Dear Commissioner
Re: Fayette County voter registration rolls/database
A matter I would like to bring to your attention concerning election matters is the status of the county voter registration rolls/database. Hopefully you will have several weeks to review this and related material and come to some determination about the situation.
Anything that encompasses carrying out the voting right of citizens should be pursued with protection of the right weighing more than so-called cost effectiveness and the like.
Costs elsewhere should be cut if necessary to carry out these required duties of office as I have noted in posts online . (See below)
One of the citizen proposals I've suggested is the following:
Adopt a resolution for the county Voter Registration Commission/Election Board to authorize the Election Bureau to begin a full and official review of the county voter registration rolls which would include official mailings and a potential subsequent 'purge' of ineligible electors remaining on the rolls.
The submission requests the commissioners to consider taking official action between the end of the Primary and Nov. 4, 2008.
Recently, the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee held a hearing on a bill submitted to the committee.
As I watched some of the hearing, issues noted by panelists during the discussion brought back the concerns about the Fayette County voter registration database.
During testimony, panel members were focused on aspects of the Motor Voter Law of 1993, and the Voting Rights Act, and legislation presented by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D, Rhode Island) concerning Robo-calls and Vote Caging.
C-Span broadcast the proceedings of the Committee on Wed. 2/27/08.
To my understanding the bill is S. 2305 IS
Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chairwoman, commented the new legislation appeared to have a potential impact on local election officials which might preclude election officials from determining the status of deceased persons, and removing such names from the voter rolls when the status was detemined per election laws.
While Sen. Whitehouse spoke on his legislation, the discussion remains unsettling.
Senator Bennett, Ranking Member, commented on the 'bloated' voter registration rolls around the nation and how that provides an untenable situation inviting tampering. (He mentioned investigations continuing in a few states, including PA, regarding allegations concerning an ACORN voting registration drive a mere few years back.)
Other valuable points were discussed throughout the hearing (the latter portion I viewed).
I urge you to obtain information about the hearing, and subsequently voter registration management concerns noted by one of the panelists I heard, Bradley King, Co-Director, Indiana, Election Division.
I urge you to consider initiating the county process (per federal and state law) to remove those names from the Fayette voter registration listing which are ineligible electors, those being names of deceased, and those confirmed to have established permanent residency out of the state, and others, remaining potentially on Fayette County's voter registration database.
In your capacity as a member of the Fayette Voter Registration Commission, you may have some standing to present a motion or cause action for a review of the county's voter registration database, which reportedly consists of some 89,377 electors.
...After a population upswing from 145,351 to 148,644 during the 1990s, Fayette's residency slipped to 145,760 through July 1, 2006, according to the March U.S. Census Bureau estimate.
The number of registered votes has ticked steadily upward, with 89,377 listed through the April 16 close of registration...
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_507439.html
The number of registered votes has ticked steadily upward, with 89,377 listed through the April 16 close of registration...
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_507439.html
According to the testimony before the Committee, counties per federal law had approximately a 90-day window outside of an election to follow to meet those requirements.
A window of opportunity far greater than that presents itself between Pennsylvania's Primary and General Elections during this crucial Presidential Election year.
Every Fayette County eligible voter's rights of course must be protected per our federal U.S.Constitution and PA Constitution.
At the same time, It has long been recognized that a single instance of election and/or voter fraud waters down the rights of all others, however.
An accurate voter registration database is no less a right of all electors than any other, in my opinion.
It is unconscionable that county officials might continue to use 'lack of funding' as an excuse for not carrying out one of the duties of the elected office at the same time the county is about to spend $580,120 for a voting system.
My comments on related election issues have spanned an almost 13-year period, unbelievably so. Starting in 1995, I had approached then commissioners about the Election Board consisting of the same officials who comprise the board of commissioners (except in years when incumbents seek re-election), and requested the board look into appointments, or even separate elections, consisting of judges, attorneys, and in the case of elections, any qualified persons.
Since then, I've also requested the boards look into hiring of a county "inspector of voter registration." All went unaddressed in previous years.
In Fayette lacks funds to cull registration roll By Chris Foreman TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, May 13, 2007, Fayette Judge Leskinen is quoted saying during the proceedings wherein Mark Roberts challenged hundreds of signatures on the petitions of his Democratic primary opponent, Sean Lally.:
"I think that the database should be upgraded so that married names and addresses are updated more rapidly, but that requires the expenditure of money that the county evidently does not have."
Even given inflation, doubling, or tripling the cost, the price would be well-worth the effort of a necessary mailing conducted by the county.
According to Mr. Foreman's Fayette lacks funds to cull registration roll:
The Department of State also advises that counties may implement an annual confirmation mailing program by sending a notice to all registered voters.
But Fayette commissioners have never found room in the general fund for that expense.
While commissioners are about to find funding to make additional purchases related to our county voting systems, they should also do what has "never" been done before.
Find room to assure an accurate voter registration database before Nov. 4, 2008.
Thank you for your time.
Cordially,
Friday, March 23, 2007
Fayette Judge: county voter database needs update
http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/03/fayette-judge-county-voter-database.html
Fayette Judge: county voter database needs update
http://netthetruthonline.blogspot.com/2007/03/fayette-judge-county-voter-database.html
October 20, 2007 Political Watch: Government Intrusion Into Recreation (Net the Truth Online) What about spending some of that bond money for the constitutional duties the county commissioners are obligated to do - like making sure the voter registration database of some almost 90,000 names is squeaky clean - purged of names of the deceased, and other ineligibles?
The commissioners don't have a plan for ensuring every name on the voter registration database is eligible and accurate, but they'll quickly implement a first-ever Fayette County park, recreation, open space and greenway plan.
The commissioners don't have a plan for ensuring every name on the voter registration database is eligible and accurate, but they'll quickly implement a first-ever Fayette County park, recreation, open space and greenway plan.
Fayette lacks funds to cull registration roll
By Chris Foreman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, May 13, 2007
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Fayette's rolls again came under inspection this spring after incumbent Controller Mark Roberts challenged hundreds of signatures on the petitions of his Democratic primary opponent, Sean Lally. Leskinen and Commonwealth Court Senior Judge Joseph F. McCloskey ruled that Lally had enough signatures to stay on Tuesday's ballot.
In an interesting snag, Leskinen refrained from ruling on several women's signatures because of the possibility they might have married or moved since they registered but failed to inform the county.
The Pennsylvania Voter Registration Act permits valid signatures by persons who have moved or married, or both, since the November 2004 election, even if they haven't filed a registration change, according to Leskinen's written opinion in the case.
The exception is if the citizen already has voted once since moving.
"I think that is unfortunate," Leskinen wrote. "I think that the database should be upgraded so that married names and addresses are updated more rapidly, but that requires the expenditure of money that the county evidently does not have."
Senate Committee
Rules and Administration
Washington, District of Columbia (United States)Robocalls and Vote CagingRules and Administration Committee holds a hearing, "Protecting Voters at Home and at the Polls: Limiting Abusive Robocalls and Vote Caging Practices." Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Democrat, and North Carolina state Attorney General Roy Cooper testify. Location: 301 Russell Senate Office Building. Contact: 202/224-6352
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080227/NATION05/388161541/1002/NATION&template=nextpageS 2305 ISS.2624 - A bill to regulate political robocalls.
Sponsor: Senator Feinstein, Dianne (introduced 2/12/2008)
http://rules.senate.gov/newsroom/Bills.html
