One Maryland jurisdiction seeks peace reagrding recent yard sign vandalism.

A spate of political sign vandalism in the county has escalated to the point that officials of both major parties came together to implore residents to respect one another’s right to free speech.

Democrats say 800 of 4,000 Obama yard signs have been vandalized or stolen, while Republicans say 15 out of 100 4-by-8-foot McCain posters have been damaged and many yard signs stolen.