A Little History Behind Those Election Signs

There's actually a pretty long history behind the humble election sign. Political posters and signs have been part of election campaigns for well over a century. In the 1800s, campaign posters were often much more elaborate than the signs we see today, sometimes featuring detailed messages, candidate portraits and even song lyrics. As printing became cheaper and more accessible, campaign materials became easier to produce and distribute, eventually evolving into the simple, recognizable signs we're familiar with today.

First view of the campaign signs all printed and ready to install.

The tradition of putting a candidate's name out in the community has also been around for generations. In many ways, the purpose hasn't changed much: a sign lets a candidate introduce themselves to people who may not know them, while allowing supporters to publicly say, "I'm supporting this person." Today, those little signs on lawns and along roads have become almost synonymous with election season. In fact, researchers studying Canadian elections note that the sudden appearance of campaign signs is often one of the first visible signals to the public that an election campaign has begun.

And now, I guess it's my turn.

The signs are in!

After weeks of planning, designing, ordering and waiting, my campaign signs have finally arrived. I'll be getting them out around North Dundas shortly, so you should start seeing a little more purple around the township.

I know election signs aren't everyone's favourite part of an election campaign, but for me, putting that first sign in the ground is going to be a pretty exciting moment. It's a small thing, but it's a tangible sign that the campaign is moving from planning and conversations into the next stage. Click Here if you're willing to take a sign.

If you see one go up, you'll know the campaign is officially underway.