----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 1:24
PM
Subject: RE: election bills come to
committee tomorrow "upon recess"
I am in favor of eliminating uncontested contests from primary,
to avoid wasting taxpayer money. There was not a single contested
candidate in the Jefferson County Democratic primary this time - what a waste
of time and money!
We should try to pressure legislature and
clerks to adopt instant runoff voting, in exchange for agreeing to end
primary, which usually occurs too late to make any difference, in
CO.
The largest potential source of mail ballot fraud is probably
disabled nursing home patients and their low paid staff, who may be amenable
to payoffs. I have not heard any credible proposals for reducing fraud
in assited living centers. I have heard the going rate for BUYING a
nursing home vote is $100, but do not know how accurate the figure
is.
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:44:18 -0700
Subject: election bills come to
committee tomorrow "upon recess"
From: margitjo@xxxxxxxxx
To: harvie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; angielayton@xxxxxxxx; ivan.meek@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; richey80304@xxxxxxxxx; m.eberle@xxxxxxxxxxxx; clifwest@xxxxxxxxxxx; Tmmco1@xxxxxxx; ctlo@xxxxxxx; amaynard_1@xxxxxxxx; ccorry@xxxxxxxx; alkolwicz@xxxxxxxxx; jdlwcec@xxxxxxxxx; attendees@xxxxxxx; cvv-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi All,
A couple of election bills are scheduled to
come before the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs
Committee TOMORROW AM, "UPON RECESS", i.e. when the
general assembly recesses after their morning meeting, which is
whenever...9AM? 9:30? You just have to go in early and hang
around.
The one that seems of most concern (although I haven't
read the others in detail) is HB1015, which would
allow all-mail ballot elections for
primaries. (See attachment.) It is
fourth on the list; I don't know how much time the first three bills will
take. There is always the chance they won't make it to the fourth
bill.
(If you can show that mail ballot elections are
not as secure because they don't have the protection of citizen oversight
etc etc, then you can say that this will allow parties, if not
others, to favor the candidates they prefer for their
purposes. Citizen preferences for candidates could lose out to
establishment candidates, for example.
Right?)
I hope those who can give good
specific examples of security problems with mail ballots will come forward to
testify. For Dems, examples that show monied
interests undermining the vote with mail ballots is probably more
compelling than individual vote fraud, given that recent studies
have downplayed the effect of individual fraud. For Republicans,
examples of individual fraud seems to resonate, though.
I hope to see you computer experts, and election reformers
all, at the hearing tomorrow AM!
Thanks so much,
Margit
Margit Johansson, CFVI
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