SIGNS OF THE TIMES

Candidates’ supporters show passion with placards, but some signs have been defaced

served in the state House for

24 years, said his father, Robert Lawlor, who served as Democratic Town Chairman in East Haven, used to say, “Lawn signs don’t vote” but it’s the next best thing without polling, Lawlor said.

“There are better ways to spend money than on lawn signs,” he said. With no polls, they are at best a barometer, he said.

He said people who know what they’re doing go door to door and social media is used these days to promote candidates.

Lawlor said he remembers his supporters tearing down his opponent’s lawn signs.

People get arrested for stealing or defacing signs, he said, but it’s a waste of time for police because it’s a relatively minor offense.

Lawlor, who lives in New Haven, said he’s seen a lot of Biden signs this year — he bought two for $25 each and his sign hasn’t been touched.

Milford Democratic Town Chairman Rich Smith, who has 40 years and counting in politics, said neither party leadership condones messing with the other’s signs — local or presidential — and locally, there’s a certain respect for each other’s territories when displaying signs on business and other properties.

He said signs sometimes become a neighborhood rivalry, as in “My neighbor has Democratic sign, I’m going to get a Republican sign.”

He said amid the pandemic there’s even more of a push to campaign on social media. Smith said they were unsure at first about doorto-door campaigning this year — the most effective campaign strategy — but it has worked. They go to the door a mask, ring the bell and back up.

“Our job is to get voters out,” Smith said.

West Haven’s Riccio is a big believer in campaign signs, especially for the lesser-known underticket. He said campaign signs “give the perception of support,” so it’s a campaign strategy.

He said popular state Rep. Charles Ferraro, R-West Haven, has more than 1,000 signs around the district even though he still knocks on doors every day.

Mike Last, Democratic Party Chairman in West Haven, said he believes signs are important to introduce a candidate, but not the number of signs.

“Political signs can’t make up for what a candidate lacks in platform or performance. You often see, in West Haven anyway, the candidate with the most signs lose the election,” Last said. “West Haven’s electorate is intelligent and does their homework on the candidates. You are not going to fool them with political lawn signs.”

Last said of this election year: “It is a different and uncertain time for everyone with the COVID-19 global pandemic and then you have politics and a presidential contest that is as bizarre as I think this city, state and country has ever seen.”

He said the most soughtafter sign at Democratic headquarters is Biden/Harris and they have a hard time keeping them in stock.

“We have people calling and stopping into the headquarters every day for signs and this year they seem more passionate,” Last said. “People who normally do not advertise for their candidate are requesting signs for Democratic candidates, especially for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The other races really getting interest for signs are Rosa DeLauro running for Congress and Tony Sutton, who is running in the West Shore in the

117th District.”