EDITORIAL – Welcome to the new democracy Madera. In the last few weeks my email box has been filled with messages about what many are calling ‘illegal voting practices’. People are questioning how all of the candidates they backed could have lost their races to a bunch of inexperienced newcomers and apparently, even more important, what am I going to do about it?
Other than reporting the stories, I’m not sure what I am expected to “do about it”. I endorsed four people in four races and three of my candidate won. Other than the loss of one city councilman, I am very happy with the results of the November 6th election. However while I can see how a certain segment of this community might feel cheated, there is no proof of any illegal activity in the casting of even one single ballot and no one has stepped forward to request an investigation by the California Secretary of State or the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Whenever there is change, there is naturally some fear or at least concern from those that were on the ‘losing’ end. In taking a look at our last two Presidential elections it is easy to see how both sides of the aisle can over react to their fear of change. How long was the talk of the nation about whether or not our President had a Hawaiian birth certificate? Now the talk is that we are certain the Russians stole the election and President Trump was involved in the collusion.
So of course the talk of the town is going to be about ballot harvesting and illegal aliens voting. The truth is yes there were campaign workers picking up ballots at voters homes. There were campaign workers that helped voters fill out their ballots and yes campaign workers did drive homeless and residences of the Madera Rescue Mission to the Madera County Government Center so they could register and vote on Election Day.
Guess what? None of that is illegal.
During previous elections the only people who could deliver a ballot to the polls for another voter was a family member. That law changed and during this election as long as that person signs the ballot with the voter, the campaign worker can deliver as many ballots to the polls as he or she wants too. The only exception is someone who is paid by a campaign cannot touch any voter’s ballot; they have to be volunteers.
There is also a law on the books that forbid any county clerk from denying the homeless their right to vote. Just because you might live under a tree or in a rescue mission, you still have a Constitutional right to vote. So there is nothing illegal about any of the campaigns helping the homeless out with a ride to the polls.
One of my earliest political memories is watching my mother drive folks to the polls during the 1972 Presidential election between Richard Nixon and George McGovern. Helping people to the polls is a long standing tradition in getting more voters to vote. Just cause there was a picture on Facebook of one candidate driving a transvestite to the polls so she can vote, doesn’t mean she doesn’t still have the right to vote or driving her was illegal.
Now I said there has been no proof of illegal activity. If you know of illegal campaigning, instead of complaining to the local online newspaper, you should report it to our Madera County District Attorney or California Secretary of State. I have heard every accusation and now I would ask ,”do you have proof that any of the homeless were PAID to vote? Do you have proof any of the campaign workers were paid to collect ballots or illegally filled out the ballots on their own?” If you do, you should contact someone that can actually investigate the legitimacy of the complaint. Big Valley News is in the business of reporting the news, not creating the news.
If an investigation is ever conducted I think what you will find is there was no illegal voting in this last election and you folks concerned for Madera’s future have nothing to fear from the changes on the Madera City Council.
Madera is about to welcome a brand new city manager in Arnoldo Rodriguez and I think if you were to attend a few meetings and listen with the intent of learning about these new people, you will find that Steve Montes and Santos Garcia have nothing but the best interests of Madera at heart. In the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “there is nothing to fear but fear itself”.
It's gonna be alright......
