SandBoxBlogs: Citizen Center "Citizen Center Asks Governor Hickenlooper to Veto HB12-1036 (CORA/Elections) "

Marilyn Marks:

"Citizen Center has asked Governor Hickenlooper to veto HB-1036, the tortured merger successor to SB-155 (CORA and elections).

The letter transmitted to the Governor is linked here, and attached as well. Citizen Center also supports the veto request made by the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in their poignant letter to Governor Hickenlooper. Colorado Voter Group also filed a request for a veto. We anticipate that other non-profit groups and concerned citizens will file similar requests.

The flawed legislative process resulted in a high-impact bill that by design of the sponsors (Heath/White/Court/Murray) allowed almost no debate, and ignored the expert input of the non-partisan Lawyers Committee Task Force on Elections.

It resulted in anti-transparency election process legislation that:

·    

•  degrades Colorado’s already substandard election transparency   
•  institutionalizes voter intimidation
•  strips ordinary citizens of their rights to verify elections, while creating a special insider status for partisan and special interests
• undermines voters’ constitutional rights to a secret ballot
• was passed in an illegitimate nonpublic process that intentionally obstructed  the expression of citizens’ objections. 

We have confidence that Governor Hickenlooper will undertake a serious review of the negative impacts of the bill on Colorado’s elections. We trust that he will conclude that this legislation is contrary to transparency principles of good government and use the power of his veto to send a message about the need for transparent and verifiable elections.  

We encourage you to join Citizen Center and others in requesting this veto on this matter that affects every Colorado voter.  You may fax your request to Governor Hickenlooper at (303) 866-2003.

Marilyn Marks

Marilyn@TheCitizenCenter.org

www.TheCitizenCenter.org

SandBoxBlogs: Mountain Mail "Election officials ask judge to throw out lawsuit "

Are you starting to grow skeptical of all this hard pushing to quash Marilyn Marks voice?

My goodness, says, 'SandBox Nanny'.

One would think that the municipalities, clerks and elected officials that are not embracing the opportunity for transparency.....just might be 'hiding something'.  Lordy, lordy.

Contact Marilyn directly at the Citizen Center.  Get informed.  Of just the facts.

Robert Boczkiewicz: 
A voters’ group filed the lawsuit in March against election officials in the six counties, contending the officials use procedures that make it possible to identify persons who voted a specific ballot.

The lawsuit by the Citizen Center group – headed by Marilyn Marks of Aspen – seeks a federal court order requiring the election officials to change their procedures in time for the June primary election.

Joyce Reno, Chaffee County clerk and recorder, and her counterparts in Eagle, Mesa, Boulder, Jefferson and Larimer counties who oversee elections, are the defendants, as well as the Colorado secretary of state...."  (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"DENVER – Election officials in Chaffee County and five other counties are asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit alleging the officials might violate voters’ right to anonymous, untraceable ballots.

SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times "State high court to review Aspen ballot-images case"

Aspen Times:
"DENVER — The Colorado Supreme Court has agreed to hear the city of Aspen's motion to appeal September's state Court of Appeals ruling that favored political activist Marilyn Marks' lawsuit challenging the city's denial of her request to view ballot images from the 2009 mayoral race..."
(Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: Aspen Times "Eagle County clerk reacts to election lawsuit"

(See related story here)

Janet Urquhart:
"..Citizen Center filed a civil suit against Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler and the county clerks in Boulder, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Eagle and Chaffee counties, seeking court action requiring Gessler and the clerks to halt practices that violate voters' constitutional rights to anonymous, untraceable ballots..."
(Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: The Citizen Center/Marilyn Marks "Citizen Center Sues Secretary of State to Stop Unconstitutional Elections"

Do you know what Marilyn Marks is really up to?

Seriously.

Why, she's up to good works again.  This time with her new organization, 'The Citizen Center":

Federal Lawsuit Seeks to End Colorado's

 Unconstitutional Election Practices

Denver Press Conference Monday, February 13, 1:00 p.m.

Telephone Participation Available

"Denver, Colo. February 13--Citizen Center, a nonpartisan group of Colorado voters, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado today seeking an injunction and declaratory judgment requiring Secretary of State Scott Gessler and the county clerks of Boulder, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Eagle and Chaffee counties to immediately halt practices that violate voters' constitutional rights to vote anonymous, untraceable ballots.

Today's legal action seeks to correct election practices in order to restore voters' federal constitutional rights-the fundamental right to vote, freedom of expression, freedom of association, right to due process, and right to equal protection-and the state constitutional right to vote a secret (anonymous) ballot without which those federal constitutional rights cannot be freely exercised.

"The right to a secret ballot is a revered principle of American democracy. No one, most particularly government officials, should have access to information that can connect ballots with voters," said Marilyn Marks, founder of Citizen Center, citing the urgent need for remedies in advance of Colorado's 2012 elections.

Citizen Center has found that many Colorado counties employ procedures that collect information making it possible to identify the individual who voted a specific ballot. The Citizen Center's legal action comes months after the Secretary of State failed to enforce compliance in response to voter complaints filed with his office.

Press Conference Today
A press conference will be held at 1:00 p.m. at 303 E. 17th Avenue Suite 565 Denver, CO 80203. The press kit is available on Citizen Center's website. The public, press, and government officials are welcome to attend. Telephone participation is also available by calling 916-233-0790  PIN  code 792395#.   The press conference presentation slides are also on line. Marilyn Marks, Founder of Citizen Center, and attorney Robert A. McGuire will be presenting the conference and available for questions.

About Citizen Center
The Citizen Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that uses public advocacy and high-impact legal tools to ensure greater transparency and accountability in government and public oversight of government and elections."  (Learn more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."