Letter from Ashley Fassett

Details Important in Clerk Position

I wish to bring to light some accurate details concerning the recent court case involving MacGuire Benton’s ballot petitions and a recent newspaper article. First and foremost, I initiated the challenge to the petitions, NOT Jennifer Basile. In fact, I submitted over 200 specific objections concerning the petitions to the Otsego County Board of Elections. The Democratic and Republican commissioners both agreed and ruled Benton’s Independent petitions invalid. Benton initiated a legal case against me and the two commissioners. So, he is well aware that it was not his opponent who made the challenge.

My objections included numerous errors of incomplete signatures, duplicate signatures, even some signatures from people who were not even registered in Otsego County.

Benton credits his experience working at The Board of Elections qualifies him for the job. Yet, he submitted 1,262 signatures, not the over 1,300 he claims, that included over 200 errors. Most of the petitions bore his signature stating the petitions were true and accurate. Signatures on a petition must be just that, signatures and not printed names. Anyone can print a name. The court ruling allowed for 29 printed names to be verified by affidavits from each of the individuals that in fact printed their name. This allowed him to just squeak by with the minimum requirement of signatures.

I challenged his petitions for two reasons. One, there are well-established rules and requirements with respect to signature petitions and there was glaring and obvious disregard for those requirements. Two, the job of county clerk requires someone who follows the rules and pays attention to details to make sure your records maintained by the county are true and accurate.

I encourage you to take a look at the case and see for yourself the documents and evidence where the Board of Elections ruled 176 of his signatures invalid. That is what the Benton campaign is not telling voters. It’s relevant to inform county voters of that information.

On November 7, remember to get out and vote for Jennifer Basile for county clerk. Elect someone who cares about the job and doesn’t need on-the-job training.

Ashley Fassett
Burlington Flats