I have to say I am a bit mystified by the commentary that Bob Dunning has given to the vote-by-mail election that is forthcoming next month, as residents in the Davis Joint Unified School District will cast their ballots, like millions of citizens do each election, through a mail-in ballot.
As I wrote on Sunday, Bob Dunning claims that “an important election is an odd time for an experiment. While I agree that Measure A is an important election, one of the more important that we have faced in this community, it is baffling that he calls an all-mail ballot an experiment.
He continued this mantra on Thursday, arguing that “Signature puts ‘secret ballot’ to the test,” somehow ignoring that this happens every election and I have never once heard a complaint.
He writes, “SIGN IN PLEASE … if I’m understanding this thing correctly, nobody’s going to count our Measure A ballots unless we sign the envelope we’re supposed to use to send them back to the county clerk in Woodland … for those concerned about a ‘secret ballot,’ this could present a problem … after all, there’s your signature on the envelope and there’s your ballot inside with your stated preference … one and one make two … scary stuff if you think Freddie Oakley actually cares about how you or I voted … she doesn’t … at least not in her official capacity …”
At least he is not accusing County Clerk Freddie Oakley of acting in a nefarious manner, but perhaps he should have spoken to her about how they count absentee ballots so that this problem does not actually occur.
The big feature that protects the sanctity and secrecy of the votes is that they separate the verification process from the ballot counting process. By the time they get to actually counting the votes, there is nothing to distinguish the mail-in ballot from the polling place ballot.
He continued, “The secret ballot is like the seal of confession … break the promise and plan to spend many years in purgatory … however, the signature itself might create a problem because people will have to remember all on their own to sign their ballot … if they don’t, it’s not valid … when you vote in person, they won’t even hand you a ballot until you’ve signed their sheet, so the issue of forgetting to sign never comes up …”
Once again millions of people manage to vote by mail in every election. So is the issue of signing one’s ballot a problem? Mr. Dunning apparently did not ask.
He continued, “It will be interesting to see how many ballots are invalidated simply because someone forgot to sign on the dotted line … after all, an awful lot of us are rookies at this mail-only voting …”
For how many people is this normally a problem? This is a known quantity. This is not an experiment. Tens of millions of people vote this way each year with no problem. So why are we pretending like this is going to be a problem? Perhaps Bob Dunning should host his own training seminar at the next five Farmer’s Markets so that he can show people how to mail off their ballot correctly. Perhaps he can get Freddie Oakley to join him.
The bottom line is that this method will save the district $200,000. That is two to three teachers that we do not have to lay off because we have chosen this method.
The bigger problem now is that because the governor failed to get a tax measure on the June ballot, we will have to find $3 million in cuts even if Measure A passes. We are talking about teacher and staff layoffs, larger classes, less resources.
Unfortunately, that is a much bigger problem than going to a method that maybe 40% of the voters used in the last election. And unfortunately, there is no good solution for that other than to pray that the economy improves and thank our lucky stars we are in one of the fortunate districts.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
The only problem I have w mail-in ballots is timing. Essentially if you don’t want to drop the ballots off in Woodland on election day, you have to mail the ballots in early enough to arrive in Woodland by election day. I like to wait to vote until election day, in case something comes out in the news prior to that if I am on the fence about an issue. But if this will save us $200K, then I’m all for mail-in balloting. I’ve voted absentee for years, and it really isn’t difficult – it’s actually easier than voting in person.
Elaine – You can drop off your ballot at the Davis Mary Stephens Library on 14th St. on Election Day!
Bob – If you have concerns about voting by mail, you (or anyone) can come vote in our office at 625 Court St. in Woodland. Also, we have well-established procedures for separating ballots from the envelopes they come in. Nobody peeks. It’s against the law! Also, believe it or not, we don’t CARE how you vote!
I’ve been voting absentee for years and it couldn’t be simpler. The ballot comes in the mail, I fill it out that day or the next, stamp it and put it back out on the mailbox. I think most of us already know how we’re voting on this issue so there won’t be much to mull over.
Freddie Oakley: “Elaine – You can drop off your ballot at the Davis Mary Stephens Library on 14th St. on Election Day!”
Thanks for the info… It is greatly appreciated!
JT: “I think most of us already know how we’re voting on this issue so there won’t be much to mull over.”
I think some of us are still on the fence on this one!
Freddie, I know I, like Dunning, may be a nit picker on this issue, but I think that mail-in ballots do compromise the secrecy of the ballot. It may just be a dad (not me) making sure that the wife and kids vote the right way, a well intentioned teacher giving extra credit for students showing proof they voted (the right way), an employer giving an afternoon off… There is just something to be said for going into the booth, drawing the curtain, and being sure no one will know how you voted. I too occasionally vote by absentee ballot, but I also think that it is perhaps not a slippery slope, but at least a moist slope.
I think that’s a relatively low level risk Observer. We have a couple of decades worth of combined data in two states plus a lot of local communities.
Since she adopted my position on Vote By Mail some four years ago, our state has had no better leader on this issue than Freddie Oakley. I appreciate her excellent work and her willingness to change her position. Let me quote from my 2006 column on this topic: [quote] I asked Freddie recently if she would favor adopting the Oregon system in California. (Yolo County cannot legally employ mail-only voting unless the state law is changed.) She said no.
“I really love democracy,” Oakley said, “and I want more people to be involved in governance and I think maintaining polling places advances that goal. So I’m not an advocate for all-mail balloting.” [/quote] It took Freddie a while to change course. I suspect Bob Dunning will likewise become a fan of this cheaper system which generally draws larger turn-out.
[quote]but I think that mail-in ballots do compromise the secrecy of the ballot. It may just be a dad (not me) making sure that the wife and kids vote the right way, a well intentioned teacher giving extra credit for students showing proof they voted (the right way), an employer giving an afternoon off… There is just something to be said for going into the booth, drawing the curtain, and being sure no one will know how you voted. I too occasionally vote by absentee ballot, but I also think that it is perhaps not a slippery slope, but at least a moist slope. [/quote]To your first point… if someone compels family members to vote in a certain way, not sure that doesn’t already happen…. if an absentee/vote by mail vote is cast, it must be signed, and the signature verified… don’t get your issue… as I understand it, County Clerk verifies signatures prior to the vote being tallied… separate processes. Ms Oakley learned from one of the best… has carried on his tradition, and is improving on it…
Mail-in ballots are at least 50% of the ballots cast in Davis City Council elections. Freddie doesn’t even call them “absentee” ballots anymore that I know of. And I’m not sure that Dunning has it right about the secret ballot issue. Who voted is a matter of public record – who one voted for is the secret part. Maybe Bob needs a refresher from Freddie.
Observer: “Freddie, I know I, like Dunning, may be a nit picker on this issue, but I think that mail-in ballots do compromise the secrecy of the ballot. It may just be a dad (not me) making sure that the wife and kids vote the right way, a well intentioned teacher giving extra credit for students showing proof they voted (the right way), an employer giving an afternoon off… There is just something to be said for going into the booth, drawing the curtain, and being sure no one will know how you voted. I too occasionally vote by absentee ballot, but I also think that it is perhaps not a slippery slope, but at least a moist slope.”
First, there are instances of voter fraud at the polls. Apparently there have been cases where certain groups stand outside polls to intimidate voters, poll workers going inside the voting booth w people to tell them how to vote, homeless people paid w cigarettes to go into the polling booth to vote a certain way, etc. No system is foolproof.
Second, even assuming your scenario is true, is it worth $200,000, to make sure no husband is standing over his wife directing her vote, juxtaposed against other voter fraud that takes place at polling booths around the country? Seems to me the risks are about the same either way, but all mail-in ballots save taxpayer money…
[quote]First, there are instances of voter fraud at the polls. Apparently there have been cases where certain groups stand outside polls to intimidate voters, poll workers going inside the voting booth w people to tell them how to vote[/quote]I sincerely hope that your opinion on this is identifying potential problems @ the 0.01% (or less) of votes cast. If not, you cast very negative aspersions, at least in Yolo County, on poll workers who are well trained and very conscientious. We’ve told people to leave, and/or coverup, for wearing T-shirts, buttons, etc. There is NO tolerance for electioneering in Yolo County, at least at any of the polling places I’ve been privileged to serve at. Although I have worked as a poll worker at pretty much every election for over 15 years, I have also been a “vote by mail” voter the entire time. I have absolutely no problem with going to vote by mail as the standard.
That being said, until a few years ago, I was dramatically the youngest poll worker in the precincts I’ve worked in. For me, the money I earned (I took vacation time) went to charities. I’ve worked with a large number of senior citizens who used those dollars for things they otherwise couldn’t have afforded on their ‘fixed incomes’.
I definitely support the all mail vote for the current measure, and would support it for all future elections as long as there are at least a handful of locations where you can wait until election day to submit them, and KNOW they will be counted (postmarks don’t count for ‘timeliness’, currently).
To hpierce: Didn’t mean to imply these things were going on in Yolo County, but they DO GO ON IN VARIOUS PLACES IN THE COUNTRY. The business about people standing outside polls to intimidate took place in the last election and ostensibly benefitted candidates Obama supported. Big controversy… charges and countercharges – the Obama people tried to play it down…
I agree that an all mail balloting system needs to have at least one polling place in town to drop off the ballot on the day of. Since that has been arranged (the county library on 14th St. in Davis), then like you I’m all for saving the $200,000 cost of the election.