Someone has been putting out deliberately silly civic election signs in Langley.
Among the many yard signs and roadside billboards from real candidates seeking support for their council and school board bids, a handful have appeared for a unknown, nameless candidate.
The slogan is as basic as can be.
“Vote for Me,” the sign says, with a photo of the moustachioed candidate in a wig, baring their teeth in a awkward smile while flashing a thumbs-up.
There is no information to indicate who might be responsible.
It appears to be in the tradition of election sign send-ups that appear on lawns every election cycle.
Many are on sale as novelty items ranging from encouraging people to vote for Darth Vader, with the slogan “together we can rule the galaxy” to pop culture references like “Arya Stark/The north remembers” and the minimalist “Not running for anything/I just wanted a sign.”
Bob Wilson, the Chief Election Officer of Langley Township said rules require people to be registered candidates if they want to set out signs and the made-up messages could be confiscated.
Wilson said candidates put out a lot of signs before they were actually registered, thanks to Township regulations that allow the practice as soon as nominations open, unlike some municipalities which require candidates to wait until nominations close.
READ MORE: Why election signs go up earlier in the Township of Langley
Township council actually approved a bylaw change that would have limited the time allowed for campaign signs to 20 days before the election.
But they did it during the July 9 evening meeting of council, after normal business hours, just missing a provincial deadline for passing election bylaws before the Oct. 20 municipal vote.
“That’s something well have to talk about (after the election),” Wilson said.
Langley City election officer Kelly Kenney said the made-up signs would technically require permits because under the City sign bylaw a political sign “pertains only to an election by the voters in the City of Langley for City Council, School Board of School District #35, provincial and federal government…”
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