Poll Watchers Keeping Close Eye on Election After Allegations of Fraud

Poll watchers will be keeping a close eye on Tuesday’s primary election in Dearborn Heights after Arab-Americans who tried to vote absentee ballots complained of voter suppression and discrimination.

At a press conference Saturday, the Arab-American Anti Discrimination Committeee asked for federal elections officials to monitor the primary after some voters claimed City Clerk Walter Prusiewicz had mishandled hundreds of absentee ballots, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Prusiewicz had defended his actions, and the Michigan Bureau of Elections said it is looking into allegations by the clerk that the absentee ballots were fraudulently requested.

Prusiewicz reported what he thought were irregularities involving about 250 absentee ballot requests from people who appeared to be associated with the campaign of state Rep. David Knezek of Dearborn Heights, who is running for the 5th District Senate seat in the Democratic primary, The Detroit News reports.

Both Knezek and Prusiewicz have denied any wrongdoing.

The state elections director seems to be siding with the city clerk.

Elections director Sally Williams said in a letter to the ADC-Michigan that “it appears clear that hundreds of AV (absent voter) ballot requests have been illegally handled, solicited from voters and submitted to the clerk’s office by a small number of individuals. The investigation of these issues is ongoing and may result in criminal charges against those involved.”

The Bureau said it does not have the authority to remove Prusiewicz from office, as ADC-Michigan requested, but would have officials on hand Tuesday to monitor the elections.

The Michigan Secretary of State’s Office, which manages elections, is “committed to ensuring a fair and orderly election” and will follow up on any evidence of voter suppression or discrimination, spokesman Fred Woodhams said.

On Saturday, Dawud Walid, the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the response demonstrates the need for the federal government to step in with oversight.

“In these types of matters historically from Florida to other states, we’ve needed the federal government to step in to make sure that voters have not been and are not being disenfranchised...,” he said. “So we need the protection of the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure community confidence that this is going to be a free, fair election and that ... our mutual constituents are not being blocked from the polls.”

“Sadly and ... what seems to be the case today, the No. 1 response historically to claims of voter suppression is the all-too-common story of voter fraud and historically voter fraud claims are raised only after credible claims of voter suppression, as we have in this instance,” Fatina Abdrabboh, director of the ADC-Michigan, added.

The Michigan Election Coalition held a training session at ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services) headquarters Monday to help poll watchers recognize voter intimidation.

In general, “people should be thinking, “How can I solve problems, not make problems,’ ” Sharon Dolente, the director of the Michigan Election Coalition, said.