Letter of the Weekย
Nothing is more vital to OUR democracy than fair and effective elections. We rely (with varying success) on public officials for fairness and competence in the design and administration of our election process. We also rely (with varying success) on our citizenry to participate in the process.
We must also rely on the media to do its part in promoting fair and effective elections. By providing adequate and appropriate information, commentary and analysis, our media can educate and inform voters on candidates, issues and on the electoral process itself.
Unfortunately, each media outlet can also dramatically impact our elections in a negative way by misinforming voters with the manner in which it chooses to cover (including the choice to not cover) a candidate, issue or the election process itself. I’m not even going to comment on the recent, despicable and possibly partisan performance by George Stephanopoulous and Charlie Gibson in ABC’s recent faux debate.
Here in Oregon we pride ourselves on our having the first statewide vote-by-mail (VBM) system in the United States. It provides a number of significant benefits, most notably in reducing the cost of administering an election. It also reduces some barriers to voter participation, such as ballot access for disabled voters, absentee voters and others who cannot get to the polls on election day. And let us not forget the benefit of VBM’s convenience factor in increasing turnout among the harried, lazy and forgetful amongst us.
This morning I read an editorial in The Bulletin reminding first-time voters and those wishing to change their political party affiliation to re-register by April 29 in order to participate in our closed partisan primary elections this May 20.
What I DIDN’T read in The Bulletin was a reminder that VOTERS WHO HAVE MOVED since they last registered to vote MUST ALSO RE-REGISTER in order TO RECEIVE ANY BALLOT AT ALL!!!
Having knocked on thousands of doors over the past several years registering voters utilizing county records showing names, addresses and party affiliation, I can assure you that those living in less affluent areas and those registered as Democrats or as non-affiliated voters are substantially less likely to still live at their previous voter registration address than those in wealthier neighborhoods and/or those registered as Republicans. Thus, our system inadvertently disenfranchises Democrats, non-fffiliated voters and the poor simply because, for a variety of reasons, they are much more mobile and are probably less likely to forward their mail for any number of reasons.
For those readers who might doubt my assertion that these voter groups are “disproportionately mobile” and thus disenfranchised by our VBM system, please write your Oregon elected representatives (especially Secretary of State Bill Bradbury and the candidates running to succeed him in this year’s race) to demand that this issue be studied and results quantified so that appropriate remedies are crafted in an expedited manner.
Bill Maurer, Bend
This article appears in Apr 24-30, 2008.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
An excellent informational and unbiased article written to promote the polling process and encourage voter participation.
Oregon law clearly states you must change your drivers license or picture ID card within 30 days of moving. We have what’s called a ‘motor-voter’ law in Oregon. When you are filling out that form at the DMV it is a simple matter of a few seconds to fill out the voter registration portion.
If one is obeying the law of the land, voter registration is almost automatic. Maurer’s letter is a lot of sturm and drang about a non-issue.
In any case, it is the responsibility of the individual to register, regardless of party affiliation. If you are too lazy to see to your rights, well, I guess you lose them of your own volition.
Why should we be concerned about those unwilling to even undertake the incredibly minor inconvenience to register?
Comes back to personal responsibility. It is not the governments job to take care of people to stupid to exercise their right to vote.
CT Belza is correct regarding the requirement to change one’s driver’s license after moving.
However, my original comment did not specify HOW one re-registers, simply that in order to receive a ballot one has to be registered at their current address.
CT’s comment also did NOT consider the possibility of someone moving, e.g., 25 days before the election and going down to the DMV in plenty of time to comply with the driver’s license law but still do it too late to receive an election ballot.
Also, there are people who have the right to vote that don’t require a driver’s license.
CT is apparently NOT aware that the DMV offers 2 different Drivers License registration forms and ONLY one of them has the voter registration on the flip side. If someone were to move to Oregon from out of state and hadn’t yet lived here long enough to learn all of the laws of their new state and picked up the wrong DMV form, how should we expect them to ask for a different form?
From my experience, the DMV personnel may or may not ask a registrant turning in the form in person if they have selected the correct form and furthermore, would have NO WAY to ask if a registrant picked up a form at the DMV, took it home to complete it offsite and mailed it in.
If CT doesn’t know that, why does he expect every other citizen to be aware of that.
As for CT’s and Jed’s comments regarding responsibility, they might wish to consider our democratic nation’s long history of assuring that all of our citizens have the opportunity to vote, even those who cannot read, don’t own property, didn’t pay a poll tax or are otherwise put at a disadvantage.
Certainly, CT and Jed have a right to their own opinion, the rest of us citizens (including the US Supreme Court and our other governmental institutions who have developed and upheld laws to keep some of us from disenfranchising others in our election process) have the right to ours.
As for insults CT threw at my letter, they speak for themselves and their author. No response is necessary from me.
I do appreciate that they read the letter and took the time to expose their thoughts.
Watching the electoral process this cycle tends to bring out the best in us. The best jokes, the most cynicism, the greatest respect for sane nations that can elect a new leader in six weeks, such as the UK.
Some thoughts on voting:
“If voting really mattered, they’d just make it illegal.” –Emma Goldman
“Election campaigns are, in essence, advance sales on stolen goods.” –H.L. Mencken (see the current issue of Rolling Stone Magazine for more on this by Matt Taibbi.)
“It doesn’t matter who votes, it only matters who counts the votes.” Variously ascribed to Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall, Joe Stalin of the U.S.S.R. and others
“No matter how cynical I get, it’s hard to keep up.” –Lily Tomlin (see Taibbi article above)
“(Democrats)are less likely to forward their mail for any number of reasons…”
Ballots, to my knowledge, are not forwarded for the obvious reason that if you have moved, you may not be qualified to vote in the specific area you left. Suppose someone moved out of state or to the next county or city, do you want them voting on local issues that effect those that still live there? Clearly not.
It’s extremely odd that this clearly biased gentleman, who “has knocked on thousands of doors” registering voters is not more up to speed on how the Oregon system works. It puts way more votes out than the old precinct system did. Which is easier for the disenfranchised, lick a stamp, or take the gas guzzling beater out to find a polling place? Which is an ailing senior more likely to do, lick a stamp, or go out, perhaps painfully, risking a life changing slip or fall ambulating to the voting emporium?
Maurer also fails to recognize that the fastest growing segment of Republican registration is working class men. The image Maurer projects that somehow Republicans are more elitist then Democrats does not hold up when one examines left wing output from elitists, like Moveon dot org., and including B. H. Obama, the current Democratic front-runner.
Bottom line, voting is an exercise of a right that requires very little of the voter. We certainly don’t need to waste millions of dollars on a stupid investigation into why some won’t get off their butt and do it. The answer is obvious. They don’t care enough to make the effort.
“Moving 25 days before the election…”
Oregon has a 30 day residency requirement for a very good reason. What would keep 500 people from showing up on the last day in, say, a small town election who actually lived someplace else, throwing that election?
“there are people with the right to vote who don’t have a drivers license…”
But aren’t these folks supposed to have a picture ID? It’s the same process. If someone just moved here and doesn’t know Oregon law, they have 30 days to get up to speed. Considering that process takes less than a minute, thirty days seems adequate.
Considering that I’m pushing seventy, having moved over thirty times in the state of Oregon, never missing a single election, I propose that I probably understand the system.
The difference? I want to vote. So I took the time to figure out how to accommodate my desire to vote. The government didn’t need to hold my hand, patting me on the back, offering me a sip of water along the way.
If you want to vote, get off your lazy ass and go vote!
If you’ve moved…………….Thankyou
This is great! Thank you CT Belza for helping me educate our fellow Americans.
Although I brought up a flaw in Oregon’s VBM system in order to draw appropriate attention to it, the TIMING of my letter should make it pretty obvious that my original intent was simply to REMIND The Source’s READERS TO TELL THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT THE UPCOMING DEADLINE in order to increase turnout. After all, we have an election coming up and I care about the results. It will obviously take some time to study my flow hypothesis, and craft a remedy (which wouldn’t change the critical residency requirement, but would address the turnout flaw which traps individual wealthy and Republican voters, too)
I, for one, believe that a high turnout is always good for a democracy. The State of Oregon (and many a citizen group) apparently agrees as the state already spends a lot of money on education and outreach hoping to increase turnout. I just wanted to suggest they look at a VBM flaw that unnecessarily depresses turnout and thus offsets some of the success of these expensive outreach efforts.
As for Mark Zumwalt and his comments regarding the residency requirement, Iรข โขll submit a separate response after Iรข โขve completed this one.
CT Belza needs to take a deep breath and actually find out what the answers are. A quick call to the State Elections division and the DMV this morning confirmed that many folks are eligible to vote without a valid driver’s license or a state ID card. In fact, they don’t even need to have a Social Security Number in order to vote. If you DO have a valid Oregon driverรข โขs license, you must disclose it, and if you DO have an Oregon photo ID or a Social Security Number you may use them but are NOT REQUIRED to do so.
For example, Iรข โขm willing to guess that CT Belza wouldnรข โขt want to disenfranchise our military personnel (military ID is OK for voting). I would HOPE he wouldnรข โขt want to disenfranchise our disabled friends and neighbors who might NOT need a driverรข โขs license or a state photo ID because they already have a passport or any one of several other acceptable forms of photo ID.
He said he รข took the time to find out how to voteรข ย (that might have been as simple as finding out where to get a form, completing it and turning it in). He says he รข probably understands the systemรข ย after so many years and residency moves here in Oregon.
However, it is becoming increasingly clear that he is woefully unaware of the very same laws he expects someone who moved here JUST 30 DAYS AGO to know by heart.
Give me a break CT รข ยฆ
CT Belza is a perfect example of why I criticized The Bulletin for their omission of this important issue. The amount of misinformation and ignorance amongst our population (and not just about voting issues) is startling. Our media has an opportunity (and to some degree an obligation as a news organ of general circulation) to help our democracy function better, not worse.
And CT, รข ยฆ just because your Uncle Louie says he knows how to keep from paying income taxes (seems Uncle Louie smokes the same รข sh#@รข ย as Wesley Snipes), I wouldn’t go around shooting my mouth off about that either.
Clearly, CT is confident in his opinion and I doubt heรข โขll รข take the timeรข ย to consider confirming his “facts”. And even though Iรข โขm SURE heรข โขs not lazy, Iรข โขll save him some effort just to eliminate one excuse รข ยฆ
CT can call the DMV and/or the Secretary of Stateรข โขs Office and the nice well informed folks there can probably straighten things our in 30 seconds or so.
If The Source reader wants to become well versed in the whole process (so THEY can shoot they mouth off WITHOUT first sticking their foot in it, plus save us all some tax dollars by not bothering our DMV staff) they can simply go to the horseรข โขs mouth @
http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/other.info/stat.html
and read all about it.
Bill
PS Now its Mark Zumwalt’s turn …
First of all Mark, I want to thank you for reminding me why I generally avoid “battles of wit” with “unarmed opponents”.
You’ve assumed that because I care about all of Oregon’s eligible voters receiving their ballots and made an objective observation about the impact of differing levels of mobility within certain demographic groups or against), that I am “clearly biased”.
I can assure you I know how the system works as well or better than you, but I think it could be improved. You seem to think the status quo is OK. That’s fine with me, you’re entitled to your opinion, no matter how uninformed nor ill conceived it is.
It is you, Mark, who tags Barack Obama, Moveon.org (and presumably me) as elitist. I simply noted that some populations have different likelihoods of still residing where they lived two years ago and that the mechanics of our VBM has some room for improvement.
Back to CT’s question …
“What would keep 500 people from showing up on the last day in, say, a small town election who actually lived someplace else, throwing that election?”
Well the answer is the April 29th deadline for registration that falls 21 days (by law) before election day.
Gee … it seems THAT was the reason I wrote the original letter to the editor in the first place.
Bill
One last remark before I leave this cat-fight behind …
Project Vote has studied voter turnout effects of VBM in many jurisdictions, most specifically Oregon’s and finds that …
“Vote by mailรข โขs effect on [overall] voter turnout is at best neutral, but may favor affluent voters”.
Their overall conclusion …
“Thanks largely to Oregonรข โขs experience, many reform-minded advocates and policymakers have become persuaded that vote-by-mail stimulates increased voter turnout with few drawbacks. We think the facts donรข โขt support their arguments. VBM reinforces the stratification of the electorate; itรข โขs more amenable to both fraud and manipulation than voting at polling places; and it depends too much on the reliability of the U.S. Postal Service.
Project Vote, a national nonpartisan, is a nonprofit organization that provides research, guidance and technical assistance to voter participation and voting rights organizations.
Bill
Maurer: Having Energizer Bunny keyboard diarrhea does not get you around the fact that for an adult to figure out how to vote in the state of Oregon is about as easy as farting. We sure as hell don’t need an investigation to figure out why so many of your potential Democrats don’t bother. People that don’t vote…don’t give a crap about voting…or they would be voting…Get a grip.
On the reliability of the Postal system, neither I, or anyone that I know, has ever missed getting a ballot.
But I knew a hell of a lot of people who didn’t manage to get their lame ass down to the polling place before…who now regularly vote by VBM.
You failed to prove that any group is disenfranchised by VBM. All of the same rules applied to either system. Your original premise is a flawed concept and you can wiggle, spin, wear out your keyboard, pontificate until hell freezes over, and it doesn’t change the fact that voting was, is, and always will be, the sole responsibility of the voter.
We UNDERSTAND that personal responsibilty is an extremely difficult concept for you to grasp.
“battles of wit with unarmed opponents”
Maurer…You have a one in 174,000 chance that your measured IQ surpasses mine. Your argument failed, so you took the low road of personal attack. Perhaqps no one read the posting guidelines to you. Pity.
BM
“The amount of misinformation and ignorance amongst our population (and not just about voting issues) is startling. Our media has an opportunity (and to some degree an obligation as a news organ of general circulation) to help our democracy function better, not worse.”
Couldn’t agree more–but call me an elitist, I’m not so sure I want people mired in misinformation and ignorance about something as simple as voter registration actually voting about the issues that are going to govern the way the country conducts its business over the next two, four, six, and (potentially) eight years.
Hitler was voted into office. Most of the despots in Africa gained office through the popular vote. Have you spent any time in Mexico during one of their farcical election cycles?
I see how the media lives up to their responsibility to educate, understand and inform every day. Flag pins–downing boilermakers–bad bowling–mediocre basketball–3am phone calls–ready from day one: this is going to make me feel that voting by the public thus informed is in their, mine, and our best interest?
The founders are dead–and with them their concern and wisdom in governance. The current crop of ‘governors’ are concerned with fractionalized politics, special interests, self-aggrandizement, and the means to gain reelection. They successfully play to the fears of the dark side rather than the aspirations of hope(CRAP! Now I sound like Bill Clinton or Barack Obama!)and it works.
We have dumbed down our society, our culture, and our institutions until we have the results we now reap. Changing it requires the wholesale assumption of personal responsibility and the rejection of the victim culture you and those like you perpetuate. No one can make lazy, uncaring non-voters vote. VBM is intrinsically unfair? Come on–it can’t get any easier!
The people trying to save others from themselves will only be happy when there is vote by proxy. People such as yourself will only be convinced that every vote is counted and every vote heard when you do the voting and speaking for them.
For the few adults who have endured the logorrhea thus far, how about we start a conversation about the old rhubarb that “it doesn’t matter who votes, it only matters who counts the votes.” To that end, I commend a fine piece of investigative journalism to this thread. Ronnie Dugger wrote quite eloquently about how optical scan equipment (the system used by the Deschutes Co. Clerk) can be rigged quite easily by motivated partisan voting equipment manufacturers and their employees. See: http://tinyurl.com/6qet5w
Observant readers will note that Dugger made his plea to correct the flaws in our voting equipment systems in 1988, and to date the issues haven’t been addressed.
After having spent well over 200 hours of my time researching the vote counting systems of the U.S. I have come to only one conclusion: The system, overall, is designed to enable fraud, and no one is doing much to counteract this situation.
Concerning ourselves about a few dozen or hundred voters who may have moved recently seems trivial in comparison to determining whether or not we have any public control whatsoever over how our votes are counted at the County Clerk’s office on election night. See: http://tinyurl.com/6rvj2r
Instead of falling into a silly trap here about “voter fraud”, why don’t we start to think about the real threat to democracy, i.e. election fraud.
Good web resources on this issue include Brad Blog, Black Box Voting and U.S. Count Votes.org.
A fine new book on the fraud we are dealing with is Mark Crispin Miller’s “Loser Take All: Election Fraud and The Subversion of Democracy, 2000-2008”