That Political Sign In Your Yard? It Has to be Gone by the Weekend

So maybe you're excited President Barack Obama has been re-elected, or maybe you're still upset with Mitt Romney's Tuesday night defeat.

Regardless of which political sign is in your front yard, it's time to clean them up. According to a city ordinance, political signs must be removed within three days of an election.

The ordinance was adopted by the Birmingham City Commission in March 2011.

According to the resolution, "the City of Birmingham considers the lengthy display and exceeding numbers of political signs in residential districts to be both an aesthetic problem and a source of visual blight, especially when the signs become dilapidated."

While taking into account residents' right to free speech, the resolution notes the three-day rule gives political groups and residents time to remove the signs from their property.

According to Birmingham Police Cmdr. Terry Kiernan, police aren't responsible for policing this rule — staff from the city's community development and code enforcement office do.

Instead, Kiernan said the police instructs officers to keep an eye out for political signs on city property.

Still, even though the signs have to come down pretty quick, Birmingham residents are able to display them a little longer than in previous years. The 2011 decision by the Birmingham City Commission actually extended the length of time residents can display political signs on their property — up to 45 days before an election, instead of 30.

Residents are also limited in the number of signs per issue or candidate they can display on their property. If your property has a frontage of less than 100 feet, you can only display one sign per candidate or issue. If your frontage is more than 100 feet, you can display up to two signs.