King County Executive Ron Sims issued a self-congratulatory news release yesterday upon the Council's approval of compulsory mail-voting
As always, our goal is to conduct fair, accurate and transparent elections.But enough easy laughs at Sims' expense. The main target of this entry is this line from the press release:
We have a strong plan to transition to a vote-by-mail systemI just sent a public records request to Sims office asking for all documents that comprise this plan. This should make for a good read. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at June 20, 2006 09:25 AM | Email This
1) Everybody in King County sends in their vote by mail.
2) Votes are "processed" in secret by the Sims cabal.
3) Democrats are declared the winners in every race.
It's so simple, even Ron can handle this, so it's no wonder he's congratulating himself in advance.
Posted by: Jeff B. on June 20, 2006 09:49 AMA vote along party lines to change the elections system is a total failure.
Posted by: Jacob on June 20, 2006 10:28 AMUnless the public speaks up Ron Sims will appoint an other unskilled persons for the 3rd time (2000 Senate Race lost by 2000 votes and 2002 Monorail vote would have been subject to automatic recount if it was a candidate) and Dean Logan's infamous 2004 debacle
Larry Gosset just got relected Nov-2005 by ~85% so he's around for another 3 years
Julia Patterson is just an angry old white woman who's full of piss and vinegar - Seattle's version of Robin Williams on CSpan, another angry old bitter white man
Posted by: Guss on June 20, 2006 11:14 AMRon Sims is the main reason I will never buy property in King County. The King County Council is the second reason.
Posted by: Gary on June 20, 2006 11:22 AM"I commend the County Council for its vote today and its agreement that it is time for King County to begin the process of joining the other 34 counties that have adopted a vote by mail system."
If this is true, what is the big deal that KC is switching to vote by mail?
Posted by: Erik on June 20, 2006 12:12 PMStefan, more likely a "no read". My guess is that you wont receive a reply until after the next forced all mail election...
Posted by: Erik on June 20, 2006 12:15 PMWhy are the pro-choice left so against choice. A bit of a contradiction?
Posted by: Fred on June 20, 2006 12:17 PMTo the warped and evil minds of the leftists, there is no contradiction. It's simply a matter of defining what you may choose. When it comes to the bloodlust slaughtering of innocent unborn, then of course you have the "right" to "choose" to do that. But when it comes to having an honest, legitimate, and secure system of voting, well, shucks, you just don't have any choice in the matter, you ain't gonna get one.
Posted by: Interested Observer on June 20, 2006 12:46 PMHowever, if 34 counties in Washington have already done it and most voters in King COunty already vote by mail I don't see that it makes much of a difference for the last voters to vote by mail as well. Voters prefer it.
Posted by: Erik on June 20, 2006 12:56 PMKing county has a terrible record of running elections, the other counties do not. If all mail voting itself is less secure and more expensive, you argue we should adapt it anyway because other counties have adopted it? That's pretty poor logic.
Posted by: nospam on June 20, 2006 01:59 PMSo why can't we have that here??
Posted by: Michele on June 20, 2006 02:02 PMNeither the Council nor Ron Sims care what the public has to say. They are pressing on with their own agendas regardless of merit. Their views are consistent with the intolerant liberal orthodoxy of today. In the brave new Marxist world, subjective factors trump merit.
Posted by: Jeff B. on June 20, 2006 03:29 PMMake us vote on medical and fire levies after there is not enough money in the budget. Make us vote to fix streets and won’t let us vote on how to vote.
Thanks Shark for keeping it up! Maybe when Dean Logan turns off the shredder one last time and walks off to screw the citizens of So. Cal someone in KCRE will finally come forward.
Besides the confusion this Future Change has caused, it will be interesting to see how many Poll voters will actually expect an absentee ballot for the primary/general....
Banshee...regarding the poll tax (postage stamp) pls remember that they will have a lil mobile unit in each district along with these lil places you can DROP off your ballot...... Even though you may have to DRIVE several miles to reach one, don't worry, The Gov has you covered there with the GAS TAX......
But you did give me an Idea.....How about on Election Day you call KC Elections or Ron Slimes himself, and ask him to come and get it for you.....Ohhhh better yet, call Patterson or Gossett, they don't want any DISENFRANCHISED VOTERS...... When 300,000 people call them, maybe they will get the IDEA, that it is a BAD IDEA this VBM....
Posted by: Chris on June 20, 2006 06:45 PMCan this be reversed by Initiative? Can the citizens by some legal means, reverse this, or at least get the vote to the PEOPLE?
Just a question.....Thanks in Advance..:)
Posted by: Chris on June 20, 2006 06:52 PMI know this is not an exact parallel with reversing the Sims decision for all-mail voting and be damned to you, but it trends in the right direction.
Posted by: Hank Bradley on June 20, 2006 07:32 PMKing County Council
With 100% of the tax paying speakers, speaking against the all mail balloting, the Democratic controlled Council (DCC) should have voted the ordnance down.That would have kept the (DCC) in unison on prior votes like adding Human Services to the Veterans bill, changing the logo, sexual orientation for all and illegal aliens. The only problem with the all mail balloting ordnance the (DCC) forgot the load up the meeting. Two weeks from now the (DCC) has closed the audience from speaking on this issue unless the (DCC) loads up the meeting with family and friends. Then (DCC) may open the audience comments to show there is a mandated on citizen for the 100% ballot voting.Then the (DCC) will vote for the 100% ballot voting in King County.
I would like to thank Julia Patterson for introducing others and I to Sound Politics.
Its good to see I'm not alone.
George
Washington grown
Voters since 1968
The only council members who spoke against the proposal to do away with the polls and bring in Diebold's Touchscreen Voting Machines were Republicans. Republican Kathy Lambert actually raised questions regarding the Diebold's TSX system and the potential for fraud when these machines are used. Living in King County feels more and more like Cook County, Illinois every day.
The last few weeks have been truly eye opening. On the national scale, I was a Dennis Kucinich Delegate in 2004, because he helped confront Diebold, by posting the infamous Diebold memos on his Congressional Website. But in Washington State, I have never found much help in the Democratic party concerning voting reform. Rank and file Democrats all over are pulling out there hair over this issue, but the Washington State Democratic leadership does not give a rats ass about opening the process, and addressing the concerns we as voting activists raise, loudly, daily, and perpetually.
With a very partisan vote, and with much disrespect shown to the multi-party coalition of activists working to save “Poll Place Voting” in King County, the County's Democrats showed that in the face of overwhelming public testimony, and what the Democrats kept calling, “valid concerns” throughout the June 5th public comment period, that the Democrats were willing to ignore those concerns and push this vote through.
Let's make it clear that the people that are voting to continue to support bringing in Diebold's Touchscreen Voting Machines, forced vote by mail, and doing away with poll places, virtually guaranteeing unverifiable elections procedures, include:
Bob Ferguson
Larry Gossett
Larry Phillips
Julia Patterson
Dow Constantine
King County deserves better than this.
Buy the past votes on Monday’s dog and pony show by the (DCC) Ron Sims and his democratic controlled council (DCC) Phillips and his side kicks Patterson, Gossett, Ferguson and Constantine are the laughing stock of King County. By bringing out going Logan for back wasn’t a mandate to past the ballot ordnances. The all mail balloting should have gone to the Voters. As Patterson and Constantine have said the voters put us in office to make these decisions. But what they forgot the public put them in office to make smart decisions, they failed again.
George
Washington grown
Voter since 1968
We now have vote by mail in Whatcom county and I don't like it one bit.
Posted by: Brent in Ferndale on June 21, 2006 07:45 AMSent from the Internet (Details)
Dear Mr. Nichols,
Thank you for contacting me regarding the very important issue of how we conduct our elections. I appreciate the time you have taken to write and the opportunity to respond.
Last year the state legislature permitted counties in WA State to conduct elections entirely by mail. Since then, 34 counties across the state have elected to convert to all mail voting.
On Monday, the Metropolitan King County Council voted to make King County the largest local jurisdiction in the nation to conduct all elections by mail, once the infrastructure and management are in place to accomplish it.
I fully supported this action. It is long past time that the largest county in the state move to an all vote-by-mail system. More than 60 percent of voters already cast their ballots by mail and the number continues to increase every year. In the last general election, more than 80 percent of voters in my district chose a mail ballot.
The legislation approved by the Council directs the Elections Section to begin the process to implement all-mail elections, once it meets three specific requirements:
• Appointment and confirmation of both a Director of Records, Elections and Licensing Services and a Superintendent of Elections.
• Completion of the cultural change and management training recommended by the Council’s Citizens Elections Oversight Committee and Executive’s Independent Task Force on Elections.
• Council approval of an Executive plan for all-mail elections that includes cost estimates, locations, and security measures for regional voting centers and ballot drop boxes.
The current dual voting system requires 528 polling locations and close to 4,000 poll workers for a countywide election, plus a full-scale mail ballot processing operation and facility. The Council’s Citizens’ Elections Oversight Committee (CEOC) recommended moving to an all-mail ballot to streamline the election system, as did independent outside experts in testimony to the Council on March 6. The CEOC’s 2006 report stated that, “Running two separate elections processes (poll voting and mail voting) increases the likelihood of breaches in security and of human errors. As the public holds the Elections Section more accountable, there is a related responsibility to simplify the inherently complex election process.”
Again, thank you for contacting me. I appreciate hearing your opinion on this very important matter.
Sincerely,
Julia Patterson
King County Councilmember
District 5
206-296-1005
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Miss High and Mighty Patterson likes to hear from us, but she certainly doesnt listen very well......She needs to be RECALLED.......I am going to Pick this email apart in my spare time, and thorougly read what all their "Experts" had to say....Then I am going to Email her back with my OPINION, and the facts to back it up with.....
"Woohoo KC is the largest local jurisdiction in the nation to conduct all elections by mail. She is so proud!"
My Grandma always said "Watch what you wish for", I think grandma may be right on Ms Patterson's wish this time.....
The next step after that is to start another petition to recall any one of five Democrat King County Council members, beginning with the ever-arrogant and ditzy Julia Patterson. I'll be ready to sign both of them - keep us posted, Stefan...
Posted by: KS on June 21, 2006 09:03 PM