Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette A replacement sign in Chris Guibert’s front lawn backing Proposal 1 warns of a security camera monitoring the lawn. A previous identical sign was stolen from Guibert’s lawn, he said.

LAURIUM — Political signs spring up everywhere in the weeks leading up to Election Day. In a few cases, they disappear.

Cases have been few this year, but theft or vandalism has been known to happen, local law agencies said.

“We generally see it happen here and there during each election cycle,” said Sgt. Russ Larson of the Michigan State Police Calumet Post. “I think there’s maybe two or three people who call about it.”

This week, someone removed a sign from Laurium resident Chris Guibert’s lawn, he said.

The metal holders remained.

The sign backs Proposal 1, which would legalize recreational marijuana in the state.

“If people are using pot anyway, I’d rather have the government make money and spend that money on education and roads,” he said. “It just concerned me that people are taking this down. It’s a basic, simple freedom of speech way that we can express ourselves.”

The Laurium officer who investigated told Guibert it happens every season, he said.

The Houghton County Sheriff’s Office hadn’t seen any cases as of Wednesday afternoon, Sheriff Brian McLean said.

Because of the low cost of signs — about $5, on average — a report would likely be treated as a misdemeanor, McLean said.

Some signs may also simply blow away due to fall winds and rain, McLean said.

“That’s not going to account for some that get ripped in half or stomped on, but there are a few that just get blown away,” he said.

Houghton Police Chief John Donnelly said no reports had come in this year. Sometimes, the city will remove signs if they’re in the right-of-way or if people put them on city property.

“There’s all those political signs that are off the bridge,” he said. “They should be taken down because they’re on the city’s right-of-way. Maybe I’ll do that right away.”

Guibert got a replacement sign from Northern Specialty Health. By Wednesday night, he had a replacement in his lawn. He added a note underneath: “Do not remove this sign — security cameras on site!”