California’s recall election may be an exercise in futility unless voters put in safeguards to stop a downloadable ballot system from leading to ballot harvesting in order to keep unpopular Governor Gavin Newsom in office.
The “Remote Accessible Ballots for Eligible Voters” is being touted by California Secretary of State Shirley Weber as a way for voters to download ballots in the “comfort of their own home.”
“For the November 3, 2020 General Election, any voter can request to use Remote Accessible Vote by Mail,” the Secretary of State’s website states.
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“A Remote Accessible Vote by Mail (RAVBM) system allows voters to mark their selections using their own compatible technology to vote independently and privately in the comfort of their own home. To use a RAVBM system, a voter must:
- Download the application
- Mark their selections
- Print their selections
- Sign the envelope (using the envelope provided with the vote-by-mail ballot or the voter’s own envelope)
- Return the printed and signed selections either by mail or by dropping it off at a voting location. The selections cannot be returned electronically.
The Orange County vote website explains the process for California voters.
“The Remote Accessible Vote-By-Mail ballot provides voters with disabilities and overseas voters the option to request a Vote-By-Mail ballot to be delivered electronically,” the website states. “This will also be available to all voters for the September 14, 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election beginning on August 16, 2021. The electronic ballot can be downloaded to the voter’s computer, marked using the voter’s own assistive technology and then printed.”
The extension of the RAVBM system to all California voters, when it is typically used for disabled and military/overseas ballots, is raising alarms with election observers.
“HEADS UP! California’s print from home ballot system better be closely monitored during the up coming recall election,” Election Wizard commented on Twitter.
California Governor Newsom is becoming increasingly unpopular with voters, as was recently shown in a new SurveyUSA poll taken between August 2-4.
51% of likely voters in California’s upcoming gubernatorial recall election today would vote Yes to recall incumbent California Governor Gavin Newsom, according to SurveyUSA’s latest exclusive polling for KABC-TV in Los Angeles and KGTV 10News and The San Diego Tribune.
40% would vote No, to keep Newsom in office.
RedState’s Jennifer Oliver O’Connell notes that’s a “pretty huge leap” from an earlier Emerson College Poll.
Republicans support recall by an 8:1 margin; Democrats oppose by a smaller 3:1 margin. Independents support recalling the Governor by 5:3.
The COVID pandemic is still casting a shadow over U.S. elections. Americans will be watching the California governor recall election for a taste of the shenanigans that Democrats seek to pull in 2022.
h/t: Trending Politics