# Honey, did you tell our state senator that it was okay to put his sign in our yard? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 29, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-did-you-tell-our-state-senator-that-it-was-okay-to-put-his-sign-in-our-yard/611052 "2012-01-29T03:46:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-did-you-tell-our-state-senator-that-it-was-okay-to-put-his-sign-in-our-yard/611052/21 "2012-01-30T21:26:45Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I know someone who built an outhouse out of old election signs. 🙂 Sweet jeebus. I will give you a dozen imaginary homemade chocolate chip cookies via Interwebz if you come back and post a picture. ETA: is [it this](http://stickerkitty.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/img_0777.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-did-you-tell-our-state-senator-that-it-was-okay-to-put-his-sign-in-our-yard/611052/22 "2012-01-30T23:06:01Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > So did you remove the sign or not? I have children for that. And yes. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-did-you-tell-our-state-senator-that-it-was-okay-to-put-his-sign-in-our-yard/611052/23 "2012-01-31T09:30:42Z")
I’ve worked on political campaigns for many years. It was most likely put up by mistake. This is done by volunteers (and the volunteers that you can’t trust to be out knocking on doors and talking to people), often from rather scribbled notes from volunteers who did knock on doors – having the wrong address is not uncommon. And leaving a thank-you card, etc. is standard, and happens weather it is the right or wrong address. Really smart campaigns have the name & address on the Thank-you card, so it’s pretty obvious to you that they got the wrong address. I once got a call from a lady in her 90’s who was very distressed because a sign had been put up in her yard for Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidates for School Board. She mentioned that her late husband had been a staunch Republican, and would be spinning in his grave at the idea of a Democratic sign in their yard. I went right over that night and retrieved the sign, and she was so relieved, and mentioned that, if she felt up to it, she was going to the cemetery tomorrow to reassure her husband that the sign was gone from their yard. And then she whispered to me that she liked some of our candidates, and would be voting for them. Quite an interesting lady. In another election, I got quite a few calls from people strongly wanting a sign for our candidate in their yard, as soon as possible! Seems our opponent had a habit of going around just after schools let out, and asking kids if he could put up a sign in their yard, and getting them to pick the spot and help put it up. Then when the parents arrived home & saw the sign they said “what’s that sign doing there? We’re not supporting that guy. Take it down” only to have their kids protest, saying that they had helped put it up. So the parents called us, wanting a sign for our candidate – immediately! Lawn signs are expensive, take a lot of volunteer time, and are of questionable value. But voters expect to see them, so they continue. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-did-you-tell-our-state-senator-that-it-was-okay-to-put-his-sign-in-our-yard/611052/24 "2012-01-31T11:36:34Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > I once got a call from a lady in her 90’s who was very distressed because a sign had been put up in her yard for Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidates for School Board. Lemme guess: You are from Minnesota. The land of The Hump. Good God, I miss the Farmer-Labor commies. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-did-you-tell-our-state-senator-that-it-was-okay-to-put-his-sign-in-our-yard/611052/25 "2012-01-31T21:14:18Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I thought the back yard was for taking a dump. Nah, that’s what the neighbor’s yard is for. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-did-you-tell-our-state-senator-that-it-was-okay-to-put-his-sign-in-our-yard/611052/26 "2012-01-31T21:30:44Z")
Question. If they put a sign on my property that I did not agree to, can I then do with it as a wish? Can I burn it or paint over the wording on it? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-did-you-tell-our-state-senator-that-it-was-okay-to-put-his-sign-in-our-yard/611052/27 "2012-01-31T22:03:15Z")
Absolutely. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-did-you-tell-our-state-senator-that-it-was-okay-to-put-his-sign-in-our-yard/611052/28 "2012-01-31T22:10:35Z")
As others said, it is likely a mistake. If it’s not, I know that it’s common fun for teenagers to have mostly harmless fun with those and move them around. A simple swap of signs between lawns for opposing party candidates and imagine the hilarity that ensues; both get upset at the opposing party candidate that they wouldn’t vote for. Bonus points if it’s a neighbor that you didn’t like and you keep replacing the sign with someone else’s each time they take it down. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-did-you-tell-our-state-senator-that-it-was-okay-to-put-his-sign-in-our-yard/611052/29 "2012-01-31T22:56:35Z")
No, as I said, this was actually his people. But the sign is in the garbage, so it’s irrelevant. Okay, I’m a proper Democrat and the sign is in the recycling. The sign is #5 (polypropylene) and the framework is steel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-did-you-tell-our-state-senator-that-it-was-okay-to-put-his-sign-in-our-yard/611052.md?page=1)