Damaging Election Signs a Criminal Offence

The Municipal Election is still five weeks away and those contending those seven seats on Council have begun their campaigning.  Part of the campaign for any prospective politician is the legal placement of signs displaying their name and financial agent.  Name recognition plays a very high role in how many voters choose their candidates.  Ideally all voters would assess different platforms and vote according to their beliefs and signs would not be necessary.  However, rightly or wrongly, signs play an important part in any election process.

The deliberate removal of some signs leaving only one or two candidates or the vandalizing of any part or a whole group of signs is a very disturbing occurrence.  Over the weekend it was noticeable on 7th Avenue that some candidates' signs had been removed while leaving only one candidate.  Apart from the garbage caused by discarded signs, the lack of respect for all those candidates putting forward their names, time and energy to serve this municipality is despicable.  Anyone finding signs or seeing the vandalizing of signs might call, the candidate who would be happy to have their signs back, the Chief Returning Officer or the RCMP.

This article is from the Langley Times during the 2011 Municipal Election:

Those caught vandalizing or removing elections signs can face penalties that will seriously hit their pocketbook or even result in jail time, warned Supt. Derek Cooke.

“Defacing or pulling down campaign signs is a criminal offence,” Cooke said, adding that those who are caught will face a charge of mischief, which carries a fine of up to $5,000 or two years in prison.

http://www.langleytimes.com/news/election/133848448.html