Saturday, April 14, 2007
Election official in Albany, NY says IRV, others, are worst bills he's ever seen
The only problem is, his state, NY, has entrenched elections officials with entrenched interests, which tend to match the interests of the already-elected. Think about it. How cozy is the relationship between the Board of Elections and the elected officials they regulate? In my county, the County Council hires and fires the elections staff, and funds them and tells them what other things they want them to do.
Here in York County, SC, I can personally assure you that the recently retired and current directors of my county's elections office are both exceptionally well educated, adept at communicating facts about how voting laws are implemented, and honest as one might imagine...honest like when we're 4 and our Dad can do anything and Mom is the smartest woman in the world honest. These women could tell me it was snowing in August in South Carolina and I'd slip on a hat to keep my spate warm.
Anyway, if you want to read this guys excuses for why Instant Runoff Voting, election day registration, hand re-counts, fusion voting,Click on the Democrat Herald
Even the reform supporters seem to want to play down the idea that they are addressing some of the ways that we dis-enfranchise so many people. If we ultimately require a teller from Wal-Mart and her warehouse worker boyfriend to jump through any hoops, we risk loosing ever growing legions of non-voters. If we don't find ways for voters like me to have an impact, then pressure swells and pushes out somewhere. Maybe something non-party comes from the pressure, like a decision to go back to college and become a voting rights attorney.
But the bottom line is, if we don't find non-voters to elect us, and pay them back when we get elected by doing all the things we promised during the campaign, and for empowering them to take control over their lives. Competition is good in many ways and in many places, but so is cooperation. Cooperating is how you help people take control over their lives.
Here in York County, SC, I can personally assure you that the recently retired and current directors of my county's elections office are both exceptionally well educated, adept at communicating facts about how voting laws are implemented, and honest as one might imagine...honest like when we're 4 and our Dad can do anything and Mom is the smartest woman in the world honest. These women could tell me it was snowing in August in South Carolina and I'd slip on a hat to keep my spate warm.
Anyway, if you want to read this guys excuses for why Instant Runoff Voting, election day registration, hand re-counts, fusion voting,Click on the Democrat Herald
Even the reform supporters seem to want to play down the idea that they are addressing some of the ways that we dis-enfranchise so many people. If we ultimately require a teller from Wal-Mart and her warehouse worker boyfriend to jump through any hoops, we risk loosing ever growing legions of non-voters. If we don't find ways for voters like me to have an impact, then pressure swells and pushes out somewhere. Maybe something non-party comes from the pressure, like a decision to go back to college and become a voting rights attorney.
But the bottom line is, if we don't find non-voters to elect us, and pay them back when we get elected by doing all the things we promised during the campaign, and for empowering them to take control over their lives. Competition is good in many ways and in many places, but so is cooperation. Cooperating is how you help people take control over their lives.
// posted by Gregg Jocoy @ 11:26 PM 
