Re: [LPCO] Elections Alert: Watchdog says five days isn't enough time

[Ralph Shnelvar <ralphs@xxxxxxxxx>]

Please let me know if you want to sign the following.  I will submit to the
Commissioners and Clerk on Monday evening.



Dear Commissioners and Clerk:

We, the undersigned, ask that you extend the review period for at least a
month or, in the alternative, deny funding for additional equipment as
proposed in RFP 4717-06.

We ask that you postpone funding for any one of the following reasons:

(1) Insufficient time to review the RFP.  The Christmas holiday weekend is a
ridiculous time to as citizens to spend time reviewing a complex RFP.

(2) The push for voting centers.  This entire concept needs to be reviewed
carefully.

(3) In 2006 a new Clerk might be elected.  Saddling the new Clerk with
unwanted equipment may be a complete waste of money.

(4) Many of the undersigned still want the Commissioners and the Clerk to
pursue the possibility of using hand-counted paper ballots either with or
without an automark system.  Hand counted paper ballots will be far cheaper
than any scanning system and far more transparent.


Signed,

Ralph Shnelvar	ralphs@xxxxxxxxx





On Sat, 24 Dec 2005 05:10:17 -0700, you wrote:

>The Daily Camera
>
>'Tis the season for residents' election input
>Watchdog says five days isn't enough time
>
>By Ryan Morgan, Camera Staff Writer
>December 23, 2005
>
>If you're an election watchdog in Boulder County, you might want to put down
>your eggnog this weekend.
>
>Boulder County elections officials are offering residents the opportunity to
>comment on its "request for proposal" document, which it will release early
>next year. The document will ask contractors to submit bids for the county's
>next generation of elections equipment.
>
>In a news release issued Thursday afternoon, the county said the invitation
>to comment on the request for proposals is an "unprecedented move aimed at
>increasing public input in the Boulder County elections process."
>
>But those who want to weigh in on the 40-page document will have to hurry:
>Comments are due by 9 a.m. Wednesday.
>
>"The one-week turnaround time for public comment is necessary so that the
>RFP can be released to vendors by December 30 and equipment can be delivered
>by April 1," the county stated in its news release Thursday.
>
>Joe Pezzillo, a watchdog who's been frequently critical of the county's
>election efforts, said the short turnaround - which actually amounts to five
>days, including Christmas Day on Sunday and the federal, state and local
>holidays that are observed Monday - is a ridiculously short period of time
>in which to solicit meaningful comment from the public.
>
>"For them to say, 'We'll take your public comment over the Christmas
>holiday,' really does not speak well at all for the clerk office's interest
>in the public process," he said. "They're clearly not interested in
>involving the public in any meaningful way in that discussion."
>
>County representatives - including County Clerk and Recorder Linda Salas,
>elections coordinator Josh Liss and spokeswoman Patricia Demchak - were out
>of the office Thursday and unavailable to comment.
>
>The request for proposals marks the county's attempt to make significant
>changes in the way elections in Boulder are run.
>
>Elections officials are asking for $5.6 million to buy new "optical scan"
>voting machines and to set up 50 to 60 "voting centers" throughout the
>county that would replace the precinct system, which in turn would make
>voting more efficient.
>
>Commissioners are scheduled to take up the budget request next month.
>
>Contact Camera Staff Writer Ryan Morgan at (303) 473-1333 or
>morganr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>Copyright 2005, The Daily Camera. All Rights Reserved.