By Mark Johannsen, Contributing Editor
Portage County Clerk Samantha Gustavson warned residents on Monday about the need for honesty and security with absentee ballots. These ballots, which allow residents to vote even if they are going to be out of town on election day, are “official, legal documents,” she warned.
Gustavson warned that the county clerk’s office has sophisticated ways of detecting malfeasance, and that attempting to forge a ballot is just “not worth it.” According to Ohio state voting laws, anyone convicted of voting twice could face up to 2 years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
This news release comes on the heels of recent accusations by Republican leadership that voter fraud is a serious problem in the country. When asked if voter fraud is a serious problem in Portage County, Gustavson responded:
From: Ines Mendina, Aurora resident
Date: October 17
Dear Mrs. Gustavson,
I was very upset to read your press release about potential voter fraud with absentee ballots in our county. In an article written in the Aurora Advocate, you stated that you don’t believe voter fraud is a problem in our county. So, why did you need to write a press release about it? We have a serious problem in our country with misinformation, and these types of thoughtless warnings only add fuel to the fire.
Republicans in Congress and the Oval Office are screaming about voter fraud and the threat that it poses on our country with no evidence to suggest that any of this fraud is occurring. Warnings like yours only feed into this rhetoric. Residents see your warning and hear Republican leaders shouting about voter fraud and begin to think that this is a real problem in our county.
If you don’t think voter fraud is a real problem in Portage County, why didn’t you also mention that in your press release? I find it hard to believe that you’re intentionally providing misinformation to our residents in order to sow distrust in the voting process, but whether it was intentional or not, that’s what you have done. Everyone in this country deserves the right to vote and have their voice heard, and it’s carelessness like this that threatens that right.
Absentee ballots serve an important role in the voting process, and warnings like these could motivate voters to call for a ban on all absentee votes. Please have your office immediately release a statement expressing your lack of concern over actual voter fraud.
Sincerely, Ines Mendina