미 공화당리더왈, 내고향주(Home State)에서는 우편투표가 안전하고 믿을만한 방법이다 자랑.- 전자개표기조작 빗댄 명언.

한국의 4.15총선이 완전히 100%부정선거였음을 빗대놓고, 전자개표기 보다는 본인의 서명이 들어있는 투표용지를 우편으로 발송하여 개표하는 방법이 가장 안전하다고 주장하는 미국 공화당의 중진 의원이 의견을 제시해 많은 관심을 끌고있다.

"내관심은 자신의 출신지인 와싱턴주에서 투표지를 우편으로 발송하는 방법을 사용한 경험의 개표방법이 안전하게 개표가 될수있는지에 대한 의문점을 우려하는 많은 사람들에게 확실하다는 생각을 갖도록 희망을 주었으면 한다"라고 의견을 냈다.

최근지난 몇주동안에 내의원실에서는 각주와 푸에로토리코에 부재자투표와 우편투표 방법을 확장해야 한다는  상식적인(spoken with elections officials in every state and Puerto Rico about common-sense steps) 방법에 대해서 선거관리위원회와 협의 했었다.  물론 하루아침에 갑자기 지금까지 해오던 투표방법을 우편투표를 주장하는 나의 의견이 안전하다고 호응할 State(주)는 없겠지만, 나는 와싱턴주에서의 성공적인 경험이 실질적으로 투표방법에서 확실히 좋은 해결책이라는것을 다른 주에서 충분히 이해하는데 많은 도움을 줄것으로, 나는 기대하고 있다. 결론적으로 50개 각주와 지방정부가 선거를 담당해서 실시하는것이지, 연방정부가 하는것을 아니라는 점이다.

한국에서의 부정선거를 방지하고, 축출하기위해서, 이런 방법이라도 좀 선택해서 좀더 선량하고, 정직한 국민들의 심복이 국사를 돌보게 하는, 투표방법의 개선이 절실하다고 본다. 이번 충선에서 당선된자들의 40%정도가 범죄기록이 있다는 보도에 깜짝 놀랄 뿐이다. 제발 중앙당에서 후보자 공천하는 방법은, 이제는 절대로 용납되서는 안된다. 그곳에서 부터 부정의 싹이 꿀틀거리기 때문이다.

https://lifemeansgo.blogspot.com/2020/04/blog-post_79.html

My hope is that Washington’s experience running mail-in elections will help other states reassure those who question whether the process is safe.

Kim Wyman

Opinion contributor

 

 

For as long as Washington state has voted by mail, I’ve heard concerns about the practice from both ends of the political spectrum. While I firmly believe that Washington’s system of allowing voters to cast their votes at home is safe, secure, trustworthy and a model for the nation, we must acknowledge that some voters are worried about the idea of voting by mail.

My job is to instill confidence in our elections. Voter confidence is not a pillar of our democracy, it is the pillar. When voters see a reason to mistrust our elections, they do not believe the outcome. This undermines the legitimacy of those elected.

In recent weeks, my office has spoken with elections officials in every state and Puerto Rico about common-sense steps they can take to expand absentee or mail-in voting. While no state can safely go from almost entirely in-person voting to all-mail ballots overnight, I believe that sharing Washington’s lessons and successful experiences will help other states find solutions that work for them. After all, states and municipalities run our elections, not the federal government.

Voters want options and peace of mind. It is my hope that by sharing Washington’s experience running hundreds of mail-in elections with other states will help reassure those who question expanded absentee and mail-in voting. Our goal is to help states develop strong security measures to instill confidence across the political spectrum.

Doesn’t vote by mail and absentee voting lead to more fraud? I am confident that the answer is no. Washington has earned national recognition for its process of matching voter signatures on envelopes to signatures on file, "air-gapping’" computer systems to prevent hacking, and ensuring appropriate chain-of-custody for every ballot. Local election officials can communicate in real-time to ensure each voter can have only one ballot counted.

While some are worried about non-citizens voting, I think Washington’s experience shows otherwise. Our counties of Thurston and Yakima are similar in population, but demographically very different. Yakima (an agricultural producer) has a higher population of non-citizens than Thurston. If we expected many non-citizens to be registered to vote, we might expect them to have similar numbers of registered voters, but in fact Yakima (119,658) has far fewer registered voters than Thurston (189,369).

Think of it this way: If you had come to America illegally and might be deported if caught, would you sign up on a government list and tell them your address, knowing that voting would prohibit you from ever becoming a citizen?

Ballot theft isn't a major threat

Couldn’t someone steal a ballot from a mailbox and fill it out? Sure, someone could steal a ballot but being able to get away with it is highly unlikely. The thief would have to match the voter’s signature well enough to fool a match by a human reviewer and would be committing a Class C felony that could result in thousands of dollars in fines and jail time — all for the sake of a single vote. Our audit system lets voters track their ballot and ensures only one ballot is counted per eligible voter.

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Our elections system is also focused on preventing double voting and other fraud. We check registrations against the national death index and communicate with voters when we flag problems with their ballots. While it is prohibited under federal law to check for citizenship, Washington state law also requires a Social Security number or driver’s license number and a legally enforceable declaration that the voter is a citizen.

Don’t mail-in elections increase turnout and make it easier for Democrats to win? This has become conventional wisdom on both the right and the left, but the facts paint a different picture. For example, Ohio had record turnout in 2016 and 2018, and yet Republican candidates won most major races. A study from Stanford looked at three vote-by-mail states — Washington, Utah, and California — and found that vote-by-mail didn’t meaningfully change the partisan makeup of the electorate, or the outcomes of partisan elections.

Election leaders must not be partisan

But more important, I have found over 27 years working in elections that election administrators cannot act in a partisan manner. Doing so destroys the foundation of our elections. I supported vote-by-mail because I thought it was the right thing to do for our voters, not because of the partisan effects it might have. As Washington’s chief elections officer, I can’t ever place politics above the confidence people put in our elections system. As I said before, public confidence is the most critical element of our elections.

Even in a pandemic, it’s wrong to dismiss voter concerns, so I will keep listening to voters who have concerns about our system; they must have confidence in our elections, and they deserve straight answers. I hope states across the country will support giving voters more, not fewer, options for voting. Republicans, Democrats and independents should all be able to feel comfortable about their states expanding absentee voting. In Washington state, we’ve proven it works.

Kim Wyman, a Republican, is secretary of state in Washington.

While some are worried about non-citizens voting, I think Washington’s experience shows otherwise. Our counties of Thurston and Yakima are similar in population, but demographically very different. Yakima (an agricultural producer) has a higher population of non-citizens than Thurston. If we expected many non-citizens to be registered to vote, we might expect them to have similar numbers of registered voters, but in fact Yakima (119,658) has far fewer registered voters than Thurston (189,369).

Think of it this way: If you had come to America illegally and might be deported if caught, would you sign up on a government list and tell them your address, knowing that voting would prohibit you from ever becoming a citizen?

Ballot theft isn't a major threat

Couldn’t someone steal a ballot from a mailbox and fill it out? Sure, someone could steal a ballot but being able to get away with it is highly unlikely. The thief would have to match the voter’s signature well enough to fool a match by a human reviewer and would be committing a Class C felony that could result in thousands of dollars in fines and jail time — all for the sake of a single vote. Our audit system lets voters track their ballot and ensures only one ballot is counted per eligible voter.

Share your coronavirus story: Contact USA TODAY Opinion's hotline. We may publish your comments.

Our elections system is also focused on preventing double voting and other fraud. We check registrations against the national death index and communicate with voters when we flag problems with their ballots. While it is prohibited under federal law to check for citizenship, Washington state law also requires a Social Security number or driver’s license number and a legally enforceable declaration that the voter is a citizen.

Don’t mail-in elections increase turnout and make it easier for Democrats to win? This has become conventional wisdom on both the right and the left, but the facts paint a different picture. For example, Ohio had record turnout in 2016 and 2018, and yet Republican candidates won most major races. A study from Stanford looked at three vote-by-mail states — Washington, Utah, and California — and found that vote-by-mail didn’t meaningfully change the partisan makeup of the electorate, or the outcomes of partisan elections.

Election leaders must not be partisan

But more important, I have found over 27 years working in elections that election administrators cannot act in a partisan manner. Doing so destroys the foundation of our elections. I supported vote-by-mail because I thought it was the right thing to do for our voters, not because of the partisan effects it might have. As Washington’s chief elections officer, I can’t ever place politics above the confidence people put in our elections system. As I said before, public confidence is the most critical element of our elections.

Even in a pandemic, it’s wrong to dismiss voter concerns, so I will keep listening to voters who have concerns about our system; they must have confidence in our elections, and they deserve straight answers. I hope states across the country will support giving voters more, not fewer, options for voting. Republicans, Democrats and independents should all be able to feel comfortable about their states expanding absentee voting. In Washington state, we’ve proven it works.

Kim Wyman, a Republican, is secretary of state in Washington.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/05/15/amid-coronavirus-washington-state-shows-why-vote-mail-secure-column/5189588002/