Front Page  »  

SLO County Board of supervisors rejects mail in only ballot model

February 26, 2019

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to reject a vote-by-mail only election model on Tuesday following a divide primarily between Republicans and Democrats. [Cal Coast Times]

At the meeting, Democrats said vote-by-mail ballots along with vote centers open for 10 days would increase voter participation by providing more flexibility in terms of where and when people vote. Republicans voiced concerns that adoption could open the door to voter fraud and it would take away the right of people to vote at the polls.

In the vote-by-mail model, more than 100 polling places would be replaced by 20 vote centers which would be open for 10 days before election day. Voters could then either mail in their ballots or drop ballots off at a center or a ballot drop-off box.

Supervisors Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson, both Democrats, wanted the board to move forward and adopt the vote-by-mail only ballot model. Hill compared not doing so to restricting women and non-whites from voting.

Republican Supervisor Debbie Arnold said the county has already made voting easier through online registration, preregistration for 17 year olds, registration at the DMV, and the ability to drop your ballot at any polling place in California on election day.

“To take away the polling stations, not a fit for our county,” Arnold said. “In our county, it is not broken.”

Republican supervisors Arnold, John Peschong and Lynn Compton voted against moving towards the vote-by-mail ballot model.

Supervisor John Peschong then made a motion to instruct staff to increase voter outreach and education and to have staff look into the feasibility of placing vote-by-mail ballot drop-off boxes throughout the county. The motion passed 4-1 with Hill dissenting.


Loading...
Related:


7 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Adam Hill is so out of touch, it’s embarrassing.


0

Adam Hill, you are the shame of SLO.


3

Voter ID requirements baby ! People died to give us that right, lets not cheapen it. I say each election day is a holiday, rather than the procrastinators paradise that our voting system has encouraged. And ONLY citizens vote ( this is in anticipation of Mayor Harmon’s next great missive).


14

All Hail our glorious leaders doing the hard work of democracy!


6

Enough with the political talking points: Adam, not changing the voting does not make it more difficult to vote. A ballot can be mailed to your home, voted and returned by mail (and the postal carrier will pick up the ballot at your home – you never have to leave your house to vote. Wake up Adam $164,000 is a lot of money to spend for your solution looking for a problem.


26

I think that the vote by mail is making it much easier for voting fraud. We have seen during the last election that when the voting gets close magically boxes of mailed in votes just happen to show up all of which lean in one direction. Nothing here directed towards Mr. Gong who is an honest man of which I can’t suggest regarding Mr. Hill.


22

Adam, please explain how this restricts women and non-whites about voting? Anybody can vote by mail, it’s a very easy procedure and is becoming very popular by providing 2 options for people to vote.


43