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Board approves limited directional voting signs in city right-of-way after county coordination
Summary
The Bloomington Board of Public Works approved Resolution 2026-020 allowing Monroe County to place directional voting signs in city-owned public right-of-way for 2026, after staff clarified the measure is narrowly limited to directional signs and county staff and city legal identified property lines at the Showers Hall site.
The Bloomington Board of Public Works on April 7 approved Resolution 2026-020 permitting Monroe County to place directional voting signs in city-owned public right-of-way for 2026.
City Attorney Audrey Bingham told the board the resolution allows the county to place signs that direct voters to polling locations and outlines what signs are prohibited in the right-of-way, such as candidate or issue signage. "These are signs that are directing people to vote," Bingham said, and the resolution explicitly excludes political or campaign signs from the right-of-way.
Board members asked whether the permission applies citywide or only to the Showers Hall frontage. Bingham replied the way the resolution is drafted for 2026 it covers any city-owned public right-of-way for that year. City staff later described cooperative work with Monroe County to use GIS maps to clarify property lines near the north entrance to Showers Hall, identifying triangular grass areas and islands that affect where off–right-of-way candidate signs might be placed.
During public comment, Dave Haskins of the Bsquare Bulletin asked why the city would not instead grant blanket permission under state law to allow campaign signs, noting state law allows either allowing all candidates or banning all signs. County Election Supervisor Kylie Ferris said the Showers Hall location is new but will be the county’s permanent early voting site "for as long as we can foresee" and reported that first-day early voting turnout in Monroe County on that day was higher than any prior midterm first day.
Staff and board members emphasized the resolution’s narrow intent: to permit voter-direction signage for 2026 and not to change broader city signage policy. After discussion and public comment, the board moved, seconded and voted to adopt Resolution 2026-020; President Elizabeth Coron and Vice President Kyla Cox Deckard both voted yes and the motion passed.
The county and city staff said they will continue coordination on the exact placement of permitted signs and on timelines for future elections.
