Montana Election Signs Are Supposed to be Gone Two Weeks After Election

Election Day is over, but all across Montana political signs are still prominently displayed on front lawns and fences… however, an oft-overlooked administrative rule requires they be removed by next Tuesday. Missoula County Elections Administrator Rebecca Connors explains.

"Political signs must be removed within 14 days following the applicable election, so the voters or campaigns have about two weeks after an election to remove their signs," said Connors. "After this point... this administrative roll comes from the Department of Transportation...they reference that the department shall notify the landowner of illegal signs which are not removed within those 14 days. The department shall retain removed signs and hold them for five days. If they are not claimed within five days they are destroyed."

Interestingly, it’s the Department of Transportation that’s in charge of enforcing this rule, not police or sheriff’s departments. Connors says there is a sign complaint packet that can be downloaded from the county elections webpage, however, because of a lack of resources, she says the rule requires a lot of “self-governing.”