GOP official questions ballot process

SANDPOINT — A Republican election challenger is at odds with Bonner County’s Democratic clerk over the certification of absentee ballots that are being turned in advance of Tuesday’s general election.

Larry Spencer alleges that absentee ballots will be counted even though the envelopes they arrived in have been “tampered” with. Clerk Marie Scott called the allegation “outrageous” and contends Spencer is mistaken about the duties as an election challenger.

Spencer asserts that Idaho Code enables him to challenge whether signatures on the absentee ballot envelopes match signatures on voter registration cards and have an election judge rule on the authenticity of the autograph.

Spencer turned up the Bonner County Clerk’s Office on Thursday intending check signatures, but was not allowed to and discovered that deputy clerks were verifying the signatures.

Scott, who faces Republican Bud Mueller in Tuesday’s election, said the absentee ballot process is being strictly followed.

“I believe he was confused as to what his role was. A challenger can challenge a voter’s registration,” she said. “His intent was to decide which ballot was going to be acceptable — which ones he would allow me to accept and which ones he wouldn’t.”

Spencer further contends that absentee ballots that have come through the mail with broken seals are being taped shut and counted as legitimate ballots.

“There is no way of knowing if such tampering may have happened after the ballot was deposited in a rural mailbox or even by a person who handled it after it was received by the clerk’s office,” Spencer said in a statement.

Scott said many ballot envelopes come through the mail with inadequate seals and deputy clerks tape them shut to maintain the secrecy of the ballot.

“I run one of the tightest ships in this state when it comes to the conduct of elections,” said Scott.

Spencer, who mistrusts Scott because she’s up for election, also points out that several thousands of absentee ballots have been distributed but only two have come back without signatures on the envelopes. Spencer said three times as many absentee ballots were issued in Kootenai County and as many as 30 have come back without signatures.

“Unless the people of Bonner County are roughly nine times as conscientious about making sure they sign their names it just seems a little odd, like there’s some other explanation,” he said.

Scott said three ballots have come in without signatures.

“I think it’s a pretty good record,” she said. “We should be commended, not condemned.”