OHIO, USA — When Aleks Kohler drove into his neighborhood in Richwood last week, it looked like the election was over.
He said his Donald Trump sign he had placed in his yard this summer was missing. His neighbors’ campaign signs were gone as well.
“We all know it is a political race and people steal signs all the time and we assumed that was what happened until my son who was waiting on the bus saw them taking the signs and told his mom,” Kohler said.
He called the Ohio Department of Transportation and it turned out his sign was removed by an employee.
The reason for the removal was a state law passed in 1973 that requires items to be placed at least 30 feet from the center of a roadway.
Ohio Revised Code 5589.33 states, "No person shall place within the limits of the right-of-way or affix any sign, poster, or advertisement to any tree or utility pole within the right-of-way of any public highway outside of municipal corporations."
“If we got a warning, we would have moved it back another 10 feet,” Kohler said.
He retrieved his sign from ODOT and placed it back in his front yard about 39 feet from the center of the road, according to 10TV's measurement.
A spokesperson for ODOT declined an interview but shared the following statement.
“It is ODOT’s responsibility to protect our right of way from hazards that could impact motorists, distract drivers, or clutter our infrastructure. ODOT crews will be focused on egregious violations, when they see them, on major highways, exit and entrance ramps, and overpasses and not residential areas.”
Any item removed by ODOT can be picked up at the nearest ODOT garage within 60 days.