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ORGANIZATION ISSUES MONEY/POLITICS NEWS INDEX |
Testimony
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September 4, 2001 Catherine Turcer My name is Catherine Turcer and I am the Campaign Reform Director for Ohio Citizen Action. Like many Americans before Election 2000, I knew very little about the mechanics of voting machines and all the details that election officials must address to enable us to vote. Fortunately, in Ohio we already have safeguards to help ensure fair, open elections. We have bi-partisan boards of election and we rotate the order of candidates precinct by precinct. In the case of a recount with rotation ballots, everyone is just a number. House Bill 5 codified the procedures for dealing with those pesky chads and here we are today. Due to the establishment of this study committee, citizens have an opportunity to address their voting concerns. Ohioans need to trust the process at the most basic level. Our vote is one of the ways that citizens have a voice in the government. If citizens cannot trust the process of voting, they are more likely to be distrustful of our elected officials. Some changes in the way that we elect our officials may actually improve voter turnout. To encourage more participation in the electoral process, voters must know that their vote really counts and it may be time for us to take some tips from other countries. By allowing voters to rank candidate in order of preference (first, second, third, etc.), if no candidate gets a majority of first choices, a runoff count can be conducted. This is known as Instant Runoff Voting. The candidates with the least number of votes are taken out of the running. In Instant Runoff Voting, ballots are then retabulated with each ballot counting as one vote for each voter's favorite candidate who is still in contention. Voters who chose the now-eliminated candidate have a vote in for their second choice candidate -- just as if they were voting in a traditional two-round runoff election -- but all other voters get to continue supporting their top candidate. This process continues until a candidate receives a majority. Instant Run Off Voting was first used in Australia in 1893. Instant Runoff Voting called "alternative vote" in Australia gained wide use in 1908 and is still in place for most Australian legislative elections. In the United Kingdom, a governmental commission (the Jenkins Commission) last year recommended the use of Instant Runoff Voting for electing the House of Commons. For an example of Instant Runoff Voting, in Election 1992 we has three top candidates: George Bush, Bill Clinton and Ross Perot. Since none of the candidates received a clear majority, those ballots that selected Perot as their number one candidate would move to their second choice. It is very possible that their second choices would have re-elected the senior President Bush. Now in 1996, President Clinton would have been re-elected with Instant Runoff Voting but in Election 2000 we could have easily avoided the entire Florida fiasco using Instant Runoff Voting. After the first run of ballots, all the ballots with candidates other than George W. Bush and Al Gore would have been retabulated with their second choices. Nader support would then fall to Al Gore. Instant runoff voting ensures that the winner enjoys true support from a majority of voters. Instant runoff voting may eliminate many of the problems that are associated with very close elections. This system of voting allows voters to vote for their favorite candidate without fear of helping elect their least favorite candidate. Instant Runoff Voting also helps major political parties because it makes sure that the President doesn’t come from the party whose associated third party is the weakest. Many voters want more than chocolate and vanilla and Instant Runoff Voting encourages the growth of third parties and fosters a diversity of opinions. To err is human and most problems with voting happen because of the voter, not the voting machine. Voters need to be better educated about the mechanics of voting. Many voters are not even aware that they can ask for another ballot. With redistricting upon us, we have a golden opportunity to address a number of voter concerns in one educational packet. A leaflet or a voter booklet could inform voters about any district or polling place changes and reintroduce voting apparatus. Voter education material from the Boards of Election will make voters feel more comfortable and they are more likely to ask for help and be engaged in the system. Poll workers could systematically explain the mechanics of voting and encourage voters to return ballots with errors. Literature about voting could be handed out and poll workers could be better educated to help those with reading difficulties or those differently abled. In many ways, we are here today to address a failure in confidence, not a failure of voting apparatus. Boards of Election could hold community meetings and ask voters for comments and suggestions after Election 2001. This is a challenge but no one is going to vote if they don’t believe that their vote has meaning. Boards of Election are required by current law to have ballots equal to 101% of registered voters. This may not allow for room in case of tremendous turn out, especially if voters are encouraged to return ballots with misvotes. We need to ensure that there are enough ballots in case of voter error. It does make sense to continually monitor voting equipment and update to a system that is appropriate for that county or location. Updating voting equipment is costly and any changes will likely need to be implemented over time. A statewide system should be established to assess the total voting system including the apparatus and voter error. Once the Boards of Election are computerized, a statewide database of all registered voters in Ohio could be created. This would allow the boards to more easily identify valid provisional ballots. Ohioans must be confident that the election process is trustworthy. Study committees that provide time for public input are very important and I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you today. |