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March 3, 2000/26 Adar 1, 5760, Vol. 52, No.26
Dems offer mail-in, Internet voting in Sabbath primary
CHRIS GARIFO
Staff Writer
Arizona Democratic Party officials considered the sensitivities of Jewish voters before selecting a Saturday for their party's presidential primary, but the Internet and mail-in balloting options coupled with logistical demands decided the issue.
Cortland Coleman, executive director of the Arizona Democratic Party in Phoenix, said Jewish Democratic voters may cast their ballots over the Internet from Tuesday, March 7, until March 10 by using a home computer or any other computer with Internet access.
"The only thing that happens on (March 11) is that's when the polling places are open," Coleman said. "Tens of thousands of ballots will be cast before that day. They will be cast via mail and via the Internet."
The Arizona Democratic presidential primary will be the first legally binding election to be held at least in part over the Internet.
Coleman said registered Democrats throughout the state on March 11 may go to any one of 125 voting places, each of which will be staffed by at least two people.
"So you're looking at essentially 500 people who are all volunteers. We couldn't staff those polling places during the week when people work. It would have just been impossible for us," Coleman said.
Rabbi Mark Bisman of Har Zion Congregation in Scottsdale said he finds it distressing that the Arizona Democratic Party would hold its primary on a Saturday.
Bisman, a Democrat who recently reregistered as a Republican so he could vote for Sen. John McCain in the Arizona Republican presidential primary on Feb. 22, said there is some consolation in that Jewish Democrats will be able to vote by mail or over the Internet, but "we would be very pleased if (Democratic Party officials) would work harder to keep (primary elections) off of Saturday."
Coleman said Democratic National Committee rules prevented the party's joining in the state's Republican presidential primary, which McCain won by a 60 percent to 34 percent margin over Texas Gov. George W. Bush.
Coleman said the upcoming primary has been a "logistical nightmare" made even worse by a federal lawsuit filed by the Voting Integrity Project (VIP), a voting-rights organization based in Virginia, and two Arizona Democrats, Lucius Bain Jr. and Olivia Lizarrage Bussey.
Federal District Court Judge Paul Rosenblatt on Tuesday, Feb. 29, refused to prevent the Internet aspect of the primary. The lawsuit claimed that Internet voting benefits primarily white voters and discriminates against black, American Indian and Hispanic voters because those minority groups have less access to computers.
Coleman said a goal of the Internet voting process was to make it as simple as possible while maintaining security against voter fraud. Information was mailed to all registered Democrats in Arizona in late January about Internet and mail-in voting. That material included a personal identification number for each Democrat to permit on-line voting.
Party officials are projecting a voter turnout of more than 60,000 people for the primary, a nearly 370-percent increase over the 12,800 who went to the polls in 1996.
"As we make voting easier and more convenient for people, more people will vote," Coleman said. "Another part of it is the fact that there is a contest for the Democratic Party this year, so folks are excited about casting a ballot for one of two or three candidates."
He said election officials across the country would be looking at Arizona's Democratic primary to see how Internet balloting does.
"This election... will serve as a model of how to put together an Internet election," Coleman said.
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