FROM: Harvie Branscomb (Colorado Election Authority)
DATE: 30 November 2012
SUBJ: Op ed on signature verification

An Op-Ed in an Iowa paper (http://tinyurl.com/dyrn4ru) by Doug Jones,
a well known election quality researcher about signature verification
with a modest proposal to embarrass legislators about their own
signatures.  Very applicable to Colorado.

Marilyn reports disastrous results from the court case in Douglas County 
yesterday where the judge found that the Douglas County canvass board is 
not a public body, and has no requirement to operate in public- 
therefore no need to follow laws regarding open meetings, open records 
or limited executive sessions.  In addition it seems that canvass boards 
are seen as liable for prosecution without any indemnification for their 
actions on behalf of the government.

Boulder County has sent their two voted ballots to me and oddly the 
numbers are showing next to the bar codes, but the bar codes themselves 
are redacted in the images I received.  Also the precinct number is 
obscured by a red panel apparently added by the Hart software, according 
to Boulder.

This is just one more example of a unique response to the statewide CORA 
request I made for two voted ballots... each county has done something 
different- in spite of brave declarations by numerous key people such as 
Donetta Davidson, Hillary Hall, and many legislators that HB 1036 would 
provide for consistency. It has in fact done anything but provided 
consistency.

Prohibitive cost has become an even more central tactic in avoiding 
transparency- from voted ballot access to access to the voluntary 
recount... our election data is and will be held back from us.

I'll go to San Francisco from Denver today at 7PM and return at 11PM on 
Tuesday night. Can stay in Denver/Boulder on Wednesday the 5th for 
various research projects (meeting legislators?) and possible CFVI meeting.
Harvie

-- 
Harvie Branscomb
1-970-963-1369
Carbondale, Colorado USA