I was at a tournament this week-end when I overheard the following
discussion between Randy Hough (USCF board member) and his assistant
TD.

Apparently Randy had collected 6 or 7 blank ballots from local USCF
members and was in the process of voting for them. He and the
asssitant TD were discussing whether it made sense to cast votes for
Don Schultz with these ballots. I don't know who was recieving the
other 3 votes.

I had the sense that Bill Goichberg was aware of this practice.
Strikes me as good old fashion ballot box stuffing. Is this practice
widespread?

Would anyone care to confirm or deny? I certainly advise anyone that
asks my opinion on how I am voting. It seems unethical to me to be
collecting blank ballots and then actually castng the votes.

Allan Fifield
_________________
seki
10470218

It is true that this has the effect of a proxy. However, it is not a
proxy, as you surely recognize, Jack. A proxy is a document that gives
a person the right to exercise another person's vote. Proxies are
generally authorized by the bylaws, and it seems to me that unless
there is such an authorization, proxies would not be authorized. If
they were authorized, people collecting ballots and voting them would
also have to mail in a proxy document for each ballot identifying and
authorizing them as the proxy of the voter.

The USCF ballots have the names of the voters printed on them and the
counting procedures include validating the ballots and making a record
of whether a person voted. There is no provision for proxies. The
clear intent is that the voters are supposed to vote their own
ballots. I no longer have my ballot so I cannot check but there may be
wording on the ballot that makes this explicit, but it is certainly
strongly implied.

Collecting blank ballots, voting them, and mailing them in is fraud.
It would not surprise me if it is a criminal offense.

Brian Mottorshead