After a pressure campaign from Common Cause, Color of Change and others, Clear Channel Outdoors, a division of Bain Capital owned Clear Channel Communications (Bain is the corporate turnaround vehicle run by presidential candidate Mitt Romney), took down billboards that had been put up in largely low-income minority neighborhoods in Ohio and Wisconsin decrying voter fraud.

The ads, which were paid for by an anonymous funding source described as a "family foundation" were perceived by many as trying to frighten and intimidate minority voters and encourage them not to register to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

Clear Channel Outdoors has policy that billboard ads may not be anonymous and finally enforced the policy after the ads had been installed and visible for several weeks.

Coverage in US News and World Report:

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More than 140 billboard ads that have popped up in swing states announcing that "Voter fraud is a felony" will come down in upcoming days.

Clear Channel Communications announced they would take the billboards down because they did not comply with the company's policy of including a sign's sponsor on political messaging boards.

Clear Channel Communications owns the billboards, but an anonymous "family foundation" purchased the space.

"We reviewed the situation and in light of the fact that these billboards violate our policy of not accepting anonymous political ads, we asked the client how they would prefer to work with us to bring the boards into conformance with our policy," said Jim Culinan, vice president of corporate communications for Clear Channel Outdoor. "The client thought the best solution was to take the boards down, so we are in the process of removing them."


The billboards, which loomed over mostly poor and minority neighborhoods in Wisconsin and Ohio, attracted national attention and were planned to remain up through the Nov. 6 election. The signs showed a large gavel and also a red banner that said voter fraud was "punishable by up to three and a half years in prison and a $10,000 fine." Activists protesting the boards argued they were part of a concerted effort to suppress the minority vote.

"This is an undeniable victory for those of us who care about protecting the right to vote." says Catherine Turcer of Ohio Common Cause, a voter rights group. "Allowing people to intimidate voters and interfere with voting is un-American.

Clear Channel says it will also uphold its promise to sponsor 10 pro bono billboards that say "Voting is a right. Not a Crime!"

In-person early voting starts in Wisconsin Monday and is already well underway in Ohio.