How Voting Works. A great explanation.

Just received this email from Marilyn MacKay in North Stonington. Her situation doesn't apply to where I vote but it is interesting and detailed.

To:  NS Democratic Party/Unaffiliated Registered Voters & Non-Registered Voters       

 On June 7, 2005 I was sworn in as a North Stonington's Registrar of Voters and have served our community ever since.  Despite having severed my party affiliation this year - am now an unaffiliated voter - North Stonington's Democratic Party endorsed my candidacy.

Now, because of a Primary challenge to be held on Tuesday, August 12, 2014, I need the votes of a majority of voting NS Democrats to retain this position.  If you are an unaffiliated NS registered voter, you can become a Democrat until Monday, August 11th to vote in this Primary.  Non-registered voters can register to vote by mail until receipt date August 7th and in-person until noon on August 11th.

Unfortunately, most people do not vote in primaries.  

If I have served you well over the past 9 years, please do take the time to vote between 6 AM & 8 PM.  If you are unable to so do, requests for absentee ballots are at http://www.ct.gov/sots/LIB/sots/ElectionServices/ElectForms/electforms/aabeng.pdf or are available from Norma Holliday, our Town Clerk, at New Town Hall.  

You may wonder why I became an unaffiliated voter.

Effective July 1, 2014 I was elected president of The League of Women Voters of Southeastern Connecticut, a non-partisan political organization.  In order to hold this position one cannot publicly be affiliated with any political party.  That is why I am now an unaffiliated candidate for Registrar of Voters.  

Connecticut's Secretary of the State requires all Registrars to be non-partisan and unbiased in the performance of their duties.   I am grateful to our local Democratic Party for continuing to support me.

Thank you for your time and - hopefully - your vote on Tuesday, August 12, 2014.

Marilyn Mackay, Registrar of Voters

Civic Background

Currently - North Stonington, CT

Elected Registrar of Voters since 2005

Elected Member, Economic Development Commission

Secretary, NS Business Association

Founder & Coordinator, NS Bulletin Board Website

President, League of Women Voters of SECT

Past

Founder & President, NS Business Association

Appointed: Secretary, Affordable Housing Advisory Committee

Member, Agricultural Committee

Chair, NS Democratic Town Committee

Host, SECT Democracy for America

1999-2004 – East Hampton, NY

Chairperson, Citizens for Balanced Justice, East Hampton, NY, LTV Show

Producer/Director/Writer, LWV of the Hamptons Public Access TV Program                                     

Board Member, League of Women Voters of the Hamptons

Host, Dean for America presidential campaign

Poll Worker

1997-1999 – Rock Hill, NY

WJFF Public Radio Volunteer, Jeffersonville, NY

Fund-Raising, Editor, Bi-monthly Newsletter, On-air

1960-1998 – U.S. Virgin Islands

Organizer & 1st President of the Virgin Islands League of Women Voters

Board member, St. Thomas-St. John Hotel Association

Board member, St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce

Board member, American Sightseeing International

Educational Background

Bernard Baruch School of Business, CCNY, Major:  Advertising-Public Relations

Did Your Vote Count?

This is a question in the news as several of the Primary elections held last week have been disputable.
In Windsor, as of yesterday, ONE VOTE made the difference.  Here is the link to CT News Junkie's report on the last of several recounts in that District. And here is the link to New Haven Independent's story on the tight race in the 116th district.

After every election since September of 2008 I have served as a volunteer with the Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition's observing of the Election Audits.I have observed something like 8 or more Audits.

What happens is this: The Secretary of the State randomly selects 10% of the elections held so that the machines and the ballot count can be verified. In the upcoming Audit this will be for votes placed on August 14th. On a designated day the Registrars and their staff (and helpers) run an Audit of ballots processed through the voting machines.

Citizen Observers are there to assist in the ongoing effort to ensure the integrity of the vote and create statewide procedures.

It is easy and (call me a nerd, I dare you!) it is fun.

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Sign-up Now for the August 2012 Post-Election Audit!

Connecticut Voters
Want to Know

You can help
provide answers!

Investment? One Day
Value to Democracy? Priceless

The Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition (League of Women Voters of Connecticut, Common Cause, Connecticut Citizen Action Group, and CTVotersCount.org) organizes citizen volunteers to observe the Connecticut Post-Election Audits.

• Is the chain-of-custody followed? How are the votes tallied?
• Can we have confidence in our optical scanners?
• Can we have confidence that the intent of the voters was reflected in the election result?

Here is your chance to make a difference!!!
To fully cover the  post-election audits, we need more observers in every region of Connecticut.
You are invited to become part of our non-partisan observer corps for the upcoming primary and election.  The Coalition will provide observer materials and one hour of training via conference call. Citizens observers will donate up to one full day observing and reporting during the audit period following the election or primary.
Without our volunteer observers and you, nobody but a small number of local election officials would know what happens in post-election audits.