Re: Absentee voters; Macho

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

Ralph --

Sorry, you are wrong on all of your points. I will take the time to 
explain. Hopefully after you read the explanation, I will continue to 
have your respect (which I do appreciate).

If you'll notice, in my earlier response, I always referred to ABSENTEE 
ballots, not mail-in ballots. Yes, an absentee ballot can be mailed in, 
but it can also be dropped of. I always drop mine off. (Many people in 
Oregon drop their ballots off, even though they are an entirely absentee 
voting state, they still have numerous drop off locations.) When I drop 
my ballot off, there's a procedure whereby I sign in (3 times) and then 
the ballot envelope is stamped. The person I typically hand the ballot 
envelope to is usually a member of my own party (who always recognized 
me and says "hi Rebecca" -- which is a check & balance of precinct 
voting -- precinct workers typically know who most of their voters are 
by sight -- same is true about permanent absentees who drop off ballots 
in person). As far as I am concerned, I have MORE feedback that my 
ballot GOT to the county department of elections (since that's where I 
drop it off) than I do with any sort of DRE.

Actually, the paper ballots are the ONLY ones that are NOT counted by a 
computer in a recount in New Jersey.  All of the DRE's here are 
"paperless" hence there is no independent recount. The paper ballots are 
HAND recounted if a recount is ordered. This actually happened in our 
county when the county clerk's race was very close the other year 
(ironically it is the county clerk's office that is in charge of the 
elections, but that had nothing to do with this recount, other than also 
ironically it was the incumbent clerk who was unseated in the election). 
This has been true in other elections in NJ. Again, since we have only 
electronic voting machines in the polling places, there is no way to 
independently recount them. So, as it turns out, MY paper ballot is FAR 
MORE important in a recount, since these are the only ballots that can 
be examined properly (and disputed if there are problems with them). You 
will notice that in my email I said nothing about how the ballots would 
be counted. Paper ballots always allow for a 100% hand count, which can 
be done if the laws are written to allow it.

All of the states that have instituted permanent absentees have a 
continued rise in voter turnout using that method. In some places in CA, 
the absentees are as much as 60% now.

Incidentally, New Jersey allows for an absentee voter to designate 
someone that they trust to HAND deliver the absentee ballot (inside of 
its double envelopes), rather than mail it. All states should allow 
this, so that absentees do not ever have to mail in their ballots, and 
can ensure that they are delivered properly. Delivery of the ballot 
directly to the county, constitutes "casting" -- if there is any monkey 
business that is going on inside of the county (or municipality), then 
it is probably going on with all of the voting types, not just the 
absentees. So if there is a problem with that, it is not with the fact 
that there are absentee ballots, but there is a problem with the checks 
and balances within the county (or municipality).

As for stuffing the ballot box, you can do that no matter what voting 
method is used. Paper, electronic, absentee, precinct. Procedures and 
monitoring is the only way to ensure that ballot box stuffing does not 
occur. In Franklin County Ohio in the November 2006 election, it was 
revealed that 86% of the precincts did not have the same number of 
ballots cast as were recorded as having voted. They use VVPAT DREs 
there. Most of the discrepancies were off by 1-2, some were as many as 
dozens. Again, it does not matter what method you use, ballot box 
stuffing can always be possible if procedural controls are lax and the 
process is controlled by insiders. Harri Hursti demonstrated that (at 
least on the Diebold system) it is possible to hack the precinct-based 
scanners, as well as the central counters, and also the touchscreen DREs.

I have always encouraged members of the disability community to consider 
the accuracy and AUDITABILITY factors involved with voting, as well as 
the accessibility thereof. Currently, paper ballots are the only way 
that this can be provided.

I must ask you, then, what are you promoting? Precinct based paper 
ballots? This is exactly what I am promoting and have been promoting 
since 2003. You must also allow for absentees. I contend that permanent 
absentees are no different than regular absentees. With proper controls 
(that include impounding, auditing and recounting), an entirely paper 
ballot solution (end-to-end, including precinct and absentees) is the 
most appropriate voting method.

I hope you will consider what I have written here, and I appreciate your 
feedback.

Rebecca Mercuri.