Big Turnout Is Goal of His Poster Politics

The security guard wanted to know what Chris Spanos was doing atop a ladder resting against a telephone pole at 2 a.m.

The Hollywood poster distributor showed the curious guard the sign he was nailing up. It read, in red, white and blue: “Vote 1988. It’s Your Right.”

Then the guard asked for a voter registration card. “He got real upset that I didn’t have any,” Spanos, 31, recalled. “Since then I carry them around.”

On construction walls and utility poles in Los Angeles, Orange County, Sacramento and Washington, Spanos has plastered 5,000 placards over the last month, printed at his own expense. He has about 20 left in his garage.

After spending several thousand dollars on the project, Spanos is now seeking a sponsor so he can “do a really good job” in the nonpartisan effort to get people to vote.

“I really wanted to do a lot more signs,” he said. “The effort I’ve done is a good effort but it’s a far cry from what needs to be done.”

Spanos said he has contacted both political parties and almost 20 other groups--from the League of Women Voters to McDonald’s. His standard proposal is for 20,000 posters statewide costing $30,000. Peanuts, he said, for any company that spends millions on advertising.

“They (all) said it was a great idea and commended me,” he said. “Although they didn’t give me any money. It’s frustrating. Particularly when you know these people have money and they say they don’t.”

Some major companies wish that Spanos, and others like him, would cease the practice all together.

Pacific Bell spokeswoman Lissa Zanville said “posting signs on poles is not only illegal but it is definitely dangerous for our employees who work on poles and we train them to avoid either the signs or the nails that are left after the signs are torn down.”

Posting signs on any private property without permission is a misdemeanor under state law. Many cities, including Los Angeles, have ordinances that specifically prohibit postings on utility poles.

Spanos says he is aware of the laws, but because of the civic nature of his message, he said he does not fear any legal consequences.

In fact, Spanos said he’ll spent another $500 for at least 800 more signs before the voter registration deadline in October, even if no underwriter is forthcoming.

Why?

“Hopefully, it’ll stir people to register,” he said.

Although a novice at rallying participation in democracy, Spanos has a lot of experience tacking up signs. He has printed and distributed signs for dozens of state and local political campaigns, as well as doing movie posters.

After the election, Spanos said he’ll remove the signs in California in the course of putting up new placards for clients.

Spanos makes it no secret that he supports Democratic presidential nominee Michael S. Dukakis, proudly showing off a design he’s thinking of pitching to the Massachusetts governor’s campaign. It reads: “Exercise Your Right. Dukakis 1988.”

It’s surprising, then, to find out that Spanos is a registered Republican. He admits to signing up with the GOP because of his belief in capitalism: He wanted to make some contacts by joining a GOP club. He lasted one meeting.

“It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut,” Spanos said.