CROWN POINT | Incumbent Mayor Dan Klein's bright red political advertisements are splashed across billboards in the city facing either direction on Main Street.

Republican challenger Gayle Van Sessen's glossy 8-by-10-foot white sign sits off Main Street as well, in unincorporated Liberty Park.

According to the Lake County and Crown Point political sign ordinances, Van Sessen's sign is out too early and violates campaign rules. Klein's towering billboards do not.

"If that's an ordinance, it's new to me," Van Sessen said. "It's another example of outdated ordinances that need to be changed. We have to start to move along quicker than we have in years past, whether that's county or city."

Van Sessen said she was told political signs were allowed in the county up to 60 days before an election.

The county ordinance, passed by the Lake County Council in 2004, requires political signs to be erected no earlier than 30 days before an election.

The May 8 primary still is 48 days away.

Although the ordinance still is in effect, county officials say they do not enforce it.

"We don't regulate them," said Ned Kovachevich, director of the Lake County Planning and Building Commission. "There's no way to control 300 square miles of area. By the time we would flag them and schedule a court date, the signs would already be down."

The county's ordinance was challenged in September 2004. Crown Point GOP Chairman John Moos complained when he noticed signs for the re-election of Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Schererville, and state Rep. Bob Kuzman, D-Crown Point, were up too early.

But County Attorney John Dull refused to enforce the ordinance, saying it was unconstitutional.

In the city, political signs also are prohibited more than 30 days before an election.

But Crown Point Planning Director Curt Graves said billboards are permanent fixtures and messages on them are exempt from the city's political sign ordinance.

Klein said he wasn't concerned about the timing of political campaign signs.

"Signs don't vote," he said, "and just because there's a sign in a yard doesn't mean they have the support of the people in the home."