# What is the point of political yard signs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [September 17, 2024, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392 "2024-09-17T17:05:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/41 "2024-09-18T00:09:50Z")
Apparently for some it is so you can target those with signs you don’t like: > **[Ohio sheriff instructs residents to list homes with Harris-Walz campaign signs](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/17/ohio-sheriff-harris-walz-campaign-signs)** > > Republican Bruce Zuchowski sparks alarm after writing remarks in anti-immigrant tirade on Facebook > An Ohio sheriff instructed residents to keep a list of homes displaying campaign signs in support of the Democratic presidential nominee, [Kamala Harris](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/kamala-harris), and her running mate, [Tim Walz](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/tim-walz), in remarks on social media that caused alarm. > > Bruce D Zuchowski, the Republican sheriff of Portage county, [posted](https://www.facebook.com/sheriffzuchowski/posts/pfbid02bbj2hKbDppiX3NCRmAwreU71NWY3PPyWJhn3eeExjQj1kbhegs45Xe6zT6xZXFJvl) the remarks on Friday to his personal and professional Facebook pages, warning that undocumented immigrants would arrive if Harris were elected over his party’s nominee, [Donald Trump](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump). Yeah…that should scare everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/42 "2024-09-18T00:18:44Z")
Some of the points that have been made in this thread are good ones, but I think the OP may be overestimating human rationality—specifically, the degree to which things like political yard signs are supposed to appeal to people’s conscious, rational minds. Haven’t you noticed how often businesses pay to get their names or logos on signs, uniforms, etc.? The point of exposing people as much as possible to the Nike swoosh or the McDonald’s golden arches, or to the name of a beer company or an insurance agent or a political candidate, isn’t to make a reasonable argument trying to convince people of something, but to subtly and unconsciously influence people: to familiarize and normalize and embed in your consciousness and produce positive associations. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/43 "2024-09-18T00:37:46Z")
I mentioned it above. In red state America, Harris signs are an act of brave defiance. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/44 "2024-09-18T01:38:43Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > In red state America, Harris signs are an act of brave defiance. That must be why I have three different ones in front of my house. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/45 "2024-09-18T01:50:15Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > _I’ve seen some really uninformed voters._ There are two congressional districts in my area. There are streets where one district is on one side and the other district is on the…other. You see signs for both candidates on either side of the street, proving that some of those people have no idea who their congressman is. There have been cases where people show up at their polling place expecting to vote for Ignatius P. Firefly and then get pissed off at the poor poll workers when they are told that Mr. Firefly is not their congressman and is thus not on their ballot. ---
**Author:** ![Kitten\_Mitten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b782af/32.png) [@Kitten\_Mitten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitten_Mitten)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/46 "2024-09-18T02:14:22Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > I just hung a “Thank You Joe” banner on the front of our vacation house 👏 ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/47 "2024-09-18T02:30:22Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > In red state America, Harris signs are an act of brave defiance Not just defiance. They’re also a sign of _you aren’t the only one. It’s all right to vote for her! it won’t leave you all alone_. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/48 "2024-09-18T03:48:37Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > They’re also a sign of _you aren’t the only one. It’s all right to vote for her! it won’t leave you all alone_. That actually is exactly what I’m trying to say. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/49 "2024-09-18T04:23:09Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > [@snowthx](#): > > > > It can also be a way to identify the houses and neighbors requiring mock and ridicule. Or, sadly, it identifies homes that may be targeted for violence these days. > > Or an act of intimidation; a Trump sign _ **is** _ a threat of violence against anyone who doesn’t support them, or has the wrong skin color, or is the wrong gender, or… > > It’s like putting up a big Nazi flag on your lawn. In 1930s Germany. I don’t know that every trump sign means that. But the giant, “take America back” Trump sign near me sure feels like intimidation. > [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > They’re usually not free, they’re also signalling you donated some sum. Probably a trivial amount, but some. A few people have them on their residential lawns, but for the most part I see a mess of signs on undeveloped land along thoroughfares. In my experience they often are free. I paid for a pride flag, but I’ve gotten a lot of yard signs just by expressing interest. Or even by saying, “okay” when someone asks if they can put a sign in my yard. And i often put up yard signs for something local, like a contested primary for an obscure position in my county that i cared about, or “question 2” in the local election. My thought is that some people know me and might be swayed, and others might feel that name looks familiar when they go to vote. Local elections are all about checking in with your more politically aware friends and neighbors. I’m a mid-range person in that pecking order, i seek info from friends who are very politically active, and pass it along to friends who are very politically out-of-it. > [@madmonk28](#): > > They come in and kind of want to be talked in to it. The sign in front of the office was vandalized, but the person got caught. I have a friend who has had several “black lives matter” signs stolen, and just lost her “Harris/Walsh” sign. The perp had a friend who covered her security camera while he took the signs. (She’s previously had the police recover her stolen signs and lecture the thief. I suspect this is someone who has been caught previously.) My “black lives matter” sign disappeared, but my downwind neighbor found it in their bushes, and their had been a wind storm, so my guess is it wasn’t vandals. By the way, the other reason to put up a sign is to make other people feel better/safer. I put up that pride flag after a trans friend told me it made them feel safer walking in a neighborhood where people had pride flags. And the woman who hauls my trash commented on the pride flag, and said she really appreciated seeing it. I’m probably not going to get a Harris sign, because i think most people locally HAVE made up their minds on that one, and i doubt a sign in my yard will have any impact. But if a friend asks to put one in my yard I’ll say, “yes”. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/50 "2024-09-18T05:04:37Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > And I can easily imagine one of them looking at their ballot in bewilderment and thinking _“Oh, there’s a name I recognize. I saw it on some signs. Well if other people are voting form him, I guess he must be good.”_ To quote that article I linked: > Kam [co-authored a study](https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2011/07/25/campaign-signs/) in 2011 in which yard signs for a fictitious county council candidate — “Ben Griffin” — were planted on lawns on a well-trafficked street near a school. A survey was mailed out a few days later by the school’s Parent Teacher Association asking respondents to list their choices for the county’s at-large council seats. Five real candidates were listed along with the fictitious Ben Griffin and another made-up name. > > Incredibly, nearly a quarter of respondents listed the fictional Ben Griffin among their top three picks. Name recognition can be a pretty powerful thing, and there’s a lot of uninformed people out there. Especially for anything below the Presidential level. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/51 "2024-09-18T05:16:11Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > lawns on a well-trafficked street near a school. I live on a well-trafficked street near a school. More specifically, a lot of people walk or drive by my house to take their kids to school. That’s why i feel it’s worth posting signs for little local elections. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/52 "2024-09-18T05:18:11Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Name recognition can be a pretty powerful thing, and there’s a lot of uninformed people out there. Especially for anything below the Presidential level. I don’t think it’s primarily an issue of name recognition (although that is a factor). I think it’s more a display of group mentality. There are a lot of people who let themselves be guiding by the actions of people around them - either in following those actions or defying those actions. Some people will see a lot of signs for Smith and think _“If all of these people are voting for Smith, then voting for Smith must be the right thing to do. I’ll follow the crowd and vote for Smith.”_ Other people will let the crowd guide their actions but in the opposite direction. They think _“If all of these people are voting for Smith, then voting for Smith must be the wrong thing to do. I’ll be a rebel and vote for Jones.”_ (The irony is that this “rebel” is letting other people make their decisions for them, just like the conformist did.) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/53 "2024-09-18T05:18:12Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > That’s why i feel it’s worth posting signs for little local elections. I think those little local elections are probably where the real battle is. The president is important but, in some ways, your local school board or city council or sheriff might be more important. Really, they all deserve attention. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/54 "2024-09-18T05:24:33Z")
I’m fairly politically active. I’ve done a fair amount of door-to-door canvassing, too. For races from President to school committee. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/55 "2024-09-18T05:30:48Z")
That’s great! (really) To be clear, I was not lecturing you or anyone in particular. I just wanted to say all politics is local (which is not a new notion and I am nowhere near the first person to say it). Just something I think dems need to remember because I think reps have this one locked in for them. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/56 "2024-09-18T10:59:48Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > There are two congressional districts in my area. There are streets where one district is on one side and the other district is on the…other. You see signs for both candidates on either side of the street, proving that some of those people have no idea who their congressman is. Although it’s possible to support a candidate and hope they get elected without living in their district. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Some people will see a lot of signs for Smith and think _“If all of these people are voting for Smith, then voting for Smith must be the right thing to do. I’ll follow the crowd and vote for Smith.”_ Right, although your use of the word “think” may imply that it’s more of a conscious thought process than it actually is. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/57 "2024-09-18T11:11:11Z")
For the recent UK general election, I had a yard sign for Labour. I’d recently moved to a traditional Conservative-voting area and I wanted to send a signal to other Labour voters to ‘take heart, you are not alone, your vote in this constituency is not wasted’. So for me it was more of a ‘get out the vote’ than trying to change anyone’s mind. I also wanted to send a message to the neighbours to not assume I was one of them. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/58 "2024-09-18T11:18:49Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Other people will let the crowd guide their actions but in the opposite direction. They think _“If all of these people are voting for Smith, then voting for Smith must be the wrong thing to do. I’ll be a rebel and vote for Jones.”_ (The irony is that this “rebel” is letting other people make their decisions for them, just like the conformist did.) I don’t find it especially ironic that an individual might try to vote strategically in an election if he doesn’t like a particular candidate. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/59 "2024-09-18T11:26:28Z")
Exactly. When I worked the polls during the primary and I had to ask whether people wanted a Democratic or Republican ballot, a lot of the Dems would whisper their answer. It is dangerous to be a Democrat in parts of America. Yard signs are a way of saying you’re not alone. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392/60 "2024-09-18T11:40:26Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Or an act of intimidation; a Trump sign _ **is** _ a threat of violence against anyone who doesn’t support them, or has the wrong skin color, or is the wrong gender, or… How does putting up a Trump yard sign communicate the idea that the owner of the sign may be of a mind to physically attack the kinds of people you listed? And if it really does do that, then should people who put up Trump yard signs be charged with **[assault](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault)**? > In the terminology of [law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law), an **assault** is the act of causing physical harm or [unwanted](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consent) physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so.[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault#cite_note-1) It is both a [crime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime) and a [tort](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tort) and, therefore, may result in [criminal prosecution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_prosecution), [civil liability](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_liability), or both. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-political-yard-signs/1007392.md?page=4)