The Daily Populous Monday September 23rd, 2024 evening edition
Authored by apnews.com and submitted by slowburnangry

RAVENNA, Ohio (AP) — A local Ohio elections board says the county sheriff’s department will not be used for election security following a social media post by the sheriff saying people with Kamala Harris yard signs should have their addresses recorded so that immigrants can be sent to live with them if the Democratic vice president wins the November election.

In a statement on the Portage County Democrats’ Facebook page, county board of elections chair Randi Clites said members voted 3-1 Friday to remove the sheriff’s department from providing security during in-person absentee voting.

Clites cited public comments indicating “perceived intimidation by our sheriff against certain voters” and the need to “make sure every voter in Portage County feels safe casting their ballot for any candidate they choose.”

A Ravenna Record-Courier story on the Akron Beacon Journal site reported that a day earlier, about 150 people crowded into a room at the Kent United Church of Christ for a meeting sponsored by the NAACP of Portage County, many expressing fear about the Sept. 13 comments.

“I believe walking into a voting location where a sheriff deputy can be seen may discourage voters from entering,” Clites said. The board is looking at using private security already in place at the administration building or having Ravenna police provide security, Clites said.

Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski posted a screenshot of a Fox News segment criticizing President Joe Biden and Harris over immigration. Likening people in the U.S. illegally to “human locusts,” he suggested recording addresses of people with Harris yard signs so when migrants need places to live “we’ll already have the addresses of their New families ... who supported their arrival!”

Local Democrats filed complaints with the Ohio secretary of state and other agencies, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio accused Zuchowski of an unconstitutional “impermissible threat” against residents who want to display political yard signs. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine called the comments “unfortunate” and “not helpful.” The secretary of state’s office said the comments didn’t violate election laws and it didn’t plan any action.

Zuchowski, a Republican supporter of former President Donald Trump, said in a follow-up post last week that his comments “may have been a little misinterpreted??” He said, however, that while voters can choose whomever they want for president, they “have to accept responsibility for their actions.”

A message seeking comment was sent Sunday to Zuchowski, who spent 26 years with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and was a part-time deputy sheriff before winning the top job in 2020. He is running for reelection as the chief law enforcement officer of the northeast Ohio county about an hour outside of Cleveland.

N8CCRG on September 23rd, 2024 at 13:01 UTC »

Headline could be misinterpreted. This story is that previously the sheriff's department would provide election security, but after this sheriff's perceived threatening1 comments, the elections board has voted (3-1) not to let the sheriff's department provide security, and they're looking into private security instead.

1 A few days ago the Sheriff publicly said (in the context of dehumanizing comments about immigrants) people should write down the addresses of those with Harris signs in their yards. Many have interpreted this as threatening and intimidating.

Casanova_Fran on September 23rd, 2024 at 12:45 UTC »

I thought voter intimidation was illegal?

Were sliding back to Jim Crow.

rraattbbooyy on September 23rd, 2024 at 12:44 UTC »

Sanctioned voter intimidation on a countywide scale, backed and encouraged by law enforcement.