Oregon law and the state constitution provide strong protections for political signs. ORS 260.695 prohibits removal of campaign signs from private property, and Article I Section 8 limits content-based regulation. Cities may regulate size and placement but cannot ban political messages.
ORS 260.695(11) makes it unlawful to remove, deface, or destroy political campaign signs lawfully placed on private property. Article I, Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution provides broader free expression protection than the First Amendment, prohibiting content-based sign regulation. Cities may impose content-neutral time, place, and manner rules on size, setback, and right-of-way placement, but Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015) and Oregon cases like Outdoor Media Dimensions v. ODOT bar treating political signs differently from other temporary signs. ODOT controls signs in state highway rights of way under ORS 377.700.
Removing or defacing political signs is a Class C misdemeanor under ORS 260.993; civil rights claims available for unconstitutional content-based ordinances.
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Salem, OR
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Salem, OR
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Salem, OR
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Salem, OR
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