Thursday, June 02, 2005
Voter Confidence Committee Active on Many Fronts
Arcata - despite earlier suggestions of a tentative June 15 hearing date for the Voter Confidence Resolution, it now appears set for July 6...this after a meeting with Councilmember Dave Meserve where he confirmed that he and fellow Councilmember Harmony Groves had officially done their subcommittee duty of considering edits...they have chosen to leave the language I submitted completely intact...absent direct quotes I submit this alone is proof plenty of support.
Eureka - at next Tuesday's City Council meeting (6/7) Scott Menzies will be doing another presentation on preferential voting...this will include an explanation of Single Transferable Vote which is essentially Instant Runoff Voting for multi-seat elections...it is also the method used to produce proportional representation...the presentation will be followed by a request that the Council create a Town Charter Amendment Review Commission...the end goal there would be for the Council to place a ballot measure on the next election slate...the fallback is to collect signatures and offer voters the chance to approve preferential voting for Eureka through a citizen initiative.
Humboldt County - Thursday afternoon several members of the VCC will receive a tour of the Elections Department...in addition to our hosts, County Elections Manager Lindsey McWilliams and his boss, County Elections Clerk Carolyn Crnich, we hope to be joined by Supervisors Jimmy Smith and Bonnie Neely...I have been advised that we should use this time to discuss the parameters and goals of the soon-to-be-created election reform task force.
State of California - VCC members are planning a road trip to Sacramento for the June 16 re-scheduled hearing on (de)certifying Diebold...we have also begun to broaden the scope of our appeals for support of SB 596...we sent several letters to Assemblywoman Patty Berg...I also contacted Trinidad City Councilman Terry Marlow...others have done outreach to Blue Lake, Rio Dell and Fortuna...in Arcata, Dave Meserve agreed support for SB 596 would make a fine addition to the Voter Confidence Resolution...SB 596 would allow general law cities like those mentioned to modify their election procedures without first having to draft and pass a town charter.
National - On June 30, the Baker-Carter Election Reform Commission (or whatever misleading name they've chosen) will hold another hearing in Houston...I am aware of a prominent national group planning to hold a counter event...I have been told they are going to use the Voter Confidence Resolution in some way...once these plans have solidified, an appropriate splash can be designed to announce the endorsement on their website...I will reveal the organization and site as soon as their support is official...I'm also still monitoring Ohio's [J30] group...a member named Rady has made multiple posts to their list about getting individual group members to put their name to the customized version of the resolution posted in their document archive...privately, Rady responded favorably to the idea of doing workshops for the Voter Confidence Resolution.
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Eureka - at next Tuesday's City Council meeting (6/7) Scott Menzies will be doing another presentation on preferential voting...this will include an explanation of Single Transferable Vote which is essentially Instant Runoff Voting for multi-seat elections...it is also the method used to produce proportional representation...the presentation will be followed by a request that the Council create a Town Charter Amendment Review Commission...the end goal there would be for the Council to place a ballot measure on the next election slate...the fallback is to collect signatures and offer voters the chance to approve preferential voting for Eureka through a citizen initiative.
Humboldt County - Thursday afternoon several members of the VCC will receive a tour of the Elections Department...in addition to our hosts, County Elections Manager Lindsey McWilliams and his boss, County Elections Clerk Carolyn Crnich, we hope to be joined by Supervisors Jimmy Smith and Bonnie Neely...I have been advised that we should use this time to discuss the parameters and goals of the soon-to-be-created election reform task force.
State of California - VCC members are planning a road trip to Sacramento for the June 16 re-scheduled hearing on (de)certifying Diebold...we have also begun to broaden the scope of our appeals for support of SB 596...we sent several letters to Assemblywoman Patty Berg...I also contacted Trinidad City Councilman Terry Marlow...others have done outreach to Blue Lake, Rio Dell and Fortuna...in Arcata, Dave Meserve agreed support for SB 596 would make a fine addition to the Voter Confidence Resolution...SB 596 would allow general law cities like those mentioned to modify their election procedures without first having to draft and pass a town charter.
National - On June 30, the Baker-Carter Election Reform Commission (or whatever misleading name they've chosen) will hold another hearing in Houston...I am aware of a prominent national group planning to hold a counter event...I have been told they are going to use the Voter Confidence Resolution in some way...once these plans have solidified, an appropriate splash can be designed to announce the endorsement on their website...I will reveal the organization and site as soon as their support is official...I'm also still monitoring Ohio's [J30] group...a member named Rady has made multiple posts to their list about getting individual group members to put their name to the customized version of the resolution posted in their document archive...privately, Rady responded favorably to the idea of doing workshops for the Voter Confidence Resolution.
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