Ann Sullivan, a cook county commissioner candidate running in District 4, said four of her political signs have gone missing. They were all located by the Gunflint Hills golf course.
Myron Bursheim, current cook county District 2 representative, and 2020 chair of the board, also had a sign taken from one of his backer’s yard.
In Minnesota it is a Class 2 misdemeanor for any person to “knowingly remove, alter, deface or cover any political sign of any candidate for public office or in support of or opposition to any ballot measure, question or issue or knowingly remove, alter or deface any political mailers, handouts, flyers or other printed materials…”
Anyone caught with stolen signs could also be charged with possession of stolen property and be found in violation of Minnesota Statute 609.53. Criminal penalties for possession of stolen property depend on the value of that property, but a victim could pursue civil action and seek up to $1,500 in damages plus get their attorney fees paid.
As for Sullivan, she is out of signs and is planning to purchase more signs. They aren’t free and it takes time to place them throughout a large district. Political signs are also a form of free speech, something strongly valued in the U.S.A.
You may not favor a candidate for office, but your choice is not to vote for them, not steal their sign. Show some respect and leave the signs alone. It’s the right thing to do; it’s the legal thing to do; it’s the moral thing to do.
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