'Show respect in a democracy': Lethbridge candidate speaks out on election sign vandalism

There are reports of individuals damaging and destroying election signs in Lethbridge and officials say anyone who's caught doing it could be criminally charged.

A week into the campaign, some election campaign signs set up by volunteers in Lethbridge have been defaced and destroyed by vandals.

Cheryl Seaborn, the UCP candidate for Lethbridge-West, says she's seen election signs pulled off of people's private properties and thrown into trash cans.

"Garbage is thrown on top of them," she told CTV News on Monday. "We just had another report this morning."

Both of Alberta's major political parties have been targeted and Seaborn says in some cases, the signs are being knocked down and subjected to further punishment.

"They've obviously been run over by a bike or some kind of an e-bike or something," she said.

It's unknown how many signs have been destroyed, but Seaborn says the vandals don't represent the majority of voters.

Nevertheless, she's calling for more respect for all the candidates running in the election.

"It really is about the need to continue to show respect in a democracy," Seaborn said. "It's OK to believe different things. It's OK to feel different things and be passionate about it.

"But we live in a democracy where we need to come together and have respectful conversation and dialogue."

According to Alberta law, anyone caught damaging or defacing an election sign can be charged with mischief to property and theft under $5,000.

Anyone who witnesses such actions can report them to their local police or Crime Stoppers.