# Fewer lawn signs **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 8, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096 "2012-10-08T15:33:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096/21 "2012-10-09T12:42:46Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > Right, yard signs don’t have the party affiliation. The party affiliation is listed in the only place it really matters, the ballot. Are people really going to remember the grouping of eight lawn signs, or are they going to go by the letter on the ballot? I agree about their nominal presidential downticket effect but I think the value of local/state election lawn signs is still there. If you’re not a straight partisan voter, you may see two unfamiliar names on the ballot for county sheriff or school board commissioner, recognize one from the 10,000 yard signs and think “Hey, that name sounds familiar” or “Well, a lot of people seem to like this woman so…” In an election that may only involve a few thousand votes, each one helps. Coincidentally, our Democratic candidate for state rep came by yesterday and asked if she could pop a yard sign in our lawn later on. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096/22 "2012-10-09T12:46:44Z")
_Too many_ lawn signs around here. Makes it hard to separate the real estate signs, but just you wait until after the election! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096/23 "2012-10-09T12:59:35Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > As I was driving to work today it occured to me that I have not seen nearly as many Presidental campaign signs in yards then I remember from 2004 and 2008. In both of those my neighborhood was littered with signs from both sides, this year there are none. Even on my commute I can count the signs for both sides on one hand. There are plenty for local and state office campaigns, but almost none for the Presidental race. Is this something that anyone else has noticed? and theories on why it might be? > > My guess is that neither side is really fired up about thier candidate and the ones who are have migrated thier support on-line more then in any other year. Are you in a battleground state? Here in TX (not a battleground state), the active campaigning by the two Pres candidates is virtually nil, so signs and bumper stickers are all we get. If you want a sign, you have to go down to the party offices and pay for them - they don’t give them away for free. Our Obama/Biden sign cost $6, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096/24 "2012-10-10T18:54:43Z")
Yeah, when I bought signs for myself in 2010 the fancy ones set me back about $3 each. Cheaper, plastic ones (the bags) cost about $1.75 each. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096/25 "2012-10-10T19:56:21Z")
In my area many lawn signs for Democratic candidates have been disappearing almost as soon as they are put up. By one count, in the town of Huntington, upwards of 500 signs have disappeared. Republican signs, by contrast, seem well anchored. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096/26 "2012-10-10T20:02:32Z")
Here in Iowa, I’ve seen metric tons of signs for local and state elections, but very few for the presidential election. They have mostly been Obama signs. Curiously, one of the very few Romney signs (and the only one I see regularly on my commute) is on a completely vacant lot. No buildings or anything, just grass, and no other election signs – the two other Romney signs I’ve seen in town were on lawns with a half-dozen other signs for other Republican candidates. ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096/27 "2012-10-10T20:21:27Z")
I think a lot of the country is thoroughly embarrassed to be apart of either party and choose not to engage ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096/28 "2012-10-10T20:46:05Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Yeah, when I bought signs for myself in 2010 the fancy ones set me back about $3 each. Cheaper, plastic ones (the bags) cost about $1.75 each. > [@JohnT](#): > > Our Obama/Biden sign cost $6, btw. Wait…I have to pay _the candidate_ for my vote? No way. They pay \*me \*or else! Ideally, they _both_ pay me. That’s the American Way. Meanwhile, I’m _solidly_ undecided. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096/29 "2012-10-10T21:24:25Z")
It had never occurred me that a person would have to buy the sign. I though the campaign would give it to them with thanks for the local advertising. Who knew? Anyhoo, I don’t see many lawn signs in Southern California’s beautiful San Fernando Valley. In fact, I can only remember seeing one Romney sign. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096/30 "2012-10-11T19:28:54Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Around here: Tons of signs for local elections, especially a local mayoral race. Practically none for the presidential election. Same here (northeastern San Francisco suburbs). Not only that, but, except for the national Obama and Romney TV ads, the only political TV spots I have seen are for ballot propositions; the main ones seem to be for banning required (but not voluntary) union member “donations” to union political funds, requiring most food with genetically modified material to be labeled as such, and a couple of competing state income tax increases (one only on the wealthy; the other pretty much across the board). There is another one that I would have thought would have a lot of press about it, but I haven’t seen any ads either way - getting rid of California’s death penalty. I also haven’t seen any ads - either signs or TV - for the race for Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat; I have a feeling the Democrats realize she’s pretty much a lock (every poll has her up by double digits) and are taking a page from the Republican 2004 book by taking the money they would have spent on the campaign and using it in battleground states. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fewer-lawn-signs/637096/32 "2013-10-25T10:32:18Z")
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