Palo Pinto commissioners Monday tightened up their stance on electioneering, approving an order that includes restrictions to distance and political signage at county-owned buildings.
The action came following electioneering concerns brought forth during the March primary election at the Mineral Wells Annex, where County Judge Shane Long said the last day of elections got “a little bit exciting.”
Among the new regulations, political signs or literature on county property are prohibited outside of the voting period — and for 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after — the voting period ends.
Sign posts may not damage water or electrical lines, and must be smaller than 36 square feet or shorter than 8 feet from the ground, including support poles.
Signs are prohibited in “any location that obstructs vision for traffic entering, exiting or driving in, on or around the property” and may not be on any permanent structures within said property.
No more than six signs per candidate may be placed or erected within the designated area, though signs held by individuals do not count toward that number. Those signs do have to fall within the maximum height and size requirements, though.
Violation of signage regulations allows county staff to remove signs and place them in temporary storage until the owner picks them up. If the owner fails to retrieve them within a week after the voting period, the county will dispose of them.
Grassy areas among the rows of parking spots at the annex have now been labeled as Designated Areas for Electioneering. Loitering on sidewalks or driveways, or anywhere that interferes with citizen access to the polling location, is now prohibited and political signs are not allowed in public easements or rights-of-way.
Violation of the provision of these regulations will be a Class C misdemeanor.
View the full order here.
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