*Note: This is reader-submitted. Opinions and letters to the editor can be sent to news@crawfordcountynow.com

Dear Editor,

The Crawford County Board of Elections monthly meeting for August yesterday, looks like Bucyrus City Council Meetings. Do these board members and staff know what they are doing or understand the laws that they are to follow? Do they understand the Open Public Meeting Laws or even read them? What secrets are being kept from the public? I witnessed this meeting and what happened was nothing but unbelievable.

First of all, 25 invalid petitions were handled by the board. Some of these people according to the board, that their petition was Fatal in being completed. Basically they forgot to do something or didn’t write down the correct information. These people are sitting currently on Education Boards, Township Trustees and other elected officials in Villages of Crawford County. As one Board Member stated “Running for School Board and can’t fill it out right, should go back to school” Why did 25 people have problems in completing these petitions? Is there a major problem within the Board of Elections? Why the high turnover rate of employees within the office (not just poll workers)? Why can’t employees tell the truth about the facts? Why does only one person have access to the board minutes that could not be approved at this meeting?

What happened to the poll worker from Galion,who let this board know the true facts about an incident that happened in May of this year at Galion School polling station.Did the board do a full investigation into this matter or was it one sided? Why didn’t the board have someone else do the investigation on this matter? What about this person’s letter from their attorney on this matter? One board member stated “we need to clean up our act”.

Does the public understand that the board does not allow the public into the meeting room until the board is seated? Does the public understand that no one records the public meeting? Additionally, a quorum of the members often holds discussions before the meeting takes place and after it is over. Do people realize the public does not have full online access to information to be discussed prior to the meeting? Why wasn’t the County Prosecutor present at this meeting? He attended the meeting in July. Is his (the County Prosecutor) attendance mandatory?

In closing, It seems like they are more worried about getting their hotel location right for the January conference? One last comment that a board member stated “If it wasn’t for us, not much would go on in this building”.

Respectfully submitted,

Greg White 1125 Hillcrest Dr. Bucyrus, Ohio 44820