By Paul Heroux, Sheriff, Bristol County
As election season approaches, Americans of all political perspectives should agree on one principle: our elections must remain free, fair, and administered according to the rule of law.
In recent years, across the country, some sheriffs have attempted to conduct election investigations outside their traditional authority, sought access to ballots or voting equipment, or proposed becoming involved in ballot transport and vote counting. These efforts create confusion about the proper role of law enforcement and weakened trust in our democratic institutions.
Furthermore, Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1 of the US Constitution gives state legislatures the authority to set the “times, places, and manner” of elections. It concerns me the president has made statements that indicate the executive branch may not respect the independence of local election commissions.
That is why I signed the Sheriff Pledge for Free & Fair Elections, which is my commitment to keep my Office out of election administration, unless formally requested by a local election commission. My promise to Bristol County is simple: to faithfully uphold the Constitution and reject efforts to interfere with the lawful administration of elections.
As the former Mayor of Attleboro who appointed a Board of Election Commissioners, I can say from experience that the Election Commission, not the mayor (or governor, president, or sheriffs), runs the local elections, and if the Commission does not request an entity’s presence, it is not authorized or necessary.
Every single resident deserves confidence that this Office respects the lawful authority of election officials, and will decline requests to seize ballots or voting equipment. Protecting democracy begins in our own communities.
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