Oregon Passes Vote by Mail (news) (FWD)

[Michael A. Schoenfield]

I am curious as to how Oregon is going to handle violations of election
laws. i.e., Stealing of ballots from the mail as well as other violations. I
recognize that the stealing of mail is a violation of federal laws, but even
that is often violated. How are they going to handle this and other
violations?

Michael S.

Michael Schoenfield
Michael A. Schoenfield & Associates, Ltd.
2637 Mason Street
Madison, WI 53705-3709

(608) 238-6121 Voice
(608) 233-2507 Fax
maschoen at execpc.com E-Mail
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/maschoen/
----- Original Message -----
From: <DEMOREP1 at aol.com>
To: <election-methods-list at eskimo.com>; <elections-reform at igc.apc.org>;
<canada-votes at gatewest.net>; <FairVote at compuserve.com>; <ban at igc.apc.org>
Sent: Friday, November 06, 1998 1:04 AM
Subject: Oregon Passes Vote by Mail (news) (FWD)


>Date:  Thu, Nov 5, 1998 3:51 PM EDT
>From:  SErtelt
>Subj:  CAMPEL-L:  Oregon Passes Vote by Mail (news)
>
>Oregon Passes Vote-by-Mail Measure
>
>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon has become the first state to retire the
>traditional polling place, passing a measure to conduct all elections
>exclusively by mail.
>
>Voters also passed measures that legalize marijuana for medical uses and
allow
>adoptees to see their original birth certificates.
>
>The vote-by-mail proposal was approved by voters 57 percent to 43 percent,
>according to results tallied through Wednesday.
>
>It will not represent a major change in the way Oregonians have voted in
>recent years. The state already leads the nation in the percentage of votes
>cast by mail; nearly two-thirds of this week's votes were cast on absentee
>ballots.
>
>Critics say the measure violates federal law requiring presidential and
>congressional elections to take place on the same day, and could lead to
>increased fraud and abuse.
>
>Oregon still has the only congressional race in the country still up in the
>air. The outcome of the contest between Democrat David Wu and Republican
Molly
>Bordonaro likely won't be known until all of the absentee ballots were
counted
>Friday.
>
>Returns from Tuesday's election showed Wu leading Bordonaro, 52 percent to
44
>percent.
>
>Oregon joined Washington state, Arizona, Nevada and Alaska in passing a
>measure allowing the medical use of marijuana.
>
>In Washington, Associate Attorney General Raymond C. Fisher said today the
>Justice Department would review each of the initiatives individually and
>discuss them with local law enforcement before making any response to them.
In
>California, the federal government has mounted civil court actions to close
>clinics dispensing marijuana under a similar initiative.
>
>``Under the federal law, the use of marijuana remains a crime,'' Fisher
told
>reporters. ``Obviously, there are people in a number of states who favor a
>medical exemption for it. Our position is: Let's do research into it. Let's
>validate whether or not there are legitimate uses of marijuana. But at the
>present time, it's a federal crime and we intend to stand by it.''
>
>Under Oregon's law, marijuana can only be prescribed by a doctor for a
limited
>number of illnesses, such as AIDS, multiple sclerosis, cancer and glaucoma.
>The measure was approved 55 percent to 45 percent.
>
>Voters overwhelmingly rejected another marijuana-related measure that would
>have increased penalties, with possible jail time, for possessing less than
an
>ounce of pot.
>
>Also, Oregon became the first state to see a public vote force open its
>adoption records. Approved 55 percent to 45 percent, the measure gives a
copy
>of original birth certificates to an adult adoptee upon request. Only
Alaska
>and Kansas have similar laws, but those were initiated in state
legislatures.
>