When my brother and I were kids, we used to count election lawn signs during road trips. Even back then, I was a conservative - I counted all the blues and he counted all the reds and oranges.
It was our introduction to the political world. It was the impetus for us to learn about candidates, political parties and elections.
Times are changing. Election signs aren't as prevalent as they were back in the 1980s and '90s. There are more multi-family buildings not conducive to posting such signs and a lot of people seem more reticent to advertise their political leanings.
The most concerning trend, however, is our city governments taking it upon themselves to be the sign police.
Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, for example, have enacted bylaws under which candidates are told at which public locations election signs can be erected, how big they can be and how long they can keep them up.
The city of Coquitlam goes even further, restricting the number of signs that a person can put on his or her private property to one. Whatever happened to my property rights and freedom of expression?
Election signage is part of a candidate's marketing strategy. It's Marketing 101: As a candidate, you want people to see your name as much as possible on brochures, in the newspapers and on the lawn signs. The more signs, the better. Incumbents already have an advantage with regard to name recognition so restrictive sign policies help them and hurt newcomers.
Signs are also great way of spreading awareness about elections. With our paltry voter turnout rates, we need to do everything we can to ensure that people know about the candidates and their parties so that they're motivated to vote. For that, we need more signs, not fewer.
My colleague opposite has joined the chorus of fuddy-duddies who want to restrict the number of signs - it hurts his eyes or something.
Interestingly, I've never heard him complain about other types of signage. He has never complained, for example, about those darn Vancouver Canucks car flags.
My advice to him and to the other election sign haters: Get over it. Those signs are important and the campaign lasts only 30 days.
