Democrats ask (San Diego) county to hold election hearings

[question everything]

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Democrats ask county to hold election hearings

By: DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO ---- The head of the local Democratic Party said Monday he will ask the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today to schedule public hearings to investigate the county's handling of the June primary, including its decision to send electronic voting machines home with poll workers several days before the election.

Jess Durfee, chairman of the San Diego County Democratic Party, said he will stress during a public comment period in the morning board meeting and in a press conference afterwards that election integrity was compromised by what he calls the "sleep over" policy. Durfee said it is his hope that a round of public hearings will yield a new set of reforms, including a ban on the practice.

(snip)

Durfee said he also wants hearings to address complaints his party received about some voters receiving absentee ballots too late to mail them in before the election and others getting information-loaded sample ballots as much as 10 days after they received absentee forms.

Mikel Haas, the county's elections chief, defended the county's decision to send the electronic voting machines home, saying it was a practical way of make sure the devices reached all of the county's 1,646 polling places on time. He said the alternative would a massive, time-consuming delivery process early on the mornings of elections. Haas also said safeguards are in place to prevent tampering. For starters, the machines are placed only with poll inspectors, he said "We just don't give this stuff out like candy," Haas said. Haas also stressed each touch screen is sealed before it is sent home, and the seal would have to be broken to compromise a machine.

(snip)

Durfee noted that the newly formed state Senate Select Committee on California Election Integrity is looking into San Diego County's practice, among other statewide voting issues.

(snip)

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/07/19/news/top_stories/22_09_197_17_06.txt

[welshTerrier2]

1. let's appoint a commission ???

are they appealing the damned thing by calling for a recount or just doing cute little studies??

typical one foot on the boat and one foot on the dock approach ... where's the spine?