The April 3 and April 10 editions of The Chronicle had opinion columns on voting; one about “Prepaid Ballots…” and the other a letter to the editor by the Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall titled “Early Voting Registration Improves Civic Involvement.”
I doubt either would really make much difference.
Most of us seasoned citizen types recall going to a site (and not a web site), with ID, signing in at the table, picking up our ballot and voting. Might hang with the neighbors who volunteered at the polling places for a few minutes, enjoying cookies, coffee, conversation too, then off we went.
But before we could do that, we actually went and registered (with ID) to vote. Both required some — but really not much — effort on our part.
Today it’s all mail-in ballots, no identification required and sadly we don’t see our neighbors anymore at the polling places.
Now that it is all mail, at least in the minds of the Seattle Times Editorial Board, paying the cost to send in the ballot is the next logical step to increase voter participation. They cite the success (although they admit they don’t know if that’s the reason) of a pilot program in King County where they had higher than expected turnout.
King County? Isn’t that where they kept recounting and finding unsecured ballots until Christine Gregoire beat Dino Rossi for governor?
I believe it was.
The column cites a “fiscal analysis” estimating the cost statewide of $3 million per biennium. If we assume they are correct, it may be the first time any government bureaucrat accurately predicted the cost of a government program they want.
Normally doubling it gets you closer. Regardless, $3 million is a lot of more money to squeeze out of us.
I’m pretty sure not having prepaid ballots isn’t the reason so few people vote. I’m more inclined to think people have been turned off by the nasty politics, lack of rational debate, and name-calling, people have just tuned it out.
As for the notion proposed in a letter to the editor on April 10 by Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall that new Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) laws will do much either, seems overly optimistic.
But given all the computer hacking, ID theft, and poorly secured computer systems,(especially government) it does seem there is greater opportunity for more of that. Plus “pre-registering 16 and 17 year olds seems to complicate things, and open them up to getting hacked too.
Her notion that “pre registration” will introduce “civic engagement early on, instilling American values like democracy, representation, and justice” doesn’t seem to make much sense either.
Besides, exactly what are American values these days?
If one of them is government forcing my neighbor to provide me a .40-cent stamp to mail in my ballot because I’m too cheap to, then we’re in trouble.
And really isn’t that what this proposal is?
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I noticed a recent story about some of the security measures Parkland Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High have instituted since the shooting there. They seem measured, and relatively common sense.
Only clear backpacks are allowed and provided, bags are searched, musical instrument cases are left with teachers, students have identification on a lanyard and required to wear them, for now cops at the door, and limits to where students can enter the building.
You might think the students would appreciate the additional steps, but it doesn’t appear universally so-in fact in the Sun Sentinel story he describes the student body as “skeptical” it will make them safer.
How could it not? Instead, comments by students included comparisons to being in prison, or going through airport style security and not caring for it.
Student reaction seems predictable because people — me included — don’t like our freedoms restricted. But to coin a phrase from the anti-gun people these appear to be “common sense” changes and avoid the argument over infringing on gun owners rights.
And they look like they could be effective too.
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John McCroskey was Lewis County sheriff from 1995 to 2005. He lives outside Chehalis, and can be contacted at musingsonthemiddlefork@yahoo.com.
