Election signs: Inspiration or litter?

Some important contests will be settled in the Primary Election, but the numerous signs can be eyesores.

Tuesday, May 16, is the Pennsylvania Primary Election to vote for candidates who will appear on the ballot in the fall for local seats including town councils and township supervisors and commissioners.

These are the decision-makers who determine how local tax dollars are levied and how the money is spent.

Police hiring, road repairs and parking policies are their responsibilities.

But even more important in this primary are the races for judge seats and school board members.

In these two cases, election law provides that candidates can cross-file, or appear on both party ballot lines.

The winners in these elections are often finalized in the primary.

In other words, voters may be deciding on Tuesday the seats that control our schools and our courts, two of the most important aspects of life in our region.

The local races for these seats have been heating up in recent weeks, and the signs of that are evident. Literally. There are roadside signs, billboards and lawn signs clustered along roads and highways throughout our region with names and faces of candidates.

Some think the plethora of signs has become excessive. Here’s what West Chester resident Tom Evans wrote in a letter to Digital First Media:

“It is sincerely disappointing to observe thousands of political signs polluting our beautiful Pennsylvania highways.

“This is especially disappointing when we realize that the vast majority of this ‘litter’ is promoting judges, sheriffs and magistrates who are responsible for protecting our safety and environment.

“In one location I observed 37 of these unnecessary large alleged promotions.

“I and others sincerely fail to understand or realize the difference between this unfortunate highway experience and the unlawful litter of our public highways.

“Do these ‘responsible’ candidates truly believe that these signs are necessary or contribute to the public for their support?

“I have talked to many persons who refuse to vote for anyone who partakes in this practice!!!

“To those involved ... please remove your litter when the election is complete.”

Like Mr. Evans, we find the volume of signs a bit much at some locations.

The tendency of some candidates to put their name and face in front of drivers at every single turn comes across as promoting name and appearance over credentials and experience.

Signs after all do not tell a voter who is most qualified to hold office.

In this election, there are several contests for magisterial district judges, and many of the candidates are newcomers looking to challenge sitting judges or fill vacancies left by retiring judges.

These seats are too important to decide based on names and faces viewed while driving.

The detriment of roadside signs, as Mr. Evans points out, is that there are just too many of them, “littering” roadsides and intersections.

The value, however, is that they remind us who the candidates are, and at our best, they inspire us to research candidates online or in newspapers in order to determine the best choices.

Like all signs, candidate signs should point us toward something, in this case in the direction of becoming informed voters.

Not only does a primary election hold the potential in Pennsylvania of deciding the winner in local judge and school board races, but it also has the distinction of being the elections most often decided by a few votes.

These races are very local, meaning the number of votes needed to win is low.

That factor, coupled with low turnout, results in elections decided by one or two votes.

Be sure to vote on Tuesday, but before you go to the polls, take a few minutes to learn about the names you see on signs and make informed decisions.

And a word to the candidates, echoing Mr. Evans: Please remove your signs when the election is complete.

What is an advertisement on Tuesday becomes litter on Wednesday.