Candidates Given 2 Days To Find Campaign Chairmen

So far, I have memorized roughly 3% of the city code, and frequently quote it during parties and stand-up comedy routines. Since I am helping with a mayoral campaign, I made it a priority to read the city code about campaigns.

Most people know that campaigns need committees, and those committees need treasurers. However, there is another requirement in the city code regarding campaign staffing, and it is NOT a campaign manager. The code makes no reference to a campaign manager, and you don't have to have one. The code does make mention of a campaign chairman, who has to live in the city and meet certain other requirements.

Rumor has it that the city attorney was on the phone yesterday, informing candidates that their candidacies were invalid because they didn't have chairmen. Of all the candidates that filed for office, only 3 had chairmen listed on their applications. Why these applications were accepted in the first place remains a mystery. The ultimatum was: find a chairman by Friday, or withdraw the candidacy.

This marks a change in election code enforcement. The election code review committee, as well as chairs of the election board, lament that they have no teeth to enforce the code. The only means of enforcement was thought to be referral to the state's attorney for possible prosecution. You might remember that Alderman Sam violated election code by (1) not filing a campaign finance report because his apartment flooded and (2) used city hall chambers for a clear campaign event--only to have nothing happen.

I guess something happened this time. (I don't know if Shropshire's campaign was one of the offenders.)

Election Code Review

The election code review committee presented their findings to the city council, and the resulting bills (O-33-07, CA-2-07) are on their way to passage.

Folks, the rules for elections may seem technical and geeky to you, but I can tell you with certainty that the city of Annapolis experiences fraud in its elections. It is a great challenge to balance the right of every eligible citizen to vote with the necesity to maintain the integrity of the electoral system.

The proposed charter amendment and ordinance would make the following changes to the election code:
-clarify the 4 year terms of the members of the Board of Supervisors of Elections
-election judges can now be residents of the county--they don't have to live in the city
-election judges can work partial days, rather than having to work the entire time the polls are open
-changes to how results are reported
-any voter may request to be put on a permanent absentee ballot application list
-defines instructions for provisional ballots (which are what you have to fill out if you are eligible to vote but for some reason your name is not on the list)
-if somebody sends in an absentee ballot, then dies before election day, the vote counts
-campaign financial reporting schedule tightened
-anybody can request an absentee ballot without explaining why they need one

Some comments on these changes:
1. the city needs more judges--allowing county judges to work and allowing judges to work partial days is good
2. it is generally bad to allow absentee ballots whithout a reason. is voting on election day really that much of a hardship? this makes fraud easier. same line of reasoning for the permanent absentee ballot application part
3. people who are not alive should not have their votes counted...i don't care how hard it is to check the death lists and cross reference them to the absentee ballots

Remember, fraud happens! And every vote counts! In the Ward 4 special election, the result was determined by 35 votes. With margins so tight we have to make sure that people can vote, and that the people who do vote are the persons they claim to be.