County early voting locations
Early voting begins Oct. 12 and runs through Nov. 7. Election day is Nov. 8.
Montgomery County
451 W 3rd St., Dayton
Phone 937-225-5656
Greene County
551 Ledbetter Rd., Xenia
937-562-6170
Clark County
3130 E. Main St., Springfield
937-521-2120
Warren County
520 Justice Dr., Lebanon
513-695-1358
Butler County
1802 Princeton Rd., Hamilton
513-887-3700
Warren County has decided to stick with Ohio counties that ban the posting of political campaign signs on county property.
Last week, the Warren County Board of Commissioners debated loosening up its policy so that signs could be in place when early voting begins next month. They decided to continue a policy, adopted last year, banning the posting of all signs.
But a survey by this news organization of counties in the region found some early voters who go to vote - beginning Oct. 12 - will find rights of way and parking areas lined with signs promoting candidates and issues, while others will see none of what the U.S. Supreme Court described as “visual blight.”
Warren County’s decision aligned them with Montgomery County, which has banned signs from county property since 2012, according to Steve Harsman, deputy director of the Montgomery County Board of Elections.
“They didn’t want the county building to be blanketed with signs,” Harsman said. “I think everybody’s moving in that direction. I think it’s a fair compromise to the situation.”
Political signs are also banned from Clark County property, including that outside the election board office, according to Administrator Jennifer Hutchinson.
In Greene County, signs are not permitted within the 100-foot limit set by state law, but allowed to stand elsewhere on county property.
The commissioners discussed a policy last year after sign posting on county property “kind of got out of hand,” Greene County Administrator Brandon Huddleson said.
No policy was adopted, resulting in “kind of a mixed bag,” he said.
Signs blocking rights of way or otherwise violating local zoning rules are sometimes removed, Huddleson added.
“It’s difficult when you have a board of commissioners every so often running for office,” Huddleson said, adding the commissioners decided it wasn’t worth the expense of staff time devoted to pulling up and storing the signs.
In Butler County, the only limit on posting signs is the one observed statewide requiring a 100-foot cushion from a polling place, according to Diane Noonan, director of the Butler County Board of Elections.
“Our driveway coming into the building is always filled with signs,” Noonan said.
When asked about the question confronted in the other area counties, she said, “We haven’t even discussed that here.”
The question of what signs should be permitted on public property became a growing issue after Ohio lawmakers passed the “no-fault absentee” law in 2006, Harsman said, enabling any registered voter to cast a ballot before election day by absentee ballot or at the poll.
In 2008, Montgomery County saw the number of early voters jump from 4,000 in the previous presidential election to 32,000, in large part due to voter registration efforts that helped elect Pres. Barack Obama.
The number jumped to 33,000 in 2012 in Montgomery County, and officials are expecting an even bigger early vote this year. The contentious race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton is expected to draw voters. Also, the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office is doing more outreach and encouraging early voting.
“We could see record absentee, both regular absentee and in person,” Harsman said.
In addition, Montgomery County requires polling places to adopt the “all or nothing” standard, in response to complaints, Harsman said.
“They have a choice: All or nothing,” he said.
This standard comes from a 1984 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a lawsuit filed against Los Angeles by supporters of a candidate who claimed the city’s ban violated his First Amendment rights.
In finding for the city’s ban of all signs from public property, the high court said the government was within its rights in banning signs to avoid “clutter and visual blight.”
Warren County first debated the issue last year, after complaints about the plethora of signs posted outside the board office leading up to the primary election. County Prosecutor David Fornshell, whose offices overlooked the signage, provided a legal opinion supporting the ban.
Under the policy, people wearing or propping up signs are permitted, while signs stuck in the ground are not.
Last Tuesday, Assistant County Prosecutor Bruce McGary cited City of Los Angeles v. Taxpayers for Vincent in rejecting changes sought by Commissioner Pat South.
A week before, South presented a drawing designating places where political signs could be posted outside the board office. She described the policy as “a knee-jerk” reaction.
During the latest debate, South suggested the policy blocked community groups from posting signs for events on county property.
Directional and other non “content-based” signs are permitted.
Beyond that, McGary and Commissioner Tom Grossmann, an assistant prosecutor in Hamilton County, said there was no middle ground on the issue, without facing a lawsuit or allowing all signs.
“Once we open that door up, I don’t think we can close the door,” Grossmann said.
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