[EL] voter info pamphlets

Thu May 11 09:22:30 PDT 2017

I totally agree that ballot measure arguments can range from ridiculous to truly helpful. The voters’ pamphlet can be an entertaining read. Even this election that was mostly for school board positions had some entertainment. One candidate ran on a no wi-fi platform of full on paranoia. When Ballot Measure 9 was on the ballot in 1992, there was a satiric “pro” argument that was submitted by opponents of the measure as the Special Righteousness Committee and the Traditional Prejudices Coalition. That created a lot of controversy.

I have submitted a few statements back when I was President of Oregon and signed onto joint statements with other organizations. We always took it seriously. The fee is $1200 (it was only $500 back then) and folks can also submit without paying a fee with 500 signatures. The thing is, people pay more attention to who holds what position than what they say. Some statements are nothing more than a list of endorsers. I generally know how I will vote on most measures before I get the pamphlet, but if I am uncertain, who is supporting what side means a lot. 

The Voters Pamphlet is most useful for choosing between judicial candidates and the candidates for offices we should never be elected people to in the first place: Fire District Board, Sewer District Board, Water Conservation Board, Sheriff, District Attorney, Judge.  

RuthAlice Anderson
ruthalice.anderson at icloud.com

we-resist.info <http://we-resist.info/>

tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com <http://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/>

singleservingrecipes.wordpress.com <http://singleservingrecipes.wordpress.com/>
> On May 11, 2017, at 8:56 AM, David Keating <dkeating at campaignfreedom.org> wrote:
> 
> I agree that a voters information pamphlet is a good idea.  It is a good way that government can subsidize election campaign speech for all candidates with few downsides.  Certainly states should provide a good voters information pamphlet before attempting to regulate campaign speech.
>  
> Does anyone know if there is a compilation of states that provide such pamphlets?  If not, we will consider doing it.
>  
> That said, the ballot measure arguments do sometimes get phony.  People who are really for or against a measure sometimes do get to argue “against” it or “for” it, but they use the worst possible arguments as a way of stacking the debate to help their side.  
>  
> David
> _________________________________________________
> David Keating | President | Center for Competitive Politics
> 124 S. West Street, Suite 201 | Alexandria, VA 22314
> 703-894-6799 (direct) | 703-894-6800 | 703-894-6811 Fax
> www.campaignfreedom.org <http://www.campaignfreedom.org/>
>  
> From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu <mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu> [mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu <mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu>] On Behalf Of RuthAlice Anderson
> Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2017 3:56 PM
> To: Rick Hasen
> Cc: law-election at UCI.edu <mailto:law-election at uci.edu>
> Subject: Re: [EL] ELB News and Commentary 5/10/17
>  
> I wish every state had an voting system like Oregon. Of course, the reason Oregon has open and accessible voting is more likely due to it being a very white state than anything else. Voting restrictions are popular in states with many people of color and voting outreach reforms are more common in the whiter states. 
>  
> But just to show you how much Oregon does to help voters, not only are we automatically registered to vote, but we also provided a fabulous Voters’ Pamphlet where the candidates get to make their case. If there are endorsements listed, the endorsing person or organization signs a form that verifies that endorsement. No phony endorsements! If there are ballot measures, there is an explanation of the effects and the costs and opponents and proponents make their case. It’s mailed to all voters, I don’t have to look for it in the local paper. 
>  
> My ballot is mailed to me automatically. I can mail it back or drop it off at Elections, at any of the libraries, and in official drop boxes at some McDonalds, at hardware stores, movie theaters and car washes. All the locations are listed at Elections and in the voters pamphlet. 
>  
> When my ballot is mailed, I get an email telling me it’s been sent and to look for it. When I send it back, I get an email telling me it was received and confirming it will be counted. A couple elections back, I got an email saying my signature was smeared (I suppose the envelope got rained on in transit or something, it does rain here a lot) and that I would have to confirm my ballot. I was able to take care of that with a phone call. I attached screenshots so you can see what they are like. 
>  
> It just seems to me that if you believe in your political agenda, you should believe in it enough to compete for votes without stacking the deck by limiting voting rights. If you have to keep people from voting to win, to me it is an open admission that you do not believe you can win in an fair and honest election. Seriously, it turns that old maxim on its head exponentially, saying it’s better 200,000 innocent people are imprisoned rather than 1 guilty go free. 
>  
>  
> RuthAlice Anderson
>  
>  
>  
> RuthAlice Anderson
> ruthalice.anderson at icloud.com <mailto:ruthalice.anderson at icloud.com>
>  
> we-resist.info <http://we-resist.info/><image001.png><image002.png>
>  
> tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com <http://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/>
>  
> singleservingrecipes.wordpress.com <http://singleservingrecipes.wordpress.com/>
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