When the Election Is Over, Take Your Signs With You!

Black and Brown Neighborhoods Are Not Political Dumping Grounds

As another political season gets underway, candidates are once again asking for our votes, making promises and placing campaign signs throughout Columbus. From busy intersections to neighborhood streets, political advertisements are becoming part of the landscape.

But there is something I have observed over the years that continues to concern me, and quite frankly, it needs to be addressed.

Why is it that political campaign signs, particularly Republican signs, seem to remain along roadways in predominantly Black and Brown communities long after elections are over?

As I travel throughout Columbus, I have noticed what appears to be a troubling pattern. Political signs are often concentrated along roadways in predominantly minority neighborhoods. Yet when I travel through neighborhoods on the north side of town, I do not see the same concentration of signs, especially those left standing from previous elections.

In fact, there are still Republican campaign signs from past elections visible along roadways in some of our Black and Brown communities.

That raises a legitimate question: Are our neighborhoods being treated as convenient locations for political advertising without the same consideration given to maintaining their appearance afterward?

Let me be clear. This is not an argument against Republicans, Democrats or any other political organization. Every candidate has the constitutional right to campaign, promote their message and seek the support of voters.

However, that right should come with a basic expectation of responsibility.

If your campaign has the resources, volunteers and organizational ability to put signs up, it should have the same commitment to taking them down.

It really is that simple.

Our Communities Deserve the Same Respect

What troubles me most is the apparent difference in how political advertising is managed across our city.

Why should predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods continue to display campaign signs from elections that ended months ago, while other neighborhoods appear to receive greater consideration?

Is it because campaigns believe residents in these communities will not complain? Is it because they assume no one will hold them accountable? Or is it simply that once the election is over, the communities where those signs were placed are no longer a priority?

Whatever the explanation, the result is unacceptable.

Our neighborhoods are not political dumping grounds. They are communities where families live, children play, businesses operate and residents work hard to maintain their property and preserve neighborhood pride.

The appearance of our communities matters just as much as the appearance of any neighborhood in North Columbus.

Political campaigns should not treat minority neighborhoods as valuable advertising space before an election and then leave residents to deal with the remnants of their campaigns afterward.

Our communities deserve more than attention during election season. They deserve respect after the election is over.

What Does Georgia Law Say About Political Signs?

Georgia law and local ordinances establish rules concerning where political signs may be placed, particularly along public roadways and rights of way.

While seven days after an election is sometimes cited as a recommended period for removing campaign signs, there is no universal statewide seven-day removal deadline that applies to every political sign.

Local governments may regulate signs in public rights of way, but political signs displayed on private property are generally protected by the First Amendment. Restrictions on how long political messages may remain displayed can raise constitutional concerns.

Property owners who voluntarily place political signs on their property are generally responsible for deciding when to remove them, subject to applicable regulations. Campaign organizations should take responsibility for retrieving signs they installed with permission.

The distinction matters. No one should be denied the right to express their political beliefs.

But there is a significant difference between protecting political expression and allowing abandoned campaign materials to become permanent fixtures along neighborhood roadways.

The issue is not simply what the law requires.

The issue is what responsible political campaigns should be willing to do without being forced.

Political Accountability Should Not End on Election Night

Political campaigns invest significant resources in reaching voters. They hire consultants, recruit volunteers, organize canvassing efforts and develop strategies to maximize visibility.

They know exactly which neighborhoods they want to reach and which intersections will provide the greatest exposure.

Surely, with that level of planning, campaigns can develop an equally effective strategy for removing their signs once the election has concluded.

A simple sign removal plan should be part of every campaign's operation.

After all, if volunteers can spend hours placing hundreds of signs throughout the city, why can't those same organizations dedicate a few hours to retrieving them?

And why should residents or taxpayers be left with the responsibility of cleaning up after campaigns that have already moved on to their next political objective?

The answer should be obvious.

They shouldn't.

A Challenge to Candidates and Political Parties

As we approach the November election, I am calling on every political candidate and organization operating in Columbus to take responsibility for the campaign signs they distribute and place.

That responsibility should include tracking sign locations, organizing post-election cleanup efforts and ensuring that signs placed in public areas are removed when required by law.

I am also calling on Columbus city officials to examine the enforcement of existing sign regulations and determine whether political signage is being addressed consistently across all neighborhoods.

If abandoned signs are being removed promptly in one part of Columbus, the same attention should be given to every other part of the city.

There should not be one standard for North Columbus and another for South Columbus.

There should not be one expectation for affluent neighborhoods and another for working-class communities.

And there certainly should not be different levels of consideration based on the racial or ethnic makeup of a neighborhood.

Equal treatment should not be a campaign promise. It should be a community standard.

The Bigger Issue Is Respect

Some may consider this a minor issue. After all, we are talking about political signs.

But I would argue that the issue represents something much larger.

It speaks to how communities are valued, how neighborhoods are treated and whether political organizations believe accountability extends beyond Election Day.

For too long, Black and Brown communities have had to challenge the notion that their neighborhoods deserve less attention, fewer resources or lower standards of maintenance than other areas of the city.

We should not have to fight that same battle over something as basic as removing abandoned political signs.

Candidates frequently speak about neighborhood revitalization, community pride, beautification and improving the quality of life for residents.

Those commitments should be reflected in their actions.

You cannot credibly campaign on improving communities while contributing to the very conditions that diminish their appearance.

And you cannot claim to respect voters while showing little concern for the neighborhoods where those voters live.

The Bottom Line

My message to every political candidate, party organization and campaign committee is straightforward.

You have every right to campaign in our neighborhoods. You have every right to ask for our votes. And you have every right to promote your political message within the boundaries of the law.

But when the election is over, take responsibility for what you leave behind.

This is not about suppressing political speech or targeting a particular political party. It is about fairness, accountability and respect for every neighborhood in Columbus.

Republican, Democrat or independent, the expectation should be the same.

If our communities are important enough for your campaign signs before Election Day, they should be important enough for your cleanup efforts afterward.

Black and Brown neighborhoods are not political dumping grounds.

They are our homes, our communities and our places of pride.

And they deserve to be treated that way.

If you can find your way into our neighborhoods to ask for our votes, you should have no trouble finding your way back to remove your signs.

It's time political campaigns understood that respect for a community should not expire when the polls close.