I have had a hard time comprehending that there is something wrong with wanting, even demanding, that elections be transparent and open for examination. We as taxpayers purchased the equipment, we pay for the office space, we pay the people who work in those spaces. As taxpayers, we certainly should have access to every aspect of the election process.
Let’s be honest, there is a plethora of ways to cheat in an election. Cheating happens at all levels. What makes us think that it doesn’t happen in our elections? A mother in Pensacola, Florida, hacked the school computers to change the votes so that her daughter would win homecoming queen. What we have at stake is far greater than a high school prom. Let’s not be so naive to think that cheating never happens or that our election process is free from tampering.
An article written by Alfred Ng on Feb. 18, 2020, explained how an up-and-coming product, made by Microsoft named ElectionGuard, was addressing the crucial concern in U.S. democracy: the integrity of the vote. The article stated, “With ElectionGuard, Microsoft isn’t setting out to create an unhackable vote—no one thinks that possible—but rather a vote in which hacks would be quickly noticed.”
In 2017, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) voiced her concerns stating, “Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. It is clear that a foreign adversary attempted to undermine our election, and now we are learning that as many as 39 states may have been hit by Russian hackers.”
In “Electoral System in Crisis,” written on July 25, 2016, “The portrait of an electoral system in crisis is further supported by reports from election integrity organizations, media outlets, and individuals on social media that voting is increasingly taking place in a corrupt environment. This contextual evidence of voters purged from the rolls, registrations lost in the mail, party registrations being changed without a voter’s knowledge or intent, voters being sent incorrect ballots, a shortage of ballots, polling places being closed, discouragingly long lines in targeted precincts and states, and disturbingly large disparities between initial exit polls and official results, lends credence to the argument that if one form of fraud is already in play, another form of fraud is more plausible.”
Voter integrity is a dynamic and complex issue, but if we are to have confidence in the votes we cast, then this issue must be addressed. I applaud our three Board of Supervisors members who were willing to acknowledge the issue of election integrity.
It is time to be good stewards of our voting process. It is time for us to face the possibility of election interference and fraud. Let’s not be afraid to take a closer look behind the curtain. We as taxpayers deserve complete transparency. Δ
Hollye Parsley wrote to New Times from Atascadero. Send a response for publication to letters@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Food & Drink 2021.
Another hand-wringing “opinion” about a problem that doesn’t really exist. There was no massive voter fraud in the 2020 election. The 3 right wing SLO Co. Supervisors are yet another and local expression of various GOP voter suppression strategies nationwide that are disguised as “concerns” about election integrity. Do note that these GOP voter suppression efforts are not at all concerned about “voter fraud” in electoral districts where they won. HMMMM.
I AGREE with Hollye Parsley!
The integrity of our elections in paramount in our democracy, and insuring that the elections were conducted fairly ought to be everyones business. I don’t believe this is a partisan issue, just as I don’t think either side ought to make accusations without proof-in-hand.
People who decry ‘voter-suppression’ falsely ought to be ignored, as well.
It is amusing to see those who were in hysterics about a supposedly rigged election in 2016, are now so sanguine about our system since they won in 2020.
Voter fraud is a myth in this country. There are serious penalties for casting an illegal ballot, including prison. It begs the question as to why anyone would risk their freedom in a system that only gets about 61% of its registered voters to actually go to the polls.
The bottom line is that there is virtually no voter fraud in the U.S. and the only reason it is an issue is that in 2016 Donald Trump said the election would be rigged. Of course, he fully expected to lose. He was as surprised as anyone when he carried a slight advantage in the electoral college but still lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million.
He resurrected the same argument in 2020 when he absolutely knew he would lose after a catastrophic administration which saw U.S. GDP numbers plummet by more than 30% with unemployment rates reaching Great Depression status.
In 2016 it was clear that Russia attempted to steer voters in certain states away from Hillary Clinton because they knew that Trump was not a serious candidate for president and his administration would do nothing but hurt the U.S. They succeeded and within three years of Trump’s presidency, the nation was beset by a deadly pandemic, which could have been averted by a capable president.
Our ‘friend’, Mike Smith claims that voter fraud is a myth in our country, but the problem with that statement is that the facts don’t bear that out. Studies show that voter fraud is a serious and growing problem, and we ought to construct our elections so that we do not have voter fraud OR voter suppression. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with asking voters to show a picture ID when voting, contrary to whacky liberal claims, it is not racist or sexist.
Our friends take on the recent voter history of the USA only confirms that he is a donkey, and we all should be concerned with Joe and Hunter Biden’s business dealings with the Chinese Communist, Biden is continuing a long Democrat party tradition of trading Chinese cash for ill-founded Chinese influence in our domestic affairs. The Biden’s business dealings are deeply troubling, and the American people deserve to have confidence that this administration is not selling us down the repugnant Communist drain.
Support free and fair election processes, we deserve no less.
Well, “Steve,” why don’t you provide us with links to credible studies that actually use facts to document “that voter fraud is a serious and growing problem” in our nation?
Here’s the conclusion of one recent study: “The Brennan Centers seminal report The Truth About Voter Fraud conclusively demonstrated that most allegations of fraud turn out to be baseless and that most of the few remaining allegations reveal irregularities and other forms of election misconduct. Numerous other studies, including one commissioned by the Trump administration, have reached the same conclusion.”
And, here’s another analysis of the issue, according to the NY Times:”Election officials in dozens of states representing both political parties said that there was no evidence that fraud or other irregularities played a role in the outcome of the presidential race, amounting to a forceful rebuke of President Trumps portrait of a fraudulent election.”
You know what “Steve,” if you want to wear big boy pants and actually debate the topics of the day, it is customary you have actual facts and evidence to back up your claims. Instead, you appear to rely on Fox News’ talking points for your comments, demonstrating that you lack the intellectual discipline to back up your arguments with anything other than smears and ad hominem attacks.
Your posts are laughable, but I applaud New Times’ willingness to not censor your diatribes since they do more than any liberal can do to show the utter bankruptcy of the current Republican point of view.
@MikeSmith: Sorry fella, the two sources you cite, The New York Times and the NYU’s Brennan Center both have credibility issues and have been debunked as being little more than liberal mouthpieces, so I hope you can present more credible sources to back up your assertions. Facts matter.
Here is a link I suggest readers use to learn more about the Brennan Center: https://nationalcenter.org/ncppr/2012/07/2…
Get it, ‘Mike’? You can assert anything on these pages, but most people understand that liberals will say stuff, then use less-than-credible websites to act like what they say is credible, but it’s not.
You know what “Mike,”? if you want to wear big boy pants and actually debate the topics of the day, it is customary you have actual facts and evidence to back up your claims. Instead, you appear to rely on MSNBC talking points for your comments, demonstrating that you lack the intellectual discipline to back up your arguments with anything other than smears and ad hominem attacks.
Your posts are laughable, but I applaud the New Times’ willingness to not censor your diatribes since they do more than any moderate or conservative can do to show the utter bankruptcy of the current Democrat point of view.
“Steve Edwards” is the pseudonym for a white nationalist GOP Trump-troll who lacks the courage to post under his real name.
“Gordon Fugly is the pseudonym for a white liberal elite/internationalist Biden-troll who lacks the courage to post under his real name.
Election fraud does happen, but widespread election fraud is rare.
No one is saying that ensuring election integrity shouldn’t be a priority. But calls for election integrity here is predicated on Big Lie conspiracy theories. Pretending that it isn’t is deceptive at best.
Despite the troll diatribes, I think we ALL know that, as Americans, we are duty-bound to prevent voter fraud AND voter suppression. The hard core partisans have tried desperately to make this a partisan political issue, but it is simply important to our democracy that we all take an interest in free, fair, honest elections.
Asking for a picture ID when citizens register and vote is not racist, it is simply good common sense.
Let us remember that it is only recently that the myth of voter suppression caught the fancy of the Democratic Party, starting with the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race where Democrat Stacey Abrams lost amid ongoing allegations that the race was fixed by the Republican winner, Brian Kemp. Since then, Ms. Abrams continues to claim victory despite court rulings to the contrary. Sad.
Get it? It was the whacky Democrats who started the recent trend of questioning election results, and now we have seen people in both parties trying to do the same. No matter who does it, it is wrong and worthy of contempt. Our troll friends here need to stop with the partisan BS and acknowledge that we all ought to be held responsible to a higher standard, so we pass on a healthy vibrant democracy to the next generation. Working families on the Central Coast deserve better than overly partisan hand-ringers taking pot shots at our most important values.
If you want to be trusted, be honest.
So says the unstable troll who spams diatribes like they have a concussion.
By now, I think nearly everyone understand the predicament of our friends, Aaron, Rightword, Mike, and G. Gorden Fugly. They are out-of-the-mainstream Alt Left extremist trying desperately to sell a narrative to the low information voters. To these people, disinformation is a weapon, and they hunt for useful dupes by trolling moderate and conservative viewpoints and skewing the facts. Although I enjoy living rent-free in their heads, I must also point out that their behavior is pathetic.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
Get it? These trolls recently have defended the cop-killer Edward Zamora Guillons BLM-inspired assassination of local hero Luca Benedetti, they have accused moderates and conservatives of forcing SLO County Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong from his job (despite Mr. Gong clarifying that he left for family reasons, etc.) and now they are trying to attack and confuse the attempt to stop voter fraud and voter suppression. When will it stop?
For their benefit, my counsel is repeated: if you want to be trusted, be honest.
Blue Lives Matter.
First I’m accused of hating Isreal. Now I’m accused of defending a cop-killer. Cool.
Can’t wait to be falsely accused by this unstable troll of taking them seriously.
Judge Crandall to Aaron Ochs: ‘Your conduct is troubling”.
Link: https://calcoasttimes.com/2017/08/24/judge…
Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, and I have attached the link so the whole world can see just how troubling your conduct and character really are, I also find it telling that you brought your Daddy into court with you, I guess that’s what children do when they need support, lol.
I agree with Judge Crandall, and I hope you will reform your conduct so judges don’t have to babysit you, they have more important things to do. Your incessant attempts to make yourself the story, rather than the serious issues we face, tells me that you may suffer from narcissistic personality disorder, and, if this is the case,I hope you will consider getting help.
As we look at serious issues concerning our country and community, I hope that you can at least appear credible in asserting your point-of-view, because reasonable people can disagree. The trolling, however, threatens your credibility, and not even most mainstream Democrats want to suffer it.
If you want to be trusted, be honest.
You can share that link a hundred times. The article is still wrong. I still don’t care, and you’re still an unstable troll hiding behind a fake Facebook account. So brave.
But please continue lecturing us on honesty and credibility.
Block Steve Edwards
Eliminate Spam by Fake Accounts
Stop Disinformation
Hail Hydra
Our troll ‘friend’, Aaron now claims the article is all wrong! Was SLO County Superior Court Judge Charles Crandall ‘wrong’ when he admonished you for ‘inappropriate behavior and troubling conduct’? Judge Crandall to Aaron Ochs: ““Your motivations worry me”. Now the Judge was wrong? Not likely!
Get it? This guy attempts to mask his advocacy as being for the betterment of our community, but he has long since abandoned any credibility he may have had, he is a prolific Alt Left troll, and works with others like Mike, G Gorden, Rightword
(same troll?) to try to vanquish moderate and conservative voices, it’s pathetic. One commenter in the local media, Stakeholder, had this to say about Aaron Ochs: “Wow, I have never seen a photo of Aaron Ochs. He is such a young man. What a waste of a path of life he has chosen. He seems to do nothing but criticize and stalk anyone who differs from his political opinion. My advice to Aaron, get a real job, get a life, and quit focusing on things that are none of your business!”
Folks, that was one of the NICER things said about this guy, others called him and his conduct out for what it truly is, sickening. He seems to delight in the Alt Left values of cyberstalking, bullying, cancel culturing, trolling and slandering those whose opinions he disagrees with. He cannot stand to see a diversity of opinions and believes he has the right tell people what they are allowed to believe. As moderates and conservatives, we can be proud to be on this persons radar, for we wear his criticisms like a badge of honor!
I think we all now understand the depths of his depravity.
The truth shall set you free.
Blue Lives Matter
Support Brave Officer Luca Benedetti
Support Israel over Hamas Terrorist
Reject BLM/Antifa/SQE Lunacy
Stop Election Fraud and Voter Suppression
Reject Heidi Harmon, Bruce Gibson Adam Hill, Cocaine Addict
No Hwy 101 Shutdown/ Skateboards through Car Windows
No Traumatizing Babies with Broken Glass
Fly Thin Blue Line Flags!
Reject Whacky Alt Left
Support Law & Order
No Sanctuary City/Open Borders
Reject Biden/Harris American Decline
Expose Trolls
Stuck on spin cycle?
I won that case, little man.
Get it? The only “troubling conduct” here is an unstable troll with a fake Facebook account who keeps yapping like a concussed bird, spreading lies and inciting violence against people who have nothing to do with your bullshit.
What gets me, “Steve,” is that you’re not even good at trolling. You just rant and rave. Traumatizing babies with broken glass? Reject Adam Hill? Cocaine addict? Adam Hill is dead. He’s more than “rejected” by now. No need to worry about that.
You need new material and a straitjacket.
I guess our ‘friend’ is so incensed he cannot even contain his profanity, and it must be difficult to be outed as the person he is, what a poor reflection on a so-called white, progressive elitist. Adam Hill, cocaine addict, would be disappointed!
Today’s disclosure about this so-called progressive liberal is that, according to a news story, “In the past, Ochs had demeaned Velie’s children and incited others to join in on often sexist comments.” This is a man who accuses others, and I guess his hypocrisy knows no boundaries, it’s the reason other Democrats have separated from this guy.
Another aspect of this troubled man is this aspect of his court case: “After one of Ochs’ commenters made sexual and demeaning comments about one of Velie’s daughters, Ochs responded with a comment about tossing bleach in her eyes.”
Folks, this is a man who advocates tossing bleach into the eyes of children, and I think most of us now realize that he has badly damaged any credibility that the so-called progressive liberals once had in SLO County. They have been exposed as trolls, abusers, advocates of violence against children, etc.,etc.,etc.
Get it? Judges admonish this troll, he clearly has issues and is a stain on mainstream Democrats. Beware of anyone who advocates violence against children, they are, generally speaking, psychopaths and will someday unleash a violent rage against the mainstream society.
I hope he doesn’t pull a BLM-inspired attack like Edward Zamora Guiilon, God help us.
I know Aaron Ochs. I know him to be a decent human being who was exploited and harassed by Cal Coast News and their gaggle of neighborhood stalkers from violent right and left wing fringe groups.
I guess our ‘friend’ here thinks it’s OK for a ‘decent human being’ to advocate tossing bleach into the eyes of a child? I guess he thinks it is OK for the Alt Left BLM/Antifa crowd to smash skateboards through car windows, reigning glass onto a baby in the backseat?
Even if the idea that he was ‘exploited and harassed’ (questionable) by the news media is conceded, I would argue that ‘decent human beings’ do not behave like a psychopathic nutcase, so I would suggest that a more accurate description of this man’s behavior was made by local SLO County Superior Court Judge Charles Crandall, who labeled Aaron Ochs behavior as ‘inappropriate’, and his conduct as ‘troubling’. Are those the qualities of a decent human being?
Moreover, as per a local news story,’ during the past five years, ‘Ochs has started multiple online sites focused on Velie including one demeaning her for a speech impediment’. Do ‘decent people’ demean other people for having a speech impediment? That is not decent, it’s despicable.
Also, as reported in the same story, ‘In the past, Ochs had demeaned Velie’s children and incited others to join in on often sexist comments.’ Is it ‘decent’ to demean children, and to incite others to join in ‘often sexist comments’? Is that decent behavior from somebody we should trust? I think not!
Folks, I think it is pretty clear to EVERYONE involved here that decent people just simply do not behave in the above-described manner. No one, left or right, should cross that line, and it is indicative of the whacky Alt Left that they would criticize moderates and conservatives for poor behavior, when, in fact, it is the far whacky leftist who are using sexist language, demeaning other citizens, advocating violence against children, and acting in a way that is ‘troubling and inappropriate’.
Get it? If you want to learn more, just use the link: https://calcoasttimes.com/2017/08/24/judge…
Now you know the rest of the story.
RIP Officer Luca Benedetti
Stop BLM/Antifa Domestic Violence
End Sanctuary City/Open Borders
Support Israel, Not Hamas Terrorists
Blue Lives Matter
No Hwy 101Shutdowns
No Drug Bums in Public Parks & Libraries
Oppose Kamala Harris: No Children In Cages
Stop Biden/Harris American Decline
No Iranian Nuclear Arms Proliferation
Cal Poly Polytechnic: No Fraudulent ‘Ethnic Studies’ Curriculum
Prosecute BLM/Antifa Criminals
Stop Voter Suppression & Voter Fraud: Demand picture ID to Vote
“Here is a link I suggest readers use to learn more about the Brennan Center: https://nationalcenter.org/ncppr/2012/07/2“
Hey “Steve,” I searched everywhere on the NationalCenter and GroupSnoop for facts and figures charting voter fraud. I took your word for it and expected to find reams of evidence that Democrats cheated in 2020.
But, I found nothing of the sort, simply a tired old diatribe against the Brennan Center, which is typical of far right extremists: Don’t like the message, criticize the messenger.
In fact, the Brennan Center is a respected arm of the NYU law school, which is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 law schools in the nation.
Mike=AaronOchs=Rightword=GordenFugly=SameTroll=BLM=Idiots=Antifa=Fools=AltLeftMorons
Our ‘’friend’, Mike, conveniently ‘forgot’ that I never once said that Democrats cheated in 2020, so his implying that I did so speaks to his being so partisan that he is willing to concoct falsehoods about those he disagrees with. If he would lie about this matter, what else is he lying about?
The facts about the Brennan Center: The Brennan Center for Justice (the Brennan Center) was formed as a way to memorialize and put into action the values of left-of-center former Supreme Court Justice William Brennan , the “father of modern judicial activism,” by Brennan’s former clerks.[1] The organization is hybrid think-tank and activist center housed by New York University Law School.[2]
The Center has devised a “robust toolkit’ of scholarship, legislative drafting, lobbying and legal action”[3] that is merged into “an almost seamless effort aimed at action.”[4] While the group purports to be “nonpartisan,” it has received substantial funding from George Soros-associated organizations,[5] and is mainly funded by left-leaning organizations, having received substantial funding from other liberal groups including the Kohlberg Foundation, Tides Foundation, Proteus Fund, Joyce Foundation, Schumann Media Center, Public Welfare Foundation, and JPB Foundation.[6]
This liberal financing has turned the Center into a cog in the liberal legal movement. The Center pursues a left-wing issue agenda, supporting liberal activist policies on ethnic preferences, restrictions on political campaign speech, and protections for foreign terrorism suspects.
Get it, Mike? The so-called esteemed Brennan Center is funded by George Soros, and takes pride in the fact that they pursue a left-wing issue agenda, supporting liberal activist policies on ethnic preferences, restrictions on political campaign speech, and protections for foreign terrorism suspects.
I don’t think most working families on the Central Coast think too much of an organization that pursues a left-wing agenda, supports ethnic preferences (Un-American), supports restrictions of free speech, and protects foreign terrorists.
You may embrace those Alt Left out-of-the-mainstream values, but most of us DO NOT. In fact, moderates and conservatives push back against terrorism, racial preferences, and restrictions on free speech. You may be into those values, but, please, leave the rest of us out of it, we find it bizarre.
With regard to elections, the path forward is simple: no voter suppression and no voter fraud. To minimize voter fraud, and increase confidence in outcomes, simply require a valid ID card when people register to vote and when they cast their ballot.
By the way, Mike, it was Stacy Abrhams and the Democrats in 2016 who said voter fraud was an issue there. Despite her pleadings, the courts never supported her unfounded allegations. Democrat hypocrisy.
‘
Link: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/…
Blue Lives Matter
Stop Voter Fraud
Demand ID when voting
Boycott Brennan Center” Left-wing Extremism
Rest assured, the D’Souza family doesn’t take online advise from aliens. We are not on their digital plantation. We presently manage unclaimed circus monkeys and pesky farm animals – like all those untethered heirloom cocks who roam freely in Arroyo Grande. George Orwell and Batman would be proud.
Again, it doesn’t matter what the article about me says. It’s still wrong.
Anyone can write an article about anyone on the Internet, make stuff up and publish it. Quoting from a libelous article written by a sore loser in a case I won doesn’t mean anything to anyone. Those libelous words hold no weight, especially coming from an unstable troll with a fake Facebook account.
Stop Voter Fraud!
Require Valid ID when Registering & Voting
Common Sense in Public Policy
Ignore Left-Wing Extremist!
Blue Lives Matter
RIP Slain Officer Luca Benedetti
Support National Voter Fraud Prevention Legislation
Keep America Strong
I think Aaron Ochs has deftly peeled back the onion layers to reveal that “Steve Edwards” is affiliated with Cal Coast News.