At least 20 yard signs for a Freeborn County Sheriff candidate were missing or vandalized over the weekend, according to Albert Lea police.

A resident on Bridge Avenue in Albert Lea reported Saturday that the signs for Phil Bartusek were missing from the area.

The candidate, informed by the dispatch, checked around the city over the weekend and found that 20 were missing and some others were vandalized.

The cases were reported in the Shoreland Hights and Lakeview Boulvard areas, according to the candidate. Some sings were recovered from Fountain Lake.

The candidate has put up 500 four-by-two-foot and 150 eight inch-by-two-foot signs so far. &uot;I would imagine that this could happen toward the primary. But not this early,&uot; Bartusek said.

The election for sheriff has been getting heated with three candidates: ALPD Lieutenant Bartusek, retired Sheriff’s Office Supervisor/Investigator Mark Harig, and Sheriff’s Office Supervisor/Investigator Bob Kindler, seeking to take over for retiring Sheriff Don Nolander. It is the first open-seat election for sheriff in Freeborn County since 1966.