Brunner Thinks We Should Take Our Time And Not Rush Election Reform:
Brunner Says She Wants To Work With The "Next" General Assembly For Election Reform. "Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner wants to work with the next General Assembly on election changes." (Jim Siegel, "Lame-duck bill has plenty of attachments," The Columbus Dispatch, 12/3/08)
Brunner Says That It Is Now Best Not To Rush Election Reform And That She Wants To "Take More Time For Review." "Gov. Ted Strickland and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, both Democrats, said it would be better to not rush a bill now but to take more time for review and make comprehensive changes later." (Mark Niquette and Jim Siegel, "Top Democrats urge GOP to hold off on elections bill," The Columbus Dispatch, 11/19/08)
Brunner Is Also Hiding Behind Her Election Summit To Say That The "Consensus" Was That Election Change Shouldn't Be Rushed Through. "'The consensus we got today is that this is a process that should be deliberative, inclusive and that we shouldn't rush through,' [Brunner] said." (Mark Niquette and Jim Siegel, "Senate seeks quick action on election reform," The Columbus Dispatch, 12/3/08)
Previously, Brunner Used Strong-Arm Tactics To Ramrod Her Rapid Changes Through The Elections Boards:
Rush To Re-Test Machines
Brunner Rushed To Try To Re-Test Voting Machines On Which The Republican Led Controlling Board Was "Right To Seek More Information." "The State Controlling Board is right to seek more information on a proposal to retest Ohio's electronic voting machines. ... Majority Republicans on the controlling board say they want to ensure that the testers don't have a bias toward discrediting the touch-screen machines used in Franklin and many other Ohio counties. That would have severe repercussions for elections boards." (Editorial, "Not so fast," The Columbus Dispatch, 9/12/2007)
Brunner Opposed The Controlling Board's Delay In Funding To Re-Test Voting Machines And The Columbus Dispatch Noted The Re-Testing Wasn't Necessary Because Of How Smoothly The 2006 Election Ran. "Brunner opposes a delay in funding because of preparations for Ohio's March presidential primary, but there's no reason to rush a decision. The reality of Ohio's 2006 election argues against the need for urgency." (Editorial, "Not so fast," The Columbus Dispatch, 9/12/2007)
Rush To Scrap Electronic Voting Machines For Paper Ballots
Brunner's "Call For Hasty And Sweeping Changes ... Is Generating Doubt Instead Of Confidence." "Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's stated goal is to restore Ohioans' confidence in elections, but her call for hasty and sweeping changes in the machines and methods of voting is generating doubt instead of confidence." (Editorial, "Wrong message," The Columbus Dispatch, 1/6/2008)
Brunner Sought To Dump "Millions Of Dollars Worth Of Touch-Screen Voting Systems." "Based on the [EVEREST] study, Brunner recommended reforms that would include dumping millions of dollars worth of touch-screen voting systems used in 57 of the state's 88 counties in favor of paper ballots optically scanned at election board headquarters, which is her remedy for Cuyahoga." (Joe Guillen and Mark Rollenhagen, "Paper ballots urged in county," The Plain Dealer, 12/15/2007)
The Columbus Dispatch Noted That Paper Ballots Are Easier To Tamper With Than Electronic Voting Machines. "Electronic voting's opponents say they prefer paper ballots. If they're worried about corruption, they should acknowledge that tampering is easier with paper ballots than with electronic devices, which require some degree of sophistication." (Editorial, "Some repair needed," The Columbus Dispatch, 12/23/2007)
"Brunner Is Pressuring The Cuyahoga County Board Of Elections To Dump Its New $21 Million Computer Voting System, Spend Millions On A New System And Have That New System In Place In A Matter Of A Few Weeks." (Editorial, "It's too late," The Plain Dealer, 12/20/2007)
"[T]he Time To Change [Election] Systems Isn't 70 Days Before An Election." (Editorial, "It's too late," The Plain Dealer, 12/20/2007)
"Evaluating The Future On March 5 Makes Sense. Playing Russian Roulette With March 4 Doesn't." (Editorial, "It's too late," The Plain Dealer, 12/20/2007)
"[T]he [Cuyahoga County] Board [Of Elections] Should Save This Secretary Of State From Herself By Keeping The Current System At Least Through The Primary." (Editorial, "It's too late," The Plain Dealer, 12/20/2007)
Brunner "Ordered" An "11th-Hour Change In Voting Systems." "The 11th-hour change in voting systems was ordered last week by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. Her decision came after the four-member county board deadlocked 2-2 on replacing the controversial and problem-plagued touch-screen system." (Editorial, "Brunner's Leap Of Faith," The Plain Dealer, 12/26/07)
"[N]either The Board Of Elections Nor Anyone Else In Cuyahoga County Made This Decision. Brunner Made It - Unilaterally." (Editorial, "Brunner's Leap Of Faith," The Plain Dealer, 12/26/07)
Even Strickland Agreed We Shouldn't Be Overreacting. "'I don't want us to overreact, to have the-sky-is-falling response to this,' Strickland said." (Joe Guillen and Mark Rollenhagen, "Paper ballots urged in county," The Plain Dealer, 12/15/2007)
The State Of Colorado Rejected The Same Scanners On Which Brunner Sought To Spend Millions Of Dollars. "Colorado has rejected three brands of voting equipment - including the high-speed optical scanner Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is pushing." (Laura Johnston, "Brunner Pushing Vote Scanner Rejected By Colorado," The Plain Dealer, 12/19/2007)
Brunner Sought To Purchase Optical Scanners That Weren't Even Federally Certified. "Brunner says the newest and best types of precinct-based optical scanners have yet to be federally certified. The only optical scanners that have federal approval are less-advanced equipment." (Editorial, "Keep law as it is," The Columbus Dispatch, 5/6/2008)
Brunner Originally Said The Paper Ballot Switch Would Cost Taxpayers "$31 Million." "Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said yesterday that the initial cost estimate of her recommendations to overhaul the state's election system by next fall would be about $31 million." (Mark Niquette, "Controversial Reform," The Columbus Dispatch, 12/19/2007)
Brunner's Then More Than Doubled The Original Estimate To "$64 Million." "After predicting a record voter turnout in Tuesday's Ohio primary, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner dropped another big number yesterday: The estimated cost of replacing state voting equipment this fall has more than doubled, to $64 million." (Mark Niquette, "$64 Million Price Tag," The Columbus Dispatch, 3/1/2008)
Brunner Even Threatened To Decertify The Electronic Touch Screen Votes If Her Demands Weren't Met To Switch To The Uncertified Optical Scan Machines. "Brunner said Ohio could decertify the electronic touch screens, as California and other states have done, if the funding and other needs are in place to switch to an optical-scan system statewide. Decertification would mean that touch-screens could not be used in an Ohio election." (Mark Niquette, "Voting Methods," The Columbus Dispatch, 1/23/2008)
Strong-Arm Tactics To Push Her Rapid Change
Brunner, Who, As A Judge "Developed A Reputation ... As [Being] Fair-Minded," Developed The Reputation As Secretary Of State: "Oppose Her Plans Or Criticize Her In Public, And You'll Pay The Price." "In nearly five years on the Franklin County Common Pleas Court bench, Jennifer Brunner developed a reputation as a fair-minded judge. After a little more than a year as Ohio secretary of state, critics say, she is getting a different reputation: Oppose her plans or criticize her in public, and you'll pay the price." (Mark Niquette, "Brunner's Approach Criticized," The Columbus Dispatch, 3/9/08)
"Brunner So Far Has Refused To Reappoint, Sought To Remove Or Fired At Least Eight County Elections Officials -- For Reasons Ranging From Improper Political Activity To Failure To Follow The Law." (Mark Niquette, "Brunner's Approach Criticized," The Columbus Dispatch, 3/9/08)
The Columbus Dispatch Noted That Brunner Removed Mostly Republicans From The Elections Boards. "Brunner is a Democrat, and most of those removed were Republicans." (Mark Niquette, "Brunner's Approach Criticized," The Columbus Dispatch, 3/9/08)
Even Democrats Noted That Brunner's "Approach [Was] Chilling Relations Between [Brunner's] Office And County Officials." "Even some Democrats say privately that they fear Brunner's approach is chilling relations between her office and county officials, which could affect the ability to run a smooth election this fall with the world watching." (Mark Niquette, "Brunner's approach criticized," The Columbus Dispatch, 3/9/2008)
"Under The Spell Of Election-Conspiracy Theorists," Brunner "Pushed The Panic Button" And Sought "Massive And Exorbitantly Expensive Changes." "Knowing that the eyes of [the] nation again are on Ohio in a presidential year and being too much under the spell of election-conspiracy theorists, Brunner pushed the panic button, seeking massive and exorbitantly expensive changes. (Editorial, "Voting reality check," The Columbus Dispatch,3/9/2008)
The Columbus Dispatch Compared Brunner To A Ship's Captain Who Would "Muzzle[ ]" Or "Throw[ ]" Crew Members Overboard. "Suppressing or ousting board members who challenge changes is foolish. A ship's captain who muzzles or throws overboard the crew members who warn of icebergs is on a course for disaster." (Editorial, "Voting reality check," The Columbus Dispatch,3/9/2008)
Partisan Secretary Of State:
Partisanship In The Secretary Of State's Office Is Now "Even More Apparent ... With Brunner Holding The Office." "The battles over election rules underline the need for Ohio to have an impartial referee at the top for election disputes. ... This was apparent when Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell was secretary of state during the 2004 election, and it is even more apparent this year, with [Jennifer] Brunner holding the office." (Editorial, "Votes in limbo," The Columbus Dispatch, 11/18/08)
"Brunner, Every Bit The Democrat, Moved A Bit Closer To Cementing Her Reputation As An Overly Partisan Overseer Of Ohio's Elections." (Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Hands-on, to a fault," 6/22/2008)
"Brunner Promised To Run An Office That Stood Above Partisan Politics. If That Truly Was Her Goal, She Has Failed ..." (Editorial, "Provoking doubt," The Columbus Dispatch, 10/12/2008)
Note, these are not radical right wing publications. These are newspapers in liberal towns calling ths woman "overly partisan", that she needs "saving from herself," etc.
And, if reform is needed, why wait? Oh yeah, her party takes over and they will muck it up more....my bad.
Pylo Dogpoo for Secretary of State in 2010--because it will only be half as smelly in 2 years as Jennifer Brunner is now.
