NATCHEZ — Candidates spend thousands of dollars on campaign signs, bumper stickers and T-shirts. But they can’t use any of those near the courthouse.

Mississippi code 23-15-895 prohibits campaign materials 150 feet from the entrance to a polling place.

With voters casting absentee ballots there, the courthouse counts, Election Commissioner Larry Gardner said.

“You can not have T-shirts, bumper stickers, magnetic signs, hats — you can’t openly display anything that supports a candidate, a measure or an amendment,” he said.

The idea is to give voters unobstructed access to the polls, Gardner said.

“Realistically, a lot of voters don’t care for being stopped on their way to vote,” he said. Most people have already made up their mind. And if you aggravate them, you may end up losing more votes than you gain by it.”

However, the statute’s 150-foot requirement means candidates are prohibited from parking virtually anywhere around the courthouse.

“Because the courthouse has so many entrances, it makes it really difficult,” Gardner said. “It pretty well surrounds the building because they’re all considered legally an entrance to a polling place.”

Gardner said he hasn’t had too many complaints about candidates — or supporters’ cars bearing bumper stickers — parking too close to the courthouse.

“We rely on the honor system,” Gardner said. “We expect them to respect the law. I think the candidates themselves should be willing to do that, too. They don’t want someone to use it as a reason to contest the election.”

Tax collector candidate Peter Burns, who works in the tax commissioner’s office at the courthouse, has magnetic signs on his vehicle.

“It’s a very minor inconvenience,” Burns said. “I’ve mostly been parking on Pearl Street, beyond the required distance. The exercise does me good, anyway.”

Incumbent Circuit Clerk M.L. “Binkey” Vines, who is running for reelection, said he parks near the intersection of Wall and Market streets.

“It’s 150 feet away,” Vines said. “We taped it off and measured it.”

Vines said he thought candidates took the restriction in stride.

“I think each candidate realizes they need to do that,” he said. “That’s just part of it.”