The Ohio Petition Company has implemented an idea that has been talked about for some time…outfitting its circulators with a portable computer that is connected to the state’s list of registered voters. The Ohio Petition Company is a profit-making firm that collects signatures for any group that needs them. The new device enables a circulator to know instantly if someone who is about to sign a petition is a registered voter, and what his or her address is, in the voter registration records. See the company’s web page here. The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 required each state to have a computerized list of all the voters in that state. The device can also be used to know how many signers have signed a petition more than once. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
How many domestic and foreign felon hacker ENEMIES of Democracy are hacking full time into the HAVA databases ???
I heard about a petitioner in California doing something like this a few years ago.
It seems to me that this could really slow down production. A good petitioner screens everyone for validity by asking them if they are registered to vote at their current address. If a petitioner does a good job screening everyone who signs and checks the page to make sure that they filled it out should have high validity.
everyone who signs the petition their validity should be high
Thank you for the update on our company, Ohio Petition Company (OPC). A point of correction and a note on the updated technology we use.
We utilize a proprietary voter database, not the list provided by Ohio’s Secretary of State (SOS)mandated by HAVA. In fact, OPC obtains its voter files directly from Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections. We realize the intent of HAVA, but also recognize the fact remains that the SOS file is inherently outdated (especially with the massive registration drives occuring in battleground state Ohio this year). Rather, we would follow my grandmother’s advice: “if you want fresh milk, go to the cow.” We know the boards of elections databases are more up to date and therefore we obtain our voter files and update each month (after we append them with a variety of information).
Regarding the new technology, we are now utilizing a digital pen technology that allows the petition to be printed with a unique dot matrix. The dots allow the digital pens to activate and capture handwritten text. The pens can then upload the data via a bluetooth connection to a Black Berry or other smartphone. When the data arrives on our server, the handwritten text is automatically converted and interpreted as characters which are review and verified by human eyes. This allows for a 100% data entry of all who signed. In turn, the data can be verified against our proprietary voter file, and the client can obtain a manifest of those who signed each week. The value added proposition is enormous as the validity check allows the company and client to avoid embarrassment (as Ohio performs a 100% signature check, no sampling for validity here). What’s more, with a weekly manifest, the client can engage those who signed in an ongoing dialogue to strengthen their campaign. You can read more in the Columbus Dispatch by copying and pasting this link: http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/05/26/SIGNATURES.ART_ART_05-26-08_A1_ENAA937.html?sid=101
Again, thanks for updating the readers. We are working very hard to improve signature gathering in Ohio.
Richard,
In South Carolina, the state Board of Elections makes a CD voter registration list available with the name, address, birth date, date of last election voted in, which of the past several primaries and general elections the voter voted in, their gender and voter registration number, but no phone number. The cost of getting the CD of this list for the entire state is like $2000 I think.
Are you saying that if the South Carolina Green Party wanted to petition to put a question on the ballot, the HAVA requires the state to make a database available? Are they allowed to charge for it? Are they required to make it available online? Thanks. At $2000, the list at a more reasonable rate would be very helpful to such endeavors.
Gregg