-----Forwarded by Elections/DAGS/StateHiUS on 02/26/2008 08:20AM -----
To: elections@hawaii.gov
From: Bill Eger <billeger@copper.net>
Date: 02/19/2008 02:51PM
To the Chief Election Officer
State of Hawai`i
Many on the Big Island are deeply concerned that the County Clerk -- who seems to be new to the election process -- has suspended training and use of Deputy Voter Registrars. She has the approval of Pete Hoffman, chairman of the Hawai`i County Council though we have yet to find a member of the council who knew of the action before it was adopted.
There was a meeting called by the County Clerk. She did not attend because of illness. Long-time election staff head Pat Nakamoto and deputy clerk attended and ran the meeting. To say it was unproductive would be an understatement but it was manifestly clear that the ten or so persons attending agreed on one thing, the program should not have been stopped or changed without a public hearing. The ILWU had to cancel a class for 40 of their members who had signed up for registrar training. The League of Women Voters had no encouragement to keep the program under wraps.
In this age when the election process is under suspicion because of bad counts, computers that don't work yet are bought for citizens to use even if marked ballots are preferred, it is atrocious that this program was stopped in secret for specious reasons. The claim is that information on the forms could be used for identity theft. If that is the case then NOT having trained and sworn deputy registrars as we have had for decades will make that problem worse.
Any person can pick up a WikiWiki form and, under the guise of helping people register, get their information, ditch the forms and go off merrily to rob the victim accounts.
Virtually every suggestion at the meeting was already addressed in standing procedures that were prepared by the association of county clerks years ago. There has been no evidence of any identity theft from data collected by a deputy registrar.
Meanwhile we are in the midst of a Presidential election year when registration campaigns -- in keeping with the state law listing maximizing registration as a top priority of the Chief Election Officer! -- are needed. The elderly and ill depend mightily on this help. Newcomers to the island have serious difficulty learning their precinct number and other data that is significant to elections.
We believe that Casey Jarman's precipitous action was taken without legal authority. Her "power" as deputy Chief Election Officer for the county is all derived from her position and is clearly pointed at NON-policy matters such as moving information from voter affidavits into the state register of voters accurately and swiftly. Studies have isolated problems in our county with this process where people were going to wrong precincts because they were assigned wrongly due to errors in the county office. This usually stemmed from the duplication of road names. One instance has four different roads with the same name in the general Puna area! When a Deputy Registrar is working these duplications are avoided by the time given to ascertaining on the map where a person lives.
This rash and harmful decision should be reversed immediately by the State Chief Election Officer by telling his deputy that the program must be continued at least until proven harmful in a public hearing -- and that whatever harm is feared is somehow more important than the known good the program has created.
Thank you,
Bill Eger
HCR 1 Box 5164
Keaau HI 96749
808-969-1234 or at home 808-966-8565
Registered in District Four, Precinct Nine -- being changed this election to Precinct Six for no good reason.
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:24:37 -1000
--- Kevin.Cronin@hawaii.gov wrote:
Dear Mr. Egger,
Thank you for your note concerning Deputy Voter Registration on the island of Hawaii.
The Deputy Voter Registration (DVR) program is one of significant and meaningful concern to each of the state's four county clerks, including Ms. Casey Jarman, yours on the island of Hawaii, and we at the Office of Elections. One of our high priorities is to provide voter registration opportunities to enable any and all eligible voters to have an opportunity to vote at each public election. We are mindful of the issues the DVR program raises. As a group we are working on them to assure we understand the issues and what registration opportunities best achieve enhancing the honesty, fairness, and integrity of our public elections by striking the proper balance between enabling a person right to vote with proper registration on the one hand and on the other minimizing as much as possible any risk of voter fraud.
Sincerely,
Kevin Cronin
Chief Election Officer - State of Hawaii, Office of Elections
02/26/2008 11:02 AM
Mr. Cronin,
Most of the demonstrable problems you seem so concerned about are within the Office of Elections. It is there that newly registered voters are assigned -- more than they should -- to wrong precincts because there is no trained person -- sworn to confidentiality as are Deputy Voter Registrars -- to be alert to matters such as duplicate street names and the other questions that newcomers or first-time voters have
I submit to you that there is nothing you or anyone else can do to create a perfect world. Voter registration has been functioning quite well before you got here, however. You need most urgently to find some actual cases of voter fraud or identity theft and stop this GeorgeBush terrorism about what MIGHT happen. You don't show any incidents...or at least you haven't shared them with those of us who are concerned.
What we ARE concerned about is the control government is taking of virtually every facet of elections.
FACT IS, elections are far too important to leave to the government! If you don't understand that then go back to paragraph two above where I ask for proof that you have reason for your concern. I'm not talking about an incident here and there in a database of a million, okay? Show a pattern.
Elections belong to the people and before you change long-standing procedures that need to be in play during this vital presidential election year you MUST HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS SO YOU ARE VISIBLE IN THIS SILLY EXERCISE.
Now, get off our backs, start classes for a new set of voter registrars in the League of Women Voters, those who help the elderly and ill, the labor unions, ALL CAMPAIGNS, and anybody else who wants to do what the law requires of the Chief Election Officer, maximize the number of registered voters!
Bill Eger
808-969-1234
Dear Mr. Eger,
Thank you. Your comments are noted for appropriate consideration.
Kevin Cronin