A large reduction in the number of polling places and voting machines in Sedgwick County could result in longer lines and reduced voting, our editorial today warns. The impetus for the reorganization was the need to make all polls fully accessible to voters with disabilities — which, of course, is important. But budgets were also a factor, particularly the decision to make-do with the number of voting machines normally needed for primary elections (545) even though general elections have required more. Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Bill Gale hopes that early voting options will help spread out voting and reduce lines. They might, somewhat. But Gale is taking a big risk. Reforms aimed at easing voting could end up deterring it.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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28 Comments
A Rove plot; I am telling ya.
“In order to save the village, we had to destroy it.”
My suggestions for new campaign slogans:
POT IN EVERY CHICKEN !!!!
SELL LEG, NOT ARMS !!!!
Well gosh, if it looks like a majority of voters dont want your party in power, what should you do?
Make voting as difficult, time consuming and frustrating as possible, and reduce participation.
This lesson in democracy brought to you by diebold.
I have two words: early voting.
A truly stupid idea.
Thank goodness I don’t live in Sedgwick County!
Sedgwick County- Isn’t this the place that invented “Volume Selling”?
Sheesh I had to stand in line almost an hour to early vote last time! ( Wichita 2004)
We should be making voting MORE accessible, not less.
I vote on a touchscreen, and there’s no evidence that my vote was recorded or counted.
Nor can it be recounted.
So I’ll go vote, but sometimes I get the feeling it’s not who votes, it’s who COUNTS THE VOTES that makes the decisions.
When the exit polls were wildly off in Ohio from the official results, the convential wisdom was somebody screwed up the exit vote.
Funny, same thing happened in Florida in 2000.
Instead of making sure that the exit polls were in error and not the OFFICIAL counts, a lot of voting officials (read conservatives) are not allowing exit polling.
Okay, well, that solves that then.
And notice how QUIET the mainstream media is about this. Nobody even dares investigate it.
Nobody wants to even consider that American democracy isn’t what it is says it is . . .
The Eagle is covering the story:
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/editorial/14540505.htm
This is a letter to the editor of the Wichita Eagle:
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/editorial/14531341.htm
This letter was sent by right wing religious fanatic Mark Gietzen. When he is for something, you can rest assured that it is a VERY BAD IDEA.
“Thank goodness I don’t live in Sedgwick County!”
Uhm, look into your own county, Julie. The law is national, so this response will likely be national.
Just TRY to vote us out!©
I see that editors edited my accurate descriptors of Mark Gietzen. You editors may fear him, but those statements about Gietzen, which he took a political opponent to court over, were NOT libelous (as was determined by the 18th Judicial District) — because they were TRUE!
Google his name, if you doubt me.
Fearing cowards like Gietzen only encourages him.
Kansas Court Appeals decision, in Gietzen v. Feliciano, upholding lower court summary judgment that true statements in political campaign cannot be a legitimate basis for damages:
http://www.kscourts.org/kscases/ctapp/1998/19980918/78740.htm
Rage,Thanks for the link. The one I recall seeing was heard by Karl Friedel — maybe that was the hearing befoe the appeal. The document you site comes to the conclusion I remember — if it is not untrue, it is not libel.
“The one I recall seeing was heard by Karl Friedel — maybe that was the hearing befoe the appeal.”
Yep. Feliciano requested–and got–a summary judgment before Friedel, and the Appeals Court upheld it. That simple.
I stood in line for THREE hours for the last presidential campaign to vote and I was 7 months pregnant and there were no chairs whereas my father who lived in a much nicer area was in and out in less than 15 minutes – we both went during the busiest time of the day. It was my first time voting too – my husband finally convinced me to do it. I will never vote again. I hardly see the point . . . I am not convinced that it even makes a difference.
Thats nothing! The republican National Party (GOP) in other news, stated they wanted automated teller machines (ATM’s) installed at the few remaining voting places to allow citizens to withdraw the new requirement of a one thousand dollar voting fee – To be paid in cash – at the time of check in at all polls!
This is a great idea because everyone will not have to carry around a few larger bills to keep voting our party in power! Things are great! Lets keep it that way!
Lady
See histogram of Precinct Size in Kansas in 2005http://www.kansasmeadowlark.com/2006/KSPrecincts2005.png
There were many small precincts, but this is likely to change as small precincts are closed to save money.
So, Meadowlark, what is your position? Such is not clear from your data, nor from your words.
Sedgwick County was forced to reconsolidate because of HAVA.
You cannot have a single polling place that is not disable accessible. Plus you have to upgrade voting machines.
HAVA only gave so much to Sedgwick County, so they could only do what they can. I assume everything will go smoothly and I predict a larger turnout this election than ever before.
Joe W.:”I assume everything will go smoothly and I predict a larger turnout this election than ever before.”
Hope springs eternal for Joe. Hey Joe, I have this really nice swamp land for sale at a premium price. Let’s talk.
Darwin’s Disciple: My point is that Congress in its “Help America Vote Act of 2002″ was trying to solve a problem in Florida, which is costing a lot of money in Kansas when we didn’t have that big of a problem. Why is HAVA actually making it harder to vote as Sedgwick, Cowley, Wyandotte, …, counties are closing precincts? Do we need this kind of Federal “help”? Closing many small rural voting precincts, making farmers drive many extra miles just to vote, so we can afford voting machines and quickly count a few hundred votes electronically a few times a year doesn’t seem to be very cost effective. Besides, most of the problems in keeping accurate voting lists are actually caused by federal laws and tie the hands of local election officials. Some additional comments are here:http://www.kansasmeadowlark.com/2006/05-10.htm
Meadowlark:While I have yet to read your link, from what you post above, I actually agree with you.
I may be ill.
A friend of mine in Salina, Guy-from-up-noth may have a better take on your notions than I. I will wait to hear from him, before deciding.
Thanks.
DD. You better hope for a larger turnout or the Democrats won’t have a prayer.
Joe:A larger turn out, or an expression of the majority, is always what I hope for.
What is it, that you Repub shills hope for?
Tell us the truth, now – if you can.
DD
Joe will have to contact the Wall Street Journal for his “truth”. That or reference a ledger.
Joe,
They were not forced to reduce the precints because of HAVA. It was strickly a money issue with Bill Gale and the Sedgwick County Commissioners. You have to ask yourself how many of the churchs and public school buildings that were being used for the voting places were not handicap exsiable? The answer would be none!
Once again our elected officials show us that they are not interested in the very people they represent. They are all about themselves. It is my understanding that they also received money from the federal government to purchase the voting machines.
GW and Jeb will give AMNESTY to 138 million undocumented immigrants (before the 2008 elections) and their votes for a better America will secure the White house to the Bush family for two more terms! Viva Bush! Viva ARBUSTO!