RSN Fundraising Banner
FB Share
Email This Page
add comment
Print

Watters writes: "During campaign season, yard signs are ubiquitous on private lawns. When it's your name on the signs, it can feel downright indecent to see them littered about town. If you're an introvert, the exposure can feel akin to listening to The Five Man Electrical Band's classic-rock stalwart 'Signs' on repeat, while circling a lion cage."

My son rockin' out next to my campaign sign. (photo: Angela Watters/RSN)
My son rockin' out next to my campaign sign. (photo: Angela Watters/RSN)


ALSO SEE: Part One: How to Run for Public Office – for Those Who Score Low on the Narcissism Scale

ALSO SEE: Part Two: WTF Is That Red Scare Loyalty Oath in My Candidate Packet?

ALSO SEE: Part Three: How to Not Go Nuts When Running for Public Office

Campaigning: The Unbearable Exposure of Seeing Your Name on Yard Signs

By Angela Watters, Reader Supported News

26 November 19


Part Four of “How to Run for Public Office When You Score Low on the Narcissism Scale”

uring campaign season, yard signs are ubiquitous on private lawns. When it’s your name on the signs, it can feel downright indecent to see them littered about town. If you’re an introvert, the exposure can feel akin to listening to The Five Man Electrical Band’s classic-rock stalwart “Signs” on repeat, while circling a lion cage. The sneaking suspicion that you’re no longer anonymous may rev up your latent imposter syndrome. That six-pack of beer you buy on an occasional Thursday will take on added significance in your mind as you worry your every move is being watched and judged. Or you will like the attention it brings. Really, it depends on your personality. My five-year-old loved the signs. 


Canadian rock band The Five Man Electrical Band, 1971.

Luckily, there’s a limited time frame in which you’re allowed to display your signs. Every municipality or jurisdiction varies, but in “Coaltown” you are given six weeks before early voting begins to place your signs in yards (and two weeks to take them down after the election). Don’t put them up yet – wait. You don’t want them up for longer than a month. First off, if you’re not a narcissist you may eventually start to feel nauseous when you encounter a yard sign. Secondly, weather can be unkind to yard signs during springtime, the season for many local elections and primaries. Finally, you risk really pissing off the real estate agents – and they talk. 

But if you’re not a local, but a transplant without an office job like me, and networking at night means missing your kid’s bedtime, then you’ll need the name recognition. I can’t tell you the number of people who came up to me and said, “Oh, you’re Angela Watters! I’ve seen your yard signs.” Some even imagined we went to high school together. No, we did not. I’m from Houston – um, I mean “Oil and Gas Town” – not “Coaltown,” Illinois.  

If you are running for a particular political party, your campaign signs may be paid for by your party. As a candidate in a non-partisan race like school board, I was on my own. I funded my campaign through a “Go Fund Me” drive, asking friends and family members to donate. They did, and my campaign was funded.

As I mentioned in Part 3 of this series, other board members used direct mail and threw a party at a bar on behalf of their efforts. I spent about $600 from my online drive on campaign materials like yard signs and flyers. Had I ended up running in a non-competitive election, I would have been able to scrap the fundraising altogether. Don’t discount the possibility of running unopposed. In certain races in smaller communities, filing for office can be the beginning and end of your campaign. 

Other candidates running for the same office as I did ordered between 25 and 100 signs. I ordered 50, which was the same number of people who signed my petitions. You can purchase signs more cheaply on the internet, but I went with a local shop with union-made signs. They came out to about ten bucks a pop. Expect about a two-week turnaround. I kept as many as I could after it was over, in case I decided to run for re-election.

The expense is just one of the factors that makes yard signs controversial. The efficacy of yard signs translating into increased voter support is also in question. You will definitely want to save some of your campaign money to print flyers or door hangers to pass out, once you start canvassing. You will need to allocate your funds for campaign materials based on what you feel works best for your supporters, your community, and your own peace of mind. 

Despite the controversy, yard signs make friends and supporters more invested in your campaign. It feels really validating when a neighbor or acquaintance requests to put a sign of yours in their yard. Placement matters. Busy streets, streets with traffic lights, or large intersections are a major score because of their visibility. 

With fewer and fewer local papers and reporters, your local race won’t always be covered as closely as you would like. Word of mouth from a neighbor or friend you admire and respect can make all the difference. A sign in anyone’s yard is a personal endorsement, and you may feel laid bare, but that vulnerability is the key to a personal connection with your community – a connection you will need, if god forbid, you actually win. 

Coming soon … Part Five: Talking About Race to the NAACP and Labor to the Teachers’ Union: How to Survive the Community Forums. 



Angela Watters is the Managing Editor for Reader Supported News. She was elected to the school board in her town in April of this year.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

e-max.it: your social media marketing partner
Email This Page

 

THE NEW STREAMLINED RSN LOGIN PROCESS: Register once, then login and you are ready to comment. All you need is a Username and a Password of your choosing and you are free to comment whenever you like! Welcome to the Reader Supported News community.

RSNRSN