RES 499 Draft 01 2012-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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devastated many areas of Puna and also causing damage in parts of Ka`u. This resulted in the closure of two precincts in Puna on Primary Election Day and disenfranchisement of many of the voters in Puna who could not get to the polls on August 9, 2014. A "make-up" election was then held in only one location on Friday, August 15, 2014, even though the district of Puna was still in survival mode, many people could still not get out of their neighborhoods, and only voters in the two precincts that were closed on August 9, 2014, were allowed to vote. This led to many complaints of disenfranchisement; and WHEREAS, the County of Maui was reported to have "mislaid" 800 ballots that were not counted until August 15, 2014; and WHEREAS, the state of Oregon has conducted Vote By Mail elections since 1998. The 2004 Oregon election was one of the most contentious and closely scrutinized elections in Oregon history, and Oregon had the third highest voter turnout in the nation at 86.48% of registered voters. Oregon was the only state without same-day voter registration to place in the top five for voter turnout, and among states where same-day voter registration is not allowed, Oregon had the highest voter turnout. The elections ran smoothly, with no improper counting, no voter suppression or intimidation, and no mismanagement. Fears that Vote By Mail is vulnerable to widespread fraud were again proven unfounded. It is very clear that Vote By Mail is a successful, fraud -free, and voter -friendly model for an election administration. In 2008, Oregon achieved 85.7% voter turnout; and WHEREAS, Vote By Mail maximizes voter convenience because voters do not have to stand in lines at the polls, abandon long lines at the precinct in frustration, take time off from work, drive in bad weather to precincts, wait for their turn at a limited number of polling booths, or miss the opportunity to vote on election day due to illness, personal emergency, or natural disasters; and WHEREAS, Vote By Mail reduces fears of fraud since the signature required to submit a secret ballot can be verified to ensure that each voter is who he or she claims to be; and WHEREAS, Vote By Mail improves accuracy of voter rolls because mailed ballots are not forwarded by the United States Postal Service but instead are returned to the county office of elections where voter rolls are kept and prevents risk of inappropriate purges; and WHEREAS, Vote By Mail improves uniformity because there is centralized supervision of ballot processing in the county office of elections, instead of in dispersed polling places. This maintains uniformity and strict compliance with law; and P