By ANDY SEVILLA
Hays County commissioners next week will deliberate regulating political signage on county property, ahead of a November election that will feature high-profile national, state and local races.
Commissioners discussed adopting a policy related to electioneering — posting and distributing political signs or literature — on county-owned property at their Sept. 9 meeting.
“I want it to be fair and equal and open to all parties,” Hays County Judge Bert Cobb said at the regular meeting.
The new rules commissioners discussed, but ultimately tabled Tuesday, would limit the number and height of political signage on county property, and where it could be placed.
The proposed policy would regulate electioneering on county-property that is outside the 100-foot electioneering-free perimeter called for by state election law, when such property is used as an election polling place.
The Texas Election Code prohibits electioneering within 100 feet of an outside door through which a voter may enter a polling place during a voting period.
“I know that in Dripping Springs we had situations caused by lack of clear information that created pretty stressful circumstances during the last election,” Hays County Pct. 4 Commissioner Ray Whisenant said. “I think elections should be as least stressful as possible.”
Whisenant’s draft policy recommendation suggests the new rules would help reduce safety concerns, prevent damage to public property and ensure the property is available for the public.
The state’s election code however states that an “entity that owns or controls a public building being used as a polling place may not, at any time during the voting period, prohibit electioneering on the building’s premises outside of the” 100-foot electioneering-free perimeter.
The code does, however, allow entities to enact reasonable regulations concerning time, place and manner of electioneering.
Whisenant’s proposed policy would prohibit any person from leaving any electioneering sign or literature on county property — when used as an election polling place — 12 hours before or during the early voting period through 36 hours after the polls close on election day for any designated election.
The proposed rules also would make it a violation for any person to engage in electioneering on sidewalks, driveways or parking areas within one hour of and during the business hours of any county facility on the premises of a polling location.
Electioneering signs attached to vehicles lawfully parked at a polling location are permissible.
Attaching, placing or in anyway affixing electioneering material on any building, tree, shrub, pole, fixture or any other improvement on a premise used as a polling location also would be prohibited. Placing a sign in the right-of-way of public roadway adjacent to county owned property being used as a polling location also would be a violation of the proposed rules.
Whisenant’s recommendation would limit electioneering signs’ size and quantity on county property per candidate or issue.
The proposed rules allow four yard-sized signs (two-by-two-feet) supported by wire stakes, and either one four-by-eight-foot sign or two four-by-four-foot signs.
The proposed policy states that the recommendations are aimed to protect county property, the public and to have recourse should damage occur.
Individuals found to be repetitive violators, under the proposed rules, could be issued a criminal trespass warning.
Commissioners will take the matter up again at their Sept. 16 regular meeting.
