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After spending 2 hours and 45 minutes, driving 50 miles and burning $10 in gas ($3.99-per-gallon), Sunday afternoon counting signs as part of an un-scientific look at the 2011 city of Deer Park election cycle, I'm tired. Actually, I'm exhausted.
After driving approximately 85 percent of the town (missed a few streets here and there), here are the statistics of the number of signs I saw:
(These are in no particular order. Thane Harrison and Mayor Wayne Riddle are excluded due to them not being challenged this election season).
Shelley Stokes: Approximately 31 (number of signs).
Andrea Pressley: 33
Mitch Contreras: 13
Jerry Mouton: 69
Chris Richey: 59
Pro Type B Sales Tax signs: 22
Against Type B Sales Tax signs 0
Let me explain my method of counting:
I drove up and down most of the major streets in Deer Park and along all of the borders. I also drove through most of the neighborhoods along the way. I only counted signs that were actually in people's yards, not in esplanades, right-of-ways, etc. I also only counted one sign per candidate per yard.
Observations: (again, my experience, not scientific).
Most yards that had signs for one candidate or another showed a "packaged deal." A large portion of yards (85 percent maybe) that had signs in for Andrea Pressley also had signs for Shelley Stokes. Conversely, those with Chris Richey sings, most of the time also had Jerry Mouton sings as well. It appeared that there were more Mouton signs alone then paired with Chris Richey were the amount of either lone Stokes or Pressley sings was not as significant. I did not see signs for Mitch Contreras matched with other candidates.
The sign support for Richey and Mouton compared with the sign support for Stokes and Pressley through out the neighborhoods along the west side of Deer Park; the same can't be said for most of the west side of town. With the exception of some pockets of signs southwest of town (Luella/P Street to the border near Spencer Highway), Mouton and Richey enjoyed more yard signage on most of the east side of town.
Most of Contreres' signs were concentrated northwest, with some scattered southwest. There were only a couple I noticed in east Deer Park.
It will come as no surprise that those with pro Type B signs also had Richey and Mouton signs in the same yard. Both candidates are proponents of the sales tax. I did not see any Type B sign in the same yard with either Stokes or Pressley signs; same for Contreras.
So, what's it all mean? Well, very little hard evidence pointing to prospective winners of this year's elections can been extrapolated from this anecdotal insight, but it's a legitimate observation none-the-less. As a friend told me after my trip, "Signs don't vote." While that is a true statement, it stands to reason though, that people who agree to talk to a candidate long enough to grant permission to have a sign planted in their yard might be more compelled to vote come election time, when compared to those who are not as visibly politically active. Again, my opinion.
Irregardless if these observations bear out come May 14 (election day), may the best candidate win!
