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