Who is Getting the Alzheimers Vote in Ohio?

Another interesting story comes to us out of Ohio. This one raises a few questions, but centers on voting by people who may not be in a position to make responsible decisions about their vote.

Examples of possible voter fraud in Ohio stretch from the farmlands to the West Coast.

In Highland County, 95-year-old Mildred Meddock registered and voted for the first time in her life despite her advanced Alzheimer’s disease.

Her granddaughters learned of her newfound patriotism when they visited the nursing home where Meddock lives and saw an “I voted today” sticker on her clothing.

Records show that Meddock registered Sept. 26 when two Highland County Board of Elections employees visited the home, Heartland of Hillsboro, about 65 miles south of Columbus. Four other residents also were registered and voted that day.

“I’m hot. I’m livid,” said granddaughter Chrystal Brown. “A month ago, she couldn’t tell you her name she was so bad, and, depending on what time of day it is, her name is the only thing she can tell you.“

It’s certainly enough to raise eyebrows, but there are also a few other questions to be answered. First of all, the article doesn’t give any indication who she voted for. Not that it really matters, because it’s worth looking into anyway, but that could speak to a potential larger problem.

But it’s also problematic to immediately throw the actual “voter fraud” flag on cases like this. You might certainly question how “competent” Mrs. Meddock is to select a candidate, but is that a violation of the law? I have a similar situation in my family which I have to deal with, but votes are being cast. There are more than enough young, healthy people in this country who will vote this year, but probably couldn’t tell you the position any of the candidates hold on the issues. Should this woman be barred from voting?

I suppose the real question comes over the question of the people who registered her and facilitated her voting. It sounds as if she’s definitely a legal resident of age to register, so did they go into the booth with her, or fill out her ballot for her? If so, then we have a clear violation of the law. Did they, instead, “suggest” that she vote for one candidate or the other and leave her to vote on her own? How should we deal with situations such as this?

The article points out a few more incidents which are clearly stinking up the joint.

* A man who most recently lived at Rescue Mission in Syracuse, N.Y. He listed his address as 154 E. Long St. Downtown. There’s no such address. The 49-year-old man never has registered to vote in New York.

* A 27-year-old man who has lived in Kentucky since 1998 listed his address as 2462 Parsons Ave. That address, if it existed, would fall somewhere below the Rt. 104 overpass near the railroad tracks in a heavily industrialized area of the South Side.

* A 33-year-old native Californian who voted in Ohio on Oct. 4 using the address of a German Village house. The current resident of that house and the Californian were roommates at UCLA in the mid-1990s. The California native is registered as a permanent vote-by-mail voter in San Francisco County, meaning that he can vote there as well. He had utilities connected at his new business address in San Francisco on Sept. 1. His MySpace account, last updated in August, lists his address in San Francisco.

Shenanigans may indeed be afoot!