As the clock yesterday in the Voter Services Division of the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics (DCBOEE) was approaching 5:00 p.m., some D.C. voters were busy putting their finishing touches on their paper work for challenges to the nominating petitions of Democratic candidates for the September 14 Primary Election.
Valencia Mohammad filed challenges to the nominating petitions of mayoral candidates Carlos Allen and Sulaimon Brown and Dorothy Brizill and Gary Imhoff filed a challenge to mayoral candidate Leo Alexander’s petition. Chairman of the Council candidate Calvin Gurley’s nominating petition was challenged by Alonzo Edmondson.
Four challenges were filed to the nominating petitions of the five candidates seeking the Ward 5 City Council seat currently held by Harry Thomas, Jr. Cynthia M. Gill filed a challenge to Kathy Henderson’s petition; D.C. lawyer Cary Clennon is challenging Delano Hunter’s petition; and candidate Henderson is challenging both Kenyan McDuffie and Tracey D. Turner. Ward 6 Council candidate Randy Brown’s petition is being challenged by Jim Abely.
According to the DCBOEE election calendar http://www.dcboee.org/popup.asp?url=/pdf_files/Draft_Sep_2010.pdf for the Primary, the DCBOEE has until August 3 to determine the validity of the challenges. And August 6 is the last day for a challenger or any candidate named in a challenge to apply to the D.C. Court of Appeals for review.
Over the next few days, it will be interesting to see if any of the challenges are withdrawn by the challengers based on lack of evidence to challenge or “behind the scenes” negotiations between the candidates and challengers. It has happened before.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
DCBOEE Report on the Preparations for the September 2010 Primary Election on the DCBOEE Web Site
The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics (DCBOEE) has posted its report to the Council's Committee on Government Operations and the Environment on the Preparations for the September 2010 Primary Election at http://www.dcboee.org/.
As required by the Council when it enacted the Omnibus Election Reform Act of 2009 (D.C. Law 18-103), the DCBOEE submitted its report on March 31, which was the 168th day before the upcoming September 14 Primary. The report outlines an ambitious agenda for changes to be completed in time for the Primary.
The report focuses on technology upgrades; management of the DCBOEE facilities and equipment; staffing and pollworker management; voter education and public information initiatives; and post-election activities.
Some of the salient points in the report are with regard to technology upgrades. This includes the purchase of new voting equipment from Election Systems and Software (ES&S), which I wrote about two postings ago. Using federal funds provided by the Help America Vote Act 2002, the District entered into an agreement to purchase 175 optical scan paper ballot voting machines; 200 touch screen voting machines with a paper audit trail and accessible for individuals with disabilities; two central count optical scan machines for absentee voting; and the software and peripheral equipment needed to run the system.
In addition, the Board purchased a mail sorting machine from Pitney Bowes for absentee voting. The machine assembles the absentee material to be sent to a voter, including the ballot.
At the time the report was submitted to the Committee, the Board was looking into other technological changes such as replacing the voting precincts' paper lists of voters with electronic poll books; online pollworker training; and tools for military and overseas voters.
It is already turning out to be an exciting Primary for voters, because of the candidates coming forward to run for public office; however, it is also turning out to be an exciting Primary for the DCBOEE and its staff, because of all teh changes to the voting process and the new technologies that will be used for the first time in September.
As required by the Council when it enacted the Omnibus Election Reform Act of 2009 (D.C. Law 18-103), the DCBOEE submitted its report on March 31, which was the 168th day before the upcoming September 14 Primary. The report outlines an ambitious agenda for changes to be completed in time for the Primary.
The report focuses on technology upgrades; management of the DCBOEE facilities and equipment; staffing and pollworker management; voter education and public information initiatives; and post-election activities.
Some of the salient points in the report are with regard to technology upgrades. This includes the purchase of new voting equipment from Election Systems and Software (ES&S), which I wrote about two postings ago. Using federal funds provided by the Help America Vote Act 2002, the District entered into an agreement to purchase 175 optical scan paper ballot voting machines; 200 touch screen voting machines with a paper audit trail and accessible for individuals with disabilities; two central count optical scan machines for absentee voting; and the software and peripheral equipment needed to run the system.
In addition, the Board purchased a mail sorting machine from Pitney Bowes for absentee voting. The machine assembles the absentee material to be sent to a voter, including the ballot.
At the time the report was submitted to the Committee, the Board was looking into other technological changes such as replacing the voting precincts' paper lists of voters with electronic poll books; online pollworker training; and tools for military and overseas voters.
It is already turning out to be an exciting Primary for voters, because of the candidates coming forward to run for public office; however, it is also turning out to be an exciting Primary for the DCBOEE and its staff, because of all teh changes to the voting process and the new technologies that will be used for the first time in September.
PR 18-792, the “District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics Mital Ghandi Confirmation Resolution of 2010"
Along with five other public witnesses, I provided testimony at the April 26, 2010, public roundtable on the nomination of Mital Ghandi to serve on the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics. The roundtable was conducted by Councilmember Mary Cheh, Chairman of the Committee on Government Operations and the Environment. I have pasted below my testimony from the hearing.
Good afternoon Councilmember Cheh and staff. I am a Ward One resident, the former Public Affairs and Program Development Manager for the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics (Board), and am a Certified Election/Registration Administrator. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on PR 18-792, the "District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics Mital Ghandi Confirmation Resolution of 2010".
The vacancy for which Board Nominee Mital Ghandi is seeking to fill has existed since February of 2009. The existence of the vacancy for such a long period of time on the three member Board is not fair to the two currently sitting Members and is not good for democracy. With the Council's approval, the Mayor can nominate individuals to fill D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics' vacancies with registered voters from either the D.C. Statehood Green or Republican parties or by a voter registered as an independent with no party affiliation.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Ghandi at a Board meeting when he was nominated the first time and spoke with him on the telephone over the weekend. I have found him to be a gracious man who wants to serve the District and is doing so as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for Single Member District 3E05 and is a member of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
As a nominee, I have a series of questions that I would like for Mr. Ghandi to answer on the public recored. They are:
Good afternoon Councilmember Cheh and staff. I am a Ward One resident, the former Public Affairs and Program Development Manager for the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics (Board), and am a Certified Election/Registration Administrator. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on PR 18-792, the "District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics Mital Ghandi Confirmation Resolution of 2010".
The vacancy for which Board Nominee Mital Ghandi is seeking to fill has existed since February of 2009. The existence of the vacancy for such a long period of time on the three member Board is not fair to the two currently sitting Members and is not good for democracy. With the Council's approval, the Mayor can nominate individuals to fill D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics' vacancies with registered voters from either the D.C. Statehood Green or Republican parties or by a voter registered as an independent with no party affiliation.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Ghandi at a Board meeting when he was nominated the first time and spoke with him on the telephone over the weekend. I have found him to be a gracious man who wants to serve the District and is doing so as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for Single Member District 3E05 and is a member of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
As a nominee, I have a series of questions that I would like for Mr. Ghandi to answer on the public recored. They are:
- Does Mr. Ghandi plan to resign from his position as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 3E05 as a matter of conflict of interest as other Members of the Board have done in the past?
- District law does not allow Members of the Board to hold a paid office or employment in the District government. Does Mr. Ghandi plan to resign from his appointed position on the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board for which he receives a stipend?
- According to his resume, Mr. Ghandi served as an international election observer almost 5 1/2 years ago. Did Mr. Ghandi's interest in elections end in the Ukraine and start up again when Mayor Fenty wanted to nominate him to the Board?
- Why did he not step up in 2008 during the September Primary and November General Elections when the Board could have used his technological skills when the Board was severely challenged at the time?
- And finally, according to Mr. Ghandi's resume, his business, People Reach LLC, is a certified local small disadvantaged business enterprise (LSDBE). Does Mr. Ghanadi's company currently have any contracts with the District government which he would have to curtail if he is appointed to the Board?
In closing, the Board's Fiscal Year 2011 proposed budget has been reduced by approximately $100,000 which will adversely affect the Baord during two challenging elections later this year. As a result, the Board's effectiveness could suffer by cutting two permanent staff positions.
That is why I am wearing my "SOS" pin today which represents the Save Our Safety Net campaign supporting Councilmember Jim Graham's legislation for a Millionaire's Tax in the District of Columbia. I do not support making budget cuts on the backs of poor people or to the services of the Board as it works to keep our elections free, fair, and transparent.
This concludes my testimony and I am available to answer any questions you may have.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
DC's New Voting Machines
The DC Board of Elections and Ethics yesterday demonstrated the city’s new voting machines to be used in the upcoming September 14th Primary Election, which is only 159 days away from today. The machines were purchased from Election Systems and Software (ES&S) http://www.essvote.com/HTML/home.html.
The M100 paper ballot optical scan voting machine (top) http://www.essvote.com/HTML/products/m100.html and the ivotronic touch screen voting machine http://www.essvote.com/HTML/products/ivotronic_rtal.html (bottom) were on display during the Board’s regularly scheduled meeting. The ivotronic is accessible for voters who are blind or with low vision capabilities and mobility disabilities.
At the Board’s public meeting, ES&S representatives emphasized the voter-verifiable voter record as required by D.C. Law 18-103, the Omnibus Election Reform Act of 2009. After the meeting, members of the public were invited to vote on the machines.
The M100 paper ballot optical scan voting machine (top) http://www.essvote.com/HTML/products/m100.html and the ivotronic touch screen voting machine http://www.essvote.com/HTML/products/ivotronic_rtal.html (bottom) were on display during the Board’s regularly scheduled meeting. The ivotronic is accessible for voters who are blind or with low vision capabilities and mobility disabilities.
At the Board’s public meeting, ES&S representatives emphasized the voter-verifiable voter record as required by D.C. Law 18-103, the Omnibus Election Reform Act of 2009. After the meeting, members of the public were invited to vote on the machines.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Revised Voter Registration Form
In compliance with District of Columbia Act 18-238, the “Omnibus Election Reform Act”, http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/images/00001/20091120113116.pdf, the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (DCBOEE) recently revised its voter registration form http://www.dcboee.org/pdf_files/Mail_VRForm_HAVA2003.pdf.
Changes to the form include:
· Information about the change in the age to vote in the District of Columbia which states that you must be at least 17 years old and be at least 18 years old by the next general election; and
· A yes or no question asking “Would you like information on serving as a poll worker for the next election?”.
As a result of the passage of the Act, 17 year old individuals can register and vote in a primary election, if they will be 18 by the next general election. The City Council’s Committee on Government Operations and the Environment (CGOE) reported that “according to testimony presented before the Committee almost half of the states have moved toward this policy because it ‘gives voting-age young people a voice in who appears on the general election ballot [and] encourages young people to vote in the first election for which they are eligible, which has been shown to promote lifelong political participation.’”
CGOE also reported that the Act reduces the age of pre-registration to 16 years old because it “would have the important effect of allowing all persons who register for a driver’s license to register to vote, and would likely increase voter registration in the District.”
Also included in the report, the Act requires the DCBOEE to “include a check-off for voters to signal their interest in being a polling place worker. This small change could have significant effects in polling place worker recruitment.” This is something that I had advocated for years and it took an Act of the City Council to finally get it done.
The DCBOEE took a step on its own and added a box on the form asking for an E-mail address of the applicant. Though the response is optional it will serve as an excellent tool to use to get in touch with the applicant if additional information or clarification is needed regarding the application.
All in all these are good changes that should help with increasing voter participation, recruiting poll workers, and administering the basic duty of the agency which is to register District of Columbia voters.
Changes to the form include:
· Information about the change in the age to vote in the District of Columbia which states that you must be at least 17 years old and be at least 18 years old by the next general election; and
· A yes or no question asking “Would you like information on serving as a poll worker for the next election?”.
As a result of the passage of the Act, 17 year old individuals can register and vote in a primary election, if they will be 18 by the next general election. The City Council’s Committee on Government Operations and the Environment (CGOE) reported that “according to testimony presented before the Committee almost half of the states have moved toward this policy because it ‘gives voting-age young people a voice in who appears on the general election ballot [and] encourages young people to vote in the first election for which they are eligible, which has been shown to promote lifelong political participation.’”
CGOE also reported that the Act reduces the age of pre-registration to 16 years old because it “would have the important effect of allowing all persons who register for a driver’s license to register to vote, and would likely increase voter registration in the District.”
Also included in the report, the Act requires the DCBOEE to “include a check-off for voters to signal their interest in being a polling place worker. This small change could have significant effects in polling place worker recruitment.” This is something that I had advocated for years and it took an Act of the City Council to finally get it done.
The DCBOEE took a step on its own and added a box on the form asking for an E-mail address of the applicant. Though the response is optional it will serve as an excellent tool to use to get in touch with the applicant if additional information or clarification is needed regarding the application.
All in all these are good changes that should help with increasing voter participation, recruiting poll workers, and administering the basic duty of the agency which is to register District of Columbia voters.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Poll Tax Eliminated On January 23, 1964
On this day in 1964, the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html was ratified to eliminate a poll tax as a prerequisite to voting.
The proposed amendment was passed by Congress on August 27, 1962, sent to the states, and ratified on January 23, 1964.
The full text follows:
AMENDMENT XXIV
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
This was the right thing to do and should have been done long before 1964.
The proposed amendment was passed by Congress on August 27, 1962, sent to the states, and ratified on January 23, 1964.
The full text follows:
AMENDMENT XXIV
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
This was the right thing to do and should have been done long before 1964.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., District of Columbia residents should exercise their freedom to register to vote, vote, and serve as pollworkers for the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethic (DCBOEE) http://www.dcboee.org/election_info/election_day_worker/edw_step1.asp on Election Day.
As an exemplary American, Dr. King is honored on this day for his service to our country working for equality.
The King Center http://www.thekingcenter.org/Default.aspx is promoting A Day of Service to the community. I believe the Day of Service should be extended to include two more days for serving as pollworkers for the two regularly scheduled elections to be held later this year – the September 14 Primary and the November 2 General Elections.
It is through the volunteer efforts of D.C. registered voters that elections in our city run smoothly. DCBOEE always needs help to ensure the conduct of transparent and error-free elections.
Sixteen and 17 year old high school students can also work on Election Day through the Youth Pollworker Program http://www.dcboee.org/pdf_files/Youth_Pollworker_Application.pdf.
All pollworkers are paid a stipend for their volunteer efforts.
Community service was always a part of Dr. King’s messages and there is no better way to celebrate his life and legacy than to exercise our freedom to vote and to serve at the polls on Election Day.
As an exemplary American, Dr. King is honored on this day for his service to our country working for equality.
The King Center http://www.thekingcenter.org/Default.aspx is promoting A Day of Service to the community. I believe the Day of Service should be extended to include two more days for serving as pollworkers for the two regularly scheduled elections to be held later this year – the September 14 Primary and the November 2 General Elections.
It is through the volunteer efforts of D.C. registered voters that elections in our city run smoothly. DCBOEE always needs help to ensure the conduct of transparent and error-free elections.
Sixteen and 17 year old high school students can also work on Election Day through the Youth Pollworker Program http://www.dcboee.org/pdf_files/Youth_Pollworker_Application.pdf.
All pollworkers are paid a stipend for their volunteer efforts.
Community service was always a part of Dr. King’s messages and there is no better way to celebrate his life and legacy than to exercise our freedom to vote and to serve at the polls on Election Day.
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