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Rash of election signs disappearing in Williams Lake as voting days begin

Some candidates have high numbers of signs disappearing from lawns and placements
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Local elections are still visible around town as voting days begin, but less than might be expected due to a number going missing. (Monica Lamb-Yorski photo - Williams Lake Tribune)

Some candidates in the upcoming election have been noticing a lot of election signs going missing.

Private property owners and some candidates have been complaining of signs going missing and while a few candidates said this can usually be expected in some capacity, the numbers this election are very high.

City council candidate Joan Flaspohler said some of her signs were recovered when mayoral candidate Surinderpal Rathor recovered a stash of his signs dumped near Bull Mountain.

When Rathor recovered some of his signs he called to let her know some of hers were found as well.

A local citizen also called him to report witnessing a person taking the sign from someone’s lawn and getting into a vehicle.

He asked the caller for the plate number and had them call it in to RCMP.

There is a file number attached to this report and while Black Press Media reached out, they have not heard back from RCMP on the incident. It is a criminal offence to tamper with election signs and offenders can be prosecuted.

One local resident of downtown told also told Black Press Media she had signs for both a mayoral candidate and a city council candidate taken from her yard multiple times. She resorted to attempting to chain down the signs to keep them in place.

Rathor also mentioned finding a large sign of Walt Cobb’s knocked down and called Cobb right away to let him know.

Cobb, a fellow mayoral candidate, said there were more signs going missing this year than in previous campaigns but he has had only an estimated nine signs go missing or be damaged.

Rathor reported over 30 signs taken from various locations.

“We thought it was random kids or something but it’s clear it’s targeted,” said Rathor, saying he didn’t necessarily think he personally was the target, but people trying to upset the election itself.

Read more: ELECTION 2022



ruth.lloyd@wltribune.com

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Ruth Lloyd

About the Author: Ruth Lloyd

I moved back to my hometown of Williams Lake after living away and joined the amazing team at the Williams Lake Tribune in 2021.
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