W hile Blount County voters turned out to the polls for the first day of early voting Wednesday Blount County Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue DuBois took yet another report about missing and vandalized campaign signs. “The reports seem to have escalated with the approach of the general election,” said DuBois. “Most folks report them being stolen, but some have reported their signs being vandalized, or vandalized and later stolen.
” According to DuBois at the height of the reporting, BCDP was receiving three to four reports within an hour’s time. Although primarily targeting signs on private property, DuBois said she’s received a few reports of targeted attacks against signs purchased and placed by candidates and their parties. “It’s very frustrating because there’s just no reason for it,” she said.
“Let’s call it what it is; it’s theft, it’s vandalism, in some cases it’s trespass, and it’s all illegal. The Blount County Democratic Party condemns all acts of theft and vandalism of campaign signs.” It’s not just the democratic party.
Blount County GOP Chair Jim Bradley confirmed they’ve seen a spike in campaign sign theft, particularly around polling locations. “We’ve had reports of stolen signs at the Pellissippi campus, Samuel Everett School of Innovation, Blount County Public Library and along McArthur Road,” said Bradly. He noted that most of the signs reported stolen were those campaigning for Donald Trump and JD Vance, and that n.
