Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Candidates have fifteen (15) days after election day to remove their campaign signs. A homeowner's association may prohibit the display of campaign signs later than seven (7) days after election day. Signs on private property must be removed within ten (10) days after election day. (See for example, Penalties for violating political election sign provisions are set forth in Tucson Code Ch. 3 and Ch. 16, § § 36, 48. Minimum penalties begin at $100 plus cost of removal, and go up to citations with up to $750 fines.)
Many campaigns ignore this and let removal default to city and county workers to remove their campaign signs. Don't do this. Remove your signs this weekend.
And that goes double for those hand-made Ron Paul signs that have been posted around Tucson since early 2008 and for some reason never seem to be removed by the city or county. Ron Paul is no longer a candidate for anything. Stop posting those goddamn signs! I never want to see another Ron Paul sign ever again.
In Tucson, call the city's code-enforcement hotline at 791-5843.
UPDATE: It's time to take down political signs, Bennett tells candidates, campaigns:
State law says signs must disappear no later than 15 days after the election. That means Nov. 21.
At that point, the local government is supposed to notify the committee or candidate that put it up. And if the sign is not gone within 24 hours, municipal workers can take them down.
"We would hope that the campaigns would take care of their own signs so that the cities and towns and counties do not have to spend taxpayer resources to take those signs down," he said. "Maybe this weekend would be a good time," Bennett added.
Arizona law says the local jurisdiction must keep any sign removed for at least 10 business days. And during that time it can be retrieved without penalty.
But Bennett said what happens beyond that, in terms of disposing of the signs or imposing fines, is up to each community.
“Knowingly removing, altering, defacing, or covering a political sign of any candidate for public office from 45 days before a primary election until seven days after the general election (Ariz. Rev.Stat. Ann. § 16-1019(A))”
Penalty is up to 4 months in prison, up to a $ 750 fine, or both
Each city decides on how many days the give campaigns to remove the signs. Some more then the 7 days above.
Can you remove them yourself? I mean after the 15 day removal period after the election. It seems quicker then waiting for the city, but would that be considered stealing?
Check the statute. 15 days is for the primary. It’s 7 for the general.
“for some reason never seem to be removed by the city or county”
It’s a conspiracy I tell you, a CONSPIRACY!
Many signs belonging to Democratic candidates were stolen over election night, including the signs in my own yard. I am aware of a candidate in a different district who’s signs disappeared from her own yard. A candidate from yet another district reported about 50 signs either stolen or vandalized. It looks like a coordinated effort to “clean up”.
I agree! I have campaign signs in my community and it hasn’t been removed 🙁