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Hernando Today

Change Needed To Lead Supervisor Of Elections Office

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 3, 2008

I read with interest, both the original article on the waste of taxpayers' dollars by the elections department, and the rebuttal/clarification by Supervisor of Elections Annie Williams. She states that it wasn't a waste of our money because the mailings were paid for by a federal grant. But isn't a federal grant funded by tax dollars?

Another question: Exactly what created the time constraint situation that Ms. Williams cited to be the impetus behind mailing them first class? Was the election suddenly moved to an earlier date? Or was it just that the elections office is inefficiently run and grossly unprepared to meet deadlines?

The more I think about the sample ballots being mailed first class by our supervisor of elections, the more I consider it a tragic waste of our hard-earned dollars. I've lived in three other states in addition to Florida and do not recall ever receiving a sample ballot in the mail until I moved here. Ms. Williams cites a Florida statute that dictates sample ballots must be given to voters ahead of time. But I wonder if there isn't a better way to allow people to preview their ballots.

Why do they have to be mailed at all? Couldn't sample ballots be placed in the post offices or public libraries like the income tax forms used to be? What about posting them on the Internet or in the newspapers?

Presidential candidates are touting change - maybe it's time we take a look at the local level. Everything is going up except wages lately, and we need to be able to count on our local officials to be frugal with our money. It sounds like the supervisor of elections position is a good place for some fresh eyes that will look at challenges in new ways.

Barbara Newlin

Spring Hill

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