MAILING IT IN … on occasion I’ve noted that I much prefer voting in person as opposed to the current trend toward an all-mail ballot … I like waiting until the final day, then packing up the kids and walking to our polling place for this simple yet profound exercise in democracy … but never have I ever suggested that my preference has anything to do with a fear that the electoral process may be compromised by all-mail voting … I guess I just like walking … I also like chatting with the poll workers who perform their labor of love every Election Day for something like two bucks an hour …

Which brings us to an interesting ballot argument against Measure C — the schools parcel tax — where the authors of the argument claim that the vote-by-mail election is “a questionable democratic process which significantly reduces oversight to maintain the integrity of the election.” … the authors further suggest that an all-mail election “completely changes fair elections.” …

Now, there are legitimate reasons to oppose Measure C and legitimate questions to be asked about a $320-per-home-per-year tax, but raising the red flag of “electoral integrity” is just plain silly … especially in Yolo County, where for the past couple of decades we’ve been blessed to have an elections office run by the likes of Tony Bernhard and Freddie Oakley … if you can’t get a fair shake out of those two, you can’t get a fair shake anywhere …

After all, people have been voting absentee for years without a problem, and if there’s a difference between voting absentee and voting by mail, I haven’t found it … then again, the possibility of fraud from voting in person the old-fashioned way is exceedingly low as well …

FREEDOM OF SPEECH? … the above-referenced Tony Bernhard filed a lawsuit against the authors of the ballot argument opposing Measure C, claiming the arguments are “false, misleading or inconsistent” because “all-mail ballot elections are conducted lawfully in accordance with the California Elections Code. There is no diminution or abrogation of the opportunity of supporters and opponents to observe all aspects of the election process, including the signature verification, opening and counting of mailed ballots.” …

One of the authors opposing Measure C, Jose Granda, says it’s all a matter of free speech … “This is an attempt to violate our First Amendment right of free speech,” Granda claims, “attempting to use the court as a censoring body instead of a judicial body. In a campaign, each side is entitled to publish its opinion, and it is the court of public opinion, not a court of law, who judges whether an argument is accurate or not.” …

An interesting point of view, especially given that the claim about the election being compromised by an all-mail ballot is provably false … then again, folks running for office make all sorts of false claims every single day and no one says they shouldn’t be allowed to do so …

EVEN MORE ARGUING ABOUT BALLOT ARGUMENTS … it’s an open question as to what sort of latitude those making ballot arguments should have … presumably, at the very least, the argument should be on topic … I mean, in your Argument Against Measure C, would it be considered appropriate to publish your mother’s recipe for broccoli casserole? … your favorite vacation spot on the Oregon Coast? … if someone tries to censor those, can you play the “free speech” card? …

SPEAKING OF MEASURE C … last year, you may remember, the school district was forced to apologize after using taxpayer dollars to send out — on district letterhead — a piece urging a yes vote on Measure A … hopefully, the district learned its lesson well and will not try a similar shenanigan this time around … rather than sending out a supposedly “neutral” letter about the parcel tax, the district should self-impose a ban on any sort of mailing leading up to the election …

The good folks at Yes for Our Students are more than capable of spelling out the need for Measure C and explaining the current pickle our schools find themselves in … their efforts are appropriate, necessary and much appreciated … and those opposed to Measure C have every opportunity to make their voices heard as well …

The district, however, should maintain a strict code of silence, in word and in deed … of course, district employees and school board members have every right to speak as individuals on this vital issue, but they must do so on their dime, not ours …

— Reach Bob Dunning at [email protected]

Comments

comments