Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Online Recalls?

Jay Weber mentioned this.

The state Government Accountability Board has signed-off on a policy that allows single-signature petition forms to be submitted as part of recall campaigns. Under the change, petitions generated online could be printed out by an individual and mailed to the campaign, reducing the need for volunteers to go door-to-door to collect signatures.

The change was requested by Patrick Williams, who operates a website aimed at recalling Republicans. Williams says there’s nothing in the policy that’s at odds with the state Constitution and it also reduces the need for recall organizers to “raise armies” of petition signature gatherers.

The GAB approved the policy Monday on a 5-1 vote, despite concerns that it could make it easier to mount a recall campaign against any elected official in the state.

Well.  It certainly will make recalls easier to manage, but not necessarily easier to effect.  While "bundlers" of petitions are now able to make the downloads available, I don't think that there will be 500K++ people doing the download-and-mail routine.

Of course, the GAB has thought about the possibility of fraud, right??

(Wanna bet??)

Unlike (R) pols, I happen to think that recalls should be available and utilized.  No politician 'owns' his desk and chair; he is accountable.  I also think that the (D) efforts over the summer were mis-placed, as would be an effort to recall Walker.

But let 1,000 flowers bloom!  Just don't put MY name on your download.

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