It’s election season, so you’ve likely seen campaign signs on nearly every block, whether from a local candidate or someone running for President of the United States.
Political campaign signs are a form of speech protected under the First Amendment.
However, candidates like Mary Jane Trapp say that right was recently violated.
Trapp is currently running for the Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judge seat as a Democrat.
She had a couple of signs placed in front of the Democratic booth inside the Geauga County Fair this past weekend.
Two of her signs were defaced with her opponent’s campaign stickers. A set of stickers were placed over her eyes on one of the signs.
“I’ve never had a judicial sign defaced before. Yard sign stealing – I’ve seen that happen. I’ve experienced it. Even today coming in, I saw some of my signs were missing, but to have a large sign you spent a lot of money on defaced with your opponent’s stickers was jarring,” Trapp said. “It's evident now that we are in this, which judicial races shouldn't be at all, but a hyperpartisan time.”
Trapp said she’s heard of other candidates in different counties having their campaign signs defaced and even a billboard being firebombed.
It is sad and unfortunate that some people find it necessary to damage property when faced with either a different viewpoint or fear that their agenda will not be obtained. The recent acts of vandalism and theft of political signs at the Great Geauga County Fair reflects poorly on all Republicans and Republican candidates. We are better than this. Fortunately, Geauga voters are some of the most engaged and informed in the state and their message will be heard on November 5.
Trapp's Republican opponent, Matthew Rambo told News 5, "While I condemn vandalism and theft of another’s property in the strongest sense, I am disappointed that my opponent did not reach out to me about the incident. I resent any implication that myself, my campaign, or my supporters had anything to do with the incident, as there is no evidence to support such an allegation. The stickers in question were free to take from my table at the Great Geauga County Fair, which is attended by hundreds of thousands of people. Anyone, from any county of any party affiliation could have taken them and used them in such a way. I remain committed to running a clean campaign and committed to Strong and Fair justice for Geauga County."
Tampering with signs isn’t just isolated to Democrats.
Jim Dvorak is a Republican. He ran for Geauga County Commissioner in 2018.
“Oh, it’s happened many times to me in the 17 years I’ve been a public official. It’s a sad day when anyone’s signs are stolen or defaced, ripped a part or moved to another county,” Dvorak stated.
He recalled an anti-Semitic symbol being written on a campaign sign of his as well as a dead animal being placed by another.
“There’s some shenanigans and some evil people out there but you just have to have thick skin and move on,” Dvorak added. “Politics is a contact sport. Each candidate, no matter what party, spends a lot of money on the signs and has a team of eight to 10 people putting signs up.”
Removing or even slapping stickers on a candidate’s sign may seem harmless, but it is considered a crime.
“There's a whole variety of crimes depending on the expense of the property that you're defacing,” Trapp explained.
Charges can range from vandalism and theft to trespassing if the signage is on an individual’s private property.
Fines and jail time are subject to the crime.
For example, defacing or removing campaign signs in Cleveland could cost an individual a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, which means a maximum jail sentence of 30 days and no more than a $250 fine.
“Follow the law. That’s why we have it,” Trapp said.
Dvorak added the time to show opposition to a candidate is in the polling booth.
“It's a nonpartisan race and I urge the people of Geauga County to just read the credentials and vote your conscience. With that end result we should have things running,” Dvorak said in reference to the Geauga County Common Pleas Court Judge race.
Trapp said she’s already scrapped the stickers off the once-defaced signs and displayed them again.
Nov. 5 is election day.
