Urgent! New info on CA Voting Systems & Procedures Panel meeting (Mar. 17)

[Peace Patriot]

Just spoke to Michael Wagaman in the Sec of State's office and learned the following...

The public comment deadline today (Thurs March 10, 5 pm) is for your letter to be included in the bound packet that is given to the Voting Systems and Procedures Panel (VSPP) members to read ahead of time.

Letters later than today WILL BE TAKEN TO THE MEETING and given to members (by Michael) on the day of the meeting. So, if you can't get a letter in today, you still have time to do it--about a week!

You can email your letter to Michael. Put "VSPP" in the subject line and in the "RE" of the letter (and it's probably a good idea to leave him phone message that you sent email).

Background documents on the current agenda items will be published on line some days before the meeting (March 17).

My surmise--re how the Panel works: Try to focus your comments around the current agenda items.

For further information on the CA situation and this VSPP meeting, see

JunkYardDogg
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=336599&mesg_id=336599

and (see Note)

Peace Patriot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all=203x341078

Note: The letter template at this 2nd DU post (above) is not a very good one (it's mine). I'm going to post there by early afternoon today, 1) a better version of that long letter; and 2) a short, short version.

Note2: VSPP agenda, explained. 1. Sequoia voting systems listed--this VSPP meeting is 1st step toward certification. 2. The older "grandfathered" systems (already "grandfathered in")--what deadline should be set for meeting Fed standards, if any? 3. Federal Qualification Process Report (involves confidential, proprietary Fed-licensed testing results). 4. Other business (usually routine, or new issues raised by public).

Note3: I think we need to look at the background docs for the listed VSPP agenda items carefully (when they're published on line), and provide further comment prior to 3/17. Unfortunately, you need to be a goddamned computer expert to figure out what they're talking about doing with our goddamned votes (one of the points in my long letter!).

Citizen experts, arise!

[Helga Scow Stern]

1. Thanks. I'll edit my post on the other thread that the meeting was

postponed.

[JunkYardDogg]

2. Good Work

Nice Job
It's kinda like somebody passed on to us, the agenda can change by the minute
Interesting point-
Grandfathering Systems- "To Meet Federal Standards"
what about meeting SB1348 Standards for Jan. 1, 2006
This is even more important than Fed Standards?

Enquiring Minds wanna Know

[Peace Patriot]

3. What Wagaman told me was that the "grandfathered" items in...

...Agenda item #2 are already grandfathered in, and are state CERTIFIED but not federally QUALIFIED. And the question is if and when they have to qualify federally. And I think he said they counties themselves asked for the agenda item (not 100% sure of this) (maybe to get certainty about their future?).

Yup--as to meeting and agenda games. Wonder what's going on.

Did you see the Sac Bee article about big fight brewing between Assembly & the Chosen One over McPherson confirmation?

Don again (sent it). (sorry don't have url):

Dan Walters: Confirmation battle brewing as Shelley vacates office under cloud

By Dan Walters -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Tuesday, March 8, 2005

Occasionally - about once a decade, on average - one of the state's lesser statewide offices falls vacant due to an incumbent officeholder's death or resignation, the latter usually due to some scandal.

Two things happen when these vacancies occur: The chief deputy in the office, whoever that might be, takes over until a successor is confirmed, and the governor decides whether to fill the office with a political aspirant, or settle for a caretaker.

Cathy Mitchell, a career employee in the secretary of state's office, has taken the job in the wake of Kevin Shelley's scandal-tinged departure last Friday, thus setting in motion what could be a protracted battle between Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Democrat-controlled Legislature over confirmation of his appointee, former GOP state Sen. Bruce McPherson.

Most gubernatorial appointees must obtain only state Senate approval, but unique to this situation, McPherson faces votes by both legislative houses, and the Legislature has 90 days to either confirm or reject him. While confirmation by his former colleagues in the collegial Senate is considered very likely, Assembly approval is problematic, because its partisan fires burn hotter and because Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez are engaged in a personal duel of sorts.

McPherson's fate, whatever it may be, will have nothing to do with his personal qualities or his qualifications. He's an intelligent man with moderate political leanings, someone universally considered to be one of the Capitol's truly nice guys. He's as qualified as anyone else to manage a department that deals with largely ministerial matters and pretty much runs itself.

McPherson's confirmation or rejection will be a purely political exercise, having to do with his potential to win election to another term in 2006 and thus position himself to run for governor in 2010, and with the expanding level of partisan sniping over the governor's much-ballyhooed plan to win voter approval of four "reforms," including mid-decade redistricting of legislative and congressional districts.

The Assembly's rejection of McPherson would be Núñez's poke in Schwarzenegger's eye, enhancing his stature, perhaps, within the Capitol as someone who can stand up to the popular governor during the latter's self-proclaimed "year of reform." But Assembly rejection also could make McPherson a political martyr and give Schwarzenegger some additional ammunition during the forthcoming campaign over his ballot measures. He would use it to claim that the Legislature is controlled by narrow interest groups and needs reform.

The McPherson situation most closely resembles what happened after Jesse Unruh, a legendary political figure who had become state treasurer in 1975, died in office in 1987. Elizabeth Whitney, who had been Unruh's chief deputy, took over the office and wound up running it for nearly two years as Republican Gov. George Deukmejian and a Democrat-controlled Legislature battled over a successor.

Whitney had designs on the position herself and plotted with Democrats to torpedo Deukmejian's first choice, Dan Lungren, then a congressman from Deukmejian's hometown, Long Beach. She then tried to thwart legislative confirmation of the semi-caretaker, Tom Hayes, whom Deukmejian named after Lungren was rejected by Democratic senators who were openly fearful that he could become a powerful candidate for governor in 1990.

Rejection, however, raised Lungren's statewide profile and made him a Republican Party martyr. He went on to serve two terms as attorney general and win the GOP nomination for governor in 1998, only to be defeated by Democrat Gray Davis. He returned to Congress this year.

Hayes was eventually confirmed and ran for the treasurer's office on his own in 1990, only to be defeated by Democrat Kathleen Brown, daughter of one ex-governor and sister of another. But her bid for the governorship failed in 1994.

The prolonged battle over Unruh's position made governors leery of confirmation battles. When scandals drove state schools chief Bill Honig and then Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush out of office in the 1990s, noncontroversial caretakers served in their stead.

[JunkYardDogg]

6. Interesting Article

Good Read

[Peace Patriot]

4. Just in case anybody visiting here doesn't know: VSPP meeting POSTPONED.

SEE:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x341731

CA Voting Systems & Procedures Meeting POSTPONED!

Just got word from Don Goldmacher. The March 17 meeting WILL NOT TAKE PLACE. The agenda has been postponed to April 21. (See the postponement notice after each agenda item, below.)

Here's the notice: http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_vs.htm

VOTING SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES PANEL MEETING (POSTPONED) AGENDA LOCATION
Office of the Secretary of State 1500 11 th Street 1 st Floor – Auditorium Sacramento, California 95814
MEETING DATE AND TIME March 17, 2005 10:00 a.m.
Pursuant to Elections Code section 19204, notice is hereby given that the Voting Systems and Procedures Panel will meet on the above date to consider the following items:

1. Sequoia Voting Systems (Postponed; Tentatively Rescheduled to April 21, 2005)

a. EMS/AERO central tabulation software b. Optech 400-C optical scan system c. Optech Eagle optical scan system d. Optech Insight optical scan system

2. “Grandfathered” Voting Systems (Postponed; Tentatively Rescheduled to April 21, 2005) a. Datavote b. InkaVote c. Mark-A-Vote d. Optech Eagle e. Optech IV-C/400C

3. Federal Qualification Process Report (Postponed; Tentatively Rescheduled to April 21, 2005)

4. Other Business (Postponed; Tentatively Rescheduled to April 21, 2005)

ALL ITEMS MAY BE RE-ORDERED TO BE HEARD ON ANY DAY OF THE NOTICED MEETINGS. THE ORDER OF BUSINESS MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT NOTICE. The VSPP encourages the public to submit written comments on agenda items. Persons wishing to address the VSPP at these meetings, including any matter that may be designated for public hearing, are asked to notify the VSPP Office (see telephone/e-mail numbers below). Comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the meeting to ensure their delivery to the VSPP members prior to the meeting. If you wish to provide information or present an oral statement at any meeting, please contact Michael Wagaman at [phone] or [email protected] . In all cases, the presiding officer reserves the right to impose time limits on presentations as may be necessary to ensure that the agenda is completed.

------

See these posts for past discussions, background...

JunkYardDogg (comprehensive background)
Calif Fight Against McCormack's Assault on Election Protection
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=336599&mesg_id=336599


Peace Patriot
DEADLINE for letters to Calif. Election Panel re: Diebold coup-Thurs. 3/10 (sample letters)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x341078

[senseandsensibility]

5. Thanks for this!

:)