- August 11, 2026
Palm Coast City Council members called for clearer communication and consistent enforcement of the city's sign rules Tuesday after concerns were raised about campaign signs being removed from early voting locations.
The discussion began during public comment at the council's Aug. 11 meeting, when resident and city council candidate Jeani Duarte said candidate signs had been removed from polling locations and argued the practice reduced candidates' visibility to voters. Duarte said her signs at the library had been hidden behind a trash can and those at the elections office had been retrieved from a closed garage.
"This is a breach of trust," Duarte said. "Election interference reduces visibility and interest and violates citizens' rights to be informed."
The issue prompted a lengthy council discussion over where campaign signs can legally be placed, whether enforcement should be more lenient during elections and how the city can ensure candidates are operating under the same rules.
City Manager Mike McGlothlin said the city's concern centered on complying with both the 150-foot buffer around polling locations and restrictions involving the right of way.
"So the one particular problem here, it seemed like at the rec center where we have the 150 foot buffer that we need to retain as well as the right-of-way issue," McGlothlin said. "So city staff is working within the guidance that has been given to him by council."
Councilman Dave Sullivan said he had received similar complaints and described what he understood to be the central issue for candidates.
"My understanding is the problem is you can have the signs with you while you're there and even stick them in the ground, but when you leave, they're saying you have to remove them," Sullivan said. "And I think that's the issue. Can they be left in place when you're not there?"
Councilman Charles Gambaro said he believed code enforcement should be lenient during the election period to allow candidates to display their signs. He also pointed to signs being removed at the Government Services Building and library, which are county properties.
"I think from our perspective, we want to encourage voting right now," Gambaro said. "The turnout's not that great."
Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri cautioned that the city could create legal problems if it treated political signs differently from other signs restricted by city code.
"We can't allow campaign signs, but not allow Realtor signs," Pontieri said. "We can't pick and choose when we're going to enforce the law. That's literally unconstitutional."
Pontieri said the priority should instead be making sure the rules are clearly communicated and enforced equally for everyone.
"If everybody is playing on with the same rule book, the same set of rules, and it's being enforced equally, then everybody has, you know, you're on equal playing field," she said.
Councilman Ty Miller said the physical layout of the Community Center makes compliance particularly difficult because the 150-foot polling-place buffer essentially overlaps with the easement.
"With the community center, just the design, the physical footprint is what lends to some difficulty there because essentially the 150 overlaps with the easement, so there's no legal place to put it anywhere," Miller said.
Miller also said changing rules and requiring candidates to remain with their signs can create a significant burden, particularly for candidates without large campaign organizations.
"My team is me in a truck driving to your house to bring you a sign," Miller said. "And so driving to four or five different early voting locations to put signs in the ground and then three hours later starting that whole trek again to pick them up. It's difficult. It's hard."
Miller said consistency would help candidates understand what is expected of them and expressed concern that overly restrictive rules could discourage people from running for office.
"I don't want to just discourage people from even trying because we're saying you can't have your signs there unless you're standing there with them," Miller said.
McGlothlin later summarized the direction he was hearing from council as enforcing the ordinance as written while conducting another educational push to make the rules clear to candidates.
As the council worked toward a consensus, Mayor Mike Norris expressed frustration with political signs more broadly.
"I'd like in America, I'd like to get rid of political signs altogether," Norris said. "And this year, it's even worse than in the past because they're popping up all over the place."
The council ultimately agreed that the city should follow its existing ordinance and not allow campaign signs in prohibited easement areas.
"Follow the ordinance," Pontieri said.
"Okay, so no signs in the easement," Norris responded.
Miller requested that the city's direction be communicated to all candidates through the Supervisor of Elections Office so candidates would know the rules before placing their signs.
"I just don't want someone to think, okay, I'm dropping off my 10 signs that I have, you know, interspersed on either side of the community center and then they come back and they're all gone," Miller said.
City staff said it would request that the Supervisor of Elections communicate the guidance to candidates.
