AKRON- The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio sent letters to officials in Silver Lake and Bath Township warning them that ordinances restricting the use of political campaign signs violate residents’ free speech rights. Ordinances in both towns require residents to pay a fee to erect a political sign.
ACLU of Ohio Executive Director Christine Link said, “The very concept that a person should have to pay for free speech inherently opposes the most important ideals of the Constitution.”
"Placing restrictions on how or when a person can express themselves invariably causes them to be less likely to speak out for fear of consequences. In order to have healthy public debate, communities must drop limitations on political speech," added Link.
The Silver Lake ordinance also restricts the size of the signs and the number that may be displayed on a certain amount of land. In addition to charging a fee, the Bath Township ordinance restricts residents from displaying signs more than thirty days before an election.
Federal and state courts have routinely held that municipalities may not impose a fee for displaying political signs and may not restrict the size, number and timeframe that the signs are erected.
Link concluded, “Especially in a busy election year, Ohioans should have unencumbered rights to express their choices for political office. Instead of seeking to silence those who take an active interest in civic life, officials should be fostering political discourse.”
The nonprofit, nonpartisan ACLU of Ohio is based in Cleveland with community and campus groups throughout the state. There are 30,000 ACLU members and supporters in Ohio and more than 500,000 nationwide.
