In an election year as hotly contested as this one, people will stop at nothing to push their candidate's agenda.

Last week, the State College Police Department said instances of campaign signs and other election paraphernalia disappearing from residents' lawns and cars are happening often. In most cases, the stolen signs supported Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, but police have also received reports of signs supporting President Bush being stolen. Signs and bumper stickers have also been covered up by College Republicans stickers.

And State College police officer Tony Lopinsky said smaller, local elections also often fall prey to sign stealing, including judge and district justice campaigns.

An election as important as this requires a higher level of responsibility and maturity on the part of campaign supporters. Rather than spending time pulling juvenile pranks like stealing signs, these so-called "supporters" should be volunteering for campaigns and informing students about the issues. Chances are members of campus groups like the College Republicans are not committing these acts. Members are too busy to worry about playing juvenile pranks on supporters of the other candidate.

Both the College Republicans and Democrats have spent countless hours registering voters in the HUB-Robeson Center, around campus and in State College. And that's what they -- and anyone else who wants to be politically active -- should be doing at this point. People who spend time forcing their political beliefs on others rather than educating the public about those politics will do nothing but turn voters off, and will make legitimate political groups look really bad.

Stickers will not change anything, but maybe information and persuasion will. What are Bush's foreign and domestic policies? What are Kerry's? What does each candidate see for the future of Iraq? What about education and the economy?

There are many sources people could be looking at to find out information about a candidate's views. So for those people who want to promote candidates, get that information out there. Don't discourage voters by stealing lawn signs and covering up their bumper stickers with your own. The campaign signs are easily removed, but honestly, things like this will happen in close elections, but why is any adult wasting his or her time running around the borough stealing lawn signs?

These people are old enough to vote -- a privilege and responsibility many people cannot enjoy -- and are "mature" enough that they supposedly care about the future of this country.

It's about time they started acting like it.