By Luther Weeks on December 28, 2014
In today’s print edition of the Courant, one in a series of editorials setting an agenda for the State, Agenda 2015: Ambitious Goals For The State, one portion focuses on elections,
We diverge from the Courant in our opinion. We continue to point out that the most comprehensive system of election administration reform would be to regionalize elections, obtaining some of the same benefits obtained by regionalizing probate.
Also, Professionalization does not include ignoring science. There is a reason we do not connect our scanners to the internet to report results.
Posted in CT Law, Electronic Vulnerability, Legislature 2015, Other Editorials
By Luther Weeks on December 22, 2014
Meanwhile Congress, in-spite of gridlock, takes the time to appeal old law calling for Internet voting experiments. Isn’t it time for the General Assembly to follow suit?
Posted in Internet Security Issues, Internet Voting, Legislature 2015
By Luther Weeks on December 15, 2014
Like the rest of the U.S., Connecticut had low turn out in the November 2014 mid-terms. Much better than the national average. It is always hard to judge the cause of turnout differences in a single election.
But one thing is clear, Election Day Registration (EDR) has failed to meet the expectations of its proponents – unfortunately results were more in line with our predictions.
Posted in CT, CT Law
By Luther Weeks on December 9, 2014
There is a very close vote on a GMO issue in Oregon, creating a statewide recount and lots of controversy. Brad Friedman has an excellent summary of the controversies and also election integrity concerns: <read>
Oregon GMO Ballot Measure ‘Recount’ Highlights Concern About Excluded Vote-by-Mail Ballots
With razor-thin 812 vote margin, proponents charge 4,600 ballots remain illegally uncounted due to ‘problems’ with signatures
Questions about state procedures underscore shortcomings of Vote-by-Mail balloting…
Posted in Mail/Absentee Voting, National
By Luther Weeks on December 3, 2014
To err is human, to react without thinking is to compound the err
The goal should be to solve a problem of huge risk, without requiring a catastrophe, without attacking others, spending what is necessary and moving on.
Let us also not forget the twin risks of doing nothing and doing too much of the wrong thing, apply as Connecticut tackles our voting system which may have had a wake up call this November, but nothing like Pearl Harbor or 9/11.
Posted in Internet Security Issues, Legislature 2015, National
By Luther Weeks on November 27, 2014
Since the election on November 4th we have had all sorts of complaints about Connecticut election administration. Claims that we are the slowest, with the most clueless election officials. And all sorts of cures proposed including more mail-in votes, electronic calculation of results, and reorganization of election administration.
We agree with that their are many problems. We agree with the general outlines of some of the cures. Yet, we caution against knee-jerk reaction, and change without planning and analysis.
We suggest looking at the best practices from other states. Yet, we can also learn from the mistakes and foibles of other states. Often those employing some of those very cures proposed for Connecticut.
Posted in CT, CT Law, Electronic Vulnerability, Legislature 2014, Mail/Absentee Voting, National, Skulduggery and Errors
By Luther Weeks on November 22, 2014
We agree in part with the other critics, that we need radical change in Connecticut election administration. Yet, we need a carefully considered approach and a deliberate implementation of change. Our recommended approach is to do for elections what we have done for probate: Regionalize, Prioritize, and Economize. It won’t be easy, simple, or cheap in the short run, yet simply moving local administration to municipal clerks as many suggest would be a band-aid, with many of the same limitations and risks of the current system.
Posted in CT Law, Legislature 2015, Our Editorials
By Luther Weeks on November 15, 2014
Starting with three more articles in the Courant on Thursday: An apology, a column, and an editorial.
Posted in CT Law, Legislature 2015
By Luther Weeks on November 14, 2014
Yesterday, four members from the Citizen Audit attended the random drawing of districts and races for the November 2014 post-election audit. The districts were drawn by 2nd graders of Gilead Elementary School in Hebron.
Posted in CT, Post-Election Audits
By Luther Weeks on November 12, 2014
We are amazed by the number of election integrity issues raised by this election and the flurry of suggestions for improvement, led by the Hartford Courant. Yet in all the excitement and rush to judgement and improvement, among the good intentions and good ideas, there is also a misunderstanding of the system, ideas that are not feasible, uninformed, and that would make a worse system.
Posted in CT Law, Legislature 2015, Other Editorials, Our Editorials
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