The Voting News Daily: Oscar eschews Internet voting; vote by mail proposed in CO; St. Paul, MN begins IRV preparations
Around the nation, the photo ID debate rages on. St. Paul, Minnesota begins a voter education effort following the City Council’s approval of new rules for instant runoff voting. The Colorado Legislature is considering legislation to establish a uniform vote by mail system in state elections, and the Massachusetts House orders a new election for a vacant seat following a tie vote in the November election.
All this and more in today’s Voting News. (Note: tonight’s edition contains several stories we missed in the past week. Thanks to our readers for continuing to provide news tips – please send your suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org).
CA: Registrar of voters heads to Riverside | heads, registrar, riverside – Victorville Daily Press
San Bernardino County is losing its top elections official to neighboring Riverside County. Read More
The San Francisco mayor race is looking a lot like Bay to Breakers — plenty of entrants, many characters and a few professional runners.
Yet given that the winner will be decided by the chaotic and confusing system called ranked-choice voting for the first time, the theme of the campaign is becoming clearer. Read More
CO: Saguache vote count never finalized – Colorado Springs Conservative | Examiner.com
Feb. 6: While Saguache County Clerk Melinda Myers claims that the Nov. 2 election was conducted “with the highest integrity,” the facts known in the case from eyewitness testimony and video surveillance continue to tell a different tale. Read More
CO: House bill proposes mail-only ballots for all state elections – The Denver Post
A House committee today will consider a bill proposing dramatic changes to the way Coloradans cast their votes.
House Bill 1131 would require all elections in the state to be conducted by mail ballots only, replacing the traditional polling places in a move that advocates say would save millions of dollars across Colorado. Read More
CO: Editorial: All-mail revue for Colorado elections – The Denver Post
A legislative proposal to formally move the state to mail ballots is a good-government measure that would save money and align election practices with the wishes of a growing segment of voters.
Frankly, it wouldn’t be a change for many, since some 70 percent of the state’s active voters already have signed themselves up to get ballots in the mail.
And for those who still want that on-site voting experience or have a disability that requires such, House Bill 1131 provides for service centers where people can vote in person. Read More
DC: Instant Runoff Voting: Does It Make Sense? – DCist
Last night, interim At-Large Councilmember and special election candidate Sekou Biddle won the endorsement of D.C. for Democracy, a progressive activism group. That’s the short version of the story: the long version involves a complex system of instant runoff voting, which some think is a better method of determining an election winner. Read More