The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio says it has been receiving complaints about voter intimidation from Portage County voters regarding a Facebook post from the sheriff.
The post Saturday on Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski's public Facebook page, calls on residents to write down the addresses of people supporting Vice President Kamala Harris, so they can send immigrants to their homes. Zuchowski also referred to immigrants as "locusts."
"Over the weekend we had people reaching out saying that they did feel intimidated and that they are considering changing their - I don't want to say changing their behavior but perhaps not putting up yard signs," ACLU of Ohio Deputy Policy Director Collin Marozzi said.
Many have called the post voter intimidation on social media, but it's too soon to say if legal action will be taken, Marozzi said.
"Voter intimidation flat out is illegal. It is against the Ohio Revised Code," he said. "It is against federal law to intimidate voters into not casting their vote of their choice, so this is very serious."
Portage County Democrats including Jon Barber, the candidate challenging Zuchowski in the 2024 election, say residents are worried that trust will decline in the sheriff's office due to Zuchowski's rhetoric.
"People shouldn't be out here and be afraid that when they call police - 'are they going to look up my voting record? Are they going to look to see if I have a sign that's maybe supporting someone they don't like or a point of view about something they don't like? And they drive by instead of helping me,'" Barber said.
He said he heard from the Portage County Democratic Party on Monday that a man came in to make a donation but wouldn't take a yard sign campaigning for Barber, he said.
"He respectfully declined and said, 'I'm 70 years old. I'm afraid to put signs in my yard,'" Barber said.
However, that hasn't stopped other residents from picking up a Barber sign. The Portage County Democratic Party headquarters ran out of Barber signs on Monday, said party chair Denise Smith.
"That's a testimony to democracy right there. Those folks saw the same messages we saw," Barber said. "They realized the polarization of the message, and they said, 'We're not going to be intimidated by this.' And you have to applaud them. They're celebrating democracy."
The Portage County Board of Elections has not heard any concerns about voter safety stemming from Zuchowski's Facebook post, said director Faith Lyon, but she said anyone with concerns should reach out to the board of elections or the secretary of state's office.
In fact, Smith has seen the opposite affect over the weekend.
"The best thing the voters of Portage County can do is to fire this sheriff and vote him out of office in this election," Smith said.
For Barber, this could be a turning point in his campaign, offering him an opportunity to differentiate himself from his opponent.
"This sheriff has said over and over again he doesn't answer to anyone," Barber said, "and I argue that on Nov. 5, he answers to the people he works for. And that's the citizens of this county."
Instead of focusing on national dog whistles, Barber wants to focus on the actual issues effecting Portage County residents.
"We should be working collaboratively to solve drug issues and people who are struggling with mental health issues and trying to get people on the right path to be successful in life," he said. "But instead we're going to be vicious and mean spirited?"
Immigration in Ohio has been a hot topic after former President Donald Trump pulled Springfield into the spotlight in connection with its influx of Haitian immigrants in recent years.
"I would assume he's [Zuchowski] referring to the Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, in what he describes as 'locusts' in the post," Marozzi said. "It's sad, and I think the people of Portage County deserve better."
Springfield's schools and government buildings have been forced to shut down for several days in a row due to threats. Marozzi worries the same thing has the potential to happen in Portage County, he said.
"It just seems like something again that the chief law enforcement officer of Portage County should do everything in his power to avoid," he said.
The ACLU of Ohio is calling on Zuchowski to retract his statements, Marozzi said, and he has advice for all citizens as election season ramps up.
"Tone down the rhetoric," he said. "Realize that we're in a very heightened political season."
In a statement, Portage County GOP Chair Amanda Suffecool said the party is standing with Zuchowski and that she too is against illegal immigration.
"The USA is a nation of laws, and those laws are in place to protect her citizens. I believe the sheriff’s statement is a bit of artistic license getting toward the principal belief that elections have consequences," she wrote. "Springfield, Ohio, is an example of what can happen to each and every community when and if they are overrun with people who do not understand our laws, nor share our customs. The community suffers. Our sheriffs are elected to stand for the citizens of the county, and Bruce Zuchowski stands for Portage."
Rumors perpetuated by Trump during the Sept. 10 presidential debate that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were eating local pets have been debunked by city and county leaders who urged residents not to be swayed by them. They said the vast majority of Haitians in Springfield are in the US legally, receiving Temporary Protected Status due to conditions preventing them from returning safely home. The officials said the rumors were casting a dark cloud over the city which they worried could hurt the community in the future.
The Portage County Sheriff's Office has not yet responded to a request for comment.
