Feb 08, 2013
Think voter fraud doesn't exist? Think it doesn't matter in states like, oh I don't know...Ohio? Think again. More from John Fund:
The Hamilton County Board of Elections is investigating 19 possible cases of alleged voter fraud that occurred when Ohio was a focal point of the 2012 presidential election. A total of 19 voters and nine witnesses are part of the probe.But don't worry, she didn't really mean to vote twice, it just happened.
Democrat Melowese Richardson has been an official poll worker for the last quarter century and registered thousands of people to vote last year. She candidly admitted to Cincinnati’s Channel 9 this week that she voted twice in the last election.
According to county documents, Richardson's absentee ballot was accepted on Nov. 1, 2012 along with her signature. On Nov. 11, she told an official she also voted at a precinct because she was afraid her absentee ballot would not be counted in time.Yes, Ms. Richardson certainly wanted her vote to count...twice.
"There's absolutely no intent on my part to commit voter fraud," said Richardson.
According to BOE records, her name appeared on an absentee ballot list prior to Election Day. The board's report states poll workers should have updated the signature poll book by flagging "absentee voter" next to the names of those who appeared on the list. Upon investigation it was found that none of the voters who appeared on the list were flagged, which included Richardson. The staff could not locate that supplemental list when asked.
Richardson voted at the Madisonville Recreation Center where she worked as a paid worker on Election Day.
She has worked the polls since 1988. Richardson said in her youth she would accompany her mother, who also worked at the polls, even thought she wasn't old enough to vote at the time.
"I, after registering thousands of people, certainly wanted my vote to count. So, I voted. I voted at the poll," she said.
