It's election season again, and campaign signs will be sprouting all over our islands like multicolored weeds.

For those who cherish Hawai'i's outdoor beauty, and appreciate the state's longtime ban on oversized billboards, it's a distressing ritual of political excess.

But, thankfully, that may soon change. A bill before the Legislature, House Bill 1832, would restrict the size and number of signs on residential property, including political signs. It would go into effect beginning Jan. 1, 2009, in time for the 2010 elections.

The proposed rules would cut down on the relentless banners and huge numbers of campaign signs that crop up in neighborhoods and line the roadways every two years. And to some degree, they would limit the distractions and potential safety hazards caused by these signs competing for a driver's attention.

This is not, as First Amendment advocates may fear, an anti-free speech bill. Signs are still allowed, provided the tenant or property owner is not paid to put them up. The signs can be a maximum of 16 square feet for each property, with each sign no large than 4 feet by 2 feet.

It also doesn't restrict those other time-honored local election practices that people love to complain about: Sign-waving along the roadside, displays at public events and political rallies or signs plastered in campaign headquarters windows.

The bill strikes a smart balance by allowing freedom of expression with sensible limits on the size of the placards. It also preserves the rights of some candidates who can't afford radio, TV and print advertising and often depend on signs to promote themselves or their campaign messages.

And a broader ban likely wouldn't pass legal muster.

HB 1832 is a reasonable compromise. It would make election years in Hawai'i a little less distracting and a little more pleasant. That's a prospect worth voting for.