Signs Constituting Political Speech Now Allowed in Manalapan [POLL]

The Manalapan Township Committee approved an ordinance clarifying the usage of political signs, specifically by eliminating the limitation of one political sign per lot and permitting signs which constitute political speech.

The Township Committee agreed to review its sign legislation after they were approached by Glenn Cohen, a resident of the Knob Hill housing development.

As the campaign manager for several candidates vying for spots on the Board of Trustees of Knob Hill last year, Cohen displayed election signs on private properties. After a Manalapan code enforcement officer told Cohen to remove the signs because they did not reference a federal, state, or municipal election, Cohen approached the Township Committee because he felt this limitation infringed on freedom of speech.

While Cohen told the Committee that the amendment to the ordinance was a “step in the right direction”, he said that more changes to the sign ordinance were necessary in order to ensure that the ordinance is constitutional and guarantees free speech protections to all Manalapan residents.

For instance, Cohen recommended allowing signs that constitute political speech, as well as, non-commercial language so that non-political and religious messages could be displayed.

“A religious message, or an entirely secular message, is still not permitted by this ordinance,” Cohen stated.

Additionally, Cohen asked the Committee to eliminate the temporal restrictions the ordinance imposes on political signs. The legislation currently allows residents to display political signs no more than 45 days before an election and they must be removed no more than seven days after the election.

“I would suggest that [this  temporal restriction] raises serious Constitutional questions,” Cohen said, explaining that similar restrictions have been deemed unconstitutional in other New Jersey communities and across the country.

Manalapan resident Ray Kalianikis agreed with Cohen and said that a temporal restriction is against freedom of speech.

“Free speech is so important in our society,” Kalianikis said. “There is so much censorship currently taking place in many areas; the last place I want to see censorship is on my property.”

Mayor Susan Cohen said that countless people call and complain about election signs throughout Manalapan prior to, and after elections. Subsequently, the mayor said she feels that the temporal restriction is necessary, but is willing to look at the ordinance as a whole on a different date.

“I don’t think it’s the intent of anyone from the Township Committee to try and limit free speech,” said Committeeman Andrew Lucas. Lucas said that if a person wants to keep a political sign on their private property when there is no election they should have the right to do so. However, Lucas stated that the temporal restriction of political signs displayed on public rights of way should remain.

The Township Committee agreed to approve the amendment to the sign ordinance allowing signs that constitute political speech and permitting more than one sign per residential lot and will further review the sign ordinance in its entirety at a later date.