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Reprinted from Eden Prairie News, Letters to the Editor, Thursday, June 15, 2006
Voter ID requirement a waste of time
By: Marjory Gherity
The voter ID requirement is a waste of time. It will cost more than it is worth, it will not stop illegal voters but could pose a problem for some legal voters, and it does not address the most serious threat to the integrity of our election system.
Last September, the General Accountability Office reported on the problems related to electronic voting systems. The major problem noted by the GAO was that hackers have easy access to electronic voting systems because of seriously inadequate security standards. Some systems can be hacked and votes can be altered with no indication that hacking has taken place. Some touch screen systems can be hacked and altered to show one vote, but record another. Some systems have reported more votes than there were voters. Others have simply lost thousands of votes. Election results can also be hacked and altered when they are electronically transmitted from local precincts to central locations.
Minnesota purchased new voting machines last year, but most voters will continue to use optic scanners, which, unlike touch-screen systems, do provide a paper trail. However, they operate from memory cards that, if not properly secured, can be altered to falsify election results and leave no evidence of tampering and, therefore, no reason to request a recount of the paper trail. As for a recount on a touch-screen machine – forget it. The software that records and counts the votes is not available for public scrutiny because of trade-secret protections.
Over two-thirds of the country now votes on electronic voting systems which have not been exhaustively tested for reliability and security because this country has no mandatory standards for the development and testing of electronic voting machines.
The money we save by not implementing a voter ID card requirement would be much better spent on paper ballots until our electronic voting systems can be more like ATMs, which are secure and reliable and provide transaction receipts and accurate totals.
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Marge Gherity is an Eden Prairie resident and a frequent letter writer to local newspapers. In the past, she has written letters supporting gay marriage, abortion, government spending, assisted suicide, separation of church and state, death taxes, income taxes, the United Nations . . . and even Michael Moore!
Marjory never explains how simply asking someone for ID can cost so much money. And when has spending taxpayer money ever bothered a Democrat?
Reprinted from Eden Prairie News, Letters to the Editor, Thursday, June 15, 2006
Voter ID bill not understood
By: Tommy Johnson
Judging by recent letters to the editor, the "Voter ID" bill (H.F. 1443) is not fully understood. As with most bills introduced for consideration, this bill was complex. First introduced by Republican State Rep. Tom Emmer on March 3, 2005, it was not passed until over one year later, and much debate, on May 10, 2006. Obviously, there were many pro- and con- aspects to a bill taking this long to pass – which I'm not going into.
My point is that if there is anyone that should understand the complexities of such a bill, it should be an official of a political party, such as Al Bode -- a vice chair of local Republican Senate District 42. Mr. Bode had a letter published questioning Democrat State Rep. Maria Ruud's vote on this bill in this paper on June 1. Rather than discussing the merits of the bill, Mr. Bode chose to ask simplistic, rhetorical questions. Is this the type of politicking local voters should expect from the leadership of a political party?
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Tommy "Two Putt" Johnson (that's what he calls himself, folks -- we don't make it up) is an Eden Prairie resident and recently sought the DFL endorsement to run against Congressman Jim Ramstad in Minnesota's Third Congressional District. He was not successful. On his website, he emphasizes his opposition to the Iraq War and actually uses the phrase: "No More Nukes".
By the way, we like Mr. Bode's questions. It's too bad Ruud and her supporters are not up to the challenge of answering them.
Reprinted from Eden Prairie News, Letters to the Editor, Thursday, June 01, 2006
 Supports Ruud's vote
By: Peggy Kvam
Thank you to Rep. Maria Ruud for standing up for citizens' right to vote.
Minnesota is proud of its high voter turnout and excellent voter service with at-the-poll registration, absentee ballots and ease of voting. There are many protections in place in our voting system. Rather than showing an ID, registered voters sign the roster as their oath of eligibility to vote. The election judge or authorized challenger has available a formal challenge process for eligibility concerns. The voter roster is updated every presidential election cycle, so if you are an infrequent voter you must register again. Registration requires specific photo ID and address verification. Because of these protections, voter fraud in Minnesota is extremely rare.
As an election judge and member of the League of Women Voters, I disapprove of the Voter ID proposal because it will disenfranchise many eligible voters including the elderly, as well as needlessly add expense and delay to the voting process.
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Peggy Kvam is an Eden Prairie resident and serves on the board of the League of Women Voters.
NOTE: Local membership in the League of Women Voters includes Democrats Steve Kelly (D-44), Carol Bomben (who is running against Senator David Hann), . . . and Maria Ruud (D-42A). Although the group describes itself as "nonpartisan", no local Republican legislators are members. For an idea of who the League of Women Voters is and what they beleive, see this recent newsletter.
 Reprinted from Eden Prairie News, Letters to the Editor, Thursday, June 1, 2006
Election Safeguards
By: Al Bode
How important is the accuracy of our elections?
Recently the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill requiring voters to show a picture ID when voting. The bill even promises free ID cards for the poor and exempts residents living in nursing homes.
Does that seem too burdensome? I need photo identification to write a check. I need photo identification to buy a drink. I need photo identification to get on an airplane. Doesn’t it make sense that voting would too?
Well, Rep Maria Ruud voted against this measure. Why would anyone want our voting process to not use commonly accepted verification methods?
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Al Bode is an Eden Prairie resident and current Vice Chair of the SD42 Republican Party
Reprinted from Eden Prairie News, Letters to the Editor, Thursday, May 25, 2006
Questions Ruud's Vote
By: Sarah Halvorson
I am an 18-year resident of Eden Prairie and a life-long resident of Minnesota. Recently I learned that our Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill requiring voters to show a driver's license (or other picture identification) when they vote.
Upon learning this, I had two serious concerns.
First, why hasn't proof of identification been a requirement to vote in Minnesota? It only makes logical sense in light of the abundant evidence of fraudulent voting both in the United States and elsewhere.
Second, why did my state legislator, Maria Ruud, vote against this requirement? Is there anything for which Ruud believes one should have to identify themselves?
Perhaps Ruud would like to enlighten her constituents as to why she believes people should be permitted to walk into one of our local polling places and demand to vote without even showing they are a U.S. citizen.
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Sarah Halvorson is an Eden Prairie resident
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MARIA RUUD AND VOTE FRAUD 