Reply #26: Voting Without the Voter - Commentary

[livvy]

Voting without the voter

Posted October 27, 2006

The stakes for the Nov. 7 elections are high — very high. And, every politician, political party, and even independent knows it. So, it’s not secret that both parties have been proactively recruiting voters — new and old. Both parties, too, have been pushing for more voters to vote absentee. In other words, why wait for the polls to open if you already know whom you want to support.

However, this aggressive push has brought to light a practice that doesn’t sit well with some voters. Nor should it.

Vermont GOP Chairman Jim Barnett is accusing Democratic Party and Sanders for Senate campaign operatives of completing request forms by proxy for registered voters and in some cases, doing so without the permission of the voter themselves, which is against the law.

Barnett sent a letter to town clerks around the state last week urging them to be wary of ballots being requested via campaign workers.

At the same time, however, Barnett said his party has adopted this tactic to “ensure a level electoral playing field.”

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http://www.vermontguardian.com/commentary/102006/Oct27Editorial.shtml