Candidates running in the municipal election are in full campaign mode, however, some signs are missing out on the action.
Multiple candidates running for a position on Chatham-Kent council, more so in Ward 6 (Chatham), have told Blackburn News that their signs have either been stolen or tossed in the nearby area.
Ward 6 candidate Kirk Hooker said at least 10 of his signs have been taken. Other candidates such as Larry Vellinga and Marjorie Crew have had a few of their signs knocked over or taken as well. Vellinga said in most cases the signs are nearby, so the wind could be the culprit. However, Crew -- who has had to replace five signs so far -- said she has seen this happen in past elections.
"It's something I've experienced but I don't accept it," said Crew. "It's frustrating because [the signs] are very expensive."
Current Chatham councillors Brock McGregor and Michael Bondy agree that the "disappearing" of signs is a common occurrence during the election period.
"This is not uncommon at all," said Bondy. "If some candidate lost 60 per cent of their signs, then yes that would be worth investigating but for people to lose signs here and there... it's a natural part of the game."
In terms of just how expensive campaign signs are, Bondy said signs can range anywhere from $2 each to $15 each, depending on the distributor and the amount bought in bulk.
"If you're in a big city, in a big campaign then signs really aren't expensive per unit," he said. "But when you're in a smaller place, like here where people aren't buying thousands of signs, then they become very expensive."
Bondy said he has noticed that a lot of first-time candidates are a little disgruntled by the situation, but his message to them is, "it's not you".
"It's not you, it's not your campaign, it's just part of this process," said Bondy.
Disappearing signs isn't just centralized in the Chatham area. Councillor Mark Authier, who is seeking re-election in Ward 1 (West Kent) said he and other candidates in the area have experienced some stolen or damaged signs as well.
Other candidates such as Mary Anne Udvari in Ward 4 (North Kent) and Tanya Bondy in Ward 2 (South Kent) said a couple signs have been taken down but for the most part, they were found nearby.
Whether it's a matter of who or what knocked over or took a sign, candidates should also consider where their signs are posted. Election Coordinator Lucas Chambers said signs that do not follow the Election Campaign Sign Bylaw do get taken down if they are in an unauthorized zone.
"When a candidate's sign is removed, we try to notify them as soon as possible so they can pick it up and replace it if needed," said Chambers in an emailed statement.
Although some signs have been collected by municipal employees, the exact number of how many is unknown.
