VERMONT. Vermont's Secretary of State ordered a feasibility study , found that their current voting machines could not handle IRV for statewide contests, and further that operational costs such as postage, ballot printing and voter education would increase.
2007 Report to the Vermont General Assembly by the Vermont Office of the Secretary of State (Word document) Instant Runoff Voting (IRV): Administrative Implementation Options and Costs
... The City of Burlington used the instant runoff process for the March 2006 Mayoral race with between 10,000 and 11,000 voters participating in the election. LHS Associates provided technical assistance to the City officials at no cost both prior to the election and on election night in order to conduct the “pilot” election. The City Elections Clerk reports that the city spent approximately $19,000 more than would have been spent for a standard election for consultant services, additional programming costs, and for voter education.
Appendices to the 2007 Report to the Vermont General Assembly by the Vermont Office of the Secretary of State (PDF document) Instant Runoff Voting (IRV): Administrative Implementation Options and Costs
5 comments:
MAINE. Lawmakers pushed IRV in Maine for awhile, but efforts stalled over implementation costs . Maine would have had to purchase voting machines for jurisdictions that still hand count their ballots and second and third choice votes would have to be carried away from the polling place and counted at central locations.
http://www.instantrunoffvoting.us/costs.html
After ward 7 ballot boxes were sealed and delivered to city hall, the CAO who is also City Clerk (and votes on the finance board, and requests/approves/signs/receives city checks from the cash pool to BT) ordered his assistant to open sealed ballot boxes.
Voters of Burlington, until trust is restored in city hall, ward clerks better keep and count our ballots and if we need a runoff, fine! Democracy isn't fast-food or powdered coffee; it didn't come to us cheap; and we have to repeal IRV to re-establish a system we trust. When we realize we've corrupted the system, how reassuring to be able to restore from backup!
Now I see why pro-IRV goes ballistic when faced with the exit poll data analysis! Too bad Biaca Slota didn't stick to her point in the debate. She was right.
The elitism of IRV is unworthy of a city like Burlington that prides itself in inclusiveness and diversity. Shouting down the reporter who asked the question worked, the information was buried.
See it here -- IRV Debate Question - Disenfranchisement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaftOl-Lipc
All the youTube video clips are posted on this website. There's more attacks by pro-IRV on Bianca Slota, who is the only press person who did any research or asked a substantive question. Pro-IRV did shout her down and silence her, I agree. Too bad. She was on to them.
Burlington IRV on YouTube
IRV Debate Question - Disenfranchisement
VT statewide IRV is NOT on the ballot this week in Burlington, and neither is statewide IRV in Maine for sure.
"the city spent approximately $19,000 more than would have been spent for a standard election for consultant services, additional programming costs, and for voter education."
And are those costs continuing to be paid into the future?? Nope.
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"After ward 7 ballot boxes were sealed and delivered to city hall, the CAO who is also City Clerk (and votes on the finance board, and requests/approves/signs/receives city checks from the cash pool to BT)"
The status of the current CAO & the issues around BT are also NOT on the ballot this week in Burlington!
No one was "disenfranchised" in any Burlington IRV elections, period. This issue has been beaten to death over & over again...give it up...
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