Campaign signs look like the simplest thing a campaign buys. Five decisions decide whether the money was well spent.

Settle the disclaimer before the design

The paid-for-by line and its minimum size are set by your jurisdiction. Confirm the requirement with your election authority and send the committee name exactly as it was registered.

Ask for a proof showing the disclaimer at actual size, not zoomed in on a screen.

Settle placement before quantity

Right-of-way setbacks, date windows, sight lines at junctions and written permission on private land decide how many signs you can legally stand.

Count the legal placements first. That number, plus a buffer, is your order.

Set letter height by the road, not the page

A sign gets about a second from a moving car. The name should be enormous and the rest should mostly not be there.

If a second line is essential, expect the name to shrink and the sign to work less well.

Order a replacement buffer

Signs are taken, flipped and blown down, most of it in the final fortnight when you cannot re-order.

The buffer is the line people regret cutting, every cycle.

Plan the take-down in June

Most jurisdictions set a removal window after the election.

Label cartons by ward, keep a record of placements, and the retrieval takes an afternoon instead of a month.