Rick Guiness has a follow-up to last week’s story in the New Britain Herald : <read>
the city will ignore the advice of Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and let Amodio’s company move city voting machines to 17 polling places for the election
I have two problems with this that go beyond the controversy of a candidate owning the moving company; One issue as a taxpayer and one issue with the law/regulations/procedures.
I object to transport by police officers and the expense of hiring a moving company.
First, with the law/regulations/procedures. I object to the voting machines being secured by a single police officer. I believe this was a change in the regulations/procedures this year. When I had the opportunity to review the proposed regulations, I commented that it was a bad change. In the past the only legal means was transport under the watchful eyes of a Democrat and a Republican. We trust most police officers, but we must admit that occasionally there is a bad apple. Being a police officer, legislator, citizen, Democrat and Republican does not give anyone a pass. We regularly have police officers arrested for various transgressions across Connecticut. I am uncomfortable allowing single or multiple police officers transport voting equipment or ballots. Police officers can have their own biases. Two police officers can think alike, be long term partners, or have a supervisor subordinate relationship. We should revert to the imperfect but preferable law only allowing transport under the joint custody of Democrat and a Republican.
Second, moving companies have been used for years for transport, but seem to me to be excessive for scanners. They were needed in the age of heavy metal lever machines. I could move all the voting machines in New Britain in my Toyota Echo and have room for an official from the opposing party. If we were not strong enough, another more athletic person could be hired to do the lifting and still fit in the Echo. Perhaps in a city the size of New Britain we might have to make two trips!
