(Ravenna) A local election board in Ohio has announced that the county sheriff’s office will not be involved in election security following a social media post by the sheriff.
Published at 5:51 p.m.
The post in question said that people planting signs in support of Kamala Harris should have their addresses registered so that immigrants could 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 election board chairwoman Randi Clites said members voted 3-1 Friday to remove the sheriff’s office from responsibility for in-person absentee voting security.
Mme Clites cited public comments indicating “perceived intimidation by some voters from our sheriff” and the need to “ensure that every voter in Portage County feels safe voting for the candidate of their choice.”
A Ravenna Record-Courier article on the Akron Beacon Journal website reported that a day earlier, about 150 people packed into a room at Kent United Church of Christ for a meeting sponsored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People of Portage County, many expressing concern about the Sept. 13 comments.
“Entering a polling place where a deputy sheriff can be seen may discourage voters from entering,” Mr.me Clites. The council is considering using private security already in place at the administration building or having Ravenna police provide security, Mr.me Clites.
Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski posted a screenshot of a Fox News clip criticizing President Joe Biden and Mme Harris on immigration.
Comparing people illegally present in the United States to “human locusts,” he suggested recording the addresses of people holding signs supporting Mr.me Harris for when the migrants need a place to live. “We will already have the addresses of their new families who supported their arrival!” he thought it would be a good idea to write.
Local Democrats have filed complaints with the Ohio secretary of state and other agencies, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio has accused Mr. Zuchowski of making an unconstitutional “impermissible threat” against residents who want to display political yard signs.
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine called the comments “unfortunate” and “unnecessary.” The secretary of state’s office said the comments did not violate election laws and that it had no plans to take action.
Mr. Zuchowski, a Republican supporter of former President Donald Trump, said in a follow-up post last week that his comments “may have been misinterpreted a little bit.” He said, however, that while voters can choose who they want for president, they “have to accept responsibility for their actions.”
A message seeking comment was sent Sunday to Mr. Zuchowski, who spent 26 years with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and served as a part-time deputy sheriff before winning the top job in 2020. He is running for re-election as the chief law enforcement officer for the county in northeast Ohio, about an hour from Cleveland.
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