I was extremely upset to read in the Feb. 2 Sun Journal the comments made by Rep. Josanne Dolloff in reference to a proposal to increase the amount of time that ballots can be processed by municipal clerks.
While Rep. Dolloff is allowed her opinion on the matter, it is completely inappropriate to describe these invaluable city employees as potentially unethical and corrupt. As a resident of Auburn and a current city councilor I have seen Auburn’s city clerk, Susan Clements-Dallaire, work tirelessly to ensure the sanctity of our voting process and protect each voter’s ballot.
The countless hours Ms. Clements-Dallaire and her staff spend ensuring that votes are protected and counted during a regular election is laudable. The additional time and effort spent during this recent election, nothing less than heroic.
If Ms. Dolloff has doubts about the procedure, let her watch the process from beginning to end. During two recent vote recounts, I was awestruck by the care taken to ensure that the locked boxes containing ballots were treated with reverence and care. I am disgusted that Ms. Dollof would intimate that any town clerk would tamper with a ballot in such an unethical way.
I challenge Rep. Dolloff to meet the town clerks in Rumford, Beverly Thorne and Beth Bellegarde. And to learn about the work they do and who they are as fellow community members, and then decide if she stands by her unfounded and inappropriate accusations.
Holly Lasagna, Auburn
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