Re: public forum on mail ballots? etc

There are very serious concerns about the mysterious push for mail ballots (which is apparently national, as well as state-based) among citizens committed to fair and honest elections. People thought that Sen. Gordon's public hearing of last year would deal with a variety of issues of concerns to the public; instead it turned out to be a pro-mail ballot event with little opportunity for public input.

CO Common Cause seems to have been close in the past with the former Big Horn Institute group, which I believe has been pro-mail ballots; nevertheless, do you think you would want to help organize a forum with other non-profits such as the League of Women Voters and citizen election organizations to sponsor a solid debate on the issue?

There are doubtless very good reasons why mail ballots haven't been permitted in presidential elections before this; it seems that we are in serious danger of giving up an important safeguard of our rights to control our elections without the opportunity to challenge the decision.

I would like to collect better information on mail ballots, which the county clerks and the SOS might be able to help us with. Specifically, it might be possible to get some good cost comparisons done between mail ballot elections and alternatives; we also need to find out more about who is involved in managing mail ballot elections. For example, there was a subcontractor of Hart's hired in Boulder County to help with the mail ballots. Who the heck was this organization, and were they as accountable as county employees would have been?

If we knew who the originators of the push for mail ballots were at the national level, it might give us some clue as to what is going on. I seriously doubt the motivations have much to do with fair and honest elections. Naivite and denial aren't going to get us fair elections; we need more information, and an open process of decision-making.

PS. Notice that I have twice attached a posting to the Rocky Mt. News addressing the mail ballot issue from Sunny Maynard, Green candidate for SOS awhile back. (One is for those using Word 97). Sunny is a lawyer who has handled a number of election fraud cases, as well as other types of cases which I don't know much about, and as a result, not only has considerable information most of us don't, but also a rather jaundiced view of the politics of both major parties in this state.

Margit Johansson, CFVI

303-442-1668/ margitjo@xxxxxxxxx

On 11/12/07, Al Kolwicz <alkolwicz@xxxxxxxxx > wrote:

Colorado Voter Group

The Colorado Voter Group is a private sector entity that is working to improve the Colorado election system. This BLOG is used to communicate with the public.

http://coloradovotergroup.blogspot.com/2007/11/secret-scheme-to-overturn-2002-vote.html

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Secret scheme to overturn 2002 vote against mail ballot elections

The Colorado Secretary of State and several county clerks are scheming to overturn the 2002 vote which rejected the use of mail ballot elections for major elections. Rumors persist that certain state legislators are involved in the plot.

Colorado Voter Group hopes to inform readers of the background and facts regarding Colorado's current voting system mess.

1. In November 2002, Colorado voters rejected Amendment 28, which would have deprived voters of the right to vote in precincts by anonymous ballot.

63 of 64 Colorado counties voted this amendment down. 757,299 voters, nearly 60 percent of the votes, voted "no". See election results on pages 145 and 159 of the November 2002 Abstract of Votes.

2. It appears from a Rocky Mountain News article, County clerks urge all-mail vote in '08, that county clerks are meeting in secret with the Secretary of State to overturn the vote of the people.

Further, it appears that clerks were not informed that the Colorado Voter Group has already submitted to the Secretary of State a workable voting alternative in the event that voting equipment is decertified. This alternative fulfills both the law and the wishes of the people of Colorado, and is a superior alternative to mail ballot elections.

3. Mail ballot elections have been proven to be undesirable. They are not secure, not accurate, not verifiable, not accessible, not anonymous, not transparent, and not accountable. Those who claim otherwise are either not informed or don't care.

None of the problems brought out during the debate on Amendment 28 have been fixed.

The Rocky Mountain News published an Editorial, Don't take chance on mail ballots.

The Denver Post published PRO-CON opinions of Rutt Bridges (Bighorn Center) and Al Kolwicz (CAMBER) that addressed many of the issues.

CBS investigative reporter Rick Salinger, in an October 31, 2002 televised report, disproved the accuracy and security claims of election officials.

It is wrong for Colorado officials to secretly scheme to override the vote of the people.

It would be wrong to force Colorado voters to vote using a system that cannot be trusted because it cannot be verified.

Colorado legislators should reject any attempt to get them to join in this conspiracy to override the will of Colorado voters. They should use their position of trust to represent the people, not the bureaucracy.

We challenge the Secretary of State, the county clerks, and Colorado Legislators to an independently moderated public debate on whether mail ballot elections are secure, accurate, verifiable, anonymous, accessible, accountable, and transparent.