The competition in this election extends to the neighborhood level. One woman recently found her Obama sign stolen. It wasn't just stolen, but replaced with one for McCain.
Finding a few mutilated campaign signs is not unexpected in any 21st century campaign.
"The venom is a little bit more," said Don Bankston with the Fort Bend Democratic Party.
Unmatched maybe is the rate at which someone is stealing both Democrat and Republican signs.
"We cannot keep our McCain/Palin signs out in particular," said Rick Miller with the Fort Bend Republican Party. "They just disappear."
Ft. Bend Republicans and Democrats lament the loss of hundreds of signs. They're disappearing, not just singly from front yards, but by the dozen outside polling places. The intensity with which the signs are being stolen, party leaders agree, is a reflection upon the veracity of local , state and national campaigns.
The theft has escalated though in Ft. Bend, where this weekend someone smashed the window to the Democrats headquarters, rummaged around inside and stealing $80. Two weeks ago, someone also broke in, but ripped off a laptop computer.
The leader of the Ft. Bend Democrats calls it intimidation, but insists he won't lose his sense of humor over it.
"They can try to scare us for the next nine days, but we're far more scared of what eight more years of Bush/McCain would look like," said Bankston
If you have any information about the vandalism here or theft or signs from either party, you're urged to contact your local police.
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