Residents Urged to Remove Campaign Signs Before Storm

Local Democrats and Republicans are agreeing on something this week: residents should remove campaign signs from their lawns before Hurricane Sandy arrives. With winds predicted to top 45 mph and gusts up to 70 mph, lawn signs across North Kingstown could become projectiles during the storm.

State GOP Chair Mark Zaccaria sent a request to all city and town Republican chairs, as well as General Assembly candidates, to remove all large campaign signs and as many small ones as they can find.

"The reason, of course, is so they do not become missiles that cause litter in the best case and real damage in the worst case – with the name of the candidate on each and every projectile," said Zaccaria.

On the Democratic side, interim chair of the North Kingstown Democratic Town Party Gregory Blasbalg said that the party is asking residents to bring in signs if the winds increase. Blasbalg added that they are working with candidates to coordinate the removal of large lawn signs and signs that are not on individual lawns.

North Kingstown is also in a unique situation due a recent court battle. In 2010, the Town of North Kingstown asked Independent candidate for Congress John Matson to remove his large campaign signs – citing that his signs were too big and violated the town's ordinance. Matson sued the town and won, invalidating the town's political sign ordinance and, in turn, resulting in the number of large signs this election year. 

"If we do get big winds on Tuesday, they could be come very large, wind-driven Frisbees," said Zaccaria.