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This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Prep Should Add Up To a Smooth Election



      Maybe Nov. 4 will usher in the Era of Smooth Elections in Bernalillo County. It certainly appears County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver is trying to cover the bases to make sure that happens. She has:
       n Updated the county Web site (bernco.gov) so voters can check registration, voting sites, the status of their absentee ballot and study a sample ballot (also available at ABQJournal.com; click on politics tab).
       n Doubled the size and increased the number of early voting sites (from 13 to 16) to reduce long lines, and added computers and regional supervisors at each so problems can be addressed on site.
       n Expanded her office phone capacity so it can handle 182 calls at a time, 15,000 in an hour.
       n Examined historical and projected turnout numbers and ordered enough ballots to accommodate a 30 percent turnout in early voting sites within a three-mile radius of a voter's precinct and a 10 percent turnout for those further away. That should add up to a net savings of $1 million over the wasted 1.5 million extra ballots in the primary.
       n Streamlined poll-worker training via a Power Point presentation so everyone is on the same page come Nov. 4. That includes having each polling site's presiding judges do a one-hour walk-through on closing down polls so ballots aren't locked in buildings or car trunks, and rejecting poll workers who have made the office's “X File” by refusing to get with the program despite repeated training.
       n Recruited two extra poll workers for every site to help with everything from questions to crowd control.
       n Scheduled the absentee ballot count to start as early as possible under state law; 70 workers will begin counting at 8 a.m. Oct. 30.
       History has shown if something can go wrong during an election, it probably will in Bernalillo County, from precincts running out of ballots to a machine delivery truck making a pit stop at Hooters. But so far it looks like the county has done the necessary prep work to adequately inform voters and poll workers while also ensuring efficiency, accountability and transparency.
       Voters should take advantage and make sure they cast their ballots.
       

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