Independent Editor,
On October 18, I faxed letters from both myself and my husband (per the instructions on the Woodhull Township Clerk’s website) requesting absentee ballots for the upcoming election. After receiving no response by Oct. 28, I called the Woodhull Township Clerk’s office and left a message regarding these letters and the lack of response. My phone call was returned by Paula Starr, the Woodhull Township clerk who resigned a couple of months ago. She told me she
would be at the township hall between 9 and 11 a.m. the following day and we could come in then. (This was Saturday, Oct. 29).
At 9:58 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29 my husband and I arrived at the township hall. It was dark, locked, and there were no cars in the parking lot. I called the telephone number for the township clerk’s office and indicated that we were there, where was she. She had told me she would be there at that time. My telephone message was returned by Les Masters on Monday Oct. 31. He is the current Township clerk who is filling the remainder of Paula Starr’s term (even though he is not certified to run elections). He told me he would be at the township hall this morning, Wednesday, Nov. 2 and we could come by, fill out the applications and get our ballots. I arrived at the hall at 9:49 a.m. and again the hall was dark, locked, and there were no cars in the parking lot. Mr. Masters never specified this was an appointment. Just that he would be at the township hall.
At this point I find myself wondering if this is a deliberate Voter Suppression effort. There are no hours posted in the window of the township hall to specify when the clerk is working, so township residents have no idea when they can go to pick up an Absentee Ballot. There is a great deal of vitriol between the former Supervisor and many of the township residents, and the current officers, including
court proceedings alleging what can only be described as ‘made-up” charges, since the court has yet to see any evidence of wrong doing on the part of the former Supervisor.
The current officers are all from Scenic Lake Subdivision, in danger of losing their current appointments, and based on the fact they have held no public meetings before beginning litigation, I would say they are colluding to do anything they can to prevent any residents who support their opponents.
We just want to know, “What will it take to get the absentee ballots we requested,” and is this what “voter suppression” looks like? Seems that way to us. How do we get this investigated?
Randy and Marlene Scott, Perry