[EL] Postage Question

weichpm at earthlink.net weichpm at earthlink.net
Tue Nov 1 14:16:49 PDT 2016


In Arizona, the state (counties) DO pay the postage on the mailed-in ballots. 

Thanks for the discussion. 

--Paul

___________________
--Law Offices of Paul Weich--
(480) 759-1983
Paul.Weich.Law at gmail.com
www.PWLawArizona.com


From: Gaddie, Ronald K. 
Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2016 1:34 PM
To: Michael McDonald ; Paul Gronke 
Cc: John Farrell ; Election Law 
Subject: Re: [EL] Postage Question

Awesome! THX Mike.



Ronald Keith Gaddie, Ph.D.

President's Associates Presidential Professor
Chair, Department of Political Science
Senior Fellow, Headington College
Associate Director, Center for Intelligence & National Security
General Editor, Social Science Quarterly
The University of Oklahoma

p: 405.325.2061  | e: rkgaddie at ou.edu  | t: @GaddieWindage





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu <law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu> on behalf of Michael McDonald <dr.michael.p.mcdonald at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2016 3:25 PM
To: Paul Gronke
Cc: John Farrell; Election Law
Subject: Re: [EL] Postage Question 

The post office will deliver ballots without postage. They charge the local election office.

============
Dr. Michael P. McDonald
Associate Professor, University of Florida
352-273-2371
www.electproject.org
@ElectProject


On Tue, Nov 1, 2016 at 4:18 PM, Paul Gronke <paul.gronke at gmail.com> wrote:

  John 
  Yep, the only minor thing I describe differently is that I use the word “scan” or “image” rather than “counting.” 

  “Counting” means you are actually pressing a “tally” or “total” button that takes the ballot images stored in the machine (even if op-scanned) and then and only then produces a “report” that includes a sum of the votes cast.

  It’s an important distinction to make with reporters, who once you use the word “count” assume there is a total sitting there, like it’s on a computer screen or something, that someone can just read off of a piece of paper.  You have to generate the report, and a record of that task is stored in the machine's memory. 

  ---
  Paul Gronke
  Professor, Reed College
  Director, Early Voting Information Center
  http://earlyvoting.net

  General Inquiries: Laura Swann swannla at reed.edu

  Media Inquiries: Kevin Myers myersk at reed.edu

  Other email:  paul.gronke at reed.edu


    On Nov 1, 2016, at 12:43 PM, John Farrell <jfarrell at mccandlishlawyers.com> wrote:


    Seriously, this has been figured out in most states. 

    The ballots are returned to the general registrar or the clerk of the local government at the town/city hall or county courthouse (not the polling place since most of those locations are temporary, i.e., a public school, church, social hall, YMCA etc.).

    The returned ballots are maintained in a locked room until processed.  Some states allow the mailed-in ballots to be reviewed for completeness when received.  Some states even allow the local election administrator to enter them into the counting device immediately after they are received and check for completeness. In those cases, the counting machine and the counted ballots are kept in a secure room before election day.

    In some states, the return envelope with the mailed-in ballots are sent to the precinct of origin, checked in by the election officials in that precinct and put through the counting machine on election day and reported as part of the precinct return.

    In others, the ballots are put through a counting machine in a central absentee precinct; the results printed out after the regular polls close and the results made know after the tally sheets are completed.


    John W. Farrell 
    Attorney at Law 

    <McCandlish-logo-200x45.gif> 

          11350 Random Hills Road | Suite 500
          Fairfax, Virginia 22030-7421
          tel (703) 934-1182 cell (703) 507-1182
         
          website | bio | vCard | map | email    
         
    <Twitter-R-22x20.gif><Facebook-R-22x20.gif><LinkedIn-R-22x20.gif><YouTube-R-23x20.gif> 

          This email is not intended, nor shall it be deemed, unless otherwise expressly provided in writing, to (1) constitute or provide legal advice or counsel, unless the recipient already has an attorney-client relationship with the firm or me; (2) create an attorney-client relationship; or (3) contain my electronic, or other implied, signature. 





      On Nov 1, 2016, at 3:21 PM, Paul Gronke <paul.gronke at gmail.com> wrote:


      Keith 

      Absolutely not.  I am not sure how many states actually allow this.

      This creates a fairly serious hitch in the election administration workflow.

      Just work through in your head what is being proposed: voters can drop off absentee ballots at a polling place. Where do those ballots go?  Do we maintain secure ballot drop boxes at every polling place?

      Ok suppose we do that. Now, when do those envelopes (not ballots) get processed?  When are signatures checked?  For states with voter intent provisions, how are the ballots “remade”?  

      And finally, when are the ballot counted?

      In California, over a million absentee ballots are dropped off at precinct places on election day.  The California clerks have very good procedures for dealing with these, but if you are going to allow this, you must also be willing to wait for election results.  Most counties that I am aware of don’t even begin to process those absentee ballots until they open for business on Wednesday. 

      ---
      Paul Gronke
      Professor, Reed College
      Director, Early Voting Information Center
      http://earlyvoting.net

      General Inquiries: Laura Swann swannla at reed.edu

      Media Inquiries: Kevin Myers myersk at reed.edu

      Other email:  paul.gronke at reed.edu

        On Nov 1, 2016, at 12:13 PM, Gaddie, Ronald K. <rkgaddie at ou.edu> wrote:

        Understood. Does the ability to drop at any polling place in a state hold across all states?

        Ronald Keith Gaddie, Ph.D.

        President's Associates Presidential Professor
        Chair, Department of Political Science
        Senior Fellow, Headington College
        Associate Director, Center for Intelligence & National Security
        General Editor, Social Science Quarterly
        The University of Oklahoma

        p: 405.325.2061  | e: rkgaddie at ou.edu  | t: @GaddieWindage





------------------------------------------------------------------------

        From: Richard Winger <richardwinger at yahoo.com>
        Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2016 2:09 PM
        To: Gaddie, Ronald K.; Election Law
        Subject: Re: [EL] Postage Question 

        because the voter is free to drop it off at any polling place or voting center on election day.  The postage is not a requirement for returning the voted ballot.


        Richard Winger 415-922-9779 PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147




------------------------------------------------------------------------
        From: "Gaddie, Ronald K." <rkgaddie at ou.edu>
        To: Election Law <Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu> 
        Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2016 11:19 AM
        Subject: [EL] Postage Question


        Query: A former student, who is a lawyer and a Ph.D. candidate, wrote and asks "how is paying postage on an absentee ballot not a poll tax?"

        Any knowledgable answers are greatly appreciated.

        Ronald Keith Gaddie, Ph.D.

        President's Associates Presidential Professor
        Chair, Department of Political Science
        Senior Fellow, Headington College
        Associate Director, Center for Intelligence & National Security
        General Editor, Social Science Quarterly
        The University of Oklahoma

        p: 405.325.2061  | e: rkgaddie at ou.edu  | t: @GaddieWindage


        _______________________________________________
        Law-election mailing list
        Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu
        http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election


        _______________________________________________
        Law-election mailing list
        Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu
        http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election

      _______________________________________________
      Law-election mailing list
      Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu
      http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election



  _______________________________________________
  Law-election mailing list
  Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu
  http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
Law-election mailing list
Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu
http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://webshare.law.ucla.edu/Listservs/law-election/attachments/20161101/6e948fed/attachment.html>


View list directory