Unnecessary doubts cast on mail-in voting
Free and fair elections are a crucial pillar to a successful democracy. This upcoming presidential election will look different from any previous election in the United States. With the pandemic spreading and fears of a second wave, mail-in ballots will be relied upon more heavily than ever before. For many, this is a cause for great concern.
In August 2020, an NBC News/WSJ Poll conducted a survey of 900 Americans that asked various questions relating to their confidence in the upcoming presidential election. According to the survey, more than half (51%) of the participants are not confident that votes cast by mail will be counted accurately. When asked generally whether they believe the overall results of the election would be accurately counted, the participants in the survey were split evenly.
These results are concerning for multiple reasons. The first of which is that little evidence exists to justify this level of skepticism. According to an NPR article by Miles Parks, in the past 20 years there have been 143 convictions relating to mail-in ballot election fraud. In comparison to the approximately 250 million mail-in ballots over the same time frame, that “averages out to about one case per state every six or seven years, or a fraud rate of 0.00006%.” This is not to say that there are no legitimate concerns to address regarding the electoral process. However, these outliers cannot be used to perpetuate an overall distrust that discredits the entire election system.
An additional cause for concern is the fact that voter perception of electoral accuracy has a significant impact on voter turnout. The perception of an inaccurate election process will lead to substantially lower electoral participation.
Consequently, this would lead to a less accurate election, as it would represent a smaller percentage of American citizens.
Elections should be regularly scrutinized for fairness and accuracy. However, it has been repeatedly shown that mail-in or absentee ballots do not result in an increased fraud rate. Come November, there will be serious consequences without a restored confidence in this nation’s elections.
Jesse Keller
Morgantown
Prestonian vows to keep attending BLM marches
This letter is in response to the guest essay by Dr. Jerry Carr Jr. (DP-09-22-20).
I, too, attended the Black Lives Matter march in Kingwood on Sept. 12. In short, I totally agree with his observation that The Dominion Post’s reporting on this event provided a neutral platform for the hate-filled venom that was being shouted by white supremacists who attended the march. At 73 years old and sometimes unable to keep up with the BLM peaceful marchers, I found myself frightened to be outnumbered and surrounded by automatic weapons in the hands of men shouting neo-Nazi racist slogans while hiding behind banners of “Make America Great Again” and “Four More Years.”
I came home from the march feeling something I have never felt before — ashamed of Preston County and Kingwood. These “opposition” demonstrators have no right to tarnish my pride in being a native West Virginian. And so, when the next BLM march occurs, I will be there. I will bury my fear and stand up for what I believe will truly make America and West Virginia great again. In short, I will stand up for justice, equality and love for ALL the people of this great state and nation.
I will not be silenced by the shroud of hate the DP failed to recognize or report in Kingwood on Sept. 12.
Sheila Mays
Kingwood
Senators’ letter to WVU, Marshall was ignorant
As a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen of West Virginia for 39 years, I take issue with and am extremely angry and offended by West Virginia Republican senators attempting to label the Black Lives Matter MOVEMENT as a “domestic terrorist organization.” I am profoundly ashamed by the words and actions of these elected officials who choose to proclaim their ignorance, hatred and bigotry for all the world to witness.
Does this mean that these senators support the racist Nazi thugs who disrupted the peaceful BLM demonstration in Kingwood? Will they come out to proclaim that those white supremacists bearing assault weapons are “very good people,” much like our racist, bigoted, hate-mongering president? These misguided, ignorant senators should keep in mind that their racism is on display for all the world to see.
I would ask them: How will your bigotry and ignorance help West Virginia? Will your hatred help tourism among decent people and families, rather than sending a message to bigots that racism is welcome and encouraged here? What’s next, a Klan convention in Charleston? Will your ignorance attract new business or encourage decent people to come here to seek a peaceful and prosperous life? Ask yourselves if your ignorance and hatred actually reflect the feelings and mindset of the West Virginia citizenry; I choose to think otherwise.
At this moment, I am ashamed to call myself a Mountaineer. I would rather think of myself as an American citizen with the misfortune to be living in a backwards, wholly unattractive state where ignorance, bigotry and hatred are glorified and encouraged. That’s not what my America is. Citizens of West Virginia don’t deserve this. We are better than this. This is not who we are. How dare these Republican senators bring shame upon us for no good reason other than to fan the fires of division and hatred and to draw attention to themselves in all of their ignorance. Shame. On. You. All.
Elaine Wolfe
Morgantown
In support of Ed Hawkins and Joe Statler
The Monongalia County Volunteer Fire Companies Association is endorsing Ed Hawkins for Monongalia County Commission.
Mr. Hawkins has supported the Volunteer Fire Departments since he was first elected. He volunteered to be the commission’s representative to the Fire Association. He attended our monthly meetings and kept us informed of issues that pertained to us.
The Fire Association also supports Joe Statler for West Virginia House of Delegates. Mr. Statler is a strong supporter of first responders. Even when he did not get reelected, he continued to go to Charleston and work for the volunteer fire departments and first responders. Joe works for everyone.
Please consider voting for Ed Hawkins and Joe Statler in the upcoming election.
Sandra Sue Christopher
Monongalia County Volunteer Fire Companies Association secretary
Morgantown
To Sen. Capito: Don’t support SCOTUS nominee
I am appalled that the Republicans are pushing ahead with Trump’s efforts to fill the Supreme Court appointment before the election. I think they are very concerned about losing the election. And although emotions continue to run high on both sides of the political spectrum, and each side is pushing for an advantage, Trump’s latest utterance that imply he may not allow for a peaceful transition should he lose the election is maybe his most harmful and frightening comment to date.
As a progressive, it is not at all surprising that his policies are mostly abhorrent to me. But for the Republican senators to be willing to continue to support him in his efforts is very disturbing.
I urge Sen. Shelly Moore Capito to withhold her support for his Supreme Court nomination until Trump ceases his behavior regarding undermining our constitution and trying to discredit an election that has not even occurred.
Shame on you, Sen. Capito, and shame on the other Republican senators who continue to turn a blind eye to Trump’s outrageous behavior. Do America a favor and stop this madness.
Cecil Pollard
Morgantown
In support of Petsonk for Attorney General
Vote for Sam Brown Petsonk for our attorney general. I watched Sam grow up. As an elementary school student, he was already interested in justice and public service. As a teenager, he dreamed of becoming a lawyer who would use his skills to offer first-class legal representation to the hard working people of our state and Sam fulfilled those dreams. Along the way, he learned about public service as an advisor to Sen. Byrd. Sam still carries a copy of the U.S. Constitution in his pocket.
As a young lawyer, he worked for coal miners and other working people, rather than seeking the more lucrative legal opportunities available to someone with his ability. He worked for Mountain State Justice, a program that, as its title suggests, seeks justice for West Virginians.
Now Sam is running for statewide office and believes that an attorney general should be a lawyer who fights for all of us, not just the selected few. He believes that those with preexisting health issues should get affordable health care and that the health insurance used by so many West Virginians under the Affordable Care Act is worth keeping. In contrast, his opponent, Patrick Morrisey, has joined our state to a lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. If Morrisey is successful, many of us will be denied health insurance because of our preexisting conditions, while others learn that they have no health insurance at all.
In a state ravaged by drugs that made fortunes for pharmaceutical companies while killing so many West Virginians, we do not need Morrisey, an attorney general who spent years lobbying for the pharmaceutical industry. And who approved low-ball settlements for pharmaceutical companies for the damage they did to West Virginia.
Morrisey ran for Congress in New Jersey, but New Jersey rejected his candidacy. It is time we joined New Jersey and told Morrisey that West Virginians do not need him either.
To learn more about Sam, go to: https://www.samforwv.com/
Allan N. Karlin
Morgantown
