Strange weeds are popping up in yards all across the country.

Their enormous flowers—some call them eyesores—grow in bright shades of blue and red with complex patterns intelligently designed to attract attention. They are commonly known as campaign yard signs, and in the weeks leading up to the election, they are in full bloom.

While some see these signs as needless clutter on neighborhood streets, those who display them are often very idealistic.

“The right to cast a vote and choose a candidate is one that's terribly important to who we are as Americans, and I like to participate in that,” said Claudia Taxel, a volunteer for the Clarke County Democrats.

“One thing it does is it starts conversations, and we don't talk enough,” said Conoly Hester, a retired writer. She says that she wears her Obama pin while traveling to “give [her] a chance to talk to people on both sides.”

But if yard signs are popping up like weeds, it's a sure bet that there are those who want to pluck them from the earth. Reports of yard sign theft and vandalism are widespread in Athens.

“It's happening on both sides, unfortunately,” said Matt Brewster, chairman of the Athens GOP. “I know two guys that are roommates that are Obama and Romney supporters and they had both signs out. They lost both of them.”

Some suspect troublemaking college students are behind most of the thefts. others point to extremists on the opposite side.

Democratic Party volunteer Ann Darby says that she has had signs stolen from her yard twice during this election.

“I've lived in this house thirty five years and I've had who knows how many signs in my yard, and this is the first time I've had any stolen," she said.

Police haven't received any complaints about missing or vandalized signs, said Lt. Michael McKeel of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department's property crimes unit, but people are returning to their party headquarters to pick up replacements en masse. Darby said that, while she only volunteers once a week, even in her relatively short time at the headquarters, she has spoken with “at least a dozen or fifteen people” who are coming in to replace signs that have been stolen. There are also stories that signs have been burned while still in a person's front yard.

“It's reminiscent of KKK activity,” said Karen Solheim, vice chairwoman for communications at the Clarke County Democratic Committee.

While Romney signs are free, every Obama sign comes with a $6 suggested donation.

As the election season comes to a close, there is enough tension in the air that some political activists are talking about taking justice into their own hands.

“A few of the stolen signs' owners have come in and said, 'We're going to take ours up every night so they don't get stolen,' and then one person came in and said, 'I'm going to put razor blades on the sign,'” Solheim said. “I'm all about the good karma, and I don't think two wrongs make a right.”

Elizabeth Bishop-Martin had to replace her stolen Obama sign.

“I fixed it up with greenbriar,” she said. “I wrapped the sign in it and no one stole it anymore.”

Pete Patterson, a retiree and Romney supporter says that one of his neighbors was so fed up with his Romney signs being stolen, he went out and got an Obama sign. Underneath the president's name, the neighbor wrote “is ruining the nation and his supporters keep stealing my signs.”

Conoly Hester also wrote on her sign: "I made a handmade sign that said, 'Whoever steals this sign is going to Hell.'"