20061016 Gov to St Elections Brd Resolve NAACP concerns

Governor to State Elections Board – Resolve NAACP concerns

Posted October 16, 2006

[For previous posts on Maryland State Board of Elections Administrator and the Maryland primary election fiasco, please see: “20060923 The Linda Lamone Vote-o-matic” and “20060917 Cartoon MD Primary Election Voters What Voters” and “20060915 Crablaw is staying on top of Maryland’s primary election fiasco” and “20060923 Lamoned again and again.”]

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Speaking today with Bruce S. Gordon, President & CEO of the NAACP, Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich has called upon the Maryland State Elections Board to resolve he NAACP’s concerns about Maryland’s upcoming general election.

Of course, since the “state elections administrator for life” has been protected from any lack of performance of her duties by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., (D - 27, Calvert & Prince George's Counties) and House Speaker Michael Erin Busch (D - Dist. 30 Anne Arundel County); what does she care about any request from Governor Ehrlich.

Remember, Ms Lamone no longer works for Maryland’s executive office as it has for decades and decades. She is now “appointed by the State Board of Elections with Senate advice and consent;” which means she essentially has a job for life as a result of the 2005 Maryland General Assembly’s “Linda Lamone – appointment for life legislation.” Remember: 2005 SB 444/HB 675: “State Elections Office and State Elections Advisory Committee” sponsored by Senator Hollinger and Delegate Hixson?

Oh, anyway, below please find a press release about the Governor’s interest that the State Board of Elections address the concerns of the NAACP - - and the Governor’s letter to NAACP president Gordon:

Governor Ehrlich Calls on State Board of Elections to Resolve NAACP Concerns

ANNAPOLIS – Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. today called on the Maryland State Board of Elections to expeditiously resolve concerns held by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Governor Ehrlich about Maryland’s elections process. Governor Ehrlich spoke today with Bruce S. Gordon, President & CEO of the NAACP, about Maryland’s election environment.

“The NAACP and I share strong concerns about Maryland’s current election system, including the reliability of electronic poll books, the dependability of electronic voting machines, and the training and supply of election judges,” said Governor Ehrlich. “To ensure that every Marylander has access to a fair and accurate election system, the State Board of Elections must act expeditiously to address my concerns and those of the NAACP.”

Mr. Gordon encouraged the State to 1) hold demonstrations of the new voting machines in key precincts statewide; 2) formulate a contingency plan to use in the event voting machines malfunction; 3) ensure the electronic poll books are updated; 4) make certain there are adequate numbers of trained election judges who arrive at the polls on time and remain for the entire day; 4) verify that each precinct has a sufficient number of provisional ballots; 5) maintain privacy for citizens whether they vote using tough-screen or paper ballots; 6) ensure that voters fully understand how to cast an absentee ballot.

Governor Ehrlich supports the NAACP’s efforts and is encouraging the State Board of Elections to expeditiously resolve them. The Governor’s letter to the State Board of Elections is attached.

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20061016 Dear Mr. Gordon

Mr. Bruce S. Gordon, President & CEO
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore, Maryland 21215-3297

Dear Mr. Gordon:

Thank you for the opportunity to speak by telephone about Maryland’s election environment. Please know that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and I share strong concerns about the integrity of the General Election to be held on November 7. To be sure, I support your request for key actions to be taken prior to the General Election to ensure a fair, accurate and accessible election process and I call on the State Board of Elections to take those actions.

The problems encountered by the citizens of Maryland during the September 12primary are unacceptable. Marylanders deserve an election process that provides free, open and unfettered access to cast a ballot and that gives voters confidence that their vote will be accurately counted.

Regrettably, the leadership of the General Assembly has dramatically altered the administration and oversight of the state’s elections over the past four years. Local elections administrators throughout the state have been overloaded with complex legal changes and questionable technology, among other problems, all of which led to the Primary Election fiasco this past September.

In addition, the General Assembly since 2003 has insulated the State Elections Administrator from accountability to the Governor’s Office and, in many respects, to the State Board of Elections. The General Assembly passed legislation that makes it impossible for the State Board to fire the State Administrator, even for actions of illegality and gross misconduct, unless the State Senate confirms a successor, thus virtually eliminating accountability at the top level of the state’s elections system. The General Assembly also handcuffed the State Board’s decision-making process by requiring a super-majority vote (4 of 5 members) before it can take any actions.

Unfortunately, state law does not grant me authority to require the State Board of Elections to perform the six specific items delineated in your letter. Nonetheless, I support the actions you are requesting and, in fact, have called for many of these actions over the course of the past several weeks and months. I can assure you that these topics, especially the contingency plan for voting machine malfunctions and the upgrading of e-pollbooks, are priorities that I have stressed with the board and the State Administrator in public meetings of the State Board of Public Works.

Last year, I appointed a bipartisan elections commission chaired by former U.S. Attorney George Beall, consisting of 5 Democrats and 4 Republicans. This panel made a number of improvement recommendations and forewarned that the local elections boards were not prepared for rapid changes in elections administration and that more resources from the State Administrator were necessary to plan for the implementation of new laws (early voting) and new technology (e-pollbooks). In their rush to gain every political advantage, the leadership of the General Assembly ignored these warnings and created the unstable elections system that we saw in the Primary and still face in the General Election.

In direct response to your Maryland Election Protection Operation effort, I will send a copy of your letter and my response to Mr. Gilles W. Burger, Chairman of the State Board of Elections, and request that they provide a full and complete response to your six proposals within the next week.

Again, I sincerely appreciate the leadership and initiative of the NAACP in protecting the elections process for all citizens of the state and look forward to your continued cooperation in this effort.

Very truly yours,
Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
Governor

####For previous posts on Maryland State Board of Elections Administrator and the Maryland primary election fiasco, please see:

“20060923 The Linda Lamone Vote-o-matic” and “20060917 Cartoon MD Primary Election Voters What Voters” and “20060915 Crablaw is staying on top of Maryland’s primary election fiasco” and “20060923 Lamoned again and again.”

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org www.thetentacle.com Westminster Eagle Opinion and Winchester Report www.thewestminstereagle.com www.kevindayhoff.com has moved to http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/