The city of Mission made some adjustments to their electioneering ordinance.
Just in time for the November midterm elections, the Mission City Council approved amendments to the city’s electioneering ordinance which regulates when and where people can electioneer when it comes to city-owned property.
Electioneering includes political activity such as putting up campaign signs or otherwise trying to persuade people to vote for or against a candidate or proposition on the ballot.
With the city council’s approval Monday, the ordinance was amended in four ways:
>> It now allows for a registered political action committee (PAC) to place political signs.
Now, each candidate or PAC will be allowed to place one political sign on the ground no larger than 4-feet-by-8-feet. or two signs that are no larger than 4-feet-by-4-feet. Also, no more than three yard signs will be allowed on designated areas of city-owned property.
>> Feather flags and additional yard signs will be allowed if they are attached to a canopy or are hand held. No feather flags will be allowed to be placed on the ground.
>> Only one 10-feet-by-10-feet canopy will be allowed per candidate or PAC at the early voting and Election Day locations. They cannot be placed earlier than 12 p.m. before the start of voting. No tents larger than 10-feet-by-10-feet will be allowed at any city-owned property during early voting or on Election Day.
>> No trailered or self-standing BBQ pits will be allowed.
The city will also not allow tractor trailers, banners, use of loudspeakers, microphones, megaphone, amplified devices, or any other activity not defined as “electioneering” on city owned property at all before, during or after early voting and Election Day.
“All of these changes are due to concerns that we had with our last election that we felt we needed to address in the ordinance,” City Secretary Anna Carrillo told the council.
If anyone violates the ordinance, the city will inform the individual of the proper electioneering conduct but if the violation persists, that individual will be subject to a maximum fine of $500 per violation.
The previous version of the ordinance set a lower maximum fine of $100 per violation.
The new ordinance will be in effect for the November election.
Early voting begins Oct. 24 and lasts through Nov. 4. Election Day is Nov. 8.
