Voter Confidence Headed For Palo Alto, CA

[GuvWurld]

http://guvwurld.blogspot.com/2006/01/voter-confidence-headed-for-palo-alto.html

Voter Confidence Headed For Palo Alto, CA

According to this agenda (.pdf) the Human Relations Commission of Palo Alto, CA will be considering the Voter Confidence Resolution (VCR) this Thursday night. I found out about this from Commission member Shauna Wilson.

Back in September I linked to a previous HRC agenda (.pdf) that included discussion of a Voter Confidence Resolution. I wrote that I found the Commission members' contact info and would be following up. I did that but never reported further because the story went cold. I had found Wilson and she said the previous agenda item was tabled and the resolution still needed work. It looked like she was writing something entirely separate from the VCR created at GuvWurld and adopted (.pdf) by the City Council of Arcata, CA.

Well this past Sunday Wilson called to thank me for providing such a useful template. We discussed some potential additions to the election reform platform, but otherwise she said it would be the model language coming forward. She was optimistic about passing it, sending it to Palo Alto's City Council in February, and watching the 3-2 progressive majority do the right thing.

Bay Area readers, if it is the least you can do, please go to Palo Alto this Thursday night. The meeting starts at 7pm and the VCR is first on the agenda. The meeting is in the Council Conference Room at the Palo Alto Civic Center, 250 Hamilton Avenue.

* * *

Almost a month ago the GuvWurld Blog launched a campaign to unite California election reformers. The local Humboldt media has noticed. At least six recent pieces can be found in the GuvWurld News Archive, plus a couple of new references at the Humboldt Sentinel.

New Zealand's Scoop ran a story and I also got to do this New Year's Day radio interview (.mp3) on KPFT in Houston. You can hear the whole show here (.mp3), featuring a lengthy discussion with Mark Crispin Miller. Also see his blog about the censorship he has encountered trying to promote his latest book "Fooled Again - how the Right stole the 2004 election, and why they'll steal the next one, too (unless we stop them)".

I'd also like to thank the election reform discussion board crowd at Democratic Underground for putting this story at number nine in a top 10 stories of 2005 list. I have talked with various DU members about coordinated actions in other parts of California. That is, after all, the whole point of this campaign. Diebold installed uncertified software (.pdf) in voting machines in 17 counties. Voters in those counties also have common cause around the interpreter code (.pdf) that is prohibited by federal standards. As I explained in Previously Certified Diebold Machines Approved Erroneously, it would seem all Diebold machines are currently out of compliance with the federal requirements and susceptible to an injunction against their continued use.

I have been doing some legal research and networking. For the most part I have been encouraged to continue this pursuit. The only thing I want to reveal right now is that my complaint to the Humboldt Grand Jury was received and I was asked to come in for an interview. I suppose I need to learn the implications my upcoming appearance will have on my ability to write. At any rate, I hope this shows election reformers in the other 16 counties that this can easily be done.

[GuvWurld]

1. Link correction

Thanks to emlev for pointing out the broken link to Arcata's version of the VCR. It is here (.pdf).

http://tinyurl.com/cr2va

[Amaryllis]

2. kick

[autorank]

3. As Full_Metal_Hat says -- RATE THIS UP

Palo Alto is one of the most educated, prosperous communities anywhere. It's one of the gems in the most propserous state in the union.

If Palo Alto passes VCR, watch out. It's rokken!

This is so important. If you live in CA, or even better in Palo Alto, this is the time to make some calls and attend some meetings.

Amazing, my compliments.

[Kurovski]

4. K&R(nt)

[ailsagirl]

5. kick

[Wilms]

6. kick

[nicknameless]

7. Kicked again

[GuvWurld]

8. Update on last night's meeting

All day I have been trying unsuccessfully to reach Commissioner Shauna Wilson, the member who brought the Voter Confidence Resolution forward for a vote and with whom I have had previous contact. Since the names and contact info for the Palo Alto Human Relations Commission members can be found online, I figured I better start calling some of the others to learn the outcome of last night's meeting. The only other person I have reached so far is Winifred Lew. Lew told me that the Commission decided the VCR needed "more wordsmithing" and that she, Wilson, and Commissioner Jeffrey Blum were designated as a subcommittee for this purpose. Lew said that the Commission meets monthly and that next month's agenda is already set so it is likely that the revisions to the VCR won't be considered until March. Hopefully I will hear back from Wilson and get a more detailed report about the concerns with the current language and what kinds of changes we might expect.

[GuvWurld]

9. More, from Commissioner Shauna Wilson

Palo Alto Human Relations Commissioner Shauna Wilson just called back and confirmed most of what I reported above. She mentioned three things that were unresolved from the Commission's discussion in consideration of the Voter Confidence Resolution (VCR) last night. First, in a general sense, she said there was an appetite for more specific details that would connect to circumstances in Palo Alto and Santa Clara County. Next she mentioned that one of the Commissioners spoke about Jimmy Carter refusing to monitor the 2004 election due to uneven standards and conditions. The VCR does talk about creating uniform standards so I'm not clear what the concern was. It may be that they want to list more details of what standards they'd like, perhaps including audit and enforcement requirements which are common suggestions to be added. Finally, she mentioned that there is somewhat of a hankering for a local forum on the merits of open source solutions. Being in Silicon Valley, this is not surprising.

Wilson continued to remain optimistic, perhaps even confident, that the VCR will pass the next time. And despite what I wrote above, as Chair of the Commission, Wilson assured me that the discussion will continue at the next Human Relations Commission meeting scheduled for Feb. 9 rather than in March. I will continue to report on this at the GuvWurld Blog.