• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, January 2, 2008

Digital billboards in Iowa will display the results of that state's political caucuses as they happen, courtesy of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Iowa, which is coordinating the program.

The electronic displays will run results live throughout Thursday evening in Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and Dubuque, as the Democratic and Republican party caucuses choose their candidates for the 2008 presidential election. The billboards will show vote percentages for the three leading candidates in each party over the course of the night, as well as report the winner.

Jim Schumacher, the president of OAAI, says the new technology "lets us provide this important information as it happens to the hundreds of thousands of people who see these billboards."

While popular with advertisers, digital billboards still face local opposition in many areas. Authorities fear they will distract drivers, leading to accidents. Countering moves by municipal authorities to block digital billboards, outdoor advertisers have emphasized their utility for disseminating breaking news and aiding law enforcement.

After the collapse of the I-35 westbound bridge in Minneapolis, Clear Channel Outdoor displayed updates and detour information on its electronic billboards. Outdoor advertisers have put electronic displays at the disposal of local law enforcement for Amber Alerts publicizing missing children.

Last week, Clear Channel announced that it was giving the Federal Bureau of Investigation free display time on its national network for "wanted messages" about fugitives on the loose.