A sign of the times

One of the most tell-tale signals that there is an election going on is the presence (or absence as we will discuss later) of election signs.  Usually a fixture on front lawns or in windows, they assure a candidate that the people living at that address have their support.  This is pure logic, as you must ask the homeowners permission before placing a sign.  At first glance, two inevitable conclusions can at once be drawn about the amount of election signs (for the office of mayor) in Chapleau.  The first is that André Byham must have a great deal of support.  The second is that Dr. Pellow must have very little support.  Let's break it down shall we?

I have travelled to nearly every corner within the town limits of Chapleau and what I see is a sea of green.  André's signs are everywhere.  I would have a hard time counting them all, but there are several hundred to be fair.  Dr. Pellow's signs on homes can be counted on one hand.  There are two on Teddy  Burns' house (sorry, that really only counts as one).  There is one on a house near the corner of Lorne and Cedar.  There is one on an apartment at Cedar Grove (Mr. Miziguchi, I presume?).  There are two on Hongr's Restaurant.  Since this is Dr. Pellow's alleged residence upstairs, do these really count?  There is also a sign in each of the public areas that contain everybody's signs.  There is a sign all by its lonesome on Martel Rd.  I couldn't tell if it was for the house nearby, or the vacant lot with the old garage.  Let's not forget the signs on Mr. Joly's truck.  For some reason, Dr. Pellow removed the signs from his Cadillac.

Where are the Kimmo Keski-Pukkila signs?  Beats me.  Hopefully, he was too busy knocking on doors and drumming up support, that he felt signs were not necessary.

Now, I know what some of you will say.  Election signs do not tell the whole story.  Some people don't want a sign.  Others are undecided.  Granted, these are valid points.  There is also the financial issue.  Obviously, André's signs would have cost him quite a bit.  I guess Dr. Pellow was feeling a little pinched after his monument was installed.  Then again, he did put out a full two-page spread in the paper.  He might as well have used the whole newspaper in its entirety, the effect would have been the same.  A little Pellow goes a very long way.

In conclusion, while the amount of election signs does not tell the whole story, I believe this election is different for two reasons.  First of all, there are so many more Byham signs than Pellow signs, André obviously has more support. I mean, Dr. Pellow canvased the whole town, didn't he?  Didn't anyone but his inner circle want a sign on their lawn?  Secondly, I believe that most voters are so polarized in this election, that the signs are in fact a good indicator of support.  I've not spoken to a single person in the past two months that was indifferent or undecided about Dr. William Pellow.  Personally, I think he exaggerates just a wee bit in the paper and on his board, about his level of support, to try and sway the undecided vote.  I'm just a bit curious to see how tell-tale the signs really are and how many of them will translate into votes on October 25th.