With less than two weeks until the election, you may have noticed an abundance of political campaign signs on lawns across the country. Sometimes these signs can be a point of contention between neighbors. In extreme cases, they lead to theft, vandalism and trespassing.

After having her campaign signs for presidential candidate Kamala Harris repeatedly stolen, a A Springfield, Missouri woman decided to take matters into her own hands and find out what was happening to them. She placed an Apple AirTag in her last sign, and after her theft, the tracker led her to a trunk full of them.

Laura McCaskill posted video of the confrontation on Facebook. Once the suspected thief opened his trunk, he revealed nearly 60 signs collected from nearby neighborhoods.

“I’m sorry, it’s funny. Why don’t you take them all? » the mother of the alleged thief said in the video as she threw the signs to the ground. “There you go, liberals. »

“It’s a crime, ma’am,” McCaskill responded.

According to Missouri law“Wilfully stealing or defacing, mutilating or destroying any campaign sign on private property” is considered a class four election offense. These violations are considered misdemeanors and can result in a fine of up to $2,500 and/or up to one year in prison.

McCaskill decided to file a complaint and an investigation is underway, according to a follow-up Facebook publish on October 23.

Here’s what you need to know about political sign stealing.

Why is this illegal?

Expression of political beliefs is protected by the First Amendment. This includes posting signs in yards and in windows of private properties. In 1994, the The Supreme Court overturned a local ordinance in Ladue, Missouri, which prevented residents from publicly displaying signs containing political messages.

Entering private property to steal, damage or destroy a sign also carries other criminal implications.

What are the sanctions?

Each state has its own laws and penalties regarding theft and vandalism, but most states consider tampering with a political sign a misdemeanor.

According to the Cornell Law Schoola misdemeanor is generally punishable by up to 12 months in prison. Other sanctions include fines, community service and imprisonment of less than one year.

Also depending on each state, this offense can become a felony when the value of damaged or stolen property exceeds a certain amount. In Missouri, it becomes a class D felony when the property value exceeds $750.

If your yard sign has been stolen, what should you do?

If a street sign is stolen, it is recommended that you contact the local police department’s non-emergency line to report the incident. To aid in the investigation, consider installing an exterior security camera or doorbell to help identify the people and vehicles involved.

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When the election is over, how should you get rid of the yard signs?

Judith Enck, founder of Beyond Plastics in Bennington, Vermont, said TODAY that almost 90% of political signs are made from corrugated cardboard covered in plastic. Due to the diversity of materials, including plastic, campaign signs are almost impossible to recycle. It is not recommended to throw them into your usual recycling bin; however, some municipalities will now organize special election sign collection days in order to properly recycle them.

If your city does not offer recycling options, consider saving the signs until the next election cycle. Add a plastic or paper cover to reuse them or paint a new message on them.

Some campaigns may reuse campaign signs in the future. Contact the campaign office that issued the sign to see if they will reuse or recycle them.