Vandalizing campaign signs is a crime, Arizona official warns

PHOENIX – It might seem funny at times, but vandalizing campaign signs is a criminal offense.

With primary elections in Arizona just a few weeks away and campaigns in full swing, Secretary of State Michele Reagan put out a reminder that removing, altering or defacing political signs isn’t a harmless prank.

“There is a criminal penalty,” Reagan told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday. “It is a class 2 misdemeanor. You can get in trouble for doing it.

“Sometimes people think it’s not that big of a deal, and it is a big deal.”

Candidates have the right to free speech, Reagan said, and are permitted to have their signs up 45 days before and seven days after the election. Arizona’s primaries are Aug. 28, and the general election is Nov. 6.

Two signs seen recently in the East Valley had been creatively vandalized. One belonging to U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Kelli Ward was trimmed to leave the message “SERV WAR.” On the other, the “Gl” was cut out of a sign promoting Corporation Commission candidate Rodney Glassman, leaving a profane message.

Reagan said her office hears a lot about signs being defaced or removed this time of year. Because her office doesn’t have investigative powers, she turns the complaints over to local police.

“Mainly these things are just people vandalizing signs because they either don’t like the signs or they don’t like the candidate and they typically don’t realize that there is a criminal penalty associated with that,” she said.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Griselda Zetino contributed to this report.

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