You will soon see many election signs all over East St. Paul and nearby communities as candidates get to campaigning.

Sgt. Kent McEachern of the RCMP says it's important you leave those signs alone.

"Yes, it is election season, and there is a heavy fine for tampering or destroying election signs under the Criminal Code," says Sgt. McEachern. "It's an indictable offense that could get you up to five years in jail."

He knows that sounds harsh, but there is a reason for it.

"It may seem minor. Everyone has their own political views and opinions, and they may think it's funny or humorous to remove a sign or damage it, but it is taken very seriously by the courts," says Sgt. McEachern. "They want to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to put forward their position."

McEachern adds they wanted to get the word out early.

"It's very serious, to the point that it has its own section of the Criminal Code to deal with it," says Sgt. McEachern. "We want to warn people to be very careful not to touch or damage these signs in any way, or it could have some dire consequences."