The sheriff’s department in Portage County, Ohio has been stripped of its election security duties after its MAGA sheriff said people displaying Kamala Harris signs in their yards should have their addresses recorded so illegal immigrants can be sent to their homes.
Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski, a Donald Trump-supporting Republican seeking re-election, likened migrants to “human locusts” and called Harris a “Flip-Flopping, Laughing Hyena” on his personal and campaign Facebook accounts earlier this month.
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The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office determined last week that Zuchowksi’s post didn’t break state election laws, but local citizens expressed their discomfort with having an immigrant-hating MAGA sheriff in charge of protecting the vote.
Over 100 people attended an emergency meeting called by the local NAACP chapter, the *Ravenna Record-Courier *reported. Frank Hairson, the communications chair of the NAACP chapter said people told him: “They’re afraid to vote. They’re afraid to put signs in their yard.”
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It varies state by state, and even county by county. Some are directly elected, some are appointed by other elected officials.
Direct elections theoretically make sheriffs accountable to voters, but realistically almost no one cares who the sheriff is unless they directly stir up a controversy. Bad but quiet sheriffs can fester for decades.
It also causes issues with them being accountable to other elected officials, like the mayor or city council.
Directly appointing Sheriffs makes them accountable to whoever appointed them, who are in turn accountable to voters. It can lead to sheriff roles changing more often if the appointing body shifts, and can result in cronyism.
Personally I think they should be appointed, but have independent, direct oversight outside of the appointing structure.