Election signs stolen, causing concern for runoff election candidates

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

Election signs are just one way candidates try to get their names out to the voting public during election time, but particularly during this election season leading up to the runoff, that's proved to be a challenge for the two current runoff candidates after numerous signs were stolen Saturday night.

For place 1 city council candidate Azeita Taylor, now running a third time for city council, having signs disappear isn't a new experience for her.

Taylor said she paid for her signs out of her pocket, save a $100 donation during her first campaign.

She took to social media to express her concerns about the missing signs.

"Throughout a campaign it is usual to lose a few signs along the way. However, during this campaign it has become a very costly factor and I am asking for your help in locating the individuals responsible for taking multiple signs and t-posts from locations around the city. I did check with code enforcement and the property owners to ensure the signs were not taken down by mistake,” said Taylor.

Taylor said her current loss is roughly $250 worth of signs. She has not filed a police report, but did say she will press charges if the culprit, or culprits, are discovered.

Taylor told the Leader-Press that not only were some of her larger signs stolen, but a few yard signs have disappeared from the private property of local supporters.

“This is a sad situation. I don't condone anyone pulling down my opponent's signs, and I certainly don't condone them pulling down mine,” Taylor said. “It's important to have these signs up because we're in a runoff, and many people don’t even realize that we are. If anyone has any information pertaining to this incident, that they would contact me, and David, and the police department, because that's important. My first thought was that it was maybe some teens pulling a prank. My first thought was not that my opponent was doing anything to harm me, nor any of his followers.”

David Morris, who is running against Taylor in the runoff, also had a major loss of signs overnight on Saturday.

"I am disappointed that the signs came up missing after being up for over two months. I expected to lose a few during the election but never 20 from seven locations on a single evening. I had preordered additional signs for the runoff to fill some vacancies that I noticed after the general election wrapped up and ended up having to use those to replace the locations that were taken," Morris told the Leader-Press.

At one location on MLK Jr. Drive where Morris had a large 4 x 6 sign, it also happened to be in view of a security camera belonging to nearby Trinity Worship Center.

Morris said the church's pastor, Kirby Lack, reviewed the security recording on Monday but the recording didn't reveal who took the signs. Morris said he has contacted the Solid Waste Department to be on the lookout in the event the signs end up on being picked up in someone's trash. He also reported stolen signs to the police department.

For Morris, in his first time running for council, seeing so many signs disappear over one evening proved a temporary setback.

Morris added that after reviewing his budget for the runoff, he realized he couldn't replace the missing signs due to the town hall session and additional advertising he had planned. However, prior to Tuesday's city council meeting, a family presented him with a paid receipt from Cali Signs for additional 4 x 6 signs, the exact number that were taken on Saturday.

“What some may see as a tragedy I see as a triumph, as the community has rallied behind to help fill a need,” he said.

Both candidates hope the signs will continue to remind voters of the runoff election, with early voting starting Monday and election day on Dec. 8.