Read on Twitter
. @FrankLaRose, Ohio's GOP Secretary of State, won't publicly refute the president's repeated allegations of vote-by-mail fraud.
So, I will: Trump is dead wrong. The system has many safeguards in place, and Ohio voters should not listen to him. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1249132374547464193
So, I will: Trump is dead wrong. The system has many safeguards in place, and Ohio voters should not listen to him. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1249132374547464193
I already refuted Trump's claims point by point here. And the Sec of State office did offer to me info helpfully explaining the reasons why the vote is secure: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2020/04/10/dont-listen-to-president-trump-ohios-mail-in-primary-is-secure/
Trump thinks he's attacking Democrats, but in reality he's implicitly saying the Ohio election overseen by LaRose, a Republican, will be be illegitimate.
LaRose has many rightful defenses here, but he also welcomed Trump off his plane prior to the Toledo rally. So...
LaRose has many rightful defenses here, but he also welcomed Trump off his plane prior to the Toledo rally. So...
Back to the vote.
The theory is that with mail voting, you can't verify citizens' identification like at the physical polls, and thus random people can stuff the ballot by using other voters' names. To quote a certain Delaware Democrat, that's a bunch of malarkey.
The theory is that with mail voting, you can't verify citizens' identification like at the physical polls, and thus random people can stuff the ballot by using other voters' names. To quote a certain Delaware Democrat, that's a bunch of malarkey.
In Ohio, voters aren't just mailed a blank ballot and told to have at it.
They have to submit a request first. That application includes voter ID (last 4 ss digits, license no., etc).
Their signature also has to match the voter signature already on file.
They have to submit a request first. That application includes voter ID (last 4 ss digits, license no., etc).
Their signature also has to match the voter signature already on file.
The signature is key: elections officials crosscheck the original voter registration.
This check led to thousands of voters -- many of them legitimate -- getting their absentee requests denied in the 2018 election, @AP reported: https://apnews.com/ddfed70e98d79cf0bee49eb1d9fd85b9
This check led to thousands of voters -- many of them legitimate -- getting their absentee requests denied in the 2018 election, @AP reported: https://apnews.com/ddfed70e98d79cf0bee49eb1d9fd85b9
Your county BoE makes sure everything checks out, then sends you the ballot, which once again includes the same voter ID check as with the absentee application.
The ballot is mailed back in a sealable envelope. And Ohio's Sec of State even offers a "track your ballot" feature!
The ballot is mailed back in a sealable envelope. And Ohio's Sec of State even offers a "track your ballot" feature!
The results will be counted on April 28.
Until then, ballots received are stored in county BoE offices under lock and key. The rooms can only be accessed by a Republican elections worker and a Democrat elections worker IN TANDEM.
Until then, ballots received are stored in county BoE offices under lock and key. The rooms can only be accessed by a Republican elections worker and a Democrat elections worker IN TANDEM.
There will also be a post-election audit to "confirm the accuracy of the election," per the Ohio Sec of State office.
So let's recap:
- voters verify their ID & signature in two separate instances
- each county crosschecks the info with voter registration data on file
- voters are stored securely & require bipartisan access
- there's a post-election audit
Literally what more could you want
- voters verify their ID & signature in two separate instances
- each county crosschecks the info with voter registration data on file
- voters are stored securely & require bipartisan access
- there's a post-election audit
Literally what more could you want
LaRose didn't ask for a vote-only-by-mail system. The legislature chose it.
But LaRose has still spent the intervening weeks educating voters on the new system/promoting voter access. The system he leads is secure.
Trump doesn't care, and wants to suppress the vote. Period.
But LaRose has still spent the intervening weeks educating voters on the new system/promoting voter access. The system he leads is secure.
Trump doesn't care, and wants to suppress the vote. Period.
