election signing

Russ - check your state statues for planned communities. You can almost bet that your politicians have specifically addressed this issue to be certain their political signs can be displayed.
Here is Arizona's which trumps any HOA regulations:
Notwithstanding any provisions in the community documents, an association shall not prohibit any of the following:
2. The indoor or outdoor display of a political sign by an association member on that member's property, except that an association may prohibit the display of political signs earlier than forty-five days before the day of an election and later than seven days after an election day. An association may regulate the size and number of political signs that may be placed on a member's property if the association's regulation is no more restrictive than any applicable city, town or county ordinance that regulates the size and number of political signs on residential property. If the city, town or county in which the property is located does not regulate the size and number of political signs on residential property, the association shall permit at least one political sign with the maximum dimensions of twenty-four inches by twenty-four inches on a member's property. For the purposes of this paragraph, "political sign" means a sign that attempts to influence the outcome of an election, including supporting or opposing the recall of a public officer or supporting or opposing the circulation of a petition for a ballot measure, question or proposition or the recall of a public officer. Harold

Russ:

If Georgia doesn't have any laws that pertain to signs, then really it is up to the board as to what they want to do. Our CC&R's restrict signage to just normal for sale signs. However, if there is a big push from the neighborhood I can see it being a good compromise to approve election signs X amount of days before and after, but place limitations on the size, etc. I don't think you want a huge wooden sign stuck in the back of someone's truck.

Note that in Arizona, not all political signs are allowed, despite the statute quoted. Scottsdale ran into problems, where someone exercised his freedom of speech to post a "sign" that rankled certain city politicians. Not all "signs" are the cardboard "re-elect Smith" type things: you may be opening your community up for all types of "political statements" to be made via signage or displays.

Oh, and in Tempe, Arizona, no political sign can be placed in the city right of way, so even on private property, they must be set back a bit.

Here is the response from our HOA attorney regarding political signs:

"Any political signs must be approved by the ACC prior to being posted in accordance with your covenants. In election years, some of our community association clients run into the issue of owners, candidates or their lawyers arguing that the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Georgia Constitution provide for the constitutional right to erect any sign, including a political sign, in a front yard. They will also often argue that the United States Supreme Court has held that political signs are protected as free speech. However, the law is extremely clear that a private covenant that prohibits signs is fully enforceable. Although the government is greatly restricted in its ability to prohibit political signs, community associations are not the government and thus have the full right to enforce covenants against signs. Please note the case of Bryan v. MBC Partners, L.P., 246. Ga.App. 549, 541 S.E.2d 124 (2001) in which the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld a restrictive covenant against unapproved signs, despite the violating owner’s assertion that he had a freedom of speech right to display the sign. The case is directly on point to this issue. In addition, the United Stated Supreme Court cases that have addressed political signs all deal with governmental attempts to restrict political signs. The first amendment protections to not stretch to purely private functions. This means that the Association can prohibit political signs. Whether or not you do so will be a decision of the Board and the ACC."