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County auditor Greg Kimsey reluctantly
concludes all elections should be by mail
Clark County auditor
Greg Kimsey is asking the county
commissioners to approve a resolution calling for all elections in Clark County
to be conducted entirely with mail ballots.
Kimsey says, “It is with regret that I
have reached this conclusion. I am concerned that eliminating polling places
will trivialize elections over the long term, resulting in reduced voter
participation.”
Kimsey also says, it is important that
citizens’ confidence in our voting system be restored. Mail ballots will reduce
the complexity of elections administration and will minimize the likelihood of
mistakes.
The auditor states: “As county
auditor, my most important responsibility is to ensure that citizens have the
highest level of confidence in the integrity of our election process. For the
most part, the 2004 general election here in Clark County went well, but
mistakes elsewhere have resulted in a significant reduction in citizens’
confidence in the election process.
“Accordingly, and in response to a new
state law permitting counties to go to all-mail ballot elections, I have asked
the board of Clark County commissioners to approve a resolution calling for this
change.”
Kimsey says the vast majority of Clark
County voters have already decided they prefer to receive their ballot through
the mail, and this number continues to increase. In fact,” he says, “if we were
to put this question to a vote, it is likely that all-mail balloting would be
approved by a very large majority.”
The change is not being requested to
save money or as an attempt to increase voter turnout, according to Kimsey. He
says that, while vote-by-mail elections do cost about 10 percent less, he has
never considered this a compelling reason not to use polling places.
Kimsey adds that, even though he is
requesting all-mail elections, he would establish one central polling place in
the county Elections Office for voters who want to cast their ballot at a
polling place. Nevertheless, ballots would be mailed to every registered voter
in each election.
Kimsey says he will hold three town
hall meetings to give citizens a chance to be heard on the proposal. The
meetings are scheduled for the following times: 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 16, in the
pubic Service Center, 1300 Franklin Street; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, in the
Rose Besserman Room at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center; and 7 p.m. Thursday,
May 19, in the Fire District 11 station at 21609 NE 72nd Avenue in Dollars
Corner.
Bill Wilkerson to keynote
Sammy Awards ceremony
Bill
Wilkerson, executive director of the Washington Forest Protection
Association, will be the keynote speaker for the annual Sammy Awards ceremony
honoring local individuals and organizations who have been outstanding
contributors to salmon recovery in Clark County.
The awards ceremony is at 3 p.m.
Thursday, May 12, in the Water Resources Education Center.
Suggested reservations for the
ceremony can be had by calling 397-2022,
extension 3.
Ghanaian concert pianist featured
in “Out of Africa” Bravo! Concert
Ghanaian concert pianist
William Chapman Nyaho is the featured
performer in Bravo! Vancouver’s 3 p.m. Sunday, May 15, concert “Out of Africa,”
being presented in St. Joseph Catholic Church, 400 S Andresen Road.
The 60-voice Bravo! Chorale will
present a dozen traditional Negro spirituals in the second half of the concert.
Nyaho will perform a wide range of
piano music by African composers. Nyaho is a graduate of Oxford University. He
earned a doctorate in musical arts from the University of Texas.
The Vancouver Chapter of the NAACP is
a partner with Bravo! for this concert and is selling special tickets as a
fundraiser for NAACP programs. NAACP tickets can be obtained by calling
896-9649. Reserved $15 seats can be
requested by going to
www.bravoconcerts.com.
People
Four members of the Clark County
Sheriff’s Department have returned from recently completed military service.
They are custodial officers Andrew Hackett,
Robert Hanks and
Randall Tanger, and deputy sheriff Scott
Holmes.
News briefs
The C-TRAN board of directors meets at
5:15 p.m. today in C-TRAN executive offices, 2425 NE 65th Avenue.
g Clark County
commissioners meet in an informal session at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 11.
Headlines at home and from around the world:
(Click on the headlines below for the rest of the story)
"Intergovernmental Roundtable" created to seek broad information about proposed
Cowlitz Casino Resort continues to meet--Columbian, Margaret Ellis
Vancouver-Portland traffic said to be 9th worst in the U.S.--Columbian
Library bond
issue request for new Vancouver community library will be on Nov. 8
ballot--Columbian, Tom Vogt
Vancouver
council hears progress on land bridge between Fort Vancouver across Highway 14
to Old Apple Tree Park, opening access to Columbia River sites--Columbian,
Dean Baker
Vancouver school
board faces turning point as Sam Gunn decides not to seek reelection--Columbian,
Amy McFall Prince
Vancouver group
considering co-op food store--Columbian, Jonathan Nelson
Hilton Vancouver opening inching closer--Oregonian, Allan Brettman
Hundreds
of U.S. troops fighting Iraq rebels near Syrian border--USA TODAY, AP
Mount St. Helens VolcanoCam
[updates every five minutes]--USDA Forest Service, Mount St. Helens National
Volcanic Monument |
MIRIAM GREEN 
"Working to help you!"
