Complaints of stolen signs ramp up as election nears

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —

We are only 18 days away from the election.

Campaign signs for presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden are being vandalized and even stolen from people in our area.

As complaints of stolen signs are ramping up, Action News Jax’s Alicia Tarancon shows us what some neighbors are doing to keep their signs from being taken a second time.

Myra Rubinstein lives on Glenhurst Drive near JTB.

On Tuesday, she put out her Joe Biden and Kamala Harris sign. It was the first time she had ever put up a political sign in her yard.

“By Wednesday morning it was gone, and I felt violated,” Rubinstein said.

Last month, Action News Jax showed you a similar trend, only it was Donald Trump signs that were taken or vandalized.

The office to re-elect the president in Nassau County reported several stolen Trump signs.

Donald Trump signs in Clay County were spray painted and replaced last month, but this Friday morning, we noticed someone had vandalized them again.

Myra Rubinstein told me about five Joe Biden signs that were taken from her street.

Since then, she’s put up a little piece of paper warning people to think twice before they steal another political sign.

While Rubinstein didn’t file a police report, her note lets people that they are trespassing, and, if they are are about to commit theft or vandalism, are violating her constitutional right to free speech and may be photographed.

“Since then more people have put up Biden signs again, and I feel good about that,” she said.

We also noticed that some neighbors opted to put their political signs in their windows to prevent them from being stolen.

If police do catch you stealing or damaging these signs, you could be charged for theft or vandalism and, depending on the value of the sign, it can be considered a misdemeanor or even a felony.

Cox Media Group