Petition challenge was right thing to do

I am the person who filed the objection to the Ela First petitions. I strongly object to the letter on March 13 from Loretta Klaus which criticized my petition challenge.

I decided to file the challenge when I found what appeared to be forged signatures on the petitions. On several pages, the signatures were very similar. How many people sign their names with big circles over their i’s? Certainly not many men.

And how many people misspell the names of the towns they live in?

Two people on the Ela Tax Reform slate were so concerned about those signatures that they decided to spot check several of the pages by talking to Ela First petition signers. As a result, 10 people signed affidavits swearing that their signatures were fraudulent or forged. Others indicated that the signatures were not theirs, but they did not want to say that publicly in an affidavit.

I continue to believe that the petition challenge was the right thing to do. Many of the signatures on the Ela First petitions were determined to be illegitimate. The fact that the Ela First slate is still on the ballot does not prove that they are innocent.

The election board (including a current trustee) decided that forged signatures do not constitute fraud. I respectfully disagree.

Larry Garascia

Deer Park