Some political signs need to be removed by Friday

MOSES LAKE — As the election season winds down, political signs that once decorated public property becomes public litter.

And the time to remove the signs is running out.

The Washington State Department of Transportation wants to remind property owners state law requires them to remove political signs that are visible from state highways by Friday.

This includes political signs on private property that are visible from state highways as well.

According to state law, if property owners do not remove political signs 10 days after an election, they will receive a letter from the DOT stating they have 15 days to remove the signs, according to Alice Fiman, DOT representative.

If the signs are not taken down at that time, property owners could be charged with a misdemeanor.

Misdemeanor consequences include a $1,000 penalty fine per political sign infraction and/or 90 days in jail.

In Moses Lake, the city determined all political signs on public property needs to be removed 10 days after an election’s certification date, said Gil Alvarado, community development director of Moses Lake.

The Grant County Auditor’s Office will declare an official ballot count on Nov. 23; political signs on public property in Moses Lake need to be removed by Dec. 3.

The city does not currently have ordinances about political signs on private property, said Alvarado.

“If individuals do not remove their signs 10 days after certification, they will be issued a notice of abatement. If they do not remove the things after that we will send a crew in to remove the signs and then bill the responsible party for the service,” said Alvarado.

Property owners who want to know more about the DOT sign removal requirements are asked to call 360-705-7296.

“We would rather educate people about the laws and rules about political sign removal than penalize anyone,” said Fiman.