In a recent decision, a local Ohio elections board has announced that the county sheriff’s department will no longer be involved in election security. This move follows a controversial social media post by Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski, who suggested that addresses of residents displaying Kamala Harris yard signs should be recorded so that immigrants could be relocated to their homes if the Democratic vice president wins the upcoming November election.
Randi Clites, the chair of the county board of elections, revealed on the Portage County Democrats’ Facebook page that the board voted 3-1 on Friday to exclude the sheriff’s department from security duties during in-person absentee voting. Clites cited public concerns about “perceived intimidation by our sheriff against certain voters,” emphasizing the importance of ensuring that every voter in Portage County feels safe casting their ballot for any candidate they choose.
Concerns escalated when a crowd of roughly 150 people attended a meeting at the Kent United Church of Christ, organized by the NAACP of Portage County. Many attendees expressed fear following Sheriff Zuchowski’s comments.
“I believe walking into a voting location where a sheriff deputy can be seen may discourage voters from entering,” Clites stated. She mentioned that the board is considering using existing private security at the administration building or enlisting the Ravenna police for security.
The controversy began when Sheriff Zuchowski posted a screenshot from a Fox News segment criticizing President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris over immigration. In his post, Zuchowski likened undocumented immigrants to “human locusts” and suggested logging the addresses of people with Harris yard signs to identify places for migrants to live, sarcastically referring to these households as “New families … who supported their arrival!”
Local Democrats quickly filed complaints with the Ohio secretary of state and other agencies. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio accused Zuchowski of issuing an unconstitutional “impermissible threat” against residents displaying political yard signs. While Republican Governor Mike DeWine labeled the comments as “unfortunate” and “not helpful,” the secretary of state’s office concluded that the remarks did not violate election laws and thus did not warrant any action.
Zuchowski, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, later posted that his comments “may have been a little misinterpreted??” Nevertheless, he insisted that voters must “accept responsibility for their actions” regardless of their choice of candidate.
Sheriff Zuchowski has yet to respond to a message seeking further comment. Having spent 26 years with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and serving as a part-time deputy sheriff before winning his current role in 2020, Zuchowski is now seeking reelection as the chief law enforcement officer of Portage County, located roughly an hour outside Cleveland.
