Question: I’ve noticed a couple of campaign signs are still up on U.S. 29 in the southern end of the county. When are those signs supposed to be removed from roadsides?

Whitney Harwood

Answer: State law requires all campaign signs to be removed from all rights of way within 10 days of an election, according to the Rowan County Board of Elections.

Within municipalities, elections specialist Laura Russell said rules may differ, but, at this point, all campaign signs should be removed, Russell said.

She said complaints about signs within a city’s municipal limits should be directed toward the particular city. Complaints about signs on the state’s highways or roads should be directed to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Campaign signs that are still up on private property fall into a different category, she said.

“Signs on personal property, out of the right of way, we can do nothing about,” Russell said.

Rowan County government doesn’t have any ordinances pertaining to campaign signs. She said being able to enforce the ordinance was raised as a concern when the idea of creating an ordinance was raised.

“The county defaults to the state law on right of ways and municipalities,” Russell said.

Municipal laws concerning signs differ slightly. China Grove, Faith and Granite Quarry do not allow campaign signs on any public property.

Time periods have all expired for towns and cities in Rowan County that do allow campaign signs on the sides of public streets. The City of Salisbury, for example, requires campaign signs to be removed 10 days after an election.

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