Johnson, 19, said he mostly was trying to help ACORN workers who begged him to sign up because they needed to keep their jobs.
"They'd come up with a sob story why they needed the signature," said Johnson, of Garfield Heights.
ACORN leaders have acknowledged that workers paid by the hour were given quotas to fill.
Board member Sandy McNair said ACORN did not do a competent job carrying out its business plan. Members, in fact, said little about ACORN. And they turned their investigation over to the county sheriff and prosecutor.
A second person to testify, Christopher Barkley, 33, said ACORN workers pestered him while they tried to gather signatures.
Barkley, of Cleveland, said he was homeless and reading a book on Public Square when he signed some of the 13 cards that contain his name. He filled out cards - with his mother's house or workplace as the address - to help workers stay employed.
"Me being a kind-hearted person, I said 'Yeah,' " Barkley recalled.
After the testimony, board Chairman Jeff Hastings paged through a binder that contained copies of cards with Barkley's name on them, and said, "This is ridiculous."
Sheriff's deputies interviewed both men separately after their testimony. They were released and not charged. Chief Deputy Doug Burkhart said they are possible witnesses.
The board decided that Johnson and Barkley must cast provisional ballots if they vote in the presidential election. Provisional ballots are not counted until after the election and only after a voter's address is verified.
Two other people were subpoenaed for Monday but could not be found. The board canceled both of their registrations and forced another woman involved in the investigation to vote provisionally in the Nov. 4 election.
One of the no-shows has already tried to vote, the board was told. His registration already had been canceled, yet he tried to register and vote on the same day about two weeks ago. Board workers recognized his name and stopped him.
But, Jennifer Brunner, Ohio Secretary of State, refuses to cross check databases, because it is "too hard." I guess democracy and the sanctity of elections is not worth the effort. Disgraceful.
