I am not among those people who think political signs are litter. To the contrary, I think they are signs, literally, of a healthy republic in which citizens have the freedom to choose their leaders.

I do think some signs work better, so consider this an advice column for politicians.

In this county at least, red, white and blue are the preferred colors of campaign signs. But if every sign is some combination of those three colors, then no one candidate stands out. Perhaps Smithfield Town Council candidate Perry Harris was trying to stand out from the crowd when he ordered up his signs of black and white letters on a green background. The unusual column scheme certainly made me look.

For my money, though, black on yellow is best. I know, it's not pretty, which is what I told a school board candidate years ago. "But they stand out," he said when I asked about the bright-yellow signs. He was right about that: At intersections, his signs stood out in the crowd. Maybe that's one reason he easily won the election.

Another bit of sign advice: Brevity is next to godliness. Think about it: How many times has a wordy billboard passed before you could glean the information you actually needed? Even at neighborhood speeds, small yard signs can pass by too fast, so I think "John Smith for Council" makes for an effective sign.

Bold type, you've probably noticed, is better than thin type, at least from a distance. And I think yard signs ought to be a ways from the curb; otherwise they can become the eyesores that so many people complain about.

Finally, signs should probably be free of catchy slogans, especially if they're open to interpretation. For example, in Smithfield, Daniel Evans, who's unopposed for mayor, has signs that say "Time to Move Forward." To me, that suggests Mr. Evans thinks Smithfield hasn't been moving forward. But if Smithfield hasn't been moving forward, Mr. Evans is partly to blame: He's been on the Town Council for eight years.

I'm not questioning the wisdom of an unopposed candidate putting up signs. Best to get one's name out in case someone is stealthily running a write-in campaign. But shoo-ins should leave the slogans alone, lest they give someone reason to launch a write-in bid.