Douglas County extends pilot for temporary campaign signs on vacant land

Douglas County has extended a pilot program that lets candidates, issue committees and other groups place temporary campaign signs on six county-owned vacant properties, a controlled use of public land that will give some campaigns a visible foothold before the 2026 election season intensifies.

The county said in an April 27 post that temporary signs will be allowed during two windows this year, May 4 through July 7 and Sept. 8 through Nov. 7. Participants must register before putting up a sign, and each candidate, group or issue gets only one temporary sign on each vacant county-owned property.

The program is narrowly drawn. The county’s map points to six approved sites tied to corridors along I-25, Lincoln Avenue, McArthur Ranch Road, Moore Road and Daniels Park Road, meaning the option is limited to specific parcels rather than a countywide free-for-all. The county said every sign must be pre-approved and meet county requirements before installation.

The rules also set firm size and spacing limits. Temporary signs cannot exceed 32 square feet per sign face, and a double-sided sign cannot exceed 64 square feet. Signs smaller than 6 square feet are not allowed. They must sit at least 10 feet from an external property line, sidewalk edge or fence, and the owner must remove the sign within seven days after its purpose ends.

Douglas County also reserved broad authority over the program. Staff can remove noncompliant, damaged or unsafe signs without notice, and signs can be relocated if county operations, maintenance or public safety require it. Applicants must take full responsibility for the signs, indemnify the county and contact Colorado 811 before any digging.

The pilot has been through several stages. In 2023, the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners directed staff to administer the program on six designated vacant county-owned properties. The original trial windows accepted applications for signs to be erected from May 3 through July 9 and from Sept. 10 through Nov. 15. County staff later said the pilot ended on Dec. 31, 2024, and asked commissioners whether to continue it and whether to clarify rules on sign count, sign size and viewing interference.

That makes the extension more than a paperwork update. It is a test of how Douglas County wants to balance election access with control over public space. For well-funded campaigns, the program adds another legal avenue for visibility. For smaller candidates and issue groups, the six-site cap, one-sign limit and approval process may make the opportunity more orderly, but also more restricted, than traditional roadside placement.