Voter's absentee ballots not counted--twice in two months!

Armen Yousoufian's mail-in absentee ballot in the September 2005 primary was rejected because of a signature mismatch. His signature had changed substantially since the 1970s, when he first voted in King County. The Elections office sent Yousoufian a notice of the problem, but it came too late for his vote to be counted.

In the November elections, Yousoufian submitted his absentee ballot along with an updated registration form and a note. The King County canvassing board voted to accept the ballot and instructed the staff to count the ballot, but the staff never counted the ballot.

Upon learning of his second disenfranchisement, Yousoufian complained to the canvassing board. He received an apology letter from canvassing board head Dean Logan. Although Yousoufian's votes were not counted in last fall's elections, Logan made sure that the records would credit Yousoufian for voting.

Says Yousoufian, "It happened to King County Council Chair Larry Phillips in fall 2004, and now to me, and who knows how many more voters it has happened to who don't realize it?" With regard to a plan spearheaded by Dean Logan to move toward all-mail voting in King County, Yousoufian calls it "fraught with problems."

Yousoufian is involved in an ongoing lawsuit against King County Executive Ron Sims over violations of public disclosure law. He has been especially interested in researching corporate-welfare issues related to the Seahawks stadium deal and the destruction of the old Kingdome. He has been an outspoken critic of Sims as well as of Dow Constantine, who is now one of the three members of the canvassing board.

Seattle conservative blogger Stefan Sharkansky has provided a detailed account of Yousoufian's uncounted ballot experience at www.soundpolitics.com/archives/005923.html#005923.

Doug Collins