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re: Write-In Ballots (was Re: ERC Public Hearing Tonight)


In certain communities in Switzerland, every voter is required to hand-write the full name of the candidate for whom they are casting a vote, that is, every vote is a write in, and they still use the same basic methods and achieve the efficiencies of their distributed precinct-based counting system. I'm sure it must take longer than just having pre-printed candidates (and I'll see if I can get more info), but I've never seen anything to suggest that it for example doubles the average amount of time to complete the count from three to six hours.

In others, all write-in candidates are sorted into their own pile separate from pre-printed candidates, and then tabulated/tallied after the pre-printed candidates are done. Some such methods may also impose requirements on the minimum floor count to be called out in the results, that is, if you didn't get e.g. more than 20 votes, your votes are listed as simply part of the "write in" total that includes all similarly ranked write-ins.

Again, write ins are already fully integrated into the Swiss system, and they don't substantially alter the basic averages or benefits of the Swiss system:

A fully manually resolved, hand-counted and minimum twice-checked paper ballot counted on average in three hours per election (four to six times per year) in a mountainous nation of 7 million people.

And, there are NO SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS for the ballots! You can print them at the County Printing Office or any local print shop, keeping all the money for every election within the county.

Or, we could just continue to throw good money after bad and buy more machines from some out of state private vendor who might also end up getting a sole-source contract for the ballot printing for the next thirty years, too!

"We the machines, in order to form a more efficient union...provide for capital offense, care not for the general welfare..."

Joe

Joe Pezzillo, Citizen Activist
Boulder, Colorado USA
jpezzillo@xxxxxxxxx




On Apr 20, 2005, at 12:26 PM, Some Guy wrote:

I'd love to here suggestions on how write ins can be efficiently handled.
I'm sure the whole committee and the clerk would like to hear that too.

So far all I have heard is suggestions to restrict ballot access. AKA - no
write ins. That won't fly with me or too many other people.

Some Guy

-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Eberle [mailto:m.eberle@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 5:24 PM
To: Some Guy
Cc: Lpboulder; Cvv-Discuss@Coloradovoter. Net
Subject: Re: ERC Public Hearing Tonight

Will someone please mention the following to the panel? In an election
with write-in candidates, every batch of ballots that has even one
write-in vote will need input from the resolution team. This approach
is not efficient and will definitely slow the counting.

I hope everyone saw the article on p. 1 of today's Daily Camera saying
that we will have some hand-count checking of the March 8 results.
Yeah, team!

Some Guy wrote:

The Boulder County Elections Review Committee will have a public hearing
at 
the Longmont Senior Center this evening at 6:30pm.
910 Longs Peak - Longmont
3 blocks west of Main (Hwy 287) on Longs Peak (the 700 block of Main).

SG



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