Cuyahoga County Board of Elections issues statement re notices being sent by Ohio Democratic Party [ UPDATED]

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections issued the following statement this morning concerning postcards sent out by the Ohio Democratic Party:

VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT RETURN NOTICES SENT BY THE OHIO DEMOCRATIC MAY NOT BE ACCURATE

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections wants voters to be aware that large white postcards sent by the Ohio Democratic Party that claim the recipient has not returned their ballot, in many cases is false.  

The Board continues to get hundreds of phone calls from voters who are concerned that their ballot has not arrived at the Board.

Voters need to know that if they have received one of these postcards they can call the Board at 216-443-VOTE (8683) to confirm their ballot has arrived at the Board.  Voters may also visit the Board’s website www.443vote.com and use the ballot tracker tool to confirm their ballot has been received.

It would appear that the postcards may be going out before the records get updated. In any event, checking with the Board is the best way to make sure your ballot gets counted.

UPDATE:

A few hours after the above post, we received an email from Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Kirstin Alvanitakis that essentially confirmed our supposition that many absentee ballots were returned after the Party mailed out its postcard reminders. Alvanitakis attributed this to “a delay in mail service”, and said the party’s mailing gives voters information about how to confirm their absentee ballots have been accepted by election officials.

Alvanitakis pointed out that in 2008, before he was elected Governor, John Kasich tried to vote absentee but “his ballot was never received or counted.” She said if he “had received our postcard, it might have reminded him to contact the Delaware County Board of Elections in time to rectify the situation and allow him to cast a provisional ballot.”

Alvanitakis’ email reply ended with the sensible suggestion that “absentee voters should always track their ballots online or reach out to their county board of elections to confirm their ballots were received and accepted."

Clearly, if you vote by mail, you should follow the Board's advice and call 216.443.VOTE [8683] or visit www.443VOTE.com and check the status of your ballot.

T​he GOP is Trapped with Trump: But America Must Not Be — By Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr.

Op - Ed

 

Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr.

For 52 years the GOP has been moving toward a Trump-like candidate. In 1964, the Goldwater movement captured the Republican Party’s nomination for president. Goldwater voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Bill. Goldwater was defeated by President Lyndon Johnson. It was a landslide victory for President Johnson. However, the Goldwater forces crushed the moderate wing of the Republican Party. Rockefeller, Javits, Case, Scranton, Margaret Chase Smith and others were marginalized.

Richard Nixon made a comeback in 1968 because the war in Vietnam had critically divided the Democratic Party and the nation. The Civil Rights movement caused the Southern Democrats to leave the Democratic Party and Nixon embraced them — including the George Wallace Democrats. The Southern democrats really began their exodus in 1948, but did not make a full-scale exodus until the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Bill.

President Carter won in 1976 but the religious and political right wing went all out for Reagan in 1980. Reagan gave a welcome carpet and comfort to the South with a states’ rights appeal. The GOP for the first time in its history formed an almost solid coalition with the Old Confederacy.

However, a new generation of voters appeared on the scene of the political horizon and embraced the leadership of young President Obama. This new coalition of voters elected President Obama twice. The Republican Party did not develop platforms of creative ideas but instead built a House of Hate. For eight years they have almost congratulated themselves on who could be the most extreme haters of President Obama. These insidious, almost unrestrained attacks against the President and his family not only built a partisan House of Hate but made total room for a partisan monster. My son, Reverend Dr. Otis Moss, III says the underlying message of Frankenstein is that he eventually turns against those who created him.

When Trump was leading the “birther initiative”, the GOP was essentially silent. Years ago, Dr. King said: “There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” We can also say there are times when silence is sinful. When Frankenstein was trying to destroy President Obama, too many “good” people were silent. Now a monstrous spirit is choking the GOP and threatening the nation. This House of Hate has become a national cancer, a smoldering volcano with international implications. The ugly fact is, not only has a segment of the GOP been hating President Obama for eight years; they have been hating Mrs. Clinton for almost 25 years. This House of Hate has produced a monster that is now threatening its creators.

There is another complication. The monster is not alone. There is an army of followers prepared to do almost anything their new leader tells them to do. Not just against Mrs. Clinton and other Democrats but against Republicans as well.

There is still another danger. It is the suicidal and/or homicidal path that says: “Ignore the top of the ticket and vote the down ticket. Do not make a decision at the top of the ticket.” This is like saying: “Let’s not have a leader or president for the next four years.” Would you recommend this for your company, industry, corporation, business, family, university, city or state for four years? I heard and saw this in 1968 and we got Richard Nixon, Watergate and a national disaster.

Anyone who thinks that Donald Trump is equally as qualified as Hillary Clinton to be President of the United States of America and world leader does not know the difference between sunrise and sunset. Mrs. Clinton on her worst days is 100 times better than Mr. Trump on his best day. She is better in qualification, preparation, participation and dedication in national and global affairs.

For the sake of Democrats and Republicans … For the sake of generations not yet born … For the sake of Mr. Trump himself and the entire nation, he should not be our next president.

After November 8, there will be an urgent need for a dynamic movement of love, justice, and reconciliation … A movement to end decades of hate and injustice. It will not be a new movement but it will need new prophets, apostles, disciples and women and men of faith, courage, love and commitment. This is our task. No President can lead alone.

We have yet to overcome over 400 years of slave-trading, slavery, discrimination, lynchings, assassinations, racism, hate, sexism, bigotry, poverty, homophobia, inequality, fear, oppression, violence and despair. Every president needs pastors, prophets, teachers and activists to do things that presidents can never do alone, i.e., build “a more perfect union.”

The Trump Trap is a threat to everyone including the GOP and the whole nation.

The Reverend Dr. Otis Moss, Jr. is Pastor Emeritus of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland Ohio and Founder of the Love, Justice and Reconciliation Ministry.

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