DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner wanted to convince Ohio voters that elections officials are ready to handle a presidential election that Brunner predicts will see a turnout of 80 percent of the state's 8.3 million registered voters.

"We think as we move forward to Nov. 4, that despite the controversies, despite the political wrangling that's gone on between the parties and the candidates, that our elections officials are very well prepared and they will do a good job for the people of the state of Ohio," Brunner said at a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 30.

The political wrangling may not be done. With just four days to go before Election Day, the squabbling that has marked the run-up to the election reached a near boiling point.

Shortly after Brunner's press conference, Deputy Ohio Republican Chairman Kevin DeWine charged that because of the Democratic secretary of state's political maneuvering there's no reason to be confident.

DeWine linked Brunner to Karyn Gillette, a former Brunner campaign consultant who was cited in testimony from a "whistleblower" in a lawsuit filed by the Pennsylvania Republican Party against ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, charging voter registration fraud.

"We think this information shakes the very foundation of confidence in the integrity of the election and every Ohioan should question whether Jennifer Brunner is actively concealing fraud in an effort to cover for her partisan allies," DeWine said.

Patrick Gallaway, Brunner's spokesman, said Gillette worked for Brunner's campaign five months in 2006 but never worked in the secretary of state's office. Gallaway said he did not know the last time Gillette had spoken with Brunner or her office.

Gillette now is development director for Washington, D.C.-based Project Vote, a voting rights group that has worked with ACORN. Anita Moncrief, the so-called whistleblower, had worked for Project Vote but was fired after using a Project Vote credit card for personal items.

Moncrief asserted in a hearing that she was told Democrat Barack Obama's campaign provided its campaign donor list to Project Vote to use for its own fundraising activities. Ben LaBolt, Obama campaign spokesman, said the Obama campaign did not provide the list to ACORN or Project Vote.

Sean Smith, Obama's Pennsylvania campaign spokesman, said anyone could download a list of Obama's donors from the Internet.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

How to vote early

Registered voters may apply for absentee ballots through Saturday, Nov. 1, and all area boards of election will be open that day. Early voting at election board offices continues through the close of business Monday, Nov. 3.

Greene County Board of Elections, 651 Dayton-Xenia Road, Xenia. Today and Monday, 9 a.m. to

4 p.m.; Saturday,

9 a.m. to noon.

Miami County Board of Elections, 215 W. Main St., Troy. Today and Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday,

8 a.m. to noon.

Montgomery County Board of Elections, 451 W. Third St., Dayton. Today, Saturday and Monday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.

Warren County Board of Elections, 406 Justice Drive, Lebanon. Monday,

8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; today, 8 a.m. to

4:30 p.m.; Saturday,

9 a.m. to noon.