General Discussion

Jim Beard

(2,535 posts)

31. I was a Democratic Party Chairman until this year in a small Texas county.

Wed Mar 23, 2016, 10:18 PM

Mar 2016

Primaries are functions of the political Parties and candidates get on the ballot in two ways. They have to pay a fee of $850 for the lower position of County Commissioner and up. Or they can submit a petition based on previous voting records.

It is strictly a function of the the County Democratic Party but they must abide by state election laws. (Both sides)

I would have to submit a budget to the State Secretary of state for the Primary budget and a runoff later on if needed. This budget included, rent on the building, worker salaries and trust me, this is the hardest part to train someone to work for the minimum wage once every 2 years, and the largest expense is paying for programming the scanner vote counter. Its $5,000 for 4 precedents !!! In my case, the county owned the scanners and there was no fee to rent a scanner.

The smallest expense is printing ballots but still costs something like $60 / 100. The ballots have to be a certain dimension so they will count right.

To be honest, if Hillary was not contested I was planning on having about 200 ballots printed for the Democratic Party of the whole county.

Finding a place at the last moment is not too bad but getting the information to the voter is the real problem.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

135 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Closing 340 Polling Places In Maricopa County Planned - Not Accident [View all] Yallow Mar 2016 OP

What can the Democrats do in Arizona? They have no power at all. Zynx Mar 2016 #1

Not Show Up To Do Anything Yallow Mar 2016 #2

In Wisconsin They Literally Left The State Yallow Mar 2016 #3

People can vote. former9thward Mar 2016 #18

This message was self-deleted by its author Vilis Veritas Mar 2016 #22

People don't trust it. There is no record or assurance your vote gets counted. FailureToCommunicate Mar 2016 #28

Here in Oregon, it is all mail in. it works great litlbilly Mar 2016 #29

Yes, if it's the only method, it works. Just curious, what is the usual 'turnout' rate? FailureToCommunicate Mar 2016 #33

im not sure but i think its usually over 70% litlbilly Mar 2016 #37

and we just passed a new law, all 18 year olds automatically are registered to vote litlbilly Mar 2016 #39

Sounds like an enlightened place to live! FailureToCommunicate Mar 2016 #42

I think thats why more people are moving here than anywhere else.:) litlbilly Mar 2016 #44

86% nt fun n serious Mar 2016 #110

Oregon voter turn out 86% fun n serious Mar 2016 #109

It works great? tech3149 Mar 2016 #60

thats always gonna be a problem unless we go to all paper ballots hand counted in person with total litlbilly Mar 2016 #67

Exactly! no more need be said. tech3149 Mar 2016 #98

Why do you assume that? Do you live in AZ? Here in WA we have all mail-in ballots pnwmom Mar 2016 #34

I wasn't clear. That opinion was from several experts interviewed about voting methods in U.S. FailureToCommunicate Mar 2016 #40

Then they are talking in generalities that don't apply anywhere. It is possible to have pnwmom Mar 2016 #41

In California you can register as a permanent mail-in voter (absentee) CreekDog Mar 2016 #114

Turnout in Seattle was terrible in November. LisaM Mar 2016 #43

One of the voting experts was saying that none of the ballots marked "spoiled" gets counted, FailureToCommunicate Mar 2016 #46

2015 was an off-year election. No major elections to get people excited. pnwmom Mar 2016 #58

No....we had a brand new city council system LisaM Mar 2016 #66

Well, I guess on the upside, pnwmom Mar 2016 #68

Quite a problem. Reducing Maricopa County's 200 polling stations (2012) to 60 (2016) was obviously strategic. bjo59 Mar 2016 #50

I heard that in 2008 Control-Z Mar 2016 #118

Voting should be that easy! Fairgo Mar 2016 #126

So you are opposed to mail in ballots. former9thward Mar 2016 #76

With mail-in ballots, you never know if your ballot gets counted Art_from_Ark Mar 2016 #92

It works here in Oregon really well fun n serious Mar 2016 #111

No I think mail in is fine. I was noting voting experts that discussed all the problems FailureToCommunicate Mar 2016 #95

Historically, they only counted absentee ballots if the vote was close. ieoeja Mar 2016 #120

I voted in the Democratic primaary. former9thward Mar 2016 #122

In Texas the early votes are eventually counted but they know the number of Jim Beard Mar 2016 #132

You seem to forget that the State is supposed to serve the people, not the other way around. A Simple Game Mar 2016 #36

The government is not always the problem. LiberalFighter Mar 2016 #72

They are inhibiting voting by mailing out ballots a month in advance? former9thward Mar 2016 #73

And that is probably how Rubio got more votes than Kasich after he had already dropped out. A Simple Game Mar 2016 #96

Maybe they are voting for Rubio despite his droppinjg ut. former9thward Mar 2016 #104

Wow. EmperorHasNoClothes Mar 2016 #127

So for the state to send out ballots a month in advance former9thward Mar 2016 #135

They also had early voting in a few locations. I messed up and did not sign up for my mail Pisces Mar 2016 #99

The 60 stations was a clear miscalculation. former9thward Mar 2016 #105

mail-in ballots --get every Dem on mail-in ballot oldandhappy Mar 2016 #26

How do the vote counters know you filled out the ballot? How do you know the ballot was counted? brooklynite Mar 2016 #63

I do not know. oldandhappy Mar 2016 #69

In CA, I can check online to see that my mail-in vote was recorded. SunSeeker Mar 2016 #103

They can vote by mail, just like all voters do in WA and OR pnwmom Mar 2016 #32

Exactly, just like in Missouri Loki Mar 2016 #35

They do have power and they are doing something. L. Coyote Mar 2016 #75

Simple. They can have a GOTV operation encouraging all Dems to vote by mail. pnwmom Mar 2016 #86

CHris Hayes is discussing this now n/t malaise Mar 2016 #4

And he noted that Dem Mayor of Phoenix has asked U.S. Attorney General to investigate. nt pinboy3niner Mar 2016 #5

They'd better investigate the entire country malaise Mar 2016 #7

Yep. nt SusanCalvin Mar 2016 #15

Yes. Although the people who feel their states Hortensis Mar 2016 #80

that makes sense malaise Mar 2016 #90

Fraid so. Hortensis Mar 2016 #91

I Am Sure The Justice Department Will Give Them A Medal Yallow Mar 2016 #8

The Attorney General Is Way Too Busy Yallow Mar 2016 #13

When it comes to voter suppression Federal law enforcement elmac Mar 2016 #21

Yes we have an atty general. Volaris Mar 2016 #30

They need to change Arizona law LiberalFighter Mar 2016 #6

This message was self-deleted by its author hack89 Mar 2016 #14

They did this because the supreme clowns struck down the VRA. Arizona no longer had to ask onecaliberal Mar 2016 #108

DWS=DeterringWould-beSanders-voters Dont call me Shirley Mar 2016 #9

Why would Sanders voters be less likely to use mail-in voting than Clinton voters? pnwmom Mar 2016 #38

Absentee voting is more complex. Many people think their vote is more likely to be counted Dont call me Shirley Mar 2016 #48

I live in Washington state Andy823 Mar 2016 #49

Absentee ballots don't just automatically come to your house, you have to go to the county election Dont call me Shirley Mar 2016 #52

These are NOT absentee ballots. In Arizona a voter can sign up once pnwmom Mar 2016 #55

A couple of years ago I was an election worker in WA HeiressofBickworth Mar 2016 #64

Thanks for the details, HeiressofBickworth. pnwmom Mar 2016 #65

Post worth reading! Thanks for the view Hortensis Mar 2016 #79

It's hard to understand what the fuss is about. It's a paper ballot, pnwmom Mar 2016 #53

There Is A Thousand Things That Can Go Wrong Yallow Mar 2016 #61

The same things could go wrong under the old system, and have. pnwmom Mar 2016 #62

It isn't absentee voting. It's what they're trying to make their standard pnwmom Mar 2016 #51

Thats not what happened DEMS have no control of AZ voting nt fun n serious Mar 2016 #112

That's what we are all led to believe. Dont call me Shirley Mar 2016 #116

Wow. fun n serious Mar 2016 #119

Wow. Dont call me Shirley Mar 2016 #121

I have been involved in Texas elections and am curious how much control the Parties do have with Jim Beard Mar 2016 #129

congress (and bernie) and the feds have done little about this. oh well ntnt msongs Mar 2016 #10

Destiny. Octafish Mar 2016 #11

During 2012 I volunteered in AZ to make sure people were asiliveandbreathe Mar 2016 #12

Democrats Don't Like...Republicrats Do billhicks76 Mar 2016 #16

But some Democrats DO like it. mr clean Mar 2016 #23

I Call Them Republicrats...But Yes. billhicks76 Mar 2016 #74

Here's a post you might like to read WhiteTara Mar 2016 #17

Instead of just sounding the alarm for weeks, why weren't they pnwmom Mar 2016 #57

Jeez that will not work in my area Jim Beard Mar 2016 #130

Then I guess picking up the phone is too hard, too? Because making a phone call pnwmom Mar 2016 #133

If this is the case, can Bernie still go independant.....Bernie needs to overcome this fraud.... Pauldg47 Mar 2016 #19

It depends on the states rules that you can find at your states Jim Beard Mar 2016 #131

People will know his name...better yet, independants will know his name.....Just saying. Pauldg47 Mar 2016 #134

This is the "democracy" war veterans lost limbs for. nt valerief Mar 2016 #20

I agree. The Democratic Party must step up. Unfortunately, the states are controlled by Republicans. yardwork Mar 2016 #24

nationalize elections saturnsring Mar 2016 #25

Agree it sucks. Get smart, and vote early or absentee to avoid weather, lines, illness, etc. Hoyt Mar 2016 #27

In Arizona the majority of people voted by mail so they thought they could get by pnwmom Mar 2016 #70

Agree with everything you've said except this. Hortensis Mar 2016 #81

We have no polling stations in my state. Our voting numbers increased pnwmom Mar 2016 #82

Lucky you. I'm PNW at heart, even though Hortensis Mar 2016 #83

Yeah, they have this hybrid system out there so they don't know how many pnwmom Mar 2016 #84

I didn't even think of that. Obvious. :) Hortensis Mar 2016 #87

Georgia might be changing to purple soon. pnwmom Mar 2016 #89

I was a Democratic Party Chairman until this year in a small Texas county. Jim Beard Mar 2016 #31

Thank you for being part of our country's most important right, the right to vote. Loki Mar 2016 #47

You're welcome. Lousy pay too! Jim Beard Mar 2016 #128

Many have suggested mail in ballots zalinda Mar 2016 #45

DNC and Little Debbie, do nothing. SoapBox Mar 2016 #54

The Poor, The Mobile, Students, The List Goes On And On Yallow Mar 2016 #56

The Arizona Democratic Party DID point this out......Months, Weeks, and Days ago!! thelordofhell Mar 2016 #59

One of the biggest mistakes I have read about was to let people vote Jim Beard Mar 2016 #71

NBC: Supreme Court strikes down part of Voting Rights Act Tarheel_Dem Mar 2016 #77

Please don't try & inject logic into this madness. giftedgirl77 Mar 2016 #101

Cuss, cuss "DNC". Cuss, Cuss "Debbie Wasserman-Schultz". Cuss, cuss "Hillary Clinton". Lather, Tarheel_Dem Mar 2016 #106

Lol, rocket scientist psshhaaa. giftedgirl77 Mar 2016 #113

don't give snotty walker ideas. pansypoo53219 Mar 2016 #78

The General election is going to be a octoberlib Mar 2016 #85

Why does it seem the Democratic Party never seems to notice these things? UCmeNdc Mar 2016 #88

After Obama won Indiana, state Republicans done the same thing here B Calm Mar 2016 #93

The Third Way want the Republicans to win because... Odin2005 Mar 2016 #94

If you got in line it was your own fault according to Purcell. lonestarnot Mar 2016 #97

Recorder Helen Purcell, Republican Elmer S. E. Dump Mar 2016 #100

Variations of these irregularities have been going on for years all over America. ladjf Mar 2016 #102

Truly disgusting. Initech Mar 2016 #107

Kick for Democracy libodem Mar 2016 #115

Maricopa County Has A Long History Of Voter Suppression Efforts DallasNE Mar 2016 #117

In the 1960s, William Rehnquist Art_from_Ark Mar 2016 #125

By hook or by crook felix_numinous Mar 2016 #123

Do what we do here in Pennsylvania.......... mrmpa Mar 2016 #124