So I just called Bob Ferguson's office about forced vote-by-mail

[LisaM]

I had a little trouble getting the number, but for anyone who cares, it's 206.296.1001.

I told them that people should not have to PAY to vote. As far as I know, that is illegal. Not only that, last time I also had to PAY to get a current signature on file. They sent me a letter telling me that my signature might not match the way it was originally filed, but of course, didn't send me a sample of that so I could compare them. So that was another 39 cents; it would now be another 41 cents.

My other forced vote-by-mail question involved the Wellstone issue. I don't consider that Norm Coleman really won the 2002 Minnesota Senate race, because the number of people who had already voted absentee for Wellstone and were subsequently disenfranchised was greater than Norm Coleman's margin of victory. I don't know what provisions King County has for this in its forced vote-by-mail, but they never seem to be able to answer that question when I call.

Finally, I threw in about Diebold. Why not? LOL.

I'll let you know what they tell me. They NEVER have this information on hand, even though Bob Ferguson sponsored this wicked legislation.

[flamingyouth]

1. I went to the UW with him.

We actually were acquainted for a couple of years. I wonder if he still remembers the little people now that he's a big politician? ;)

Anyway, I'm curious to hear what he says in response to your call. :thumbsup:

[rusty60]

2. By Mail

This idea of vote by mail is great and it will stop so many problems of the past. If you are too tight money wise you could always carry it to King County. Spending .39/once a year saves you a lot money by not paying million for polling places.

[eridani]

4. Have you stopped to consider what happens to ballots in mail boxes?

They aren't climate controlled, you know. Therefore ink that didn't smear when you folded the ballot may very well do that after sitting in a hot metal box and then being run through a cancelling machine, and place random ink marks on places on the ballot where they aren't supposed to be, thus causing it to be rejected by the central scanners. When that happens, the elections department has to pay people to duplicate the ballot--a very time-cconsuming and expensive process. Same thing happens to ballots that are shredded to the extent that they can't be read.

Some of us prefer to do our own ballot corrections at precinct scanners, which also have the advantage of avoiding the slight undercount typical of central scanners (happens for the same reason that your computer printer occasionally picks up more than one piece of paper). The county could save money by consolidating polling places if they want.

[rusty60]

5. I am not how sure about your message.

polling places will be history - since my mailed bills and checks go through the inbound and boxes just fine for the past fifty years. Maybe we should have a few boxes with a/c & a/c. I can say the scanners.

[eridani]

6. Your bills aren't scanned for 30+ candidates and issues

They don't have to duplicate your bills if folding them puts random ink marks in places other than the amount slot. I vote absentee, but always deliver my ballot directly to my polling place after having witnessed the ballot duplication process.

[rsmith6621]

3. Is this The sme BF

That went to Federal Way HS and played a short stint with the Chargers....