GLENDALE—The Armenian National Committee of America, Western Region’s Hye Votes Campaign submitted a letter Thursday to the Los Angeles County Registrar, Dean Logan, calling for an investigation on what could be a system error in the registered voter database resulting in potential voter fraud and disenfranchisement.
“It is clear that there are errors within the Registrar’s voter rolls and database system that are causing individuals to receive more than one ballot. We are confident that Mr. Logan and his office will take the appropriate and necessary steps to resolve this matter without delay,“ stated Hye Votes Campaign Director Elen Asatryan. “In the past several months, the Hye Votes Campaign alone has registered thousands of Armenian-Americans to vote and in the coming days, we hope to work with the Registrar’s office to ensure that voters, and especially first time voters, don’t lose confidence in the electoral process because of such errors,” added Asatryan.
On Monday, October 15, the Hye Votes office was notified by 5 permanent absentee voters that they had received 2 ballots with different ballots numbers for the November 6, 2012 General Elections. Given the repercussions of double voting, Hye Votes demanded in today’s letter that immediate action be taken and an investigation be launched to alleviate any potential complications voters, and the registrar, may encounter.
Hye Votes also requested a meeting with Logan to discuss how his office plans to resolve this matter in a timely fashion, and how they plan to communicate to voters who have received duplicate ballots.
The Hye Votes Campaign was launched by the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region in 2012, as a region wide, non-partisan initiative to engage community members in the electoral process. The Hye Votes efforts in coalition with a network of non-profit organizations, student groups, and community members, are intended to register and encourage the community to vote in the November 6th General Elections while also serving as a source for voter information.
The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
Can I ask what the HyeVotes program objectives are? They seem to be spending money on getting people to register to vote. But they don’t help Armenians with who and what to vote for that best serves the Armenian-American community and interests. Go ask them who to vote for for example and see what response you get. If the program is only the get Armenians to register to vote, there is already American programs that help citizens to register. Spend the money on helping poor families in Armenia.
My office met yesterday with representatives of Hye Votes on this issue and we want to ensure voters’ concerns are addressed. At the meeting, the circumstances associated with the voters referenced in the article were clarified. Rather than an error in the voter data base, the receipt of more than one ballot resulted from newly received voter registration applications submitted by voters after the initial mailing of ballots to permanent vote by mail voters. In some cases, these updates to the voters’ file generated a re-issued ballot. Voters can be reassured that the system tracks all ballot distribution and is programmed to only accept and count one voted ballot per voter.
No evidence of voter fraud or disenfranchisement is associated with these circumstances. Voters with concerns about their ballots are encouraged to contact the Registrar’s Office at 1-800-815-2666 or by email at voterinfo@rrcc.lacounty.gov
Dean C. Logan
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Los Angeles County