Each election they pop up on front lawns like bad weeds. Unlike bad weeds, you can’t destroy them. At least legally.

Some people — usually supporters of an opponent, or kids and adults with nothing better to do — break the law by either stealing or defacing them. If caught, they can be charged with mischief.

Few are ever caught. It is perhaps a reasonable position to hold that the police have better things to do than chase down sign culprits. At how much per hour? At what expense to other investigations?

There is certainly no denying that the care and cosseting of signs is one of the most frustrating aspects of any political campaign. I know. I have been there.

What about signs on public property? Aren’t they illegal? Look at all those signs along boulevards.

Yes, they can be annoying. They are also, in most cases in........

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