During an election year, campaign signs start popping up along area roadways. Sometimes they鈥檙e placed where they shouldn't be, and patrols from the Colorado Department of Transportation are taking to the streets to clear them from the state鈥檚 right of way.
鈥淎ny signs really, yard sale, any kind of sign not approved by the state is not legal in our right of way according to federal law,鈥� said Nancy Shanks with CDOT. 鈥淚f there鈥檚 a sign in the right of way that hasn't been properly installed, it鈥檚 something that can pose a safety hazard to drivers too. So it really is a twofold issue.鈥�
The placing of campaign signs and roadside advertising is mandated by the , as well as Colorado鈥檚 . Campaign signs are allowed on private property, with the owner鈥檚 consent, but must be removed promptly after Election Day.
Once signs are taken by CDOT they鈥檙e held for a short time, as a courtesy, at a local agency office for pick up.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no hard and fast rule, but we鈥檒l do our best,鈥� Shanks said. 鈥淚 know our crews do their best to keep them for a short amount of time.鈥�
Shanks said the state doesn't officially count the number of signs removed from state highways. People who want to retrieve signs taken by maintenance patrols can call their local CDOT office, however, Shanks said that鈥檚 not always the best option.
鈥淗onestly, the better thing to do is just not place them there in the first place" she said. "We do understand sometimes that it鈥檚 not the candidate necessarily that鈥檚 doing the placing. It might be campaigners, it might just be anyone really who decided to put those signs there. If there were some signs taken out, just call one of our main numbers and we should be able to help out."
