Overview
• Six signs belonging to four candidates were vandalized.
• The penalty for vandalizing a campaign sign ranges from a fine to 20 days behind bars.
• Ivey was previously arrested on an accusation that he misused 911.
A Fayetteville man was arrested and jailed without bail on Tuesday in connection with the vandalism of six election campaign signs, according to the Fayetteville Police Department..
The faces of candidates pictured on six campaign signs outside a Short Stop convenience store on the corner of Raeford Road at Robeson Street were defaced with a black marker. State House candidate Janene Ackles reported the vandalism on social media on September 23.
“Utilizing the City of Fayetteville’s Public Safety Camera Network, investigators with the Property/Fraud Unit and Crime Information Center were able to identify the suspect,” police said.
Jeffrey Allen Ivey, 35, of the 6500 block of Jeffrey Drive in west Fayetteville, is charged with six misdemeanor counts of breaking the Unlawful Removal of Signs law, which includes defacing or vandalizing a lawfully placed political sign. The potential punishment ranges from a fine with no jail time to 20 days of incarceration. It depends on the person’s prior criminal record, according to North Carolina’s misdemeanor punishment chart.
Before his arrest on Tuesday, Ivey was listed as the “wanted person of the week” by Fayetteville / Cumberland County Crime Stoppers.
Ivey is not listed as a registered voter in North Carolina’s voter registration database.
A magistrate said in a court document on Tuesday that Ivey was denied bail over a pending charge from August. He was accused of misusing 911 and resisting arrest. A warrant said he repeatedly called 911 to ask officers to come for a non-criminal matter. Police said Ivey continued to call 911 after two officers told him to stop.
6 Signs for 4 Candidates
On Saturday, six vandalized campaign signs were visible at the corner. The signs were for Ackles, Cumberland County Sheriff candidate Troy McDuffie, Superior Court Judge Stephen Stokes, and District Court Judge Cheri Siler-Mack. All are Democrats. Three of McDuffie’s were defaced.
The only signs vandalized were ones with candidates’ photos on them; ones without photos appeared untouched. Some of the pictures were scribbled on. Two candidate photos—of Stokes and McDuffie—had drawings of earrings, eyelashes, and lipstick added.
Ackles expressed anger.
“I’m leaving my damaged sign exactly where it is,” she wrote on Facebook.
“Let people see it. Let it stand as a reminder that racial hostility and political intimidation have not disappeared from our communities,” she said.
All of the candidates whose signs were vandalized are Black; as of Saturday, only Black candidates had signs at that corner with their pictures on them.
The election is November 3 with in-person early voting beginning October 15. Check CityView’s 2026 Voter Guide for more details on voting, candidates, and ballot measures.
Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com.
