Re: NEWS about Montrose Election

["R. Mercuri" <notable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am responding to a message about Colorado's permanent absentee 
proposal that was sent to me by Al Kolwicz.

Although I have not yet reviewed the Colorado proposal for permanent 
absentee voting, generally speaking, this concept is actually a good 
thing. I have been an absentee voter in New Jersey ever since I was 
confronted with the choice between voting on a DRE that did not have a 
voter-verified paper trail, or being an absentee voter. Once New Jersey 
enacted their absentee voter law it made it considerably easier to be an 
absentee voter (since I didn't have to remember to get the forms each 
time). Other states (like CA and FL) that have permanent absentee laws 
have seen the absentee voter numbers increase, so it is a good way to 
improve voter turnout. Many voters who do not like the electronic voting 
machines are "voting with their vote" by becoming permanent absentees. 
Permanent absentees should have the same security, accuracy, 
verifiability, anonymity, accessibility, transparency, and 
accountability as regular absentees. These factors can be improved by 
providing ballot templates for the visually impaired (inexpensive, can 
be used at home), and by monitoring the process to make sure that 
permanent absentees do receive their ballots (and ballot applications, 
if those are needed) promptly and that all absentee ballots are handled 
properly.

As a permanent absentee voter, I approve and encourage the passage of 
permanent absentee voter laws.

Rebecca Mercuri, Ph.D.
www.notablesoftware.com