And with the arrival of spring comes another seasonal activity:the increase in political campaign signs in the area.

Those with oversight of roads and highways are reminding candidatesof the prohibition against placing campaign signs in road rights ofway. Glancing at the number of signs along roadsides in the area,how effectively that message is being delivered is a littlequestionable at this point.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation this week issued astatement advising candidates to not place signs on highway rightsof way. Earlier, candidates for Lincoln County elected officereceived a letter for the board of supervisors’ attorney notifyingthem of similar rules regarding county roads and rights ofway.

“MDOT crews will remove all illegal signs placed on state highwayrights of way,” the transportation department release said. “Inmost cases, the signs will be held for a reasonable period of timebefore being disposed of. Candidates can retrieve signs from localMDOT maintenance shops in the area in which the sign was postedwithout penalty.”

Similar consequences could result from illegal sign placement alongcounty roads.

Just as important as the proper placement of political signs duringthe campaign is the prompt taking down and removal of signs whenthe campaign is over.

For some candidates, that of course will not happen for anotherseven months. But there will be no votes to be gained afterNovember and candidates – whether they can celebrate a victory orgo down to defeat – will be doing everyone a big favor by gettingrid of their signs after their particular campaigns have come to anend.