Ventura County Voting By Mail?

The Ventura County Star editorializes today on the bill (AB 867) that is working its way through the legislature that would enable Ventura County to be a mail only ballot county. The legislation as now written would take effect with the 2006 June primary election cycle and be in force until 2011.

Flap previously covered this story here.

A copy of the May 4, 2005 amended legislation is here.

Backed by the Democrat party, Warren Slocum, San Mateo County Assessor (County Clerk) Recorder & Chief Elections Official, California Association of Clerks and Election Officials and California Common Cause this bill is similar to previously proposed legislation that was vetoed by then Governor Gray Davis:

The Secretary of State opposed similar legislation, SB 1135 (Murray, 1999) due to fears of poorly maintained voter lists. The Secretary proposed a requiring participating jurisdictions to conduct list maintenance activities to ensure list accuracy. Governor Davis vetoed the bill because, “[m]any counties do not aggressively purge their voter file or duplicate names.” While AB 867 does not address the issue of voter list maintenance, the Secretary of State has not taken an oppose position.

The Star’s editorial, as the legislation, is flawed.

The main arguments in favor of wholly vote by mail ballots are:

1. Reduced costs in conducting elections

2. Increase voter participation

Any cost savings is speculative at best. Granted the Oregon cost analysis looks promising. But, Oregon is not California and any cost savings may be speculative. Also, the major population counties of Los Angeles and Orange have already heavily invested in new voter technologies. Ventura County has not but would have to upgrade soon due to its outdated punch card voting system.

Increased voter participation in California could be the result of mailing duplicate ballots to voters who have moved or died. California voting lists are a mess and this legislation provides no provision for a clean-up of these lists prior to implementation.

Flap can forsee voting parties (spelled MAIL DROPS) sponsored by the SEIU (Service Employees International Union), the CTA (California Teachers Association), and AFSCME (American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees) with the mailing of thousands of duplicate ballots all marked for their Democrat party stalwarts. The visions of the 1960 Presidential election where the unions stole the Illinois election fraudulantly for John Kennedy dance wildly in my head.

The potential for fraud for mail only balloting is just too great.

Notwithstanding, residents must show up for jury duty. It is not asking too much to show up to vote.

The Governor should veto this bill should it reach his desk.