Registered voters were utterly confused and dismayed this past week when mailers seemingly from Washoe County’s Registrar of Voters, Cari-Ann Burgess, requested people send personally identifying information through the mail on single-sided postcards.
For anyone to see.
The identification information requested was the last four digits of your social security number, your date of birth, the last four digits of your driver’s license number and your signature. While it would have been relatively easy to send these out with confidential information concealed, the two-sided postcards seemed like an invitation ripe for identity theft. That’s a hard pass from us on mailing them back.
The cards even said, “If you prefer not to mail, please return to address on the card.”
Huh?
It’s especially perplexing after Commissioners in July supported the pursuit of state legislation to clarify voter signatures are not public records.
Washoe County’s spokesperson had to issue a statement to the news media clarifying several points about the cards.
- The Nevada Secretary of State actually sent the cards, not Burgess.
- The cards were not “a scam.”
- It is not mandatory to fill out and return them.
- The cards were meant to ensure accurate signatures on file.
In fairness, the SOS did issue a press release about “letters voters will be receiving or have received.” But citizens would have only directly received the mailer, not a press release, and that’s why there was so much confusion about sending personally identifiable information in the mail for anyone, potentially, to see.
It was strange. However, we hope we did our part by conveying reliable information about registering to vote. We’ll also begrudgingly drive to the county complex to drop off our cards in an attempt to be good citizens. Or, as the SOS suggested to students at UNR this week, we will put the postcard in an envelope for mailing. (Can someone explain postcards to Aguilar?)
If that was not enough, it was revealed this week that the new interim registrar, Burgess, had to go on leave due to stress. Can anyone blame her? While the reason for her stress was not communicated–-any speculation to date is without evidence—it is deeply concerning that a string of registrars have resigned apparently under similar duress.
This does not mean that our elections are untrustworthy. As we’ve reported more than once, election denialism is a farce with little evidence supporting wild claims.
But we are also concerned about simple election issues being treated with carelessness. Marsy Kupfersmith, whom we reported on a few times, painfully experienced a bureaucratic mire that originated at Burgess’ office. An advocate for seniors, Kupfersmith tried to enter the race for a county commission seat as a nonpartisan but was barred from doing so. The actual reason why took a lawsuit, a complaint to the SOS and weeks of ghosting by election officials.
Voters deserve better from government officials. Without clear, reliable communication, it’s no wonder voter confidence wanes. That’s the last thing democracy needs when normal, everyday election procedures are targeted and challenged by extremists in an attempt to undermine the otherwise valid, respectable work election workers do day in and day out.
—Kristen Hackbarth & Bob Conrad
