It seems every election campaign, we see the same childish behaviours.

Taking potshots at your opponents is one thing, but when candidate signs are being vandalized, it goes far beyond the purpose of electing people to council who are willing to serve the community.

Support your chosen candidates, by all means. But don鈥檛 go destroying another鈥檚 property. It serves no useful purpose other than to get bad blood flowing.

We have little doubt that those responsible for repeated vandalism against certain candidates are not likely voters. We have confidence that people of voting age are more mature than that.

Rose-coloured glasses? Perhaps. But it鈥檚 harder for us to believe that the vandals have anything to do with one person鈥檚 campaign.

Incumbent Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells was the latest victim of senseless vandalism, when his face was blacked out on one of his signs. We know both his opponents and are certain neither Erik Eriksson nor Aaron Dowker would stoop to such levels.

Courtenay councillor Will Cole-Hamilton has had at least half a dozen of his signs vandalized, including a hand-painted one by one of his supporters.

鈥淣ever seen anything like this!鈥� he said in a Facebook post.

Comox councillor Ken Grant has lost at least 10 signs - either damaged beyond repair, or stolen from the sites.

If you don鈥檛 like a candidate, feel free to ignore the sign. They鈥檙e only up for a few short weeks.

This defacing of signs with symbolism that defies description or just plain wrecking them because you don鈥檛 like the candidate and simply want to cause mischief has to stop.

People have the right to put up their signs in strategic places and lobby for the public vote. We can鈥檛 all agree on the right men or women to assume the job for various reasons. But vandalism is not only wrong, it鈥檚 a crime.

The time to let your feelings be known is Oct. 15.