WILLMAR -- Campaign ads, debates and some political mudslinging will likely be everywhere you look in the coming weeks as political campaigners put their final pieces into play before the Nov. 7 elections.
But some of the pieces that have been mainstays in U.S. elections for decades have pulled some rather interesting disappearing acts in recent weeks. Political signs from candidates in all political parties have mysteriously left yards, been cut down from posts and vanished from hay bales.
On Monday, 10 signs in Spicer for Senate District 13 candidate Joe Gimse were reported stolen to the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department. In September, as many as 50 lawn signs supporting Meeker County commissioner candidates were stolen from the Eden Valley and Watkins areas.
Kandiyohi County Republican co-chairman Rollie Nissen said the organization has had problems with many of the larger signs for GOP candidates. The 4-by-8-foot signs have disappeared on more than one instance from separate locations. Nissen said the signs were clipped down from posts holding them up.
"I'm not gonna point any fingers," Nissen said, but "it does bother you on a personal level."
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Although the signs are paid for by the candidates, Nissen said volunteers take evenings away from their families to hang them.
Nissen also recognizes that Republicans aren't alone when political sign thieves strike. "Both sides are having the same problems," he said.
Sam Nelson, chairman of the Kandiyohi County DFL, acknowledged there have been some incidents of sign theft in recent weeks. However, Nelson said signs were stolen more systematically during the 2004 election year.
Systematic or not, this year a field full of DFL candidates' signs were taken. Nelson said someone must have jumped a fence to steal the signs. But he maintains that the pilfering of political signs this season hasn't been out of the ordinary. "We sort of expect that there will be some of that," he said.
Whether the thefts are by overzealous campaign hopefuls or prankster high school kids, both Nissen and Nelson affirm that stealing the signs is a violation of the freedom of expression and a crime.
"I regret that these things happen," Nelson said, commenting further that freedom to choose a political candidate is something both parties believe in.
Nissen also pointed out that stealing or vandalizing political signs is a criminal offense. With some signs costing between $50 and $60 a pop, the amounts could add up quickly to a felony charge.
