Saint Joseph County election campaign signs being stolen
SAINT JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. --- Several Saint Joseph County election candidates are growing frustrated; they say their campaign signs are getting stolen just over a week away from Election Day.
Indiana House District 5 candidate Heidi Beidinger had to replace her large campaign sign off of Fir Rd. Sunday for the fourth time.
“We want a fair election. We want fair representation,” says Beidinger.
Election campaign signs typically start popping up on street corners weeks before Election Day, but some in Saint Joe County have gone missing.
“What is customary is that 30 days before any election, all the candidates, you’ll start to see the yard signs populating everywhere,” Beidinger explains. “For some odd reason this year, the signs are being stolen.”
The large campaign signs being targeted cost upwards of $100 each and are considered personal property. If caught, thieves can face serious consequences.
“There’s actually a federal law that says if it’s $750 or more of stolen property, that becomes a felony,” says Beidinger.
Along with taking money out of pocket from the campaign for replacement signs, it’s also taking away a campaign strategy that is especially vital at this point in the elections.
“Signage is so important,” says Beidinger. “It’s about name recognition, it’s about letting the voter know ‘Who are the candidates?’ so these signs are really critically important, they’re apart of every single political campaign strategy.”
Candidates like Beidinger worry that the missing signs will affect Election Day results because of unfair representation.
“It’s not a prank. These are adults who are running for office. We paid money, our donors have given us money to have these signs,” Beidinger says. “And now you’re interrupting that democracy, you’re interrupting that process to a fair election and fair representation. It’s not right.”
For early voting, you can go to the St. Joe County-City Building or the Mishawaka County Services building Monday- Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., and over the weekend if you can’t make it out to the polls on November 8th for Election Day.