Handling of AV ballots investigated

By Charles Sercombe
Hamtramck’s Primary Election went off without a hitch earlier this month.
But something odd has popped up since then.
Three weeks ago two voters made a police report saying that someone they knew took their signed absentee ballot.
No other information is available, but City Clerk August Gitschlag said the matter has been assigned to a police detective.
It is illegal for anyone not related to a voter or a member of a voter’s household to handle absentee ballots (postal and election officials are exempted).
This isn’t the first time the handling of absentee ballots has been an issue.
Two years ago three Hamtramck men were convicted of a felony charge for illegally handling absentee ballots.
The use of absentee ballots here in Hamtramck has become more prevalent in the recent years as an increasing number of candidates running for office urge their supporters to vote using this method as a way to guarantee their votes.
In the most recent Primary Election, though, 166 absentee ballots that were issued were not returned. Did those voters forget to return their ballots or did something more nefarious happen to them?
In other election tidbits, Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump has been getting a lot of attention for his plan to build a huge (or as The Donald would say, “Huuuge”) wall along the Mexican-American border to prevent illegal immigration.

Richard Fabiszak: Trumped?

Well, not so long ago in 2013 Hamtramck’s very own perennial candidate Richard Fabiszak proposed building a 12-foot wall around Hamtramck to prevent criminals from coming into town.
Hmmmm, coincidence? Read on.
Normally, Fabiszak doesn’t receive much attention when running for this or that elective office but his proposal gained media traction.
First there was an interview on WRIF’s morning radio program Dave & Chuck The Freak, and then CBS radio did a story, then Huffingtonpost.com, msn.com and after that we lost count.
Makes you wonder, did Trump channel Fabiszak? (Yes, we are kidding.)
Fabiszak’s plan also called for requiring an ID to enter the city, bringing about the instant death penalty and keeping city hall open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
He lost that election for city council, as he usually does, but he did garner 195 votes in support. Yes, 195 people were apparently amused enough to vote for him.
For the first time in years, Fabiszak sat out this election cycle.
Donald Trump, though, not so.