Commentary: In Praise of Everyday Government

By R. T. Andrews

It’s Sunday afternoon and I have just returned from voting in person at the Board of Elections. It was a thoroughly satisfying experience in every sense of the word.

The plan was to vote curbside, an accommodation by the Board for those who are either disabled or at high risk of exposure to COVID-19. But an officer monitoring traffic, apparently unfamiliar with the procedure, denied its existence. Fortunately, we were armed with ballot familiarity, face shields,  N-95 masks, warm clothing, and hand sanitizer, and decided to stand in what was, at 4:20PM or so, a fairly short line on East 30^th Street extending only halfway down the block from Euclid to Chester. 

The sidewalk was marked with a green "X" every six feet, the line proceeded with alacrity, and we were soon enough at the door, where a pair of nurses stood digitally measuring forehead temperatures. We next entered a labyrinth of plastic sheeting that doubled back on itself again and again so many times that the hundred feet we might actually have covered felt more like ten times that, but not in any cloistered or uncomfortable way. A reassuring number of Board employees and County Sheriff deputies stood all along the path, giving us a feeling that we were in a safe space engineered for both safety and efficiency. 

When we got to the place of signing in and receiving our ballots, I noticed a Board employee with disinfectant spraying the place where a previous voter had sat. After verifying my identity [government issued photo ID] and confirmation of my address, I was given a printed ballot, instructed on how to complete it, an “I VOTED” sticker, and directions to a voting spot where I could stand or sit to complete my voting responsibilities. Five minutes later I was done.

The entire process, from getting in line to scanning my ballot at the end, took less than an hour. And I was sure, as always, to complete my ballot all the way to the end. If I skipped a judicial contest or two, it was an intentional statement and not an action born of fear or ignorance.

In addition to relief at having completed an important task, I felt a certain joy and camaraderie at completing a communal activity with my fellow citizens. I appreciated the palpable sense of collective responsibility among my fellow masked electors. 

I give kudos to our public officials, from the elected Secretary of State to our appointed County Board of Elections, to the Board’s professional staff, as well as to any volunteers or temporary employees involved in this year’s elections. 

It’s not a simple government operation in the best of times, and we are far from the best of times. We are in the midst of a life-threatening and life-altering pandemic, our economy is a wreck, our civil rights and liberties are under constant assault from well-organized foes both foreign and domestic, and our nation is in peril. People we should not trust are telling us we cannot trust ourselves, that our public officials are illegitimate, ill-meaning, and/or incompetent. 

Thousands of people are early voting in person in Cuyahoga County every day, in a complex operation across multiple jurisdictions. My vote today, along with the unprecedented numbers of early and absentee voters to date, both here and around the country, is not just a direct rebuke to the President and all others acting in collusion with him — yes, there is collusion — to undermine faith in our electoral system. It is also a testament of the efficiency and intelligence of many of our government systems that, notwithstanding their imperfections, constantly work to serve us all. We should continue to support them, even as we work to improve their operation and ensure evermore equitable access to their resources.

I hope and believe that Americans in 2020 will continue to vote in record-breaking numbers all across the nation. It may not be as easy for millions for them as it was for me today, but I assure them the rewards will be at least as sweet.

If that happens, I will stand in assured accord with Victor Laszlo  from Casablanca and repeat his resolute and immortal words: “This time I know our side will win!”

• • •• • •

This article originally appeared in The Real Deal Press. Republished with permission.

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.

NEWS BULLETIN: Elections Board Verifies East Cleveland annexation signatures

Issue could be on ballot in March

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has completed its review of petition signatures submitted by Gary Norton, the Mayor of East Cleveland, on Wednesday, July 15, 2015.

The Board has verified that the petitioners have reached or exceeded the minimum required number of 559 valid signatures. Of the 1,613 signatures submitted, 827 of the signatures (51%) were certified as valid. Ohio law requires the signature was valid only if it was that of a registered voter who had actually cast a ballot in the November 2013 General Election.

According to Board of Elections director Pat McDonald, elected officials of the cities of Cleveland and East Cleveland are now responsible for moving the annexation process forward. “There are many steps still remaining in this process for both cities. The earliest that this issue could be on the ballot would be the March 2016 Presidential Primary Election.”

Provided below is a brief summary of the next steps of the annexation process, as contained in a statement released by the elections board:

● once the certified petition is presented to the City of East Cleveland, the City has 30 days to appoint three commissioners who will be responsible for negotiating the terms of the annexation with the City of Cleveland.

● The City of Cleveland will then have 30 days to appoint its own three commissioners to negotiate annexation terms.

● the six commissioners will have 120 days to negotiate annexation terms. Only four of the six commissioners must agree upon the terms in order to proceed.

● once terms are agreed upon, both cities will have 30 days to certify the issue to the Board of Elections.

● If the Board of Elections receives the issue by December 16, 2015, it will be placed on the ballot for the March 15, 2016 Primary Election. If received after December 16, 2015, the issue will be placed on the ballot for the November 8, 2016 General Election.

If all of the requirements for annexation are met, the Cleveland City Council has the option of putting the issue before their voters or approving the annexation by a vote of Council.

This issue has implications that go far beyond the respective borders of Cleveland and East Cleveland. We'll tell you what they are and why in our post on Monday.

Board puts Jordan on ballot by unanimous vote

East Cleveland Council President Joy Jordan will be on the Democratic primary mayoral ballot on October 1 along with incumbent Gary Norton and Vernon Robinson.

The vote to certify Jordan's candidacy was 4-0.

Full story to follow towards end of day.

Board of Elections considering Jordan petition, may allow her candidacy

Full house for hearing on Jordan petition at Board of Elections meeting. East Cleveland Mayor Norton is in first row, 2d from left. Attorney Pittman, attorney for Council President Joy Jordan, is fifth from left, same row. Jordan is standing along the wall in turquoise blouse. Ms Stanton stands in front of Jordan.

Attorney Pittman has just dropped a bombshell, claiming that Ms Cheryl Stanton did not sign or agree to be an elector for Vernon Robinson, and that she was put on Mr. Robinson's petition without her knowledge or approval.

Mr. Robinson has been certified as a candidate in the Democratic mayoral primary, along with the incumbent Gary Norton. Ms Stanton's name appears as an elector on the petitions of both Mr. Robinson and Council president Joy Jordan.

The City of East Cleveland, per law director Ronald Riley, is arguing that East Cleveland's charter implies that an elector can sign AS AN ELECTOR, only one mayoral candidate's petition.

Jordan's attorney, Daryl Pittman, is making a very effective presentation on his client's behalf.

Norton to remain on ballot for East Cleveland mayoral primary

Discussion is now taking place regarding the issues of (A) standing and (B) the issuance of a certificate to Gary Norton entitling him to hold office. Board member Eben (Sandy) McNair is telling Mr. Silvera that the Board’s staff has advised that Mr. Norton is now in compliance. Mr. Silvera is arguing that that Mr. Norton remains in noncompliance under Ohio Revised Code 3517.

I have just completed a hasty review of the confidential report of the county prosecutor’s July 15, 2013 report, “Opinion Regarding Compliance with Ohio Law for Issuing Certificates of Election and Nomination”. The Board during this meeting authorized the release of this opinion to the public.

It appears that the Board “[is] not authorized to restrict a person from becoming a candidate. The statute only comes into effect when such person is successful in the election and the Board then determines that it must withhold the certificate of nomination or election.” [Legal Opinion of David G. Lambert, chief of the civil division of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office.]

The Board just voted 4-0 at 10:13am to deny Mr. Silvera's petition due to his lack of standing to bring the challenge [i.e., he is a Republican bringing a challenge to a candidate of a party of which he is not a member.]

The Board did express appreciation for Mr. Silvera's "public service" in bringing these issues to its attention and advised him to submit further information for consideration relative to whether Mr. Norton may be certified as a public official in the event he wins re-election in November.

The Board will shortly be moving on to the issue of Mr. Norton's primary opponents.