Board of Election officials have good reason to be angry that they have to replace their expensive touch screen system (DRE's), and implement the new system before the 2008 general election.  But why are they blaming Brunner?  She won her office on the promise to restore free, fair and open elections to Ohio after the well-documented disaster left by her Republican predecessor, Ken Blackwell.  Going to an all optical scan system is progress toward more secure elections. The voter marks a paper ballot to be scanned and tallied. The paper ballot is the best evidence of a voter's intent and can be counted by hand if necessary.

An editorial that appeared in the same Sunday Dispatch refuses to give Brunner any credit for fulfilling an extremely difficult task of running a high profile election with the eyes of the world on her.  Cuyahoga County, the poster child for problems elections, managed to have relatively few problems, considering ice storms and the implementation of a new system.

The biggest problem that has emerged is one of "vote-crossing," where large numbers of Republicans crossed over to vote on the Democratic ticket.  Because of encouragement from radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh and others, it may even have been an orchestrated scheme.

The editorial comes down hard on Jennifer Brunner, comparing her "heavy-handed tactics" to those of her predecessor Ken Blackwell and saying she is unwilling to tolerate dissent.  In fact, she has given way on almost all of her recommendations except to do away with the DRE's.  She accommodated Cuyahoga Counties concerns about facilitating the processing of paper ballots by supporting legislation for a midday pickup.  The article accuses her of pushing the panic button "under the spell of election-conspiracy theorists."  On the contrary SoS Brunner has demonstrated incredible coolness under pressure especially that coming from the Columbus Dispatch.  She has gone about her task in a methodical and effective manner with good humor and integrity.  She deserves all of our congratulations for, as she said, getting Ohio's elections out of intensive care.