by Sue | Dec 10, 2020 | 2021-2022 Clallam Co. BOCC
by Sue Forde, Chair
The Clallam County Home Rule Charter Commission (HRC) is recommending that the Board of Clallam County Commissioners’ pass a resolution “calling on the state legislature to pass legislation, which would enable the county (and other jurisdictions in the state) to adopt Ranked-Choice Voting for local elections, if they so choose.”
This was attempted in 2007 through the Home Rule Charter when I served on that commission. It went to the ballot and failed by a strong majority of the voters. Testimony by proponents disclosed that to change our voting machines and system to an Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) system would be very expensive to the taxpayers. It is also a complicated system. It effectively removes the “one man, one vote” premise upon which our nation was founded.
The Board of Clallam County Commissioners’ (BOCC) work session to be held on Dec. 14, 2020, commissioners will be presented with a resolution for consideration to promote the idea of Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), otherwise known as “Ranked-Choice Voting.”
I’ve written a comprehensive article for the Citizen Review, which you can read here. https://citizenreview.org/clallam-county-commissioners-to-consider-resolution-for-instant-runoff-voting/
Please consider taking action in (a) writing to the Commissioners with your thoughts after educating yourself on this issue; (b) showing up online to testify.
Be sure to let your county commissioners know what you think about passing the Resolution – and also consider:
If we are so concerned about elections, shouldn’t we (1) first be sure the voter rolls are cleared up every 30 days as required by law; (2) Make sure only legal citizens are voting; (3) and perhaps return to regular polling places where identity can be ascertained by photo ID; and (4) get rid of ballot harvesting?
The BOCC work session can be viewed on a live stream at this link:
http://www.clallam.net/features/meetings.html
If you would like to participate in the meeting by phone call 408-419-1715 and join with Meeting ID: 875 561 784.
If you would like to participate via video conference visit www.bluejeans.com and join with Meeting ID: 875 561 784.
Citizens are encouraged to make public comment by phone, video or in writing.
Citizens with comments or questions can be directed to the Clerk at agores@co.clallam.wa.us or 360-417-2256. Here’s the official notice of the work session meeting. (See Notice)
by Sue | Jan 30, 2023 | 2023 Olympia Bills to Watch
There are a myriad of bills coming through the State Legislature, and many of them will affect your lives. Please be sure to read through, and comment on those that will make your life better or worse. These are “your” (“our”) “representatives, so they need to hear from us about what the actions they are taking.
Citizens Alliance for Property Rights (CAPR) is a great organization looking out for private property and Constitutional citizens’ rights. Here is their list of recommendations on upcoming and current bills in the WA State Legislature for this week:
Click on the link below for a downloadable PDF version that will allow you to review bills and comment.
Of special note, please comment on these bills scheduled for Monday and Tuesday (Jan 30-31):
Monday 1/30/2023 at 1:30p
State Gov’t & Elections Committee
Location
Senate Hearing Rm 2 and Virtual
J.A. Cherberg
Olympia, WA
Public Hearing
- CON SB 5209 – Establishing universal civic duty voting. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify (this forces all legal voters in the state of WA to have to have to be registered vote whether they want to or not. It forces the auditor to contact the voter to see if the voter wants to remain on the voter rolls or submit a waiver to be removed from the voter rolls. It should always be the will of a sovereign citizen to decide whether or not they want to register to vote. This also puts more burden on the auditor’s office to follow through on waivers.
- CON SB 5378 – Concerning voter education. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify (you already have this information in a former email from last week. It is an attempt that the creation of this Bill by the OSOS and cosponsored by others will keep RCV from being able to happen in WA state by making it too complex and too expensive to educate the people on alternate voting systems. However, this has never stopped NGOs, non profits or oligarch/businesses from interfering with our election process and providing the tools necessary no matter what the cost. If this bill succeeds and somehow education and resources are funded for jurisdictions to do alternate voting systems, this bill will end up being a precursor to Ranked Choice Voting. It could also be a hindrance to moving away from top-two/open primary going back to original model where each party puts forward one candidate chosen by their own party members. Discern and Vote your conscience).
- CON SB 5459 – Concerning requests for records containing election information. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify (the govt needs to remain transparent to the people with public records request and keeping gov’t responses at the lowest level possible closest to “We the People”. For example, keeping more accountability at the Auditor’s office as it is easier for the people to hold an Auditor accountable to the people at the lower local county level than a SOS at the higher state level.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/committeeschedules/Home/Documents/30618?/Senate/28245/01-01-2023/12-31-2023/Schedule/5378//Bill/
Transportation Committee at 4p:
CON SSB 5112 – Updating processes related to voter registration. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
Comp Bill HB 1229 (you will be voting on the Substitute SB 5112)
https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5112&Year=2023&Initiative=false
This bill adds more complexity to an already complex and convoluted system which just increases voters’ mistrust in the system. See more detail here for CON: https://whocountsthevotes.com/sb-5112-election-related-bills-2023-legislative-session/)
https://app.leg.wa.gov/committeeschedules/Home/Documents/30596
Tuesday 1/31/2023 at 1:30p
Location
House Hearing Rm E and Virtual
John L. O’Brien Building
Olympia, WA
Possible Executive Session
- CON HB 1333 – Establishing the domestic violent extremism commission.(This committee excludes looking at domestic violent extremism against whites or Christians who were excluded in the research. This committee will also establish a reeducation program to those committing crimes of DVE and gives an additional $50K stipend to rural newspaper publishers, increasing their pay so they can be compensated for helping educate the people in those rural communities via the newspaper.
- CON HB 1330 – Adjusting the threshold for requiring candidate contribution certifications relating to foreign nationals. (Establishes criteria to make sure donations are not from foreign nationals above $2500. But the requirement should be noninterference in U.S. Elections by foreign nationals. Period.)
https://app.leg.wa.gov/committeeschedules/#/House/31650/02-03-2023/01-27-2023/Schedule///Bill/
Wednesday 2/1/2023 at 1:30p
Location
House Hearing Rm E and Virtual
John L. O’Brien Building
Olympia, WA
Possible Executive Session
- CON HB 1475 – Increasing access to elections by allowing certain populations to return ballots using an online ballot portal. (Returning ballots via an internet portal puts your vote at risk and vulnerable to be hacked. It also gives others access to tour confidential vote. Someone had to have a key to unencrypted it and it will be attached to your PII.)
- PRO HB 1426 – Concerning campaign contributions by controlled entities. (I watched testimony on some of this last week. Many were PRO because regulates multiple LLCs controlled by one owner to aggregate their contributions from the multiple LLC’s when making contributions to a candidate. This has gotten out of control with people creating LLCs just to find creative ways to funnel additional campaign contributions. This restricts abuse of campaign contributions through multiple LLC’s which aren’t legitimate businesses. They also have to be in operation for a year before they can make a contribution )
- CON HB 1442 – Defining synthetic media in campaigns for elective office, and providing relief for candidates and campaigns. (this keeps candidates from being able to use media from an opponent to create memes, mis or disinfo in advertising against the opponent in a campaign, creating additional regulations. Who determines what it true or not? This will violate 1A rights. The candidate who believes s/he has been wronged will be able to have recourse and request remedy as a result).
- CON HB 1443 – Updating the process for online voter registration by allowing voter applicants to provide the last four digits of social security number for authentication. (This bill allows for online registration and submitting documentation online to register to vote. Instead a voter should be required to come in person to register to vote and submit the required documentation proving they are a legal citizen and eligible.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/committeeschedules/Home/Documents/30591?/House/31650/01-31-2023/12-31-2023/Schedule///Bill/
RANKED CHOICE VOTING
from Jen Haugland (Duenkel)
House Bill 1592 Relating to using ranked choice voting in the presidential primary
Sponsored by Representatives Mena, Gregerson, Ramel, and Fitzgibbon
https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2023-24/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1592.pdf?q=20230125103349
This is what is new (its a short bill, easy reading material, but note the new sections and underlined). Here is my summary from my understanding:
- If there are more than two candidates in a presidential primary election your county will use RCV. Otherwise it goes back to your top-two method.
- Your county auditor will not be allowed to tabulate the results of the presidential primary that is completed with RCV. Instead under new section 1 c & d the auditor will have to send the date the Cast Vote Records to the OSOS for tabulation and it will be the authority of the SOS to tabulate the results using the instant run-off voting method and then the state shall make available to the voters in our county the preliminary and final results including each round of counting ballots. The SOS shall also make available cast vote record data in a publicly accessible electronic format in a manner based on precincts except when precinct results violates a voters right to a secret ballot. The SOS will determine the number of ranks a voter will have for the primary election (I’m assuming this is based on the number of presidential candidates in the primary. The SOS will determine the ballot. If a voter has 5 candidates to rank then you will be allowed to rank the 5 choices. I believe this eliminates Mickey Mouse as a write-in option from here on out.)
- This bill also gives specific rules for auditors on how ballots will be counted in RCV: Voters must rank their 1,2,3,4,5 choices. (basically, when a voter is confused or misses ranking votes by all the choices. FYI this has been defined by researchers as “voter fatigue” and a method of disenfranchising the voter). If you voted for 1 and 1 gets eliminated after the RCV method has been calculated in the race, then your number 1 vote no longer counts and it drops down to what your number 2 choice was, and so on, etc. Also, if a voter picks 1 and 1, then both of those votes will be thrown out and your votes do not count, but your 3,4,5 have potential to be considered. If a voter picks 1, omitting choice 2,3), none of his or her remaining choices will be counted. No skipping allowed of two or more consecutive.
- if a local party chooses to allow voters to select delegates who can be uncommitted to go to their National Convention just like the delegates who would be committed, the party will have to identify a threshold by % of votes that candidate must receive in order to win that delegation slot, otherwise they will not be a delegate to the convention. RCV screws with the vote % so much so, that you could have less than 50% and it will eliminate you and give it it delegate choice number 2.
- Finally, the Voting System Machines will now have a loophole that allows for certification of just equipment to be certified within systems, since the EAC has only allowed the VSTL’s to certify completed Voting Systems. For example, Mason County has the Clear Ballot Voting System which includes a scanner, tabulator, etc. If one of those items in the system gets upgraded or changed out the VSM is no longer officially certified unless the whole system is resubmitted to the EAC testing company (we have ProV&V) in order to be tested and certified again according to the EAC. This is based on the HAVA Act of 2002. The Legislature is going to make it legal for allowing for changes to be made within the VSM so that just that one changed machine has to be certified… not he whole system. This violates the federal mandates that were created when Congress created the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to oversee and to protect our constitutional rights of voters with the machine vote systems.
WE are in SERIOUS trouble with this HB. Contact both Representatives Dan Griffey and Travis Couture to vote NO against this bill. It must not get out of committee.
In case you didn’t see the video example of how RCV works here it is again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq7N2hmX9FI
One Person, One Vote. No Compromise. Hold the Line.
______________________________________________
Note from Editor: A number of years ago, Ranked Choice Voting (also known as Instant Runoff Voting) was brought to Clallam County through the Home Rule Charter Commission. The people of our county voted it down, and with good reason.
Here is a link to the article we ran at that time:
https://clallamrepublicans.org/?s=ranked+choice+voting
Rep. Mike Chapman has signed on to the Ranked Choice Voting bill. Be sure to let your voice be heard…
by Sue | Oct 7, 2022 | 2022 Elections, Clallam County News, Olympia News and Views, Republican Party News
October 7, 2022 – At its regular Central Committee meeting last night, there was a unanimous vote to endorse Brad Klippert as the Republican write-in candidate for Secretary of State. With a top-two primary in Washington State regardless of political party, a Democrat and an “Independent” ended up in the top two spots heading into the general election, due to four Republican candidates running in that race, splitting the vote.
Klippert is endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party, 22 other County Parties so far, and that number is growing.
Klippert said, “I’m honored to answer the call to serve our State and work towards improving our election laws and systems.” Brad Klippert was first elected to public office in 2008 to represent the 8th legislative district and has been re-elected with overwhelming majorities in every subsequent election. Brad is a 7-term State House Representative. He currently serves as the House Minority Vice-Caucus Chair.
As a write-in candidate, Klippert’s name will not appear in the voting pamphlet or on the ballot. He’ll be counting on voters around the state to write in “Brad Klippert” for Secretary of State.
He opposes ranked choice voting, which has become a hot topic in the Secretary of State race after polls showed 40% undecided voters and strong opposition to Ranked Choice Voting. As Secretary of State, Klippert’s other priorities will include: Improving election integrity, Transparency & Security, ensuring voters are verified U.S. Citizens, making election day a holiday, and working to restore in-person voting. Klippert said, “My years of experience working within the legislature to create laws will help me chart a logical path towards improving our elections for all Washingtonians.”
Klippert’s priorities include:
Improve Election Integrity, Transparency & Security
Ensure Voters are verified U.S. Citizens
Make Election Day a Holiday
Restore In Person Voting
Oppose: Ranked Choice Voting!
Spread the word!! Because this is a “write in” campaign, Klippert’s name will not appear on the ballot.
You must mark the “Write In” bubble on your ballot, then write his name: “Brad Klippert”.
