Writers Circle: One person, one vote

Oregon, which already holds elections with mail-in ballots, recently passed a law that will automatically register adult citizens to vote, using information from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

On the other end of the spectrum are a handful of states that in recent years have begun requiring voters to show a photo ID before they are allowed to cast a ballot.

States also have dramatically different laws regarding felons' rights to vote, with Iowa's being one of the toughest.

Members of The Gazette Writers Circle met earlier this month to discuss state voting laws and the balance between making voting accessible and ensuring the integrity of the vote.

In their discussion, a third concern emerged: How do we communicate the value of voting to more Iowans and Americans?

ALAN LEWIS: Make voting accessible

We must strive to create an informed, engaged electorate. Once a qualified voter decides to participate, we should ensure their experience of registering and voting is as 'frictionless” as possible.

The state of Iowa and counties in The Corridor already have made voting more convenient by offering registration by mail, same-day voter registration, generous provisions for voting by absentee ballot, extensive early voting opportunities and by allowing voters to cast provisional ballots when questions arise.

There are additional steps that could be considered:

- 'Opt out” voter registration: Anyone who does business with the Department of Motor Vehicles or other state or county agencies could automatically be registered to vote, unless they checked a box to opt out.

- Vote-by-mail: This has been tried in some states, and seems to be successful. I'm sentimental, and like to show up at the polling place if I can, but if the advantages are as great as they seem (increased turnout, decreased cost), I might be convinced to support vote by mail.

Anyone who wants to vote, and is qualified, should not be discouraged by the registration and voting process. Studies (including an investigation into possible voter fraud in Iowa by our Secretary of State) have shown intentional voter fraud is rare. Therefore, focusing resources on voter ID laws seems misguided, and runs the very real risk of discouraging valid voters.

I don't favor requiring identification to vote, but if it is required, any expenses should be paid for by the state: The cost of the ID itself, costs of replacement birth certificates to verify identity, even transportation to and from the registration site. Anything less would be essentially a poll tax.

Creating an informed voting public is a noble goal, and we should do whatever we can to get young people and adults alike engaged. But an informed voting public is more of an ongoing 'journey” than a reachable 'destination.”

The current system in Iowa and The Corridor counties is good. It may be possible to make it better. We should definitely not make it worse.

ROBERT MERSHON: Maintaining the integrity of the vote

Voting is a constitutionally protected right. As with all constitutional rights, it cannot be unreasonably withheld or taken away without due process; 'unreasonably” being open to interpretation.

The unfortunate thing about rights is they protect blithering idiots as much as Rhodes scholars. Most voters don't fit into either category but, depending on how one votes, most of us believe nearly or more than half those who voted are either one or the other.

Voting may be a right, but those running elections have the responsibility to ensure those who vote meet the age, citizenship and other statutory requirements.

In March 2012, Iowa's Secretary of State undertook a targeted investigation into potential voter misconduct. The investigation into thousands of instances of potential voter misconduct resulted in 23 criminal prosecutions, yielding six convictions, five not guilty verdicts or dismissals. Twelve cases still were pending in when the Secretary of State published a report of the investigation's findings in May 2014. About 112 other cases were turned over to county attorneys but were not prosecuted. Another 17 investigations were ongoing.

According to the report and one's perspective, the review discovered between six and 117 illegal votes.

It's difficult to draw conclusions from this investigation as the public report is not sufficiently detailed to allow validation of the methodology, including how records were selected for review, or the findings. I spent three years working in the internal audit department of a large multinational company. In that company, an audit report would normally be 30 pages or more and much more detailed than the two pages of text and 10 pages of limited data presented in the Secretary of State's report.

While I can't draw conclusions from the report, the questionable votes should be analyzed to determine if there were trends or common cause(s) that warrant a modification to voter registration or voting control systems.

People reasonably wonder if the Secretary of State's review was worth the time, effort and expense. Every business periodically performs control reviews to ensure the controls are functioning as designed, are effective and efficient, and to validate that the controls which performed well in the past continue to do so.

The world changes and with those changes, it is appropriate to test and ensure voter registration and voting controls still work. From that perspective the review and future reviews are appropriate and necessary.

It would be best if the legislature established a schedule, guidelines, and budget for an independent, nonpartisan, agent proficient in auditing to perform the review. The primary purpose of these reviews should be to identify deficiencies and improve voter registration and election processes, procedures and systems.

LINDA SEGER: Why go to the bother to vote?

Why go to the bother to exercise our right to vote? Does my one vote really matter anyway?

We all have thought or asked that question.

Personally, I think back to an autumn day in the late 1950s when I learned to appreciate the opportunity to vote. I was about 13 or 14 and attending junior high school near my home in Cedar Rapids. I was just an average kid who liked to hang out with friends, talk on the phone and complain about homework and rules.

One lunchtime I was sitting in my grandmother Dorothy's kitchen telling her about my morning (those of us who lived close to school were allowed to go home over the noon hour). I believe I was expressing my frustration as to why it was necessary we learn boring things about history and government.

Grandma listened intently, as she always did. My grandparents were wonderful people. As a teen I thought of them as elderly. At some point later in life as I did the math I realized they weren't old - they were in their 50s.

My grandma told me when she was growing up in Washington, Iowa, in the early 1900s, women did not have the right to vote - only men did. I could not believe what I was hearing. She went on to say it was not until the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was passed in August 1920 that women finally were allowed to vote. We had been able to vote only for the last 30 or so years, she said.

She told me she cast her first vote at age 20 in the general election of 1924. That November day she carried her first child, my mom, in her arms to the polls.

She said she dressed in her Sunday best, with hat and gloves, because this was a very important day in her life. She voted for a president of the United States. This was a right made right. I was so inspired and proud.

Many decades have passed since that kitchen civics lesson from grandmother. I went on to learn that women were not the only ones who historically have been excluded from voting. Native Americans, freed slaves, poor people, religious groups and prisoners all have been denied voting privileges at one time or another.

Governments on all levels - from cities to federal - interpreted the right as to who should and should not qualify to vote in America. Barriers were put in place like poll taxes and literacy tests - requirements to prevent those they considered undesirable from voting.

In 1964 I kept my promise to Grandma. I voted in my first election. Standing in the booth I felt the responsibility to all who had been and are denied this right. Voting was an honor then and has been for me each election since. It should be for everyone.

LES DEAL: Voting is power

We are told that elections are bought by high spenders. That is only partly true. It isn't like they are putting money in our hands in trade for our votes. Nobody gets our vote except by us freely giving it to them.

We have a responsibility to get the facts and make our votes hold value. Our vote will work against us if our candidate is not truthful. Voting for a party is no assurance of the integrity of the candidates.

Currently, 40 percent of eligible voters in America don't vote. Of the eligible voters who do vote, about 45 percent vote Democrat and 45 percent vote Republican. That leaves 10 percent who could vote either way.

Of the 10 percent, it could be argued, the only ones that matter are those who live in one of 10 swing states. In our electoral college system, only the winning votes count for each state, and for 40 of the states the winners are predictable. Therefore, candidates have to campaign in only 10 states to win. No wonder a billionaire can try to purchase an election.

I see three things we can do:

1. Turn off the TV until Election Day. Most of the money will be spent on negative TV ads so don't allow yourself to hear it. Get all your information from print material: the newspaper, select online news sources, magazines, etc.

2. We need the 40 percent who haven't been voting to come up to the plate and get informed and vote.

3. Let's make it clear to those running for office that we want the electoral college eliminated so every vote would count across the 50 states. There would be no state winners, only collective winners. From then on, the power would be placed where it belongs: in the hands of the people.

' The Gazette Writers Circle meets monthly to discuss current issues of local importance. Comments or for more information: editorial@thegazette.com; (319) 398-8469