Voter registrar ‘needs to be replaced’
1/29/2016, 12:24 p.m.
Kudos to Richmond Free Press reporter Jeremy Lazarus for his recent exposé on Richmond Voter Registrar Kirk Showalter. She is incompetent and needs to be immediately replaced.
Recently, the State Board of Elections hauled Ms. Showalter before its body to address concerns of “consistent and alarming” problems in her office during the recent Richmond City elections. Problems at Richmond polls ran the gamut, from inability of poll workers to check in voters, including Gov. Terry McAuliffe, to registered voters being given the incorrect state Senate ballot!
Instead of acting like a professional and acknowledging her numerous missteps, Ms. Showalter instead blamed the state Board of Elections for engaging in “politics.”
Edgardo Cortés, the state commissioner of elections, called Ms. Showalter’s allegations of political misconduct “preposterous.” James B. Alcorn, the state elections board chairman, retorted that Ms. Showalter’s office should be “more transparent.”
This is not Ms. Showalter’s first transgression. Nearly four years ago, she improperly denied two Richmond candidates access to the ballot. They were later reinstated after a successful lawsuit was filed against her. That particular fiasco cost city taxpayers more than $100,000 because of her error!
Ms. Showalter’s tenure as the city registrar is a disaster and she needs to go now! Enough is enough.
JOSEPH D. “JOE” MORRISSEY
Richmond
