CommentsVOICES--Lucille Saunders protests and challenges the Mid-City West Community Council election held on June 2, 2019 at Pan Pacific Park.
Attached is the “Progressive Slate Election Day Picnic” flyer (front/page 1, solicitation, back/page 2. slate). This handout clearly documents some of many serious abuses and violations to the citizen election process to this oversight body:
(1). The “election day picnic” flyer was distributed by unknown persons to unknown persons in unknown areas, and clearly, broadly invited these persons in these areas with solicitations, thus included anyone who received the flyer for “quid pro quo” votes. Note content:
1.1. to “join us”… “and vote!” with no claim nor confirmation of stakeholder status,
1.2 provided with “food and fun” inducements to join and vote as given slate directed,
1.3 made business advertisements/endorsements to Bagel Broker and Joymode, including club description and gratuity to redeem for credit as clearly for vote.
The flyer violates California Elections Code sections 18000 et seq by inducing a vote for the slate; violates Sections 18500 by corrupting the voting process, and section 18561 by aiding and abetting the corruption of voting in the city park.
(2). The “Progressive Slate” was provided on the flyer so anyone from anywhere could also vote in the election for those candidates, as there was no authentication of any sort at the site for any identity or status to justify ability to vote in this election. This act promoted the questionable inclusion of any/all flyer receivers or picnic participants with no true MCW stakeholder status as eligible to vote.
This stakeholder requests a remedy of verification of stakeholder status for the votes cast in the election. Clearly, the verification may require an investigation, including a criminal investigation by the district attorney's office (or the city attorney's or state attorney general's office) into the numerous potential criminal violations of California State Elections Code stated above. This will include illegally inducing a vote by provision of the event, food and drink as consideration, illegally corrupting the voting process and illegally aiding and abetting a corruption of the voting process by encouraging voting by non-stakeholders.
The Neighborhood Council mission is to represent the people’s voices—to represent the people of the respective neighborhood. This stakeholder must challenge and DONE must address this obvious election missteps to this mission.
Sincerely submitted,
Lucille Saunders
(Lucille Saunders is the La Brea Willoughby Coalition president and a citywide community activist. She welcomes all comments and questions at [email protected].)
-cw