The committee's recommendations are grouped into categories.
- Election Day & Poll Worker Issues
- Voting Machine Issues
- Voter Reigistration Office Function Issues
- Voter Registrar Issues
Election Day & Poll Worker Issues
- Poll workers need improved training. A comprehensive manual detailing their tasks and responsibilities would go a long way towards resolving the problems we heard about.
- Poll workers should have increased pay.
- Poll workers should be observed carefully in an effort to avoid election law violations such as making disparaging comments about candidates while voters are present.
- Poll workers should be charged with reporting violations of election laws/procedures that occur on Election Day. These violations should be taken seriously by the Registrar. The Registrar should take reports of violations seriously, take appropriate actions including warnings and, where indicated, legal action, and report the violations to the public.
- We recommend the creation of an internal document warning "what not to do". Voter Registration information is sometimes used improperly and such use should not be tolerated. Again, the Registrar must take such violations seriously and take the necessary steps to prevent them from recurring.
Voting Machine Issues - The Voter Registrat should be tasked with determining that the machines used for an election have been properly certified, no less than 90 days prior to an election.
- The County should both advocate and prepare for the purchase and use of voting machines that generate a voter-verifiable paper trail. The office should continue to exert strong pressure on the Department of State and the Legislature to enable such trail.
- The lack of voter privacy during the voting process is a serious issue that must be resolved.
Voter Registration Office Functions - Office personnel should be receiving ongoing training in election law issues.
- Office personnel must reflect a friendly, positive attitude at all times, especially when dealing with the public.
- The office should prepare a manual to be given to all office seekers detailing procedures, report filing, applicable election law, report deadlines, etc.
- If the Office communicates information of any kind to the chair of any political party, the same communication must be given to all other party leadership - especially third parties. Strict non-partisanship must be maintained at all times.
- Election Board should be enlarged and include third-party representatives as well as independent voters.
- All communications emanating from the office should be on County letterhead and be composed in a professional style. All email communications should be followed up with a formal letter.
Voter Registrar Issues - Based on our observations, we recommend that the Administration a) remind the Registrar of the office's primary duties; and b) monitor the Registrar's performance to ensure that the office is functioning smoothly.
Notes
Even though we clearly stated at the outset of our meetings that we were not concerned with people so much as we were with process, the current Registrar, Debbie DePaul, took over our meeting time and our agenda with her defensiveness. She attempted to monitor our activities, to the point of requesting that we follow her lead in our surveys. She attempted to preempt our surveys by running one of her own, which she started in her office after we announced we would do a survey. She displayed poor judgment again and again.
- Handing us the 52-page packet at our first meeting that a) contained numerous undated correspondence; b) was repetitive; c) was full of errors - omitted dates, typographical errors; and d) was disorganized and difficult to follow
- dominating the agenda even before we had a chance to talk among ourselves
- initiating a survey in her office when our committee decided to do a survey, and commenting on how we should do our survey
- bringing a lawyer to our 2/28 meeting as a 'buffer'
- sending a copy of correspondence with Republican committee-person to the Democratic partty while failing to copy other parties - including the Green Party
- referring to her office as 'my reign'
- bringing Voter registration Office employees to speak on her behalf
- taking up excessive amount of meeting time for her personal defense
10 comments:
glad I'm no longer an election commissioner in NC and very sorry Dick Benner retired as Registrar.
We deserve better from our voter
registration office! Somebody needs to address problems ASAP, is my opinion! larry@kisslinger.com
Is it true Depaul has her "servants" hum "Hail to the Chief" as she comes in each morning? I heard she is planning to rap B O'Hare in the head with her sceptre the next time she sees him? Find out tomorrow, on Northampton County's favorite daily soap opera, "as the ballots are Counted!
Maddy,
I'll be looking forward to that column, but must get my prescription refilled first.
Better get a six pack while your at it.
"Poll workers should have increased pay."
How much do they make now?
Also, it appears to be, if the notes are true, that Debbie DePaul even knows she has to go.
It's all semantics. The same party wins regardless of the details. Cynical? Admittedly. But most of the suspense of NC elections is akin to waiting to see if Kim Jong Il will be re-elected.
Anon 10:11,
Just a few short years ago, a seven to two Dem majority on county council suddenly became a six to three republican majority.
In 2005, John Stoffa upset both Glenn Reibman and Bob Nyce.
In 2006, the congressional race between Dertinger and Dent was close in the initial count, and Dent did not appear as the clear winner until the official count was in.
Don't get apathetic just bc the Dems tend to win. It's not so clear as you think. And the elections report is making changes designed to protect against one party rule, like expanding the elections commission.
I promoted and County officials agreed to raise the rate of pay for election poll workers. still way under what NJ and other folks receive! current poll workers are very dedicated but younger folks need to step up to the plate very soon, is my opinion! One thing Election Commissioners and Registrar must do is recruit and train poll workers but I don't think they understand much about all of their responsibilities! larry@kisslinger.com
This report sure reads like a Jack Bradt manifesto. Who cares if she 'appeared' belligerent. She was the only OFFICIAL in the game. The blue ribbon committee had as much power as Joe Long. I did'nt vote for the committee or Joe Long. I resent the fact that Stoffa put a group of campaign supporters together on behalf of me as a citizen. If this had been another Executive, people would be screaming. My advice to DePaul, "Bring lawyers, guns and money; Dad get me out of this."-qoute providded courtesy of Warren Zevon.
Please don't tell me how wrong I am Bernie, I know how you feel but this is about the committee and I hate most committee's, since I have found over the years that they are mostly put together to justify forgone conclusions and this was no exception.
You're right. It was simply an advisory committee with no power. But the person being advised has plenty. And he, John Stoffa, attended every meeting. So did John Conkiln. Ass't Solicitor Chris Spadoni attended three of these meetings. So Deb DePaul was not the only official there.
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