Is that campaign sign allowed there? What to know about restrictions across Kentucky
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Kentucky 2023 Primary Election
Primary Day in Kentucky is May 16, and the Herald-Leader has everything you need to know about races and candidates across Kentucky.
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Kentucky’s May 16 primary is just days away, and with a governor’s race in the news, campaign signs are sprouting in Lexington’s front yards like tulips.
It’s also the time of year when those signs start to crop up along state highways, which according to Kentucky’s Transportation Cabinet, can create safety hazards if they’re placed in a right-of-way.
“Illegally-placed signs are a distraction and can be a safety issue for motorists when blocking the view of oncoming vehicles. They can also endanger mowing crews or pose a hazard to drivers who run off the roadway – particularly when installed with large wooden or metal stakes,” Steve Gunnell, chief engineer at the Kentucky Department of Highways’ District 9, said in a news release.
In Lexington, there are no local laws that limit the amount of time a person can display a campaign yard sign.
“At one time, we had an ordinance in Lexington that limited the amount of time a person could have a campaign sign in their yard, but that was struck down as a violation of free speech,” city spokesperson Susan Straub wrote to the Herald-Leader in an email recently.
Straub said there’s still some confusion about that, which continues to fuel complaints from the city’s residents.
Where can political signs be placed?
Kentucky law and transportation cabinet policy bar the placement of any “non-official” signs – such as those for political candidates and yard sales – on a state-owned right-of-way, the cabinet said in a news release.
This includes free-standing signs and those stapled or taped to utility poles, guardrails and road signs.
According to the cabinet, if you can’t see mile markers or fences along a state highway, assume the right-of-way extends between 15 to 30 feet from the edge of the pavement. Signs should be kept behind sidewalks or ditches and out of any areas that are mowed and maintained by the state.
In the case of a four-lane highway, especially one with limited entrances and exits, signs should be kept out of the highway side of the fence. They shouldn’t be on the fence either, the cabinet said.
In Lexington, there isn’t an ordinance that regulates the length of time residents can display political signs, but there are a few for placement of signs in general.
“Signs cannot be placed on public property – like in medians,” Straub wrote in her email. “Signs cannot be placed in the utility strip (between the sidewalk and the curb - also public property.”
If you’re a campaign volunteer or official, you need permission from the property owner to place election materials on private property, Straub added.
What about the candidate signs I see near my polling place?
Campaign signs must be placed at least 100 feet from the entrance of a polling place.
State law governs the placement of political campaign signs near polling locations, but it doesn’t apply to private property, regardless of how close it is to the polling place.
Where can I find my sign if it’s been taken down?
If your sign was along a city-owned street or road, check with Lexington’s Division of Code Enforcement.
“Our Division of Code Enforcement removes signs daily,” Straub wrote.
If it was illegally placed along a state highway, you should check with your county’s highways department. Removed signs are held at state maintenance facilities in each county for a short period of time, the cabinet’s news release said. After that, they’re thrown out.
“Again, we want to remind everyone that illegally-placed signs can be a hazard, and employees who remove those signs are acting in the best interest of all motorists and maintenance crews,” Gunnell said in the cabinet’s release. “The Transportation Cabinet appreciates the public’s cooperation and understanding.”
Do you have a question about the 2023 election in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
This story was originally published May 10, 2023 at 2:35 PM.
