Dunedin City Council and mayoral candidate Carmen Houlahan had two of her signs mistakenly removed from the side of the Caversham bypass and near the entrance to Mosgiel by NZ Transport Agency maintenance contractors last week.
Mrs Houlahan said volunteers erected the signs last Wednesday but the next morning they were gone.
After talking to the council she was told to contact NZTA.
''I thought maybe I had done something wrong and I was apologetic and said if I've done something wrong I'll sort it.''
Once the NZTA realised the signs had mistakenly been removed, Mrs Houlahan received an apology and was told they would be returned as soon as possible.
One had been put back on site yesterday.
Mistakes happened and the staff at NZTA had been helpful but the incident had an impact on the campaign, she said.
''I've had a whole week of my really good-positioned signs not being there and it can be really hard for independents to get their message across,'' she said.
A transport agency spokesman said the signs were mistakenly thought to have been erected illegally so contractors were instructed to remove them.
The NZTA had contacted the candidate and apologised for the inadvertent removal of the signs, the spokesman said.
