Grampy Lash

Along with millions of other Americans, I cast my vote in the 2016 General Election today. On October 22, my ninety-year-old father cast his vote on an absentee ballot. When the polls close today, both votes will be tallied along with the other millions nationwide. I should be pleased for both of us, especially my dad – but I’m not. I’m angry!

Several years ago I received my daily telephone call from my dad at the long term care facility where both he and my mother lived.

“Hello,” I answered.

“I don’t want you to sell my house you son-of-a-bitch!” he shouted. He abruptly hung up.

I was shocked of course. I had never in my life heard him say such a thing. He seldom said anything stronger than gee whiz; maybe son-of-a-gun a few times. He never cursed. Admittedly I was slightly angered as the shock quickly receded. Sadness was the last emotion I felt as his words continued to repeat in my mind. Just a few days earlier, he had been thanking me for taking care of him; he felt quite content where he was; he said that “he felt like a millionaire.” I was saddened because I knew that this was out of character for him. He had been influenced by others who were angry with me, but lacked the courage to confront me themselves. Another cord of the rope that kept him connected to reality had frayed and broken.

Although Dad was also under the corrosive influence of Alzheimer’s induced dementia, he was able to eventually pull his thoughts together long enough to feel remorse. He called me back a few days later to express his regret. He didn’t remember exactly what he had said, but he knew it was bad. He was weeping. He begged me for forgiveness. I assured him through my own tears that everything was okay.

Over the years, Dad’s condition has worsened. The dementia has accelerated. He can no longer pull his thoughts together. He can no longer participate in conversation. If I walk out of his room and return a few minutes later, he greets me as if it were the first time. He looks at the bird cage in the leisure room and asks how the birds got in there. He can no longer convey his need to go to the bathroom and has digressed to palliative (hospice) care. The drugs he receives for pain and depression have become teammates with the dementia in virtually destroying his cognition. His wife of seventy-one years died this past August. He never mentions her. Sometimes I wonder if he remembers her. He is no longer capable of making decisions of any kind.

Two weeks ago I went to visit Dad. He was sleeping as usual. My attention was drawn to his hat sitting on a shelf that bore an oval shaped sticker with an American flag that appeared to proudly wave out the words, “I Voted”. This was my first clue that something fraudulent might be afoot. I went back a few days later and the sticker was still on his hat. The thought that Dad had been treated unfairly made me feel as if someone was rubbing that sticker in my face.

I went to the administrator’s office and asked him if he could inform me as to whether or not Dad had voted. The administrator knew nothing, but led me to a staff member who might know. The staff member told me that Dad had most likely voted, threw her hands up as if surrendering to some unseen authority and said, “Indiana state law says that these people have the right to vote.” She was referring to all residents of the facility. “Most of them vote a straight ticket though. One lady wanted to vote for Franklin Roosevelt,” she laughed. She went on to tell me that there was nothing they could do to interfere with the process. They merely stayed out of the way when the voting people – the Traveling Board, came in.

The essence of fraud strengthened and it stunk. Although I was not one hundred percent sure that Dad had voted, I felt compelled to file a grievance with the Indiana Secretary of State HAVA (Help America Vote Act) office. I continued to explore other resources and learned that on:

• March 11, 2016, Dad was registered to vote (he had no valid ID)
• March 30, 2016, Dad cast a 2016 primary election vote via the Traveling Board
• October 22, 2016, Dad cast a 2016 general election vote via the Traveling Board

The following HAVA law portion is vague to me as to whether or not voter fraud has been committed:

“Voters that require assistance or are experiencing mobility issues are welcome at the polls on Election Day, where poll workers will assist them throughout the voting process.  A voter may designate a relative or friend to assist them at the polling place.  If the voter requests assistance but does not designate someone else to help them, two poll workers (one from each political party) will be available to assist.  Those assisting a voter must complete the Affidavit of Voter Assistance at the Polls, available at the polling station, before entering the voting booth.

If you are uncomfortable receiving assistance at the polls, you may request an absentee ballot from your local county clerk’s office.”

This was all done without the knowledge of me or my siblings. No attempt was made by the Traveling Board to contact us. The nursing home staff made no attempt to notify us. Optics is a popular word nowadays and these bad optics are stirring my anger. I believe that the law was not followed.

Prior to the 2014 elections, I asked both of my parents if they wanted to register to vote. They both declined for the same reason: neither were interested in voting. They no longer understood politics and did not feel the need to vote. This is my basis for believing that Dad would not have wanted some stranger to help him vote this year.

I do believe that I know how my dad would have voted in 2016, but I know that he is not capable and I believe that it would have been unethical for me to help him vote. If I had been contacted by the Traveling Board as seemingly required by law, I would not have given them my approval to use Dad to fulfill their zeal. All eligible citizens have the right to vote. They also have the right not to vote.

Someone told me that Dad’s vote was miniscule. I don’t believe that any vote is miniscule. Otherwise Americans would not be told to “Get out and vote!”, or “Your vote counts!”, or that so many people/organizations would be willing to risk fraud – actually commit fraud to garner votes. At the most simple level, each fraudulent or questionable vote cancels one legitimate vote. My dad’s vote cancelled one legitimate vote. And Dad is just one of many thousands who may have been used this way.

If Dad knew that he had been used the way that I believe he has been used, he might very well be calling the folks at the Traveling Board. And when they answer the phone, he might very well exclaim, “I don’t want you to cast a vote for me you son-of-a-bitch!” And then he would abruptly hang up.

And he would feel no remorse.

Shelly E Lash

November 8, 2016