A friend sent him a video online of one of his signs being taken, and when he returned home, he realized most of his 50 signs had disappeared. “I had like 50 signs out, and they’re just all gone.”For Cowell, the issue isn’t about the signs themselves, but about what they represent. Still, he said vandalizing or stealing election signs undermines the democratic process. “The way to do that isn’t to take down people’s election signs, it’s to challenge them in debate and get informed about people’s campaigns and what they represent,” Cowell said. Cowell noted that stealing election signs is a federal crime and should not be overlooked.