Federal candidates report increase in election sign vandalism

What happened: Nepean Conservative candidate Barbara Bal has accused the Liberals of damaging her campaign signs and has now filed a report with police, as candidates from each campaign deal with a rash of sign vandalism.

In an online post and video, Bal, who’s running against Liberal Party leader Mark Carney, showed photographs of posts from her signs donning Carney’s red signs instead. The tops are marked with a blue tag and have writing stating they belong to the local Nepean Conservative Riding Association. 

• “Pulling down and stealing hundreds of my signs, placing my opponent’s signs on my wooden stakes, and dumping mine in the garbage is not the practice of democracy: It is a deliberate attempt to silence a voice and disrupt the democratic process,” said Bal. “This is unacceptable, and unethical. Nepean deserves better.”

The Liberals say it isn’t them: In an email to the Ottawa Citizen, a spokesperson for Carney’s campaign said ”We are running a respectful, positive, and community-driven campaign here in Nepean.” They also noted it’s been “disappointing” to see their own signs stolen and damaged. 

It’s not just Nepean: In Ottawa South, Conservative candidate Blair Turner has also said hundreds of his signs have been tampered with. Photos sent to the media show some chopped in half, and others with their faces cut out. A large collection of signs reading “Vote Turner” near the Airport Parkway were also blacked out with a marker. 

• “It is very disheartening that volunteers and campaign workers dedicate their free time to put up campaign signage, only to have it vandalized day after day,” Turner wrote in an email. “Many residents are quite concerned about this trend and its threat to freedom of speech and democracy. We will continue to persevere. Can we remind everyone that it is a criminal offense to vandalize signs under the Canada Elections Act (S.C. 2000, c. 9) and Section 430 of the Criminal Code of Canada?“

It's affecting other parties too: Kanata Liberal candidate and incumbent Jenna Sudds has posted photos to social media showing signs with her face cut out. Others in Bells Corners — a new part of the riding — have the word “corrupt” written on them with black spray paint. 

• “Others are being stolen outright. Disappointing that these stunts keep escalating. We’re better than this,” Sudds wrote on Facebook. 

It is a crime: Just as the election began, Ottawa Police sent out a statement reminding everyone that vandalizing election signs is a crime.  

• “We take these matters very seriously,” said Deputy Chief Patricia Ferguson, according to CTV. “Threats, harassment, and hate-motivated crimes targeting candidates or their supporters, as well as acts of mischief such as tampering with election signs, undermine our democratic process. Police will investigate these incidents thoroughly, and where warranted, charges will be laid.”