Washblog || 1st they ignore you then they mock you then they punish you then you win

1st they ignore you then they mock you then they punish you then you win

By noemie maxwell
Wed Jun 07, 2006 at 08:35:00 AM PST
Section: King County Topic: Election Integrity

Title of this piece, I believe, is a quote from Ghandi

Interesting response to Monday's King County Council hearing on the proposal to move the county to 100% Vote-by-mail. The protesters haven't yet "won", I guess. But they are at least starting to get people to listen to their viewpoint -- which has validity.

Democrats, Greens, and Republicans all showed up in force to protest the proposal. Washblog's own Zappini, who's been subjected to insults on Washblog like "The Right's Useful Idiot", "paranoid wierdo", "LaRouchian", "flat-earther", etc. for allying with people across the political spectrum on this issue, posted a announcement of Monday's council meeting in advance. Thank you, Zappini, for putting up with that nonsense to report here on Washblog.

Evidently, there is enough cross-the-spectrum opposition to this move (in conjunction with the absence of Dean Logan from the hearing) to have caused the Council to once again delay its decision. You can read Green Party member's Gentry Lange and Julie Pettingill's comments on the unlikely alliance in their recent PI article, Let public decide on vote by mail. This also contains a good summary of some of the reasons to oppose 100% vote-by-mail.

Also see:
All-mail voting faces public opposition, King County Journal, Council delays action on all-mail voting plan, Seattle Times, and Resolution Against 100% Vote-by-Mail by Washington Citizens for Fair Elections.

< Creeping obsolescence of the mainstream Republican | Greg Palast @ Townhall Thurs 6/8 7:30pm >

1st they ignore you then they mock you then they punish you then you win | 9 comments (9 topical)

I've said before how much I detest VBM

The first time I voted, I made X's on a paper ballot that must have been hand counted. I've voted via punch cards (which wouldn't be such a problem if they'd just keep the chad boxes clear and brush the chad off before reading.
Before my involutary infliction of VBM, we were marking opscan sheets, but we didn't have poll place scanners, so the concerns of central counting have always applied to my voting. I've never seen a voting machine, Diebold or Lever action.
The major arguement made for all VBM in my county was the expense that the single touch screen and ADA accessable (including assistance for the blind) machine (likely Diebold) required by HAVA at each polling place would cost.
In a county where we struggle to find 10K to 40K to adminster an election, some hundred (even some 30) of the machines just wasn't going to happen.
The major impact of all VBM has been that I personally know three people whose proper ballots were questioned because of signature variation. And I was purged from the roll because I failed to return a ballot in a minor election, I mailed it, but it came back.

Dave Gibney Pullman

by gibney on Wed Jun 07, 2006 at 07:17:49 PM PST

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Detest by zappini, 06/07/2006 11:38:07 PM PST (5.00 / 1)

To be fair by gibney, 06/08/2006 09:48:05 AM PST (5.00 / 1)

Where does the money go? (lesson from Ohio) by m3047, 06/08/2006 07:47:11 AM PST (5.00 / 2)

re: Where does the money go? by zappini, 06/08/2006 12:05:24 PM PST (5.00 / 2)

HAVA is Orwellian! by panmittens, 06/09/2006 11:53:43 AM PST (none / 0)

The usual political divisions don't apply here

On this issue, there are no Democrats and Republicans and there are no liberals and conservatives. There are only those who value the convenience of elections officials uber allesand those who have a fecking clue what is at stake when we don't have election transparency with checks and balances and public oversight at every step.

by eridani on Wed Jun 07, 2006 at 09:14:19 PM PST

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Which Stage?

Hi Noemie.

Thank you for your support and encouragement. I really appreciate it.

It took me a few months of digging to conclude forced mail voting wasn't such a great idea. So I'm okay with disagreement and questions. That's honest. And it's opportunity to exchange views and information.

I guess the only part that bothers me is that electronic counting and voting is just the tip of the iceberg. Elections are really complicated. And I feel like we're playing whac-a-mole. Because every time we step up to oppose a bad idea, two more pop up somewhere else.

by zappini on Wed Jun 07, 2006 at 11:45:05 PM PST

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Mail Voting Silenty Disenfranchises

I had an epiphany this morning: Mail Voting Silently Disenfranchises. Before my first cup of coffee! I'm on a roll.

(I'm not cross-posting between Sound Politics and elsewhere. The situation is already weird enough.)

Last time I felt this way was during the presentation by Justice Works! and our local ACLU. They were explaining how Washington State's arcane and punative felon voting laws disenfranchise. I had no idea. After the 2004 election, the ACLU discovered that hundreds of ex-felons who were eligible to vote were disenfranchised. The paper work was all but complete but sat in a queue. The rules being so complex, no one knew what they were supposed to do.

This silent trashing of our ballots is just as bad, if not worse!

Grrr!

by zappini on Thu Jun 08, 2006 at 11:58:07 AM PST

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1st they ignore you then they mock you then they punish you then you win | 9 comments (9 topical)