Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 12/99) - In the wake of some vandalism to campaign signs, including profanities written on one sign, Elections NWT staff are warning Yellowknifers of the seriousness of damaging candidate signs.

"Under the Elections Act it says that anyone who takes down, removes, covers up, mutilates, defaces or whatever signage, is committing an offence," said Brian Armstrong, who is the training and information officer at Elections NWT.

"There's a general rule for punishment set out under section 226 that deals with every person who contravenes the act. If they are guilty of an offence, they are liable for a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or to both."

Armstrong said he does not believe anyone has ever been prosecuted under the act.

His comments come after all of the plywood on NDP candidate Steve Petersen's four by six foot signs were separated from the two by fours holding them erect.

"I was certainly pissed off but I recognize this kind of thing happens. We expected it to happen on Halloween," said NDP organizer Bob Haywood.

"I contacted the RCMP yesterday and left a message. If somebody writes something on our signs we should pursue it."

Still, Armstrong said the official way to complain about sign damage is to make a report to the riding's returning officer, who in turn will contact Elections NWT.

"We have not had any formal complaints filed with our office regarding the signage," he said.

When told that Petersen had some signs vandalized as well as one with a profanity written on it, Armstrong replied, "I'm sure he's not the only one. But there has not been a formal complaint filed in our office."

As for other regulations for signs, Armstrong said the only thing that Elections NWT requires to be on the signs is the name of the official agent.

"Where a candidate places their signs in the community is up to them. We're not the sign police here," Armstrong said of how many candidates have placed signs outside their riding.

"They don't have to put their riding name on the sign. They don't even have to have their own name on it but that would be ridiculous."

Armstrong said anyone who wants to put their signs on power poles should contact Northland Utilities. If they want to put signs on city streets then they should contact the city.

"It's no different from if you wanted to put a sign on someone's lawn, obviously you'd ask the person whose property it is."