with more than my sign.
“Save Webster Woods”