Dem candidate for Blackwell's job says it’s time for honest elections

[Algorem]

http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=21435

By BETH L. JOKINEN

LIMA — ...

Brunner, a former Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge, was legislative counsel and deputy director for former Secretary of State Sherrod Brown. She said she was dismayed in 2004 to see Blackwell use his job as secretary of state to campaign for State Issue 1 and for President Bush’s re-election.

“When I worked for Sherrod Brown back 20 years ago, it was understood, and we had a creed and we had a code that we could not go out and promote someone’s election, especially when we were counting the votes,” she said.

Brunner also talked about a state bill that would require people to provide identification when they vote. She urged people to tell their legislators to reject the bill, comparing it to the way blacks were disenfranchised after the end of slavery. Voting stipulations were put in place such as allowing a person to vote only if their grandfather or father was able to vote.

“They called that election reform back then, and it’s exactly what this bill is trying to do,” she said, saying that recent scandals involving the Republican Party have those in power wor-ried. “So if you can’t win fair and square, you change the rules so you can still stay in power, and I’m convinced that’s what they’re doing.”