MANCHESTER, Maine — As election season heats up in Maine, candidates and law enforcement alike are facing an unusual but recurring issue: campaign sign theft and vandalism.
From small towns like Dixmont to larger cities like Lewiston, political candidates are reporting their signs being stolen, damaged, or removed altogether.
Lawrence Beane, a selectman candidate in Manchester, is one such individual affected by this issue. Beane shared that his campaign signs have been repeatedly targeted, with nine out of the twenty signs he purchased being stolen.
"Some of the signs are being pulled out of the ground and thrown, some of them are being run over, and some of them are being outright pulled and stolen," Beane said.
He explained that the cost of campaign materials can quickly add up. Having spent $300 on signs, the financial burden of replacing stolen signs is something he can't afford afford.
Law enforcement across Maine is becoming increasingly aware of these incidents. Yarmouth Police Chief Daniel Gallant noted that a campaign sign was recently stolen in his town.
"My ultimate advice is just to respect other people and their choices," Gallant said, emphasizing that tampering with or stealing political signs is more than just an annoyance—it's a crime.
In Maine, stealing a political sign from public property can result in a $250 fine. If the theft occurs on private property, offenders could face up to six months in prison and a fine of $1,000. Gallant stressed the importance of leaving signs alone unless they belong to you or you have explicit permission to remove them.
The rise in campaign sign theft isn't unique to Maine. Dr. Ronald Schmidt, a political science professor at the University of Southern Maine, explained that this problem mirrors a nationwide trend.
"The way that it’s fitting into a broader attempt to silence people who are trying to make their voices heard [...] is turning something that would normally just be annoying into something menacing," Schmidt said.
The escalation of this issue reflects deeper political tensions, and according to Schmidt, it’s not just a matter of minor vandalism but a symptom of growing frustration and division in the country. In Maine, this form of political expression—or suppression—seems to be occurring more frequently with each election cycle.
For candidates like Beane, the message is clear: vandalizing or stealing signs is not an appropriate way to express political disagreement. Beane encourages voters to take their frustrations to the ballot box, where their voices can truly make a difference.
"If somebody doesn’t agree with someone running for a position, it's just not the right way to go about it," he said.