PLEASE READ: Paper ballots mandated for all CA precincts!!!

[keepCAblue]

Cross-posting because of importance of this issue.

I was apalled to find at the most recent primary election, that paper ballots were NOT available at voting precincts--for the FIRST time since I've been voting in CA. Repeated calls to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters office were ignored and I never got an answer as to why paper ballots were suddenly forbidden from precinct voting locations. So you can imagine what a sense of victory it is to have received the following email late yesterday from CA Pollworkers for Democracy stating that paper ballots ARE BACK. If you are a California voter, please request a paper ballot. If you are refused or the pollworker says they do not have any or ran out of paper ballots, please report the violation to the contact listed at the bottom of the below message.

******************

One request, one announcement

First, If you have not yet signed up with your county to be a pollworker, please do!
You can find your county registrar here:
http://www.vote-smart.org/voter_county_election_offices.php?state_name=California&state_code=CA&go2.x=11&go2.y=8

Second:
Great news! Expect paper ballots at all polling places!

In response to public concern about the insecurity and unreliability of electronic voting systems,
the Secretary of State's office has issued a memo to all California Registrars of Voters,
requiring them to provide paper ballots at the polls for any voter who wishes to cast a paper ballot rather than cast a vote electronically. This is a big deal: the wall of denial about the electronic voting systems has finally been penetrated.

As a PollworkerforDemocracy, we wanted to make sure that you are aware of this development, and if the county training does not teach you how to provide paper ballots, you may want to raise the question with your registrar. Perhaps you will want to print out the document and take a copy to your county training, if you have not already been trained.

This is a short memo. Read it here:
http://www.votetrustusa.org/pdfs/California_Folder/CASos_SusanLapsley_PaperBallotsMemo_100306.pdf

Briefly, it states:
"...all county elections officials shall have an adequate supply of paper ballots, as determined by the elections official, available at the voting locations for use in the event of a temporary loss of the ability to use electronic equipment, or if a voter chooses not to vote on electronic equipment.

This backup supply can be absentee ballots or other option as determined to be reasonable by the elections official..."

We look forward to a successful day in the polls. Thank you for volunteering!

Cheryl Lilienstein
Mainstreet Moms Election Integrity Task Force
California Coordinator, PollworkersforDemocracy
[phone]
[e-mail]

[necso]

1. If you use a (to-be-marked-up) paper ballot,

make sure that you have the correct writing utensils (typically number 2 pencils -- but check if you can); the polling station may not provide these (speaking from personal experience).

[keepCAblue]

3. Thanks fo the tip

I'm signed up to be a precinct inspector for this election. I'll recommend that #2 pencils be made available at the precincts.

[longship]

2. Recommended and kicked.

nt

[keepCAblue]

4. THANKS!! We need to spread the word about this...FAST. eom