Lawn-sign wars: US voters use trackers and cameras to deter political theft

Fed up with her Kamala Harris signs disappearing from her front yard in Springfield, Missouri, Laura McCaskill stuck a tracking device on it to see where it might end up.

That led her to a blue Kia sedan in a nearby town, where a young man admitted to stealing her sign, along with dozens of others, according to a video captured by McCaskill. “Um, yeah, so if you want them back, they’re there,” he said, standing next to a trunk full of Harris signs.

As the Nov. 5 election between Harris and Republican Donald Trump approaches, people across the U.S. are reporting a wave of yard sign thefts — and turning to a range of solutions to stop them, from surveillance cameras and GPS trackers to low- tech solutions like glitter and hot peppers to deter would-be thieves.

“The drawing game has changed. You can no longer steal and get away with it, because guys like us take it pretty seriously,” said Vincent Panico, a Republican deputy mayor in Readington, New Jersey, who used an Apple AirTag to track down a missing yard sign prior to a primary election. election earlier this year.

Police found it in the garage of a city committee member, John Albanese, a fellow Republican who has feuded with Panico in a power struggle between the parties. The Albanians have pleaded not guilty.

His attorney, Scott Wilhelm, said he was targeted by Panico and other local rivals.

“They are doing what they can to get him removed from the governing body,” Wilhelm said.

Campaign signs have been a fixture of the American political landscape since the 19th century, but research suggests they may not contribute much to the fortunes of the candidates they advertise. “Yard signs don’t vote” is a common mantra among political operatives.

Still, they’re clearly a hit with voters. About 1 in 10 Americans display yard signs for a presidential candidate, according to professor Todd Makse of Florida International University, who found that those who display them are primarily interested in showing their political loyalty, rather than influencing undecided neighbors.

Clearly some don’t appreciate the display.

‘YOU ARE STUPID’

Indianapolis tech worker Lissa Smith said her Harris sign was stolen from her yard the night she put it up this summer. In its place was a white pillow with the text ‘YOU ARE STUPID’ on it.

Smith said she ordered four more campaign signs and posted a warning that any new thefts would prompt her to donate money to various left-wing groups. Since then, she has made $180 in donations and spent nearly $300 on security cameras. She said she was encouraged that some of her neighbors in her politically mixed neighborhood have asked where they could get their own Harris signs.

“It has made me more confident in sharing my opinions,” she said.

Matthew Hurtt, the Republican Party chairman in Arlington, Virginia, said he had received more than 100 complaints about stolen Trump signs in his heavily Democratic area. He has posted photos and videos of suspects online.

“It raises awareness that there are Republicans in Northern Virginia and it raises awareness of the intolerance of our neighbors,” he said.

Yard signs can serve as a focal point in an era of heightened political tensions. A man in Topeka, Kansas, was convicted of aggravated battery last year for shooting at teenagers he suspected of stealing Trump signs before the 2020 election, and in Michigan, an outspoken Trump hater ran over an older man who replaced vandalized Trump signs.

Prosecuting sign thieves can be difficult, officials say, given the low dollar value of the stolen item and the difficulty of identifying suspects who typically strike at night.

In some cases the damage can be significant; at $20 each, the 60 Harris signs found in Missouri’s trunk would cost $1,200 to replace.

But the damage extends beyond the value of a sign, the victims say. Some claim it violates their right to freedom of expression and could amount to political intimidation.

“You’re disrespecting people’s property, you’re silencing their opinions,” said McCaskill, the Missouri resident who filed a criminal complaint against the young man who admitted taking her sign. He said he was inspired by a TikTok video.

Police say they are investigating the incident and the young man’s mother did not respond to requests for comment.

Those arrested could face stiff penalties. Michael Shaw, 54, of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, faces up to 12 years in prison and a $55,000 fine after he was arrested for stealing signs and flags in what police say were 11 separate incidents. He did not return a call seeking comment.

In New Jersey, Panico’s misery did not end with his rival’s arrest. Republican signs have disappeared again, although surveillance cameras captured another suspect: a school bus driver. Panico says he plans to talk to the man’s employer.

“It’s not great if you pull up in a pretty recognizable vehicle,” he said.