Guest commentary: Thanking local leaders and debunking Dr. Frank’s dubious voter fraud theories

I write this letter for two reasons: to thank Rep. Barry Hovis, District 146, and Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers for speaking in support of our voting procedures and system.

My second is to question the general and specific remarks of Dr. Douglas Frank on June 18 related to "massive amounts of voter fraud and how voters are ‘fighting a war’ to stop rigged elections."

Dr. Frank arrived in our community under the banner of "Election fraud in our country that extended to the state," (paraphrasing.) I will not bore you with a rehash of his presentation — suffice to say it was lacking in documented evidence, a mish-mash of graphs, slides, personal stories and a general algorithm, not disclosed, that provides his fraud theory.

In reality, Dr. Frank sailed into Cape Girardeau County under false colors — fraud was a "straw man" — his real purpose was to undermine the fair and free voting systems in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, and ultimately our nation. "We are at war," he repeatedly stated and urged the organizing of a militia to be up and ready for election fraud and political violence in November. This was his real theme, plant the seeds of doubt with dubious algorithms, slides and stories about "fraud" in local voting systems to support the discredited "Big Lie" following the 2020 national election rather than recognize the will of the people!

No factual evidence was ever presented to state or federal courts supporting fraud in 2020, yet many people cling to the idea the state and national voting systems and courts do not reflect the will of the people, due to the selling of the "Big Lie." Comes the Pied Piper wrapped in a moth-eaten cloak of fraud to sway the people of Cape Girardeau County and the country to abandon our current election system — the envy of the world, its democracy at its finest expressing the will of the people for over 200 years.

Dr. Frank’s call to arm yourself, organize a militia, "we are at war" and replace the current election process, Constitution, courts and the rule of law is not the will of the people!

A. Mattingly is a resident of Cape Girardeau.