Political Signs
Definition of “Political Sign” as taken from Chapter 12 of Cary’s Land Development Ordinance: A temporary sign on private property that consists of a poster, placard, board, banner or other similar medium that contains a message related to a matter of public interest, including but not limited to a candidate for office or a ballot issue, but containing no commercial message.
Political Sign Regulations as taken from Chapter 9 of Cary’s Land Development Ordinance:
Political signs shall be allowed without a sign permit in addition to, or as a replacement for, other allowed signs, provided that:
(1) One (1) sign shall be permitted per individual lot or parcel for each candidate for office or side of a ballot measure or issue; for a lot or parcel with frontage on a second street, one additional sign for each candidate for office or side of a ballot measure or issue shall be permitted.
(2) Such signs shall be located on private property and not within the public right-of-way or affixed to any improvement within such right-of-way (median, utility pole, traffic control device, bridge, guardrail, or other safety barrier), within a required sight distance triangle, or on Town property or buildings, except within specified proximity of polling places on Election Day, under rules established by a county board of elections.
(3) Such signs shall be located on private property with the owner's permission or consent. It shall be presumed the property owner has given permission or consents to the sign's placement unless the property owner notifies the Town otherwise.
(4) Such a sign shall be removed within 10 days following the date of any election or other event to which it refers, except that signs for successful primary election candidates, eligible for the general election, may remain after the primary election; this time limit shall not apply to a sign which does not refer to an election or other event.
(5) Such a sign shall not exceed 5 square feet in area per sign face or 42 inches in height, except where such sign is erected in place of another type of sign permitted at that location, in which case it may be the same size and subject to the same conditions as such sign.
(6) The person, party, or parties responsible for the erection or distribution of any such signs shall be jointly and severally liable for the removal of such signs.
(7) The property occupant or, in the case of unoccupied property, the property owner, shall be responsible for violations on a particular property.
(8) Such signs shall be subject to the provisions of Section 9.4 (Prohibited Signs and Devices), 9.7 (Signs Not to Create Traffic Hazard), and 9.9 (Lighting) of this Chapter.
Policy 144, Town Council Intent and Findings Regarding Political Sign
Regulations is located at http://www.townofcary.org/depts/tcdept/policies/144.htm.