DOJ Warns Oregon to Preserve Election Records for 22 Months; Read Replies
SALEM, Ore. — The U.S. Department of Justice wrote to Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read on October 29 reminding him of federal requirements to preserve election records, the Salem Statesman Journal reported.
In the letter, Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter advised that election officials must hold records for 22 months after the election, and that failure to do so could mean up to a year in prison or a $1,000 fine. The letter was reportedly sent to all states. In an October 30 response, Read wrote that Oregon takes its responsibility to protect free and fair elections seriously and follows the law, the Oregon Constitution and the U.S. Constitution — and pointed out that the letter repeatedly misspelled his name as "Reed": "My name is spelled R-E-A-D, as in 'read the Constitution.'"
As of 8 a.m. on October 30, the Secretary of State's office reported more than a million ballots received, about a third of those sent out. The Justice Department said on October 22 that it would send election monitors to Multnomah County on November 3. Election Day is November 3.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Oregon State Capitol 1。M.O. Stevens 摄，Public domain，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Oregon State Capitol 1. By M.O. Stevens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
