Letters to the Editor: The 'law and order' party is trying to throw California's election into chaos
To the editor: So, the party of law and order does not want to follow the state's rules and stop collecting ballots in drop boxes placed by GOP operatives.
The ballots involved are not being submitted per election law. California works very hard to secure chain of custody, and these boxes throw that out the window.
As a result, it seems that county clerks are not required to accept those ballots when the party guys wander in with their ill-gotten gains. It seems those ballots should be considered invalid and set aside — or, the election officials can break the rules and accept the ballots.
What's it going to be?
Margie Engel, Templeton, Calif.
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To the editor: It is apparent that some major changes need to be addressed with regard to the National Voter Registration Act 1993.
I cannot for the life of me understand the reason for the disparities in the methods of voting throughout the country. This is the 21st century, and yet how this country votes seems so unwieldy.
Hopefully, the next Congress can update the current laws and systems so that no state can revoke ballots or make it so difficult for citizens to exercise their right to vote in safety and without rancor.
David J. Gruber, Valley Village
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To the editor: It's interesting that the GOP uses the term "harvesting ballots" to describe the intent of their unofficial and allegedly illegal drop boxes.
Quite a bit of what is harvested from our fields and orchards is destroyed as not salable. How do we not know that some ballots are not being culled out like a wormy apple?
There is a big difference in giving your ballot to a relative or trusted friend to deliver, and putting it in an anonymous box at a place of commerce.
Lia Eng, Aliso Viejo
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To the editor: First there was the U.S. Supreme Court deciding that, at least for political speech, a company was a person. Personally I have never seen a company go into a polling place, sign the register and enter a voting booth.
Now we have another "person": The Republican Party in California has decided that any old box is a person.
State law says voter may give their mail-in ballot to another person and authorize them to deliver it to an official drop box, polling place or county office. However, this authorized person must sign the ballot.
I see a definite problem here. How is the box going to sign the ballot?
Anne Miller, Whittier
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To the editor: These unofficial ballot-drop boxes hold the promise of the widespread fraud that the president is concerned about.
Donald Ricketts, Santa Clarita
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
