The election is over. Why are all these signs still here?

By Election Day, we’d received so many political texts we were starting to wonder if the candidates were on our family plan. Sunday football had become a marathon of campaign commercials, and we’d seen the same smiling faces at more intersections than we could count.

Now that the election is over, can someone explain how much longer we have to keep making eye contact with these people?

The practical cleanup job belongs to the campaign, committee or organization that placed the sign. Phoenix requires people or organizations putting up political signs to identify a responsible person who will be responsible for ongoing maintenance and removal.

If it’s sitting in a public right-of-way during the protected period, no.

If a sign is on your own private property, Arizona law allows the property owner or the owner's authorized agent to remove it.

If a sign is still blocking a sightline, creating a traffic or pedestrian hazard, or otherwise appears unsafe, report it to the relevant city or town instead of handling it yourself.

Back in 2024, Scottsdale removed nearly 400 campaign signs during their post-election cleanup. The city also reported collecting about 2,800 campaign signs during that campaign season because they were unlawfully placed or created safety concerns.

If a campaign sign is still standing this weekend, do not assume it’s safe to start chucking it in the trash. For now, leave public-right-of-way signs alone during the protected period, report any real safety problems, and let campaigns and local code staff handle the cleanup.

And if you voted early, take a few seconds to check your ballot status before Sunday's cure deadline. Election Day may be over, but the cleanup and the election process are not quite finished.

Check your Maricopa County ballot status at BeBallotReady.Vote.