Florida Democrats send 'do-over' plan to DNC

[seafan]

Florida Democrats send 'do-over' plan to DNC

By MICHAEL C. BENDER and LARRY LIPMAN
March 12, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Florida Democrats on Wednesday sent a preliminary plan to pull off a "do-over" primary election to party leaders, presidential candidates and the Democratic National Committee, according to documents obtained by The Palm Beach Post.
In the five-page packet, Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman urged members to put aside differences and consider an "incredible opportunity."

.....

Thurman asked party leaders by for feedback Friday evening, will review the comments over the weekend and "will be in touch again on Monday."
Thurman said if there was "consensus," which House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber said was the biggest obstacle for the plan, the party was ready to move forward. Under state party rules, a 30-day public comment period is required before its executive committee could vote on the proposal.

According to a draft of the proposal, here's how the party plans to spend up to $12 million for the predominantly mail-in election:

*Ballots would be mailed to all 4.1 million registered Democrats with a pre-paid, addressed return envelope at least two weeks before Election Day, June 3.
The ballots would be printed in English, Spanish and Creole and have the names of only Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.

*Instead of forwarding a ballot to a new address, the party would mail a card to voters notifying them of the opportunity to update their record and receive a new ballot.

*The party would set up 50 offices across the state to "ensure disadvantaged communities have the ability to vote." Voters would be able to return ballots, cast provisional ballots or vote in person at the regional offices.

*Democrats would hire an election management company with experience in special elections to administer the contest. The party would also hire an accounting firm and form a commission of party leaders to oversee the process.

.....

But there was already swell of opposition Wednesday to a mail-in election, which offered a glimpse of the difficulty that state party leaders could face in convincing the executive committee to sign off on the plan.

U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, a Delray Beach Democrat supporting Obama, said the mail-in primary was "a well-intended, but half-baked plan" that would be "fraught with problems."
The opposition from Wexler was backed up by all eight of the other Florida Democrats in Congress, including Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Alcee Hastings, who are supporting Clinton.
Even the two presidential campaigns were hesitant about a mail-in vote.

.....

Florida Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller released a poll on Wednesday that showed 59 percent of Democrats who participated in the Jan. 29 primary would support a do-over mail-in vote.

.....

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., one of the most vocal supporters of the mail-in election, brushed aside the poll and concerns from the congressional delegation.
"If anyone has another way of accomplishing this or of honoring the earlier results without splitting the convention, it needs to be put on the table - and now, before it's too late," Nelson said in a statement. "Time is short, and we need to make available for public comment a workable plan. The bottom line is this: We all agree that the voters of Florida must be heard."

:crazy: Bill


Here is the proposal.

[joshcryer]

1. Ooh, oogy boogy, I thought they couldn't do a mail-in vote?

:shrug:

[seafan]

5. If run by the State, it's unlawful. This mail-in primary will be run by The Party.

Already, Charlie Crist is jumping up and down, as he wants to claim credit for *seating the delegates as is.* Bug off, Governor. This is our party.

[JackORoses]

24. this is just to stall

They would have to overturn Florida law to have a State run Mail-In Vote.

The other option they're throwing is that the Party could hire a 3rd Party Firm to Conduct the Mail-In.
This will never fly. 3rd Party company doesn't have legal access to Voter Rolls. 3rd Party Company has no certifiability.

I like how they have dropped 'Caucus' off the list of possibilities.
That wouldn't give Hillary an advantage, would it?

[napi21]

2. OK, what's their objection to a mail-in vote? The only concern

I had whn I first heard this proposal was hiring an election management company to count the ballots, but that seems to have been addressed by the aoccounting firm & Party members overseeing the process. That the hell is their problem NOW?

[Johnny__Motown]

3. It is Florida.. do you honestly believe it won't be all fucked up? They have never done this before

[napi21]

6. Tell him to call Oregon! They never did mail in until they opted

for that method of voting, and I don't remember hearing of any disasters there! If there were any kincks, they sure were nothing compared to the fiasco's that Fl. has already demonstrated SEVERAL TIMES!

[MarjorieG]

8. Oregon mailed-in for 20 years, but only okay now after 13 yrs

As an election integrity activist for years now, I can tell you we don't have procedures, laws and technology to this right when we have time, and candidates actually get to campaign. This is a Hillary attempt to get popular votes, but everyonbe looking at this sees Michigna and Florida splitting the difference for each capaign, ending up with a very expensive wash back to neutral.

[napi21]

10. I know this may sound stupid, but how the hell can you screw up

a mail-in ballot with TWO names on it? We're talking about ONE PAGE, TWO NAMES, A PREADDRESSED MAILER, A COUNTING GROUP & TWO OBSERVING GROUPS. It's easier than paying your phone bill for god sake! How the hell can even Fl. screw that up?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

12. Just watch... half the voters will end up voting for Pat Buchanan somehow

[napi21]

16. Awe comeon, now you're being silly. I think it will work out just fine.

/the major problems in the past have all been created by some well intending person who just made a mistake. The butterfly ballot was stupid, and even it's designer admitted that. Not cleaning out the chads from previous voting was stupid too, but I can see if noone had ever told the poll workers that they had to do it, they wouldn't have thought about it either.

This may even be a new turning point for Fl. Maybe they'll be the second State to opt for all mail-in ballots in every election since this primary worked so well.

[MarjorieG]

20. Illegal in FL, so becomes privatized and difficult to authenticate.

We'd need sufficient time to get back and forth from overseas, addresses confirmed so not to disenfranchise, students would be away, snowbirds back to second address, but mostly there are procedures that would be NEW.

Our regular election will be even worse without procedures and laws to safeguard the vote and get ballots counted sufficiently to an outcome altering degree. Elecronic counting of anything needs checks and balances.

All of this keeps me up nights.

[napi21]

22. I realize you don't care about this, but you mentioned

overseas ballots. A state that holds only caucus primaries sure doesn't worry about that, do they? Weren't addresses confirmed during the original FL. primary? You DO have to show an ID to vote I think. Why do you think students would be away? Most semesters run through May or at least part of May. I understood this mail-inn vote would be done sooner than that.

I realize there are always fears, but we're talking about a primary here, and it seems like we're making a mountain out of a mole hill. You do the very best with what time and options you have. I still think it would work out just fine.

[grantcart]

15. The have the signatures already scanned in so that they can easily

check the signatures against the ballots when they come in


Florida doesn't have this

[seafan]

7. Bill Nelson's position is a ball of confusion. He dismissed Geller's poll

showing 59% of those who voted Jan 29 would favor a do-over, when that would seem to support his case.

A couple weeks ago he was dead-set against a revote of any kind, insisting on seating the non-delegates of Jan 29..

A couple days ago, he was in favor of a revote by mail, but run by the State. (Since another State-run primary is illegal under *State law*, new legislation would've been needed, involving Republican control.)

Now, does he finally support a Party-run do-over? Haven't seen that confirmed as yet.

He gives me a headache.

[madfloridian]

4. It's Bill Nelson's baby.....he feels so important .

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

9. This is much better than bypassing a state of 18 million people

[joshcryer]

13. Agreed. Especially when so many here want to disenfranchise FL and MI.

But especially FL.

[madfloridian]

18. The House Dems just presented another option to Dean today.

This should be really really fun.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flabacklash0313sbmar13,0,4111864.story

[andym]

11. A do-ever that is run smoothly will help in the GE.

[madfloridian]

14. The House Dem leaders are not even on board with it.

It could be disastrous.

[joshcryer]

17. Can't believe you're still arguing against it.

[joshcryer]

19. This plan is perfect, Obama cannot say no to this.

Just went over the whole plan, it really is a good compromise for both candidates. MI needs to adopt a similar system.

[Ravy]

21. The only thing I see is that it will skew the popular vote, probably

in favor of Clinton.

SDs may or may not take the popular vote into consideration. I think they should, at least of their state if not nationally. But this will skew the national popular vote since I would expect the numbers to be enormous and unfair to other states if counted in a national popular vote.

[anamandujano]

23. Democrats only. This makes me happy.

[quantass]

25. Did i miss something? Didn't Hillary today Reject the idea of a mail-in vote and..

Florida law prevents mail-in because you cant allow candidate names on ballots that are mailed...and if done by a 3rd party it is illegal to release voter signatures to them...

Hillary was in news today saying she only wants the original illegal delegates seated and would not accept a mail-in vote for Florida...Did i miss something? My appologies in advance if i am not up to speed...

please correct me.

[seafan]

28. See posts 26 and 27 for the latest info. The Clinton campaign is all over the board on this.

Clinton's National Co-Chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is a US Representative from Florida, is still dead-set against a revote of any kind. Senator Bill Nelson, another Clinton supporter, is now in favor of a mail-in revote. I've heard Hillary herself state it both ways, but she would do most anything to *seat the ghost delegates* from Jan 29. I think that reality is setting in for her. I don't know where the Obama campaign is on this at this point.


It's in the DNC's court as we speak. We're in waiting mode right now, for consensus on this proposal. (DNC, FL Dem Party, FL Dem Legislative leaders, FL US Congressional leaders, both candidates) This is all happening very fast, and look for more developments between now and Monday.

[seafan]

26. UPDATE on WINZ AM Miami from Dan Gelber, FL House Dem minority Leader, 8:50 am EDT:

Just now on the Nicole Sandler show:


Comments by Dan Gelber: (all closely paraphrased)

FL Dem Party put out a plan with precise details yesterday.... with deadlines, how the ballots would look, what the safeguards would be.

A month ago, I suggested this mail-in revote as an option. Can't do a caucus because too many people and too many places, no privacy of vote counting. Cannot do an actual election structurally. The touch screens are gone, we would've needed money for a full revote--- just can't do.


It's possible this debacle will end before June, in spite in all of this.

A revote is the only way we can get counted. Worst scenario is at convention and FL has no say.

The down side to a revote on ~June 3 is that this uncertainty will go on for a while longer before we get a nominee.... I'm not that worried about that.

The process: The DNC will approve it, then the State Executive Board will approve it. Dems originally had the same rule about docking us only one half of our delegates, (like the Republicans did to themselves) but the our leadership decided to punish us more severely by taking all our delegates away. We gave ourselves a built-in disadvantage with that. I wrote Dean about that, asking to retain one half our delegates.... that didn't happen for us.


We're crossing our fingers that consensus is reached on our proposal, and that all of this is otherwise over by May , regardless of what we're doing here in FL.

Sounds very promising that 4 million FL democrats, including overseas and military, are going to have a postage-paid ballot with 2 candidates' names on it.

Keeping my fingers crossed here.

[seafan]

27. Ballot processing details in the proposal here. Sounds very workable to me.

From the pdf of the proposal:

BALLOT PROCESSING

All ballot processing will take place in the central processing facility at HQ. Staff will be hired to run the facility in conjunction with the election management firm. To authenticate the ballots, the election management companies and the Party will coordinate with the Secretary of State to verify signatures if deemed necessary. The Governor’s office has assured support in this effort. The election management company will handle the processing and counting, under the supervision of the accounting firm and the commission.

Each presidential candidate who appears on the ballot will be allowed to have a designated observer throughout the entire election process. Security will be present during the ballot tabulation. All workers and visitors to the central facility must be approved and credentialed.

Within seven days of the election, after counting is completed and the status of provisional or challenged ballots is resolved, the Party will certify the results of the election.

No results will be released until after 8:00 PM on the day of the voting deadline.



BENEFITS

The benefits of this particular Vote by Mail election are immense. The Party will be making it easier for Democrats to vote. The process eliminates almost every traditional voting obstacle. Every registered Democratic voter will be given the opportunity to be part of the process. No one group will have an advantage. There is no direct or indirect fee to vote. Some people will vote for the first time. Many people will vote by mail for the first time. Both are important to Democratic
victories in the future. If the Party increases the number of Democrats who vote and the number of people who vote by mail, we can get that much closer to victory in November.

The omnibus election bill that changed the primary to January 29th included several positive measures. In addition to the guaranteed paper trail for the 2008 elections, the new law allows for a voter to request an absentee ballot for the 2008 general election and every election through 2010. These voters will never miss an election, no matter how small. This increases turnout and helps Democrats up and down the ballot.

The Party plans to include an optional party-building component, which voters may submit their ballots. Survey/issue questions could also be added, and email addresses will be requested. One question that will be asked is whether the voter would like to vote absentee in future elections. If the voter would like to request an absentee ballot for the next four years, he or she can fill out the information, and it will be forwarded to the appropriate Supervisor of Elections following the primary.

Never before has the Florida Democratic Party been able to communicate with every registered Democrat in the state. The unfortunate circumstances that led us to where we are now, ironically, provide us with an incredible opportunity to reach voters and build the party like never before.

.....