Aronberg ignored issues with absentee voting

Palm Beach County StateAttorneyDave Aronberg could have taken a first step toward needed election reform in Florida. Instead, he took a pass.

Reform is a hot topic. PresidentTrump created a commission on election integrity. Aconservative group has sued Broward County Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes, alleging that she has failed to remove ineligible voters fromthe rolls.

Trump’s commission, however, is more about prolonging his bogus claim to have won the popular vote. The lawsuit by the American Civil RightsUnion sounds like the embarrassing attempts of Gov. Rick Scott’s administration to purge the rolls of supposedly illegal voters.

Aronberg, however, had a case involving themain threat to election integrity in Florida— absentee ballots. But despite tough talk, the state attorney refused to followup on the evidence, likely for partisan reasons.

The case began last summer when Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher informed investigators about possible absentee ballot fraud. Bucher’s office supplied names of voters who believed that requests for absentee ballots had been submitted without their knowledge.

Bucher also identified Delano Allen as someone who had submitted “large quantities” of absentee ballot request forms. Therewas much to go on. According to the investigators’ report, Aronberg met with them onAug. 23 and “stressed the importance of this investigation in terms of protecting this county’s voting process.”

But little happened. Then lastMarch, The Palm Beach Post reported that Florida House candidate Al Jacquet and Palm Beach County Commission candidateMack Bernard had helped voters fill out absentee ballots in their homes, in some cases cajoling and pressuring voters for signatures. Jacquet and Bernardwon their seats because of huge margins fromabsentee voters.

Jacquet and Bernard focused on fellow Haitian-Americans. Because of gaps in Florida’s election laws, they broke no rules just by helping those voters. It is illegal in most cases, however, for anyone but the voter to fill out a ballot and to request an absentee ballot.

University of Florida professor and election expertDaniel Smith reviewed the paper’s findings and called the campaigns’ actions “highly suspect.” The information, Smith added, “raises questions about what those voterswere thinking in marking their ballots. Or whether those voters marked their ballots at all.”

Combined with Bucher’s information, Aronberg had enough to empanel a grand jury thatwould recommend absentee ballot reforms. Hemight have found criminal violations. The investigators found nearly two dozen examples of forged absentee ballot request forms.

As The Post reported last Sunday, however, investigators somehowwere unable to identify a suspect, and Aronberg didn’t press them to continue. Much of thework began only after The Post story— and thus months after theAugust election. Investigators never interviewed Delano Allen. The investigators claimed they couldn’t reach Allen in person.

In fact, Allen is easy to find. He’s a legislative assistant to state Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach, whose office is on AustralianAvenue. Another absentee ballot complaint came fromMichael Steinger, who lost to Powell in last year’s Democratic primary. Powell referred last week to coverage of the investigation as “criminal.”

What happened to Aronberg’s concern for “this county’s voting process?” As state attorney, Aronberg is Palm Beach County’s top local Democrat. Jacquet, Bernard and Powell are all Democrats. Aronberg, a former state senator and unsuccessful candidate for attorney general, long has been rumored to be seeking something higher. The party previously had approached him about running for Congress. The Palm Beach County-Treasure Coast seat held by Republican BrianMast is considered a swing district. Aronberg has gotten good notices for hiswork running the county’s sober homes task force.

Aronbergwouldn’t comment onwhy he let the investigation lapse, but his decision is a victory for bad government. Absentee ballots have been a problem for two decades, beginning with fraud that overturned aMiami mayoral election. The MiamiHerald has reported on absentee ballot brokers whowork certain neighborhoods. In 2000, Republican elections supervisors inMartin and Seminole counties wrongly allowed GOPoperatives to fill out absentee ballot requests.

Ideally, Floridawould return to a system in which absentee ballotswent only to people who can’t get to the polls. Both parties, however, nowrely heavily on what the state callsmail-in ballots. If that doesn’t change, the Legislature at least should set rules to prevent candidates and their volunteers fromhelping voters fill out— and requesting large numbers of— absentee ballots. Aronberg could have led that effort, but he chose party over principle.

Editorials are the opinion of the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board and written by one of its members or a designee. The Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Rosemary O’Hara, AndrewAbramson, Elana Simms, Gary Stein and Editor-in-ChiefHoward Saltz.