We will be surprised if Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's office is not busy for some time in getting to the bottom of allegations of illegal activities involving the Tuesday general election.

One of the more disturbing reports surfaced Tuesday, while polling places still were open. It involved an alleged scheme to pay Ohio University students to bring friends to the polls.

According to a published report, the plot was exposed when someone leaked an e-mail sent by an official of the OU College Democrats. In it, the official urged recipients to march to the polls in a group. She added, "Remember, if you bring a friend from the (Athens) 4th Ward, they are more than a friend, they're 5 bucks!"

Initial reports were that officials in the Athens County Democratic Party organization had discussed paying students $5 to take their friends to the polls. A county party official said no agreement was reached. She added that, "This whole idea that somebody was paying people to vote is ridiculous," according to a report in The Columbus Dispatch.

The county prosecuting attorney said he is looking into the allegations. Ohio state Democratic Party Chairman Chis Redfern called for "a complete investigation." At some point, Brunner's office should become involved.

It is unfortunate that during recent years there seems to have been an upsurge in illegal activities intended to affect elections. They have included charges that the infamous Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now - ACORN - was involved in improprieties in voter registration drives in Ohio.

Brunner's office and county prosecuting attorneys throughout the state should put a stop to election fraud. That will require thorough, nonpartisan investigations of every allegation - and they should be mounted.

If Brunner finds that she needs more resources to do her job as Ohio's top elections cop, she should ask for more money from the General Assembly, and it should be granted. Ohioans should not tolerate corruption in the elections process.