WGXC-90.7 FM

Local election officials overwhelmed by information requests after Trump's big lie

Sep 23, 2022 1:02 pm

Greta Jochem reports in The Berkshire Eagle that Donald Trump's big lie about the 2020 presidential election is having real effects on local election officials. In Western Massachusetts, election officials are being overwhelmed with requests for information about the serial numbers of voting machines, voter ID numbers, and other issues. “I don't know how many different ways they want this information. It's the same numbers, they aren’t going to change,” said Lenox Town Clerk Kerry Sullivan. "What are you trying to accomplish by creating all this extra work for people? We’re not hiding anything.” The election information requests are being made around the country, fueled by Trump's lie that the 2020 election was full of fraud and stolen from the former president. The election was fair, as over 60 lawsuits failed in the courts. “They are looking for very specific reports that, unless we have a certain type of software, we don't have the capacity to produce those reports," said Williamstown Town Clerk Nicole Beverly. Great Barrington Town Clerk Jennifer Messina said, "It's getting old.... We've got big things on our plate right now," Messina said about upcoming elections. "We don't have time for this. It feels like they are threats." Documents about federal elections must be kept for 22 months, so the influx of information requests may end soon. Or not, as many of the messages demand that the election information be retained longer. "They are basically saying they might take us to court," Messina said. "They are telling us we should not throw it away." Messina sent those emails to the town counsel for a legal review. Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.