- “Stealing signs is underhanded and undermines our democracy,” said Kevin Abplanalp. “It’s part of political speech and political campaigning.”
Carolina Journal has learned that the local Republican party in Mecklenburg County is using trail cameras to catch individuals who attempt to steal or remove Republican political campaign signs.
In a series of recent Instagram posts, Mecklenburg GOP Vice Chairman David Merrill published videos of what appears to be theft at a site where candidate campaign signs are stationed as well as removal of several signs in another location. Merrill said the stolen signs were taken from the Idlewild Road area of Charlotte.
As of this publication, the perpetrators have not been identified. Under NCGS § 136-32, it is a class three misdemeanor for a person to steal, deface, vandalize, or unlawfully remove a political sign that is lawfully placed.
Merrill told CJ in a statement that hundreds of signs have been stolen or removed and the Mecklenburg GOP began a ‘sign blitz’ operation to place more signs throughout the county.
“Republican candidates appearing on ballots in Mecklenburg County have seen hundreds of their signs removed,” said Merrill. “Some of these are likely due to misplacement by volunteer staff. However, far too many signs are being removed for them to be due to error. After receiving complaints of specific candidate signs being taken, we paused distribution throughout the county. On the evening of October 16th, we began a new sign blitz to blanket Mecklenburg County with conservative candidate signs. In order to help protect the already placed signs and signs that will be place, we have been employing hidden trail cameras to capture their theft. In the video (of the theft), you hear people giggling simply giddy to be breaking the law. These signs cost candidates money to buy time and gas to place. Stealing these signs represents a theft not only from that candidate’s campaign, but also from the donors and volunteers working to support these candidates who are looking for better representation in government.”
In an interview with CJ, Kevin Abplanalp, a resident of Mecklenburg County and executive director of the non-profit Coalition for Liberty said the thefts violate fundamental principles of democracy.
“Stealing signs is underhanded and undermines our democracy,” he said. “It’s part of political speech and political campaigning.”
Abplanalp lamented the job of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, for not doing enough to stop the illegal activity.
“It is criminal and I wish our sheriff in Mecklenburg County would do more in his power to stop this sort of thing. It’s lawlessness,” he added.
Charlotte resident and Republican volunteer Mark Watson echoed a similar tone to Abplanalp’s.
“It’s sad we have to resort to surveilling and reporting the childish lawlessness of the Democrats,” said Watson in a statement to CJ.
Watson also told CJ that on October 16 at around 10:20pm, an unknown individual pulled up to Watson in their vehicle and saw him putting out campaign signs. The individual then told Watson they would return to the area and remove the signs.
In related news, Moore County NC Democratic Party Chairman Lowell Simon recently resigned his post after he was arrested on Oct. 11 for removing Trump campaign signs from the roadside. Lowell was charged with two counts of misdemeanor larceny of political signs. Signs for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris were also stolen in Moore County, as police arrested 64-year James Wesley Greenfield Jr. on Oct. 15 for the same offense as Simon.