June 12, 2018: ROTARY IN REVIEW: Joseph Mansky

Club 10 Business Report

 

Next year’s President-elect John Chandler rang the bell to bring the meeting to order at 12:16 p.m. on a cloudy, late spring day in River City. David Laird led the assembled Rotarians in singing America, the Beautiful accompanied by Past President Doug Hartford on the piano-like machine. Nancy Brady provided today's Inspirational Minute. James Grayson facilitated the introduction of visiting Rotarians and guests of Visiting Rotarians. Today's greeters were Patrick Brown and Deb Vos.

 

President-elect John asked Chad Roberts to promote this coming Thursday’s Fellowship Happy Hour at Landmark Center. The event begins at 4:45 p.m. with a tour of the Center including a trip to the rooftop and a marvelous view of the City’s skyline. Soon after, at 5:30 p.m. time approximate, the Happy Hour will move to Waldmann’s Brewery and Wurstery out West Seventh/Fort Road way for continued fellowship and good food and drink. There are only two fellowship events left in this program year. President-elect John then mentioned that the Old Timers’ Dinner will take place at the Pool and Yacht Club on June 28^th. Details available on the Club 10 website.

 

Rotary Exchange Student Lani Vue presented about her exchange to Harding High School and her time in the United States. She spoke about her interests in school and about her extended family. She also thanked Rotary for its support to the Exchange program. (Unfortunately, technical difficulties plagued her presentation, so not all pictures of her visit were available for the assemblage.)

 

Valdi Stefanson was requested to the dais for the presentation of a check from Past District Governor Gary Campbell for medical supplies in Bolivia. Valdi was appreciative of the support and detailed the ongoing work in South America contributed by Club 10 and other partner Rotary Clubs in the District.

 

Past president Jay Pfaender rose to promote next week’s presentation: Barry ZeVan, the weatherman. Many in attendance recalled Mr. ZeVan as the popular weatherman on Channel 5 in the Twin Cities several decades back. It will be an entertaining event, one NOT to be missed! NOTE: the meeting on Tuesday, June 19^th will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel Atrium.

 

Past President Chuck Roach introduced today’s speaker, Director of Elections for Ramsey County, Joe Mansky. Past President Chuck mentioned that Mr. Mansky is currently the defendant in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Minnesota Voters’ Alliance vs. Mansky. The case concerns the first amendment right of free speech within the context of the right to vote and sets up a conflict between the right to speak or display messages within a polling place versus an unfettered right to vote without messages present. A group of individuals wanted to wear political buttons into a polling place. Mr. Mansky mentioned that current law (1912) states that the right to do so ends at the polling place door. (Although he said a decision was expected by the end of June, as these Minutes have been submitted [June 14^th], SCOTUS issued its decision this very morning. The Minnesota statute has been struck down. Mr. Mansky lost his case!)

 

Voting in Minnesota happens in 4,000 locations. According to Mr. Mansky, decentralization is an asset. It is a deterrent to hacking or rigging the system. Minnesota voting law has always featured “mutual suspicion.” Two election judges, one from each party, are stationed at each polling place. There is an ability to see each ballot as the voters have marked them (“visual inspection”) to determine the intent of the voter; it is a completely paper ballot system. In contrast, Wisconsin will run ballots through the voting machine a second time during a recount. In Minnesota, every election can be independently audited. Official results are hand-carried after sign-off be election judges. Since the elections are paper ballots, they cannot be hacked, they cannot be rigged. In Ramsey County, the old lever machines that many people recall were replaced by optical scanning voting machines (which is a good technology developed in 1950’s).

 

New technology will most likely be pushed out ten to twelve years from now. Voter behavior is changing. In the last general election, 20% of the vote was prior to election day; next time it is predicted to be 33% prior to election day. There is a need to count rapidly and a need for security on these ballots. It is a non-networked computer system. Results are physically returned to the election office on election night. Computers are not on the Ramsey County network. The system cannot be hacked. “Blue tape” on the floor at polling places cannot be crossed unless you are a voter. Four sheriff’s deputies protect the ballots. There has been no transmission of results from polling places since 2013. Therefore, hackers cannot come in contact with voting equipment. The only people who can come in contact with the equipment are people authorized to do so. There is a 99.97% voting accuracy rate in Ramsey County. Voters are the source of almost all errors. Mr. Mansky tells his staff: “pursue perfection relentlessly…we shall encounter excellence.”

 

These are the types of electoral fraud (all of which are felonies):

 

President-elect John thanked Mr. Mansky for his presentation and presented him with a Club 10 recognition certificate and noted that a donation would be made in his name to the Saint Paul Public Library's "Reading Together" program. Also, Mr. Mansky was presented with a Rotary coin inscribed with the Rotary "Four-Way Test." President-elect John then led those assembled in a recitation of the Four-Way Test ("Is it the Truth? Is it Fair to all concerned? Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships? Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?"). He then rang the bell to close the meeting at 1:13 p.m.