On October 31, 2024, Laura McCaskill from Springfield, Missouri, grew increasingly frustrated as campaign signs for Kamala Harris that she set up in her front yard kept disappearing. In an attempt to track down the culprit, she attached a tracker to one of the signs to see where it might end up. Eventually, she found a blue Kia sedan in a nearby town where a young man admitted to stealing her sign along with dozens of others, as captured in a video she recorded.
As the November 5th election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump approaches, reports from across the United States indicate that people are experiencing thefts of campaign signs from their yards. In response, various measures have been taken to deter theft, ranging from surveillance cameras, GPS trackers, to low-tech solutions like using spray paint and chili pepper to deter potential thieves.
Vincent Panico, the Republican Deputy Mayor of Readington, New Jersey, emphasized that the game of stealing political signs has changed, and individuals are not getting away with it anymore as people are taking this issue seriously. He shared how he used Apple’s AirTag tracking device earlier this year to locate missing signs in his yard before the primaries.
At the heart of this issue lies a tangled web of political rivalries. Signs were found in the garage of John Albanese, a Republican member of the town council, with tensions arising from his feud with Panico. Albanese denied any wrongdoing, and his lawyer Scott Wilhelm stated that Albanese has become a target of attacks from Panico and other local adversaries.
While campaign signs have been a staple of the American political landscape since the 19th century, their impact on swaying voter support may be minimal, as frequently quipped by political activists that “yard signs don’t vote.”
Despite this, campaign signs continue to be a popular form of expression among American voters. Todd Makse, a professor at Florida International University, found that approximately one in ten Americans display a presidential candidate’s sign in their yard more as a way to showcase their political stance rather than influence undecided neighbors.
However, not everyone appreciates this form of expression. Lissa Smith, a technician from Indianapolis, erected a Kamala Harris sign in her yard only to have it stolen and replaced by a white pillow with the message “You’re stupid.” In response, she ordered four more signs, threatening to donate to left-wing organizations if they were stolen again, a move that has cost her money, but also garnered support from her community.
In times of heightened political tensions, the theft of campaign signs can escalate quickly. Instances of violence have been reported, such as a man in Topeka, Kansas, who shot a teenager suspected of stealing Trump signs before the 2020 election, resulting in serious assault charges. In Michigan, a Trump sign changer was hit by a car driven by a professed Trump hater.
Officials acknowledge the difficulty in prosecuting these thefts due to their low monetary value and nighttime commission by suspects. However, the total cost of replacing 60 Kamala Harris signs found in a Missouri car trunk at $20 each would amount to $1,200, highlighting the substantial financial loss to victims.
Moreover, victims argue that the thefts infringe upon their freedom of speech and may constitute political intimidation. Laura McCaskill from Missouri has pursued criminal charges against the young man who admitted to taking her sign, stating that it is disrespectful to suppress others’ voices. The young man claimed he was inspired by TikTok videos.
The consequences for those caught may be severe. Michael Shaw, 54, from King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, faces up to 12 years in prison and a $55,000 fine for stealing signs and flags in 11 separate incidents.
In New Jersey’s traditionally blue territory, the misfortune of Deputy Mayor Panico did not end with the arrest of his rival. Republican signs disappeared again, with surveillance cameras capturing another suspect, a school bus driver. Panico plans to discuss the matter with the driver’s employer, emphasizing the consequences of such actions when driving a highly recognizable vehicle.
Undoubtedly, the theft of campaign signs has evolved into a serious issue with legal implications and political ramifications.