2026 midterm elections: What are the rules for campaign signs?
Midterm elections and rules for campaign signs
Campaign signs are appearing around Austin ahead of the general election. The city has specific requirements for where those signs can be placed, and some common spots are off limits.
AUSTIN, Texas - Campaign signs are appearing around Austin ahead of the general election.
The city has specific requirements for where those signs can be placed, and some common spots are off limits.
Big picture view:
Texans can display campaign signs on private property with the property owner’s permission, but state law restricts where signs can go along highways and on public property.
Campaign signs are not allowed in the public right-of-way. That means no signs in medians, on traffic islands, or at intersection corners. They also cannot be attached to utility poles, light poles, traffic signs, or traffic control boxes. They cannot go between the street and sidewalk or between the street and utility poles.
Local perspective:
"If they create a visual obstruction or they could be attached to infrastructure on telephone poles, in medians, sidewalk areas, those are all considered violations, whether they're political signs or not," Robert Alvarado, division manager with the Development Services Code Compliance Department, said.
The city said it is not just about keeping the streets clear.
"Visual obstructions are very important. You come in or out of a location, a building or a sidewalk or a street and you're turning it and you can't see, that becomes a safety violation," Alvarado said.
What you can do:
How does the city find them? Alvarado said most complaints come through 311.
"We have assigned inspectors go out to specific locations within their car districts to verify and validate whether a sign or any type of violation of a sign exists," Alvarado said.
If a violation is found: "Normally, if we find something that's a violation that someone can take care of easily, we reach out to the campaign and tell them you have something, it's in this area, this is a violation of code and you need to remove that from that area," Alvarado said.
Some campaigns in the area are reporting their signs being stolen or vandalized. Some even said they are putting up cameras to try to catch whoever is doing it. Stealing a sign is considered a Class C misdemeanor.
Campaign signs must be taken down within 10 days after the election.
The Source: Information in this report comes from state law and an interview with Robert Alvarado, Division Manager with the Development Services Code Compliance Department for the city of Austin.