That was a concern of election workers in the training I attended: How will we know if someone voted early if they show up to vote at the polls on election day? Sadly for those folks who believe that we are rife with election fraud, your name will be flagged with an EV for Early Voter, just like those who have requested an absentee ballot are flagged AV.
So my wife voted yesterday and got a Question 5. She was confused by what it was even asking. I have not seen anything about a Question 5, nor does it show up on any sample ballot I can find for my precinct, nor does the SecState voting website show anything.
Can anyone tell me what that is, or where to find information on it?
Edit: I realize specificity might be required. I'm ....
Never mind I found it.
QUESTION #5
Shall Boston accept sections 3 to 7 inclusive, of Chapter 44B of the General Laws, as approved by the City Council, a summary of which appears below?
SUMMARY
Sections 3 to 7 of Chapter 44B of the General Laws of Massachusetts, also known as the Community Preservation Act (Act), establish a dedicated funding source to enable the City of Boston to (1) help meet affordable housing needs; (2) create and rehabilitate parks, playgrounds and athletic fields; (3) preserve land for outdoor recreational uses and conservation areas; and (4) preserve and rehabilitate historic buildings and resources. In Boston, the funding source for these community preservation purposes will be a surcharge of 1% on the annual property tax assessed on real property beginning in Fiscal Year 2018; plus other funds that may be committed by the City for community preservation purposes pursuant to Section 3(b) 1/2 of Chapter 44B; and annual distributions made by the state from a trust fund created by the Act. The Commonwealth provides funds only to communities adopting the Act. If approved, the following will be exempt from the surcharge: (1) property owned and occupied as a domicile by any person who qualifies for low income housing or low or moderate income senior housing as defined in Section 2 of the Act; (2) $100,000 of the value of each taxable parcel of residential real property; and (3) $100,000 of the value of each taxable parcel of class three, commercial property and class four, industrial property as defined in Section 2A of Chapter 59. A taxpayer whose tax is reduced by an abatement or exemption will receive a reduction in their surcharge in proportion to the reduction. Upon acceptance of the Act by the voters, a Community Preservation Committee will be established to study community preservation needs, possibilities and resources, and to make annual recommendations on spending the funds.
The CPA is a state law enacted in 2001 that allows for communities to pass ordinances that levy a small surcharge on property taxes (per the proponents, it's about $23 per household) in exchange for access to matching state funds. These funds can be used for open space protection, historic preservation, and affordable housing projects. 161 municipalities in the state have already passed it, but Boston voted it down the one time it came up for adoption several years ago. They held some community meetings about the CPA earlier this spring, but I haven't heard much more about it since.
• Request a favorite sample Specimen replica Ballot by email from town or city Elections Board for the actual Ward/Precinct Ballot design, layout, format, fonts, wordings.
• For folks familiar with posting images, especially posting images so that the image text is searchable, the sample Specimen replica Ballot can be posted online, even at http://universalhub.com
• Any ideas, hints, tips, pointers for revising Ballot design, wording for ESL English Second Language folks, for Vision Impaired folks?...
Secret Ballot but with Voter's Name on Voting Envelope. [Thinks: Blind Volunteers, Blind Poll Workers, Blindfolded folks open Voters' Envelopes.]
________________________________________
EV7 Commonwealth of Massachusetts
EARLY BALLOT ENVELOPE
For Election Official use only.
Ward/Precinct: __________
Location: __________
Under the penalties of perjury, I swear (or affirm) that I am a registered voter in Massachusetts at the address below, that I will not cast a ballot in any other city or town or voting location, and that the information below is true.
Signature: __________ Date: __________
Printed Name: __________
Address at which you are registered to vote:
__________
Street Address
____________________
City or Town ZIP
ASSISTING PERSON:
The voter needed assistance in marking the ballot and signing above, because of blindness other physical disability, or inability to read or to read English. I marked the ballot enclosed in this envelope at the voter's direction, when I was alone with the voter, and I had no other communication with the voter as to how he or she was to vote. The voter swore (or affirmed) the voter affidavit above, and I then signed the voter's name and completed the other voter information above. Signed under the penalties of perjury.
ASSISTING PERSON SIGN HERE:
1. __________
Signature of assisting person
2. __________
Assisting person's name printed
3. __________
Assisting person's residence
PENALTY FOR ILLEGAL VOTING:
The penalty for voting or attempting to vote in violation of section 26 of chapter 56 of the Massachusetts General Laws is a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars, imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.
It's easy to process ballots without seeing how a person voted. I do it at every election with absentee ballots. The name and address is needed to check the person off on the voting list. Open the envelope, open the ballot so it faces down, put the ballot in the machine face down (we even ask voters to do this themselves so any election official standing near the machine in case of jams, errors, etc, can't see the ballot).
But since the second page is blank on one side (this is a two page ballot, one of which is double-sided and one of which is single-sided) it's easy enough to put the blank side face up over the two sided ballot. Even if I do inadvertently see how someone has voted on the questions, do you really think I am going to remember that at the end of a 15 hour day? Especially at the end of what promises to be a very hectic day? I doubt it.
I'm wondering if people have been talking about if any of the non-Murphy candidates could win if we all voted for that person. And not Bennett. Also, my friend who early voted today said Bennett was not on the ballot, what's up with that?
Bennett lost the Democratic primary, along with many others.
I'm voting for John Keith, a real estate professional who would like to reform the Registry of Deeds statewide, and who has good ideas about process reform.
If I could also cast a second vote _against_ Steve Murphy I would also do that.
Comments
It's a start
In the last Presidential election in Boston (in 2012) 255,021 votes were cast. The early voters so far have cast about 1.7% of the 2012 total.
Waited about 40 minutes in line at Tubman House to cast mine,
starting at about 7:30pm. Not bad. Almost certainly faster than my regular polling place will be on the 8th.
10 mins @ Boston City Hall -
10 mins @ Boston City Hall - just did it.
Where do I vote often?
Where do I vote often?
Curley is no longer in office
That was a concern of election workers in the training I attended: How will we know if someone voted early if they show up to vote at the polls on election day? Sadly for those folks who believe that we are rife with election fraud, your name will be flagged with an EV for Early Voter, just like those who have requested an absentee ballot are flagged AV.
You Joke
Far more people will be disenfranchised due to clerical errors with registration or absentee ballots then will by secretly voting twice.
So my wife voted yesterday
So my wife voted yesterday and got a Question 5. She was confused by what it was even asking. I have not seen anything about a Question 5, nor does it show up on any sample ballot I can find for my precinct, nor does the SecState voting website show anything.
Can anyone tell me what that is, or where to find information on it?
Edit: I realize specificity might be required. I'm ....
Never mind I found it.
Yep...also found it here
https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/2016_ballot_questions_master_...
The CPA is a state law
The CPA is a state law enacted in 2001 that allows for communities to pass ordinances that levy a small surcharge on property taxes (per the proponents, it's about $23 per household) in exchange for access to matching state funds. These funds can be used for open space protection, historic preservation, and affordable housing projects. 161 municipalities in the state have already passed it, but Boston voted it down the one time it came up for adoption several years ago. They held some community meetings about the CPA earlier this spring, but I haven't heard much more about it since.
Here's more information:
http://act.yesbetterboston.com/page/s/join-us-yes-for-a-better-boston
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2016/04/10/boston-adopt-c...
http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/default.aspx?id=20600
Question 5 *is* on the sample ballot
Here, for instance, is a sample ballot for the Kenmore Square neighborhood. Which comes right from the Secretary of State's website.
Several of my supposedly
Several of my supposedly correct sample specimens didn't actually include it. I had to go to the secretary of state to get the correct version.
Where else are there sample ballots
besides the secretary of state's website, and individual city and town websites?
The ones i've seen
www.vote411.org
www.ballotpedia.org (my long term fav)
www.headcount.org
Sample Specimen replica Ballot by email Town/City Elections Dept
• Request a favorite sample Specimen replica Ballot by email from town or city Elections Board for the actual Ward/Precinct Ballot design, layout, format, fonts, wordings.
• For folks familiar with posting images, especially posting images so that the image text is searchable, the sample Specimen replica Ballot can be posted online, even at http://universalhub.com
• Any ideas, hints, tips, pointers for revising Ballot design, wording for ESL English Second Language folks, for Vision Impaired folks?...
Boston Elections Board email at
https://www.boston.gov/departments/elections
Cambridge Elections Registrars email at
http://www.cambridgema.gov/election
Somerville Elections Board email at
http://www.somervillema.gov/departments/elections
Brookline Elections Registrars email at
http://www.brooklinema.gov/138/Election-Information
Chelsea Elections/Assistant City Clerk email at
https://chelseand.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/chelsea-map.pdf
Secret Ballot in a Voting Envelope with Voter's Name.
Secret Ballot but with Voter's Name on Voting Envelope. [Thinks: Blind Volunteers, Blind Poll Workers, Blindfolded folks open Voters' Envelopes.]
________________________________________
EV7 Commonwealth of Massachusetts
EARLY BALLOT ENVELOPE
For Election Official use only.
Ward/Precinct: __________
Location: __________
Under the penalties of perjury, I swear (or affirm) that I am a registered voter in Massachusetts at the address below, that I will not cast a ballot in any other city or town or voting location, and that the information below is true.
Signature: __________ Date: __________
Printed Name: __________
Address at which you are registered to vote:
__________
Street Address
____________________
City or Town ZIP
ASSISTING PERSON:
The voter needed assistance in marking the ballot and signing above, because of blindness other physical disability, or inability to read or to read English. I marked the ballot enclosed in this envelope at the voter's direction, when I was alone with the voter, and I had no other communication with the voter as to how he or she was to vote. The voter swore (or affirmed) the voter affidavit above, and I then signed the voter's name and completed the other voter information above. Signed under the penalties of perjury.
ASSISTING PERSON SIGN HERE:
1. __________
Signature of assisting person
2. __________
Assisting person's name printed
3. __________
Assisting person's residence
PENALTY FOR ILLEGAL VOTING:
The penalty for voting or attempting to vote in violation of section 26 of chapter 56 of the Massachusetts General Laws is a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars, imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.
As someone who processes these ...
It's easy to process ballots without seeing how a person voted. I do it at every election with absentee ballots. The name and address is needed to check the person off on the voting list. Open the envelope, open the ballot so it faces down, put the ballot in the machine face down (we even ask voters to do this themselves so any election official standing near the machine in case of jams, errors, etc, can't see the ballot).
Back of the Ballot. Ballot Questions' Votes.
Back of the Ballot Votes for three Ballot Questions can be viewed easily.
I'll grant you that
But since the second page is blank on one side (this is a two page ballot, one of which is double-sided and one of which is single-sided) it's easy enough to put the blank side face up over the two sided ballot. Even if I do inadvertently see how someone has voted on the questions, do you really think I am going to remember that at the end of a 15 hour day? Especially at the end of what promises to be a very hectic day? I doubt it.
Who can defeat S Murphy for Reg of Deeds?
I'm wondering if people have been talking about if any of the non-Murphy candidates could win if we all voted for that person. And not Bennett. Also, my friend who early voted today said Bennett was not on the ballot, what's up with that?
Bennett lost the Democratic
Bennett lost the Democratic primary, along with many others.
I'm voting for John Keith, a real estate professional who would like to reform the Registry of Deeds statewide, and who has good ideas about process reform.
If I could also cast a second vote _against_ Steve Murphy I would also do that.
But you could write in Bennett
Bring some green paint for background and write in Bennett in white paint.