HOUSTON -- Some Houston-area political signs were defaced on Election Day, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.

Miriam Garcia snapped photos when she found the signs at 6 a.m. in Missouri City.

The pictures show Republican political signs, including McCain-Palin signs, spray-painted with what looks like a Hitler head and cross-bones.

She got emotional talking about the symbols.

"We need to move forward," said Garcia. "Putting those on political signs is really hateful."

Another picture was sent to KPRC Local 2 from a resident in Kingwood.

An Obama-Biden sign was apparently spray-painted over with a swastika and profanity.

The person who sent the photo wanted to stay anonymous, scared something else might be done, but said in an e-mail, "Don't we have the right of express(ing) ideas without the fear of being attacked?"

"I think a great deal has to do with passion -- how many people are really, really involved," said Jeremy Grace, political expert with Rice University.

He told Local 2 it's misdirected freedom of speech. Both sides used the same symbols of hatred.

"The closest thing they can think of of that form of evil would be fascism, Hitler, and the Third Reicht," he said.