Sign of the times: Digital democracy

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Billboard bulletins slated

Billboards at the following Dubuque locations will be displayingcaucus results: *University Avenue and Asbury Road.

* Kennedy Road and Asbury Road.

* U.S. 20 and Cedar Cross Road.

* U.S. 20 and Century Drive. use

Results of the much-anticipated Iowa caucuses are coming soon toa billboard near you.

Updates and results will be streaming on billboards at stop signsand intersections around the state Thursday - in a digital broadcastof sorts that will be the first of its kind.

Real-time election results will be displayed in Dubuque, Waterlooand Des Moines markets, as precincts begin reporting, displaying thetop three candidates from each party and their percentages followedby the declared winners.

"We're hoping that this is successful and we're planning onmoving this throughout the country as some of the primaries andcaucuses take place," said Jim Schumacher, vice president of LamarAdvertising and president of the Outdoor Advertising Association ofIowa.

The outdoor advertising industry decided to run with the idea inlarge part because of the intense interest in the 2008 presidentialelection, which will kick into high gear with the Iowa caucuses.

"With all the hype and all the legislators that have beencampaigning in Iowa, I would say it speaks for itself," saidSchumacher, of the general appeal in displaying the political actionover the state's roadways.

The major obstacle that remains to be cleared is which sourceswill be used to obtain the results. Schumacher said severaltelevision and Internet sites still are under consideration.

The move will be a new foray for the industry, which hasexperience showing a stream of golf tournament results.

Organizers are confident the process will work. "Everything ispretty much put in place. We're going to do a test on Wednesday tomake sure we're able to network all our boards," Schumacher said.

The executive said he isn't worried that showing the results ofthe ongoing caucus action will create a dangerous distraction forarea drivers.

"It's not going to be any different than the static messagesnormally placed on our boards," he said.

Schumacher hopes the caucus billboard goes well enough to set aprecedent for other elections.

"I'm sure the other markets around the country will look at Iowawith a great deal of interest," said Schumacher, who also thinks itwill be a good plug for the industry's technological capabilities.

A Dubuque County election official seems taken with the idea ofinforming the general public of the caucus results with the flash ofa digital screen.

"They'll be getting the information out quicker and to a wideraudience," said Tom O'Neill, Dubuque County deputy commissioner ofelections.

O'Neill said if the process works well enough, there is apossibility that the feature could be used for local elections.