Letter: Elections chair does good job

I wish more people were as dedicated to a job as Ron Clifford is to his position as chairman of the Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections.

He spends many hours on the phone and in person begging for poll workers (often at the last minute) then training them in many separate sessions. He mentors and works with all the paid staff, he runs board meetings, he attends daylong events and meets with state officials about the laws, he finds polling places and certifies elections.

He must love doing this because I have to wonder how many would want a job of this magnitude for $1,500 per year.

Should he have forwarded the two emails that were mentioned in the newspaper? Probably not. People on both sides who have known and worked with him over many years respect that his intent was not to sway someone toward his political affiliation. Did he apologize for sending them? Yes. It’s obvious he’s passionate about his beliefs and I’m convinced he had no malicious intent.

His “free time” is spent doing countless volunteer jobs at his church, making mission trips to Third World countries, assisting Habitat for Humanity, leading a prison ministry, and building sets for the Hilton Head Christian Academy youth theater.

Oops! He cursed a little when your reporter called to question him. He must have felt unjustly accused. Please! Enough with taking him to task. Let the man continue to do the great job he’s been doing for 11 years.

This story was originally published March 10, 2016 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Letter: Elections chair does good job."