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| CT Absentee Ballot Procedures |
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| Author |
Message |
    
christine c reid
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Ctwatcher
Post Number: 259
Registered: 12-2007
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 7:55 am: | 
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ROVAC, the Registrars of Voters' Association of CT, posts certain election related documents as a service. It appears the website has not been updated since 2006, so I am not certain if this is the latest set of procedures.
http://www.rovac.org/absentee_manual.pdf
I would be interested in comparing notes with people from other states regarding procedures.
Quick Notes:
In instances where counting takes place during election day, the public may not observe.
When centralized counting takes place, the public may observe but may not be close enough to see the votes on the ballots.
Is this generally the type of provision seen/way absentees are counted elsewhere? |
Catherine Ansbro
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Catherine_a
Post Number: 4686
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 11:03 am: |
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quote:In instances where counting takes place during election day, the public may not observe.
When centralized counting takes place, the public may observe but may not be close enough to see the votes on the ballots.
These provisions seem insane. They are in direct opposition to fair, transparent elections. They defy the whole spirit and purpose of public observation.
Why on earth should polling places that count on election day have to sacrifice the transparency, accuracy and accountability that comes with public observation? Isn't public observation enabled (or perhaps required) by law? If not, it should be. IMHO opening ballot boxes and counting votes (and transporting ballots) should only take place in the presence of observers.
And when the counting is centralized, how is there any true "observing" taking place if the so-called observers are not allowed to be close enough to see the votes on the ballots? This is a direct contradiction. In such a case there are no observers and no meaningful observation is taking place. |
christine c reid
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Ctwatcher
Post Number: 263
Registered: 12-2007
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 12:27 pm: |
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Well, you can do "drive by while voting" observation, I guess --
"Absentee Ballot Counting at Individual Polling Places
Absentee ballot counting done at individual polling places must take place in plain view of all election officials and electors present in the polling room. The general public is NOT allowed to observe the count during polling hours because Conn. Gen. Stats. Sec. 9-236 and Sec. 9-261 limit access to the polling room during polling hours to electors, election officials, unofficial checkers, the news media, groups of students in grades four through twelve, certain children and other students and runners. (Secs. 9-147a, 9-236, 9-236a and 9-261) Whether the count is conducted at individual polling places or one central location, no one may reveal the result of the absentee ballot count that begins between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon, or the count that begins 6:00 p.m. until after the close of the polls when the results of the vote are officially announced. (Sec. 9-147c)
B. Absentee Ballot Counting at a Central Location
Members of the public may observe absentee ballot counting conducted at a central location but they may not be so close that they can see the actual vote. (Secs. 9-147a, 9-147c)
(Message edited by ctwatcher on February 27, 2008)
(Message edited by ctwatcher on February 27, 2008) |
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