LWVCT Testimony on 2013 Election Law Bills

02/24/2013

 
To:  CGA Government Administration and Elections Committee
Re:  Election Law Bills for February 22, 2013 Public Hearing
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My name is Susan Voris. I am the Election Laws Specialist for the League of Women Voters of
Connecticut, a state-wide organization with over 1600 members. The League is dedicated to
improving the electoral process.

Support for SB 144 AA Concerning Voting By Individuals With Disabilities.

The League believes that voting should be accessible to all eligible electors. There are
accommodations for individuals with disabilities once they get to a polling place including curbside
voting. It is the Moderator’s responsibility to ensure that the polling place is running smoothly
and efficiently, taking into account the sensibilities of all voters including those requiring special
assistance. Therefore, the League suggests the following change: “…to provide individuals with
disabilities priority access to move to the front of polling station lines, when requested, and require all
polling places to display signage indicating this accommodation.”

SB 283 AA Concerning On-Line Voting For Military Personnel Stationed Out of State.

The League believes that voting systems should be secure, accurate, recountable, accessible
and transparent (SARAT). As a general matter, the League supports the adoption of procedures
designed to reduce voter inconvenience and measures to ensure that military and other overseas
voters have sufficient time to vote. However, we are also concerned about issues related to privacy,
voter fraud, and undue influence as well as the security, accuracy, recountability, accessibility and
transparency of the voting system. We believe that those issues must be addressed prior to the
adoption of an Internet based voting system.

Unfortunately, today’s Internet does not yet provide adequate safeguards for online voting. The
2010 debacle that occurred when Washington, DC tested its online voting project demonstrates
that online voting has serious security flaws which can jeopardize the privacy of voters’ personal
identification information and allow tampering with their votes. (For more information, please go to:
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/Test-Hackers-Crack-DC-Internet-Voting-System.html)

In summary, the League believes that the state should not adopt Internet-based voting
or allow for electronic transmission of a completed ballot unless the systems are able to meet the
SARAT criteria and can reliably address concerns regarding the risks of identity theft, fraud, voter
disenfranchisement, and lack of confidentiality.

Opposition to SB 668 AA Concerning The Training of Poll Workers.

The League is opposed to this bill believing instead that consistent training should be given to all
poll workers before every election or primary. Elections and primaries are held months apart and
training can be forgotten or there may be a need to impart new information to poll workers. It is in the
best interest of our electors to ensure that consistent training is given to all poll workers on a timely
basis to ensure a smoothly run election or primary. Please oppose SB 668.

Support for HB 6100 AA Concerning The Regional Consolidation of Certain Functions of Election
Administration.

The League supports HB 6100. The League believes that an efficient and economical government
is promoted by coordination among different agencies and levels of government. Also, this bill would
promote consistency in training of poll workers, where possible. Promoting efficiency in government,
making better use of resources, providing consistency in training and ultimately ensuring a smooth
election process are all goals the League can support. Please support HB 6100.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment upon these bills.


Susan Voris, Election Laws Specialist,
League of Women Voters of Connecticut
 

2013 STATEMENT OF INTEREST:  ELECTION LAWS AND GOOD GOVERNMENT

01/15/2013

 
The League of Women Voters of Connecticut wants….

To ensure that every individual, legally entitled to do so, has the opportunity to vote 

  • Adopt a constitutional amendment to remove language regarding how an absentee ballot may be used. Passage of a constitutional amendment would allow the General Assembly to pass legislation to expand the use of absentee ballots including expansion to “no-excuse” absentee ballots and/or making use of technology as it may become available.
  • Consider making an elector’s voter registration permanent and portable, i.e. once a voter has properly registered to vote, allow the registration  to remain active wherever he/she moves within the state – allow voters to update their addresses at the polls.
  • Monitor the rollout of online voter registration.
  • Monitor the rollout of Election Day Registration, refine procedures as necessary and appropriate.
….and that if someone does vote, his/her vote counts

  • Expand use of provisional ballots to state and municipal elections.
  • Include machine counted absentee ballots in post-election audits.
  • Establish an Election Procedures Task Force to improve election and audit procedures, including measures to ensure uniform implementation of procedures by registrars and poll workers through improved forms, instruction and training. 
  • Until such time as the Task Force provides its recommendations, ensure uniform implementation of random audits – see detailed recommendations in reports from Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition available at http://ctelectionaudit.org/
  • Protect and strengthen the investigatory and enforcement powers of State Elections Enforcement Commission, now part of the Governmental Accountability Office.
…and that citizens have confidence in the integrity of the election system, the legislative process, and government generally.

  • Require public hearings on all bills and amendments which create an exception to an existing statute.
  • Require substitute language to be available to the public prior to a committee vote.
  • Require strike all amendments to be printed and posted on the General Assembly’s website at least two legislative days prior to final passage.
  • Expand reporting, attribution and disclaimer requirements for entities and individuals making independent political expenditures.
LWVCT will monitor legislation beyond our priorities and may speak in support or opposition on related legislation.

For more information, please contact Christine Horrigan at cshorrigan@optonline.net.

Download the statement of interest here
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File Type: doc
Download File
 

LWVCT Urges Change in Election Procedures and Review of Calendar

10/12/2011

 
***** Via Email *****

Hon. Denise Merrill
Secretary of the State
30 Trinity Street
PO Box 150470
Hartford, CT 06115-0470

Dear Denise:

Elise Low, Voter Service Chair of our East Shore League, recently contacted us regarding a problem she encountered while organizing a local debate. Based upon this information, the League is writing to request that your office review the election calendar as well as your office procedures regarding the publicizing of names of registered write-in candidates.  In relation to notification, we specifically recommend that your office provide online posting of registered candidates as they are determined followed by any required written notice to local town clerks.

The details are as follows.
In the process of LWV-East Shore arranging to moderate and time an East Haven mayoral candidates debate with ETV on Oct. 3, station personnel contacted them on Sept. 29, inquiring whether the local League rules would allow a "rumored" write-in candidate to participate if he were deemed to be legitimate. Ms. Low checked and the Town Clerk had no knowledge of his certification as of that date.

The would-be candidate contacted Ms. Low on Oct. 3 to complain that he had not been invited to participate in the "LWV" debate that evening and our good reputation was at stake. She told him that she would clarify the situation and cancel that evening's debate if necessary.  She called the East Haven Town Clerk again who had no knowledge of his certification. She then called the election division of your office and discovered that this man was indeed duly certified to have his votes counted.  She was told by Ted that he had a short list of such candidates, and said that notices would go out to the requisite Town Clerks in about two weeks. 

In the end, the East Haven debate was postponed to Oct. 20 and all three candidates agreed to the new date.

As you know, the lack of timely information has many repercussions. Most importantly, the voters who use absentee ballots need a full list of candidates ASAP. Town clerks must have access to this information on a timely basis to provide it to the voters. Additionally, it makes the election season work of groups like the League of Women Voters more difficult by having to respond to calls from irate candidates, inquisitive press and requiring us to reschedule debates. 

The League of Women Voters of Connecticut knows of your commitment to reducing barriers to voting. We appreciate your making immediate changes to your office procedures to ensure that registered candidates are publicized in a timely manner. We also recognize that the election calendar deadline of late October for write-in candidates complicates the issue and that the calendar would be worthy of re-examination and possibly legislative change.

If we can provide further information, please feel free to contact us or LWV East Shore Voter Service Chair Elise Low at elow@hotmail.com or 203/457-9888.

Sincerely          
Cheryl Dunson                                       
President
Pat Donovan
Voter Service Vice President

Office: 203/288-7996

cc:      James Spallone, Deputy Secretary of the State
          Peggy Reeves, Assistant to the Secretary of the State for Elections, Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
          Elise Low, LWV East Shore