Labor Day marks the traditional beginning of campaign season in local elections. Those days are marked by a noticeable increase in the number of signs dotting our roadways.

In all three eastern Wake County towns this election season there are competitive races. No seat up for election this fall is uncontested. That means serious candidates will lobby for your vote, most frequently through campaign signs placed in yards, along road sides and anywhere else a candidate came prop a piece of cardboard with his or her name on it.

The proliferation of signs in Wendell during the last local election drew complaints from some residents that it was simply too much. Following the election, commissioners revamped the sign rules in town, but chose not to limit campaign signs beyond guidelines that dictate safety for the motoring public. That means candidates in that town are able to post with impunity.

In Knightdale, this year's mayoral race figures to be a hotly contested battle between two well-funded candidates. Whether they will engage in a sign war remains to be seen.

But we have another suggestion for candidates seeking voter support this November: get out of your vehicle to do more than hammer in a new sign. Knock on doors. Ask people for your vote. Listen to their concerns and compliments for local government. Let the voter know how you stand on issues of importance to them.

No campaign strategy will guarantee a win in November. But we believe candidates who talk to voters face-to-face will find that voters appreciate that. And they will be likely to show their appreciation in the voting booth. No matter how many signs a candidate casts upon the face of the earth.