Is it illegal to place your candidate’s campaign sign in front of an opponent’s?
That’s the question that has emerged in Escambia County after a complaint involving political campaign signs outside Bellview Library prompted an internal investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Republican State House District 2 candidate Trei McMullen filed a report with ECSO that claimed West Florida Library Director Christal Bell-Rivera, who just resigned, and her husband, Ronnie Rivera, had tampered with his sign.
McMullen posted pictures on social media that appear to show the couple putting up political signs outside Bellview Library for his opponent, Jon Fay, directly in front of McMullen’s signs and blocking his images.
Is it legal to block a political campaign sign?
Florida Statutes 106.1435 covers the usage and removal of political campaign signs, and it doesn’t explicitly address how campaign signs must be placed in relation to others.
Escambia County Elections Supervisor Robert Bender weighed in on the legality of the incident.
“I’m not aware of anything that says you can’t place your sign within so many inches of someone else’s. There’s not a statute that says you can’t place a sign next to someone else’s or in front of someone else’s. If it were them picking up the signs and taking them, I think that would definitely be something else,” he said.
How are political campaign signs protected in Florida?
There are no special protections for campaign signs. They are treated as personal property and are protected in various ways under a few statutes.
Under Florida Statute 806.13, it is illegal to damage or vandalize signs. Property damage under $200 is a second-degree misdemeanor.
It is illegal to take a sign down without the owner’s permission under Florida Statute 812.014. This is also a second-degree misdemeanor.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Can you legally block a political sign? Here’s what Florida law says
Reporting by Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal | USA TODAY Network
