Valerie Emmert for Central Committee

Thank you to evewryone who voted for me. While I did not win this time, I will be staying involved. I've been appointed Neighborhood Team Leader of Deerfield for the Trump Campaign and am honored to have a role in re-electing our President so he can Keep America Great. Feel free to contact me if you'd like to get involved. There are many ways to help, taylored to your unique talents and time constraints. Thanks again.

Hello Everyone

I hope this message find you enduring thhis difficult time as well as can be expected. Hopefully our lives will return to normal soon.

Meanwhile, I want to remind you that the election has been rescheduled for April 28, with all ballots being cast by mail. If you need an absentee ballot request form, message me here and I'd be happy to put one in the mail to you. I humbly ask that you vote for me for Portage County Republican Central Committee for Deerfield A, and am always available to answer questions about me or my candidacy.

Be well

With the staryt of absentee voting, it seems appropriate to address voter fraud. The national conversation on this issue is largely a sensationalism of talking points. Here in Ohio, there are two main ways by which voter fraud can be committed.

In the first scenario, a relative passes away, and a family member, knowing their loved on'es personal information, requests--or receives by automatic mailing--an absentee ballot and votes on their loved one's behalf.

Second, when a woman marries, she could request an absentee ballot--or receive one through automatic mailing--and vote under her maiden name, then vote in person at her polling location on Election Day.

It is important not to get hyped up about some of the drama the media on both sides creates about voter fraud. Voter regitration fraud is not VOTING fraud, but the issues are sometimes conflated in the media to incite the public. In Ohio, our Lieutenant Governor Jon Hussted--when he was Secretary of State--took precuations to ensure against fraudulently-registered persons from being able to vote by linking the voter database with the DMV and Bureau of Vital Statistics.

It is also important not to overreact to anxt by some media personalities regarding the likelihood of illegal aliens voting--atleast here in Ohio. Our laws are tigether than those of New York or California, for example.

At the same time, it is equally important not to join in false outrage by some who claim that it is racist of unfair to expect voters to present photo ID when voting. Having worked in the social services I can personally assure you that there are many ways in which a disadvantaged person who needs a photo ID can obtain one. Additionally, this same segment of the population must present a photo ID to receive medical and other social services, and they do. It is disingenuous for public officials and media spokespeople to meslead the general public into believing that people who receive public services don't have, and can't obtain, photo IDs.

I hope this short essay on voter fraud has been interesting for thhose who've read it. I welcome further discussion on the issue. I also hope you will vote for me to repreesent you on the Portage County Central Committee.

Hello Everyone

This year, absentee voting begins on the 17th of this month, and voter registration ends on the 16th. I am committed to ensuring that our voter rolls are accurate. If elected, my goal would be to register every Deerfield A resident, so that our citizenry would have full participation in our government.

If you aren't sure that your voter registration is up to date, or if you aren't sure whether you'll be able to vote at your polling location on March 17th, please feel free to contact me. I'd be happy to check your voter registration and help you either update your registration or request an absentee ballot if you need one.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The next time your news source of choice bombards you with polling data, ask yourself these two questions:

1. How many of my family members, co-workers, friends, or other associates ever been contacted to participate in a political poll?

2. Do I believe that this poll could be an accurate representation of my circle of influence?

Next, take note of this pattern of behavior in the media: a poll is cited. Then certain news stories are broadcast. Then another poll is cited, usually indicating that public opinion has moved in a given direction.

At the end of this experiment, please comment here as to your insights. I believe you will find the results of this informal experiment enlightening. I certainly did.

I am pleased that the Kent League of Women Voters invited me to complete their candidate profile for their online voters' guide. You can learn more about me there.

I am running to serve as Deerfield A Precinct Committeeperson to the Portage County Republican Party because I am passionate about strengthening voter control over the selection, support, and election of politicians, as well as hold them accountable, once elected, for their behavior in office.

Since 2004, I have served in various capacities, including Bedford Republican City Leader, Republican Party of Cuyahoga County Ward Leader Chair, and twice as hired staff in candidate Victory Centers, where I coordinated volunteer campaign activities for a multitude of candidates.

Since buying a home here in Deerfield, I have served as County Captain for DeWine-Husted for Ohio, and founded Traditional Americans of Deerfield, which I used to support candidates running for office in the 2018 election.

My wide-ranging experiences have taught me a great deal about the importance of empowering voters in the party. I'd like to put those skills to use ensuring that Deerfield residents have the opportunity to maximize their power over their party and government representatives. Please vote a Republican ballot on March 17, and elect me to the Portage County Central Committee.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Did you know that when most people refer to "independent voters" they are actually referring to unaffiliated voters?

A truly independent voter is very rare. Technically, an independent voter is a voter who pulls an Issues Only balllot in the primary election. Usually this is done by government employees whose positions preclude them from affiliating with either party.

Typically, voters who are discussed as "independent" or "swing" voters are people who don't vote in the primary at all, either because they aren't aware of the importance of affiliating with a party, or because they only care about participating in the general election.

For those who may not know the importance of affiliating in the primary election, there are two very important reasons to do so.

First and foremost, someone who does not vote in the primary elections is essentially forfeiting half his or her say in our election process. Such a person is trusting others to determine who the candidates are between whom that person must choose in the general election.

Secondly, affiliating in primary elections gives voters a voice within whichever party they allign with most often. Such involvement is especially important on the local and state level. County parties hold regular meetings in which they vote on which candidates are endorsed and thus receive money from the party, which more often than not essentially determines which candidates end up on the general election ballot. The fewer voters participate in this process, the more likely it is that these decisions will be made based on political connectedness rather than quaification or allignment with voter preference. In addition, since state and national parties decide which candidates to support financially and which communities to campaign in based on data derived from voter rolls, a community with a robust party oarticipation is more likely to receive political engagement from candidates than a community with a large pool of unaffiliated voters. It's easy to see how this data-based decision-making on which communities are worth campaign expenditure leads to communities of disenfranchised, disconnected voters, and how unhealthy this is for our Democratic Republic. This money-based decision-making by campaigns and parties is much more at fault for disenfranchisement of voters than some other issues that might create more public outrage. The issues discussed here just aren't "sexy'.

I hope those who've read this post are more aware of how essential it is that we are all fully engaged in all facets of the election process, even though our lives are busy. Our disengagement in any part of this process for whatever reason ultimately leads in one direction: powerful elites controlling the process.

When Ben Franklin was asked at the conclusion of the first Constitutional Convention, "What have you given us?" He answered, "A Republic....if you can keep it". Please help me keep our Republic strong by voting in the primary on March 17. If you live in Deerfield A, I hope you will pull a Republican ballot and vote for me to serve as your Republican Precinct Committeeperson.

Although the party office of Precinct Committee person is at the bottom of the primary ballot and receives almost no fanfare, it is the most basic element of preserving our two-party system of government. The most important task of a Central Committee Member is to appoint two partisans to work at the precinct polling location for every election. Additionally, the Committee Member represents the party faithful at County Conventions, where votes are cast on candidate endorsements, election of party officers, etc. Thus, it is also essential that the member communicates with the partisans in the precinct in order to represent them accurately. Finally, the member can also grow the party by getting to know the unaffiliated voters in the precinct and encouraging them to affiliate in the primary. Given the current state of our national political health, I believe that this role should be a Precinct member's priority in order to strengthen the people's authority over the political elites.