Polyxane (Poly) S. Cobb

Mushtaque Alikhan Mirza

Frank A. Pedro (withdrawn)

Linda Sophia Pinti

1. State your name, residential address, business address, and telephone number(s).

Polyxane (Poly) S. Cobb
140 Lexington Av.
Cambridge MA 02138
617-492-4630

Mushtaque Alikhan Mirza
843 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-876-4267
Mustaquealikhan at yahoo dot com

Frank A. Pedro
208 Harvard Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
Home: 617-868-7574
Office: 617-868-2700
Office Fax: 617-868-0600

Linda Sophia Pinti
1643 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-547-6465 
lsophiapinti at yahoo dot com

2. Personal. Give a brief biographical summary, including your occupation and past activity in the Democratic Party, community, Cambridge politics, and voter registration. Please include your experience with proportional representation, Cambridge election procedures, and the election laws, if any. Attach a resume if available. Is there, or do you anticipate, anything (time, other commitments) that would present a conflict of interest or otherwise make it difficult to fulfill your duties as Election Commissioner for the full four-year term?

I was born in and grew up in Brookline and moved to Cambridge in 1969 when I took a job with Harvard University Press as a Production Coordinator. Following high school I first attended Lawrence College for 1-1/2 years and transferred to Boston University's School of Fine & Applied Arts (now called School for the Arts) with a major in applied voice and a concentration in opera. I lived in New York City for six years where I had a short, happy, but undistinguished career as an opera singer, followed by two years as a Production Assistant at Random House.

Since the birth of my second child, a disabled son, and the departure of his father from our family, I have, due to the complexities of care my son requires, worked out of my home. I co-founded and was the first Executive Director of Temporary Care Services, Inc., an agency providing respite care and family service to families with children with disabilities in Cambridge and Somerville. I presently consult with non-profits in fundraising and with organizations and individuals in organizational management, database design, forms design, and graphic design.

I have been involved with politics since 1960 when I worked to elect John Kennedy President while attending college. Later, when I moved to Cambridge, I became involved in campaigns for Democratic candidates throughout the 70s and 80s. In the 1990s I became involved in Ward 9 activities, and was elected to the Committee in 1996. I served as Vice-Chair and became Chair in 2001.

I have managed two campaigns for School Committee in Cambridge where describing Proportional Representation to new voters honed my skill in explaining the value of the system as well as its mechanics to new voters. To run campaigns effectively, I had to acquaint myself with the intricacies of election law as well as Cambridge procedures.

I advocate for the legal rights of people with disabilities through my work with the Coalition for the Legal Rights of People with Disabilities and I serve on the Advisory Council for the commonwealth's Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC).

There are no areas of my life that present any conflict of interest or otherwise make it difficult for me to fulfill the duties of an Election Commissioner in Cambridge.

Born in India, of Persian ancestry, to a middle class family, I spent the greater part of my youth educated in Catholic schools. I immigrated to the United States in order to pursue graduate studies in Environmental Engineering. I have made my home in Cambridge, Massachusetts since 1973.

I am a registered Professional Engineer with more than 30 years of experience in engineering. I have managed multi-million dollar environmental projects for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts aimed at making our environment a cleaner and safer place for our families. The work I am engaged in has saved taxpayers thousands of dollars in water bills by reducing extraneous flow entering in to wastewater treatment plants. Furthermore, these efforts have furthered the enforcement of Safe Drinking Water Regulations for our collective health. I acquired my status as Diplomat Environment Engineer from American Academy of Environmental Engineers in 1992.

Like environmental issues, labor and community issues are also close to my heart. I am one of the three trustees of Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists (MOSES) and prior to this I was a member of Executive Board of Directors for thirteen years. I like to see the concerns of working families be listened and appropriately and substantively addressed

I participate actively in my neighborhood and community. In addition to participating regularly in Boston's Interfaith Clergy Dialogue, I also volunteered at the local homeless shelter located in Lutheran Church in Harvard Square.

I worked with ethnic and minority communities in other states, mobilizing thousands of new and undecided voters for John Kerry's presidential campaign. I have personally registered at least few thousand citizens of south Asian and Middle East background in Massachusetts and close to three hundred in Cambridge.

As a Cambridge native, interested in government, while a graduate student at Suffolk University, I had the occasion of choosing an internship. Coincidental, the City had undertaken to overhaul the financial and administrative systems. I served as a "budget analyst" and served in man capacities including some election auditing for the Election Commission and early research concerning the automated counting of Plan E Election ballots.

I completed my Master Degree in Public Administration and remained with the City until an opportunity with Non-profit Just-A-Start Corporation came up. This of course set me on my road to operation of my own Property Management firm here in Cambridge: providing real estate services to an eclectic portfolio of properties.

From the political side, I have been a member of the Democratic City Committee for over 30 years. I have served as Ward 2 AND 3 Chairs and for two years Chairman of the City Committee. My tenure extends back to the turbulent '60's when east Cambridge never met west Cambridge and the Election Commissioners elections were events of legend. I do not want to age myself but I worked the old Plan E counts to earn spending money while in college and served as a Warden at the old Inman Square Fire House.

It has been a personal ambition to work as a Commissioner for a number of years, however, it always has seemed that another candidate more ready, and able to serve was in the number one slot and I was happy to stand as number two to support them. This time, I would welcome the opportunity to serve and do not see any interference with my prospective duties for at least three terms when I might just retire.

On a personal note, I reside here in Cambridge with my wife Peggy and my daughter Mary Kate in a home that my family has lovingly lived in for over 8o years. I wish to than the committee for their consideration and I do promise to work tirelessly toward the task voter rights and expansion of the vote totals both here in Cambridge and the Commonwealth.

I have lived in Cambridge since 1987, first coming here to study theology and ministry at Harvard Divinity School.

Prior to this I did my undergraduate work in Philosophy and Psychology at University of Michigan and following this took a job at U of M, counseling and teaching math and philosophy in a program for financially and academically challenged minority students, most of whom were African-American, Hispanic, and Native American.

Since coming to Cambridge I have worked for the cause of social and environmental justice in a variety of capacities both within religious communities and our larger community. In addition I have pursued studies in Holistic Healing and Energy Medicine. Currently I am an Independent Consultant and my work schedule is totally flexible and therefore would not conflict with my serving on the Election Commission for the full term.

I am a life-long Democrat, with active involvement in Democratic politics beginning in my sophomore year of high school when I volunteered in George McGovern's presidential campaign. It was then that my interest in voting rights and expanding citizen participation was sparked on one Saturday during the campaign, when two male college students and I, just sixteen years old, went out into an impoverished community in Flint, Michigan and registered 98 voters on one street. This was a transformative moment for me and gave me a real sense of the possibility and importance of civic activism and engagement.

My interest in Cambridge politics began in 1990 while still in graduate school when I traveled with a group led by then Mayor Frank Duehay on a political and environmental exchange between Cambridge and Mainz, Germany. Since that time I have volunteered in numerous political campaigns at the municipal, state, and national levels.

I have been serving as Secretary of Ward 6 since 2004 and was an active ward committee member before that. I have served as a Ward 6 delegate to 10 Democratic state conventions. I serve on the Board of Directors of Bay State Stonewall Democrats. I traveled to New Hampshire and Iowa for Howard Dean's presidential campaign, the latter as part of a delegation of local elected officials and party leaders, and frequently to New Hampshire on behalf of Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.

I coordinated the phone bank for the John Kerry campaign in Cambridge (the 2nd largest Kerry phone bank in Massachusetts) and was deeply troubled by the many reports of voter confusion and suppression coming back to our volunteers, even from New England.

As a response to this and other concerns, immediately after the 2004 election I formed a Task Force on Election Integrity in my ward committee and we met with the Election Commission to express our concerns regarding the security of the voting machines.

Most recently I participated actively in Deval Patrick's campaign from its inception, volunteering for a variety of tasks including voter registration and outreach in the LGBT community.

Polyxane (Poly) S. Cobb

Mushtaque Alikhan Mirza

Frank A. Pedro

Linda Sophia Pinti

3. Reason for Seeking Office. Please explain why you are seeking the office of Election Commissioner.

I am deeply concerned that elections be inclusive, fair, convenient, secure, and reflect the preferences of voters accurately. While Cambridge is accessible for people with disabilities, it is not as supportive and friendly as it should be. I bring a particular expertise in this area which I will use to ensure that people with disabilities find voting in Cambridge to be welcoming and comfortable.

I am dedicated to expanding the voter base, especially among young people, members of the minority communities within the city, and newer residents. I believe that the Commissioners have a real responsibility in this area, not only to direct and support the staff, but to engage directly in the process.

I also want to see Cambridge take advantage of the multiplicity of technological solutions to sustain and support the work of the staff of the Election Commission, not only through balloting, but through record-keeping as well.

Voter turnout for the Primary was 30% and for the State Election was 55% in 2006. This is a very low turnout in my opinion. A larger voter turnout in Cambridge can make a difference in statewide races as well as Cambridge Senatorial races which in turn will grant us a strong voice in Beacon Hill. I would like to use my talent in mathematics and computers to do statistical analysis of voters in terms of voter history, voting patterns of ethnic and racial communities, in-depth study of areas of lower voter turnout etc. to find the solutions to promote higher voter turnout. I can fluently speak five languages which have helped me in mobilizing the growing South Asian and Middle Eastern communities in Cambridge to register to vote. I want to use my knowledge of languages and power as an Election commissioner to promote voter registration in immigrant communities. As a former public employee, I have the experience of dealing with the public and addressing their concerns since 1977. I have been involved in local, statewide and national political campaigns in mobilizing minority voters. I would like to use all of my talents to promote voter turnout

See above.

The last several election cycles have demonstrated in dramatic fashion that our precious democracy is fragile and can be compromised if we are not vigilant. Fragile yes, but also resilient when good and high-minded people stand up for elections that are open, fair, transparent and accessible. I am seeking the office of Election Commissioner to serve as a steward of election integrity in Cambridge and to help make Cambridge the electoral model for the commonwealth and the nation that it can be when at it's best. Most immediately I would work to increase voter turnout though voter education, increased registration in targeted communities and promoting legislative initiatives toward electoral reform.

4. Voter Participation (registration and turnout).

a. Increasing participation. Given the dynamic nature of the City of Cambridge, with a highly transient population, how do you propose to increase the number of people who register and vote? Do you have any specific suggestions for increasing participation? If so, what, in numbers, are realistic goals and how would the Election Commission accomplish those goals? i.e. city census mail program, door to door or phone census canvassing.

Most prominently, we need to enact election-day voter registration. Before flexible databases and rapid communication, such a system would be difficult, but not anymore.

We need to make the process of voting less mysterious for new voters so that they enter polling places confidently and with comfort. Sample ballots, short descriptions of what to expect, hand-outs at the time of registration that explain the process, and greater use of the web to inform voters could help, as could advertising in local newspapers, reminder mailings (already a mainstay, but which could use some tweaking) and materials in foreign languages need to be available.

We need to sponsor twice-yearly programs in the high school to catch young potential voters and encourage the schools to do more to make students aware of campaigns and how citizenship works. Cambridge should explore linking to Kids Voting Massachusetts, an affiliate of Kids Voting USA, which encourages civic participation and has tools and activities available to assist. Boston requires that all graduating seniors receive voter registration cards. Cambridge should do the same.

The census mail program to recruit poll workers has been very successful. We need to build on this success by recruiting in colleges and through the high school.

This is really a challenge to the new Election Commissioner. I was born in the largest democratic country in the world -- India. India is a very diverse country with 26 official languages, yet voter turnout is always above 75%. Unfortunately voter turnout in our country is low and especially in the municipal election it is very low. We may blame this on complacency of voters, negative campaigns by candidates, etc., but we have to find the solution to the problem. Two solutions I strongly recommend are same-day registration and two hours off from the work to vote. Other states like New Hampshire, Maine, and Minnesota have election laws that include same day registration. As an election Commissioner I will be more than happy to testify to pass the same-day registration bill in the state house. Voting on Saturday may be a good idea but it may not be suitable for some communities. I have addressed the issue of increasing participation of voters in previous question# 3.

I believe in the Election Day Registration process. Embracing Senate Bill # 446 will increase the number of voters by at least 5%. It will also remove some of the pre-election planning for those individuals who just can't get it together in advance.

First I would want to do some comprehensive analysis before setting benchmarks, but an increase of at least 20-25% certainly ought to be possible, and more over time. While always a challenge, there are many creative and practical strategies to increase voter turnout that have already worked in other states which we aren't doing now and I would think that we could find some new approaches to try in Cambridge as we ought be the model for the state. We are definitely not doing a good enough job explaining and promoting an understanding of and an appreciation for Proportional Representation (PR).

Dynamic educational programs could be initiated at the high school level. There is a clever video explanation of Instant Runoff Voting on U-Tube, and a similar one on PR could be produced for U-Tube, in multiple languages, and even put it on DVD's for free distribution. If I am appointed to the Election Commission, I would commit to doing a regular column in the Cambridge Chronicle on election issues to help educate our electorate. Perhaps we could have home- grown celebrities film a public service announcement about PR and the importance of voting such as Ben Affleck and Mat Damon. There are also small, effective programs that can be implemented, such as an election-day stickers campaign that say "I voted today, have you?" at the polling places which remind people to vote. Some states have seen increased turnout from mandating a 2-hour work release to vote on request. Cambridge could lead the state by making election day a municipal holiday, a step toward a state and national holiday. In addition we can promote more targeted registration outreach, working with labor, business, student and community groups to promote voter participation.

Legislative initiatives for electoral reform that would increase turnout which I would advocate include election day registration and unconditional absentee ballots, the latter program is already offered in 26 states.

Polyxane (Poly) S. Cobb

Mushtaque Alikhan Mirza

Frank A. Pedro

Linda Sophia Pinti

b. Location. Do you think changing the siting of registration or polling places would improve participation? Did you favor the reduction from 42 to 33 precincts? Do you feel that Cambridge should have more or fewer precincts than it did in 2006? Consistent with the constraints of redistricting boundaries, where, if anywhere, would you add or subtract precincts?

We need to inspect every polling place biannually to be sure the locations themselves actually meet the needs of voters, including those with disabilities and other challenges. We need to be sure there is adequate parking to accommodate those who must drive. We also need to be sensitive as we set-up the polling places that we allow for adequate traffic flow, clear procedural information for voters, and placement of specialized voting devices for those with disabilities so that they can vote comfortably and privately.

I am not convinced that reducing the number of precincts has done much to improve voter turnout. Fewer polling places mean that it is more difficult for some voters to get to the polls, especially those who are older, who have disabilities, or who have young children. If we are sincere about increasing voter turnout, we should not make it more difficult for voters to vote.

I do favor reduction from 42 to 33 precincts considering the present voter turn out. If elected as election commissioner, my first effort will be to increase voter participation and if that happens then certainly I will recommend an increase in precincts in order to avoid long lines and inconvenience at polls. However it will require training larger polling staff to make sure that they are competent enough to do their job. We can not change the boundaries and locations of precincts as we wish because we have to follow the election laws which require roughly equal number of residents in each precinct. While drawing the boundaries and locations of precincts it should be considered that the polling station should be conveniently located to all the residents of the precincts with handicap accessibility.

I personally did not favor the reduction of precincts. I believe the geographical choices for polling place became limited and forced elderly and those on the fence about voting to stay home. Voting must be accessible and to do so mini-precincts locations should be employed.

Obviously the number of polling places is something that must be reevaluated periodically. The reduction from 42 to 33 precincts may have contributed to a reduction in turnout, but there are so many other factors involved that it is difficult to determine. The reduction in precincts, which has been going on for some time now obviously has been a budgetary temptation, but that needs to be weighed against ease and convenience of voters' getting to the polling places. It is an issue that must receive full and open public discussion at our next redistricting. In the meantime, I would favor an examination of our most geographically stretched out precincts with a view to considering splitting into divisions those whose present polling locations at one extremity of the current precinct(s) can be demonstrated to adversely affect turnout form the opposite end(s), but I would always advocate maintaining the integrity of our historic neighborhoods.

c. Information. Do you have any proposals for improving the existing voter education program? Do you support or oppose proposals requiring the posting of the MA Voters Bill of Rights in every polling place? Do you support or oppose proposals that would allow Cambridge voters to check their registration status online like Boston voters?

My work with graphic design and in publishing has made me sensitive to the ways presentation affects access. Poorly designed materials, with densely packed type and poor separation between segments will not be read. Such materials are essentially useless in providing information. The job of the Election Commission is to ensure that voters have the information they need to be informed participants in democracy. Giving them materials is not enough; those materials should be accessible. Often municipal materials are not designed to capture the attention of the reader, but to fulfill the obligation to make materials available. The two should not be in conflict, but often are. We need to remediate that.

The Voters Bill of Rights belong in every polling place, placed prominently so that voters can refer to them comfortably. Placement should be such that those in wheelchairs have the same ease as others in locating and reading them. The same, of course, goes for all postings in polling places.

The Voters Bill of Rights should also be a part of the election materials voters receive prior to elections.

Voters should be able to check their status online. We post materials publicly and physically in front of every polling place now. The web is, in many ways, replacing public postings as a mechanism for informing the public. There is a concern about giving easy access to names and addresses to those who may use the data in ways that are unintended or commercial. There are several ways that can be made more difficult, and those solutions should be in place before postings occur.

I noticed during my years in India that newspapers used to provide a lot more information about candidates. That is not the case in our state. A candidate with money uses the news media to convey his/her messages through advertisement while one a candidate without money is left out in the cold. I believe the Election Commission should provide as much information as it can in public buildings like libraries, etc. about candidates and ballot questions. I support the Election Commission providing impartial information like bio and standing of candidates on various issues and only one comment from proponent and opponent of ballot questions on its website, or sending email to those voters who have provided their emails to the Election Commission. I support the posting of the MA Voters Bill of Rights in every polling place. I support allowing Cambridge voters to check their registration status online.

I feel the current program works very well.

I have already addressed this to some degree in my answer to question 4, but let me say again that we must begin voter education at a young age. The Election Commission can work in conjunction with our schools to find creative ways to promote interest in the importance of civic engagement and election participation. I would like to see our high schools designate election day as a day to focus on programming about all aspects of our electoral process, holding mock elections for the major candidates, holding discussions, showing related films and so forth. In addition programs to give high school students who are 16 or 17 an opportunity to work at the polls on election day can create understanding and interest in election participation for life.

I strongly favor the display of the Voters Bill of Rights not just on election day, but year-round and not only in every polling place, but in every post office and government building and anyplace else that posting it is appropriate.

I would favor that residents of Cambridge have the opportunity to check their registration status on line as this may also help to increase voter participation.

Polyxane (Poly) S. Cobb

Mushtaque Alikhan Mirza

Frank A. Pedro

Linda Sophia Pinti

5. Accuracy of Voter Lists. Do you think that the existing system is adequate to minimize voter list inaccuracies (e.g., erroneously dropping voters, or carrying nonresidents on the voter lists)? Do you have an opinion on the current policy regarding inactive voters? Do you have any improvements to propose?

There are always ways to improve the accuracy of voter lists, so the process should continually be re-evaluated. I think that the census needs to be evaluated by focus groups to help locate the impediments to responsiveness. Non-english speaking citizens, or those who don't read comfortably have difficulties for which solutions must be found. There are several re-design ideas that will make it easier for citizens to respond to the census. Those need to be tested, refined, and implemented.

Inactive voters often become a problem for voter initiatives. I am concerned about wholesale reduction of voter rolls based on the census, however, since the return rate is so abysmal as it is. I think we need to re-design the census, make clear its purpose, and investigate other methods of ensuring accuracy.

I had an access to voters' history in Cambridge when I served as Regional Director of the First Suffolk and Middlesex and Middlesex, Suffolk, and Essex Senatorial Districts by the Democratic State Committee. While conducting caucuses as chairman of Ward 4, I have noticed inaccuracies about voters. The least expensive way to address this problem is to have online access to the voter list so that a registered voter can check his/her status online and inform the election commission in person or in writing to correct his/her status should there be an error.

I agree with the current policy regarding inactive voters. However I believe reporting voter turnout in terms of percentage should be based on both active voters and inactive voters.

Same Day Registration will solve some of these issues.

I think the current system is reasonable as it takes the voter three episodes of non- response to be removed from the rolls, namely they don't return the census form, they fail to vote in the next two biennial state elections and then when notified that they are about to be removed from the list, they fail to respond and claim their status as a voter.

And even after all of this, if we institute election-day registration, the voter would get another chance to respond and register and be reinstated as a voter. I also believe that the current system could be improved through refinement of the census procedures to utilize both the mail back census and door-to-door census takers. This "belt and suspenders," approach, though more expensive may cut down on errors and yield a more accurate voter list.

6. Operation of the Election Commission. Do you have any comments on, or changes to propose in the day-to-day administration of the Commission? Do you have any suggestions for making the Commission more efficient? How will you work with the Commission's staff? Do you have any basic principles you follow when hiring and managing staff? Do you favor having evening meeting and hearings of the election commission? How would you evaluate the Commission's training of election workers? How important is it to you that election day workers live in the communities that they serve in?

At the moment, I have no suggestions for improving the day to day running of the Election Commission. I have always been impressed with the professionalism and care the staff takes in dealing with voters. Of course there are ways to improve and refine. There always are. Hirings should concentrate on bringing in diverse people who embrace detail work, who enjoy interacting with the public, and wish to make the process of voting positive.

Poll workers are hard-working and mostly supportive of voters, but the average age is 72 years old and unless younger people are brought into the system, it will become unsustainable. We need to consider implementing split-shifts, recruitment among college students (who have expertise with technology and comfort with learning to use newer devices), finding ways to make the work more satisfying, and providing training and support that gives our workers a real sense of competence and comfort.

I am less concerned with workers living in the neighborhoods in which they work than I am that there be workers in the various polling places that reflect the populations which vote in those locations. I want the voters to be comfortable with the workers as well as the workers being comfortable with the voters. Having the freedom to place workers where their backgrounds and expertise are most needed is more critical than placing them close to home.

I want the public to be able to observe the Election Commissioners at work. Daytime meetings somewhat thwart that goal, so I favor evening meetings. I would be personally happier with alternating afternoon and evening meetings, but I'm not sure that serves the public as well as regular meetings at a regular, expected time.

I have extensively used computers in my work and in my personal life. The voter registration database is a statewide database. Election Commission staff actually input changes to the state database. Each voter has a unique ID assigned by the state I believe online access by voters to the database to look into his/her status and commenting on it to the Election Commission via email and follow it up by mailing a signed letter is the best way to improve the database. The voters in my ward are very transient and once they move out of the city or state they can notify their status online to Election Commission staff which will expedite the status of inactive voters and also save postage. Any change in voter status in the database has to be done by election commission staff.

I have visited the Election Commission from time to time since over the past 20 years and I get along very well with all of them. As a former program manager in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), I had to supervise the staff and hire the new staff. I will follow the same principles in hiring staff based on qualifications and merit and in compliance with affirmative action goals. I am available anytime for a Commission meeting. I prefer the hours for hearings of the commissioners during which more public participation can be achieved. I have experience in training sanitary laboratory employees of cities/towns in Massachusetts for a computerized system. I believe every poll worker should be trained to be competent to perform his/her job. I prefer that Election Day workers live in the communities that they serve but I do would not like to make it a hard and fast rule.

Current Election Commission is well organized and disciplined and has to my mind functioned quite effectively over the past few years.

The Election Commissioners should not try to micro-manage the work of the Election Commission's director and staff, but rather focus on setting policy, envisioning new programs, setting goals and evaluating accomplishments to insure that benchmarks are being met. I will work well with the staff of the Commission as I pride myself on being able to relate well to almost any personality -- this is one of the strengths I would bring to the Commission. I favor early evening meetings when the public is more able to be present and therefore participate, but which won't go too late in the night. I think that some additional criteria for hiring, training and evaluation of poll workers could be helpful and at the present time is being looked at. I think it is important that election workers be residents of Cambridge and prefer that they be from the neighborhoods where they serve.

Polyxane (Poly) S. Cobb

Mushtaque Alikhan Mirza

Frank A. Pedro

Linda Sophia Pinti

7. Enforcement of Ethics Ordinance. What is your evaluation of the Commission's performance in administering the Ethics Ordinance since the scope of its duties were expanded in 1993? What, if anything, do you think the Commission should do differently in the future?

I think we should regularly re-evaluate the Ethics Ordinance to ensure it meets present needs and the goals for which it was created in the first place. The success of Cambridge in meeting 100% compliance with reporting requirements doesn't necessarily mean there are no problems or that there are areas that should be covered be are not. New circumstances often highlight areas that need improvement, so on-going evaluations are critical.

The Commission has posted the Ethics Ordinance on its web site. However the commission has not posted cases of enforcement action on the web site. I have not heard the commission was silent to enforce Ethics Ordinance on elected or any other city officials who had violated the ordinance. As a former state employee I am well aware of Ethics Laws of the state.

I am not familiar with any individual circumstances that have come up in the last few years. But, yes I do.

I believe that the ethics ordinance is necessary and important, however I don't have enough information at this time to be able to evaluate the Election Commission's performance in administering the ordinance.

8. Election Commission Ethics. Do you favor efforts to limit the ability of those administering elections to hold fiduciary positions in political campaigns (like campaign chair, co-chair, treasurer or fundraising) other then their own?

It is not possible to serve as a Commissioner while managing any aspect, not only fiduciary, of a political campaign. That is an essential conflict of interest. Get out the vote activities for a single candidate, for example, conflicts with the Commission's activities in promoting full participation. I think it is possible for Commissioners to have a legitimate political interest in the outcome of an election without conflict, but participating in campaigns would necessarily undermine public confidence.

Election Commissioners should be impartial and fair to all candidates and should not hold fiduciary positions in political campaigns.

Yes.

Yes, I do. The Election Commissioners enter into a sacred trust with the public and must hold themselves to a high standard avoiding conflict of interest and the appearance of impropriety so as not to betray that trust. Further I would understand that an Election Commissioner must represent all of the voters, not just those of his or her own party and therefore must remain publicly removed from the campaigns of local and state candidates.

9. Election Commission Budget. What comments or changes, if any, would you suggest for the Election Commission's budget, in order to make the commission more cost-effective? What experience do you have administering and managing budgets?

I have managed the budgets of small organizations (up to $1.5 million) but never one so large as the Election Commission. None-the-less, cost efficiencies are not dictated by the size of an organization, but by the approach one brings to the process. The staff of the Commission must have the funds necessary to meet their mandate and improve their systems. The budget for outreach needs to be expanded to improve voter turn-out, but achieving that must be done in a systematic and cost-conscious way. Efficiencies should be rewarded and encouraged. Regular evaluations of processes that consume the greater parts of the budget need to be in place.

I have been asked to assist in preparing the budget of my section in DEP. An election commissioner who is not involved in the day-to-day tasks of the commission should not get involved in budget specifics. It should be the responsibility of the Executive Director of the Election Commission. I still believe that an effective computerized system and training all the staff to be well-versed on it will be very cost-effective. I recommend that a bilingual staff proficient in updating the commission's web site be hired. The proposed 2008 budget of the Election Commission is $ 911,630. The increase in costs associated with voter registration by $3010 and the annual census by $9155 is satisfactory to me.

Expansion to cover mini-precincts and expanded hours as necessary.

I think that it would be a bit premature to suggest changes in the budget of a body that I seek to join. After serving for a time, I may have some recommendations, but for now I think that since Cambridge is a city with very significant financial resources, the Election Commission should spend the money necessary to increase registration and turnout.

Polyxane (Poly) S. Cobb

Mushtaque Alikhan Mirza

Frank A. Pedro

Linda Sophia Pinti

10. Election Day Procedures. Now that computerized voting has been used in five municipal elections and five state elections, what is your evaluation of how it has worked? Are there changes you propose for future elections? Do you favor the use of optical scan voting devises in municipal elections? What do you think of new voting technology like Digital Recording Electronic (DRE) voting systems like those made by Diebold? Do you favor the way in which the proportional representation "count" was done in November 2005 and, if not, what would you propose? Do you favor releasing an unofficial proportional representation "count" on election night? Would you support or oppose the creation of a certification process before every election for electronic voting systems administered by the Secretary of State?

I strongly favor the use of optical scan voting in elections. The Cal Tech/MIT study conducted after the debacle of 2000 found that optical scan machines were the only reliable method of voting. They provided a paper trail. They allowed the cast ballots to be recounted by machine or by hand.

Machines with no paper trail, even if providing a feedback to voters of their preferences, can be manipulated easily. Further, the decision by Diebold and other manufacturers to refuse access to their code by any electoral authority, makes their products all the more suspect. Although there are some newer electronic voting machines that provide a paper receipt reflecting the voter's preference, I prefer the voter marked paper ballot which, I believe, shows voter preference most accurately.

Elections must be utterly transparent. In recent years they have become less so. We have the most stringent responsibility to voters to ensure elections are fair, honest, and above suspicion.

I have no problem with the way the "count" was conducted in November 2005 (I do miss the old hand count, however!) and can see no reason not to release an unofficial count as soon as one is available on election night. All election results, after all, whether proportional or not are certified many days after the election.

A state-wide certification process of all electronic voting systems used in the commonwealth is probably desirable, if it is done with considerable input from political, technological, and academic participants.

I still remember the hand count of ballots in the Longfellow School and waiting for several days to get the results. Although it was a great place to meet political activists and exchange ideas still I prefer the computerized system. It is very efficient and provides us results on election night. The Digital Recording Electronic (DRE) voting system should be functionally equal to optical scanner system which we use at present. I have concerns about DRE voting systems such as touch-screen machines. The paper ballot and optical scanner system we currently use guarantees a paper trail and is well-suited for a hand recount. I am satisfied with current optical scanner system and do not see need to change to DRE system. As an engineer, I have always tested monitoring equipment before its use. Similarly all the voting machines should be tested prior to their use and should be certified for their performance by technologically sound authorized persons. All the machines should be tamper-proof. I favor the way in which the proportional representation "count" was done in November 2005. I do not have any objection to releasing the unofficial proportional representation "count" on election night. I support the creation of a certification process before every election for electronic voting systems administered by the Secretary of State.

Current system seems to work well enough but there is always room for improvement.

While I confess that I enjoyed the community spirit of the hand count of municipal elections held at the Longfellow School, I realize that the efficiency of a machine counted system allows us to be able to announce winners almost as early as surrounding communities not using PR. The data seems to be showing that the computerized voting systems that we use in Cambridge, namely Diebold Optical Scan of paper ballots counted at the precinct level are relatively reliable, secure and effective especially if random post-election audits are periodically done. I say relatively, because I think that we need to continue to ask questions and gather data. The consultant who now facilitates our computerized count seems to be a person of integrity and this is no small thing. However it is still a concern that we must put so much trust in one person or several persons in order to have confidence in the integrity of our election outcome. More transparency with these machines would be better and the trend nation-wide is in this direction, especially given the history of concern and skepticism toward our elections beginning with the 2000 presidential cycle. I would absolutely oppose the use of Touch Screen and/or DRE type voting systems which I believe can be too easily compromised.

While in theory the use of a certification process for all electronic voting systems by the Secretary of State may seem meritorious, I would be concerned that this might relax vigilance in the monitoring of these systems in local communities so I would want to know more about the process before I would advocate it.

11. Recount procedures. What is your evaluation of the recount procedures of the Commission? What comments or changes, if any, would you suggest?

The purpose of a re-count is to determine if the votes were counted accurately, not to provide the statistical possibility of a second outcome. Since that is the case, a means of marking ballots as they are first counted needs to be in place to ensure that what a recount turns up are undetected errors or uncounted ballots, not a redistribution of the ballots originally counted.

The State Election laws allow the losing candidate to exercise his/her right to ask for "hand recount" and the recount procedure of the commission is well within the State Law MGL 54A. The recount by hand count of Ballots is time consuming, tedious and needs transparency. I think the commission should test different software based on improved recount procedure in terms of their accuracy and select one of them for future use. However all affected candidates agree to use computerized software based on an improved procedure instead of "hand count".

Slow but effective.

I have observed the commission while doing a recount and I would advocate that the commission try to always respect the goal of honoring what appears to be the voter's intention.

Polyxane (Poly) S. Cobb

Mushtaque Alikhan Mirza

Frank A. Pedro

Linda Sophia Pinti

12. Campaign Finance. What is your evaluation of the Commission's performance in administering the campaign finance laws in municipal elections?

I think the Commission generally deserves the high marks it has received in this area, but I know that there have been complaints that materials have not been made available as quickly as they might and that the Commission still does not utilize the web as effectively as it should. These areas need to be improved.

The state Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) has set up a system that applies to City Council candidates for Municipal election. The OCPF has followed up candidates who have submitted incomplete reports from time to time. The School Committee campaign finance reports are still submitted to and reviewed by the Election Commission staff. The commission should post its guidelines and the school committee campaign finance reports in such a way that it can be easily accessible by the public. As a former employee of Commonwealth of Massachusetts I am well aware of the campaign and finance laws and limitation of state employees. The commission's performance is satisfactory to me.

I do not have an opinion of this matter at this time.

The Election Commission now posts campaign finance reports for the school committee at it's website and this is a welcome addition that aids transparency-- so high marks here. There is also a wealth of information at the OCPF website, but to the uninitiated, this is difficult to sort through.

13. Transfer Method. Do you favor replacing the Cincinnati Method with proportional distribution in order to eliminate the role of chance in distributing surplus votes, or do you prefer the current system?

I prefer the current system. I haven't seen any data to support proportional distribution as preferable to the Cincinnati Method. Proportional representation distribution of surplus votes does rely on chance or randomness to some extent, even if the more complicated proportional distribution system is used. The purpose of the PR system is to allow for group representation within the context of individualized votes. I believe that it works and support its continuation as is.

I prefer replacing Cincinnati Method with proportional distribution as long as basic principle of proportional representation is not violated.

No. The current system has my vote.

Yes, I favor replacing the Cincinnati method, which is founded on introducing an element of randomness into the counting process, with a proportional distribution method which would more accurately reflect the expressed will of the voters.

14. Ballot Design. What is your opinion regarding the format of the ballot used for city council and school committee elections? Do you think the instructions provided to voters are clear and that the ballot is easy to read and complete? What improvements, if any, would you suggest?

I have long thought ballots needed the trained eye of a graphic designer to be more accessible and inviting. The type is dense and thick, the spaces between lines are miniscule, the instructions often pre-suppose the voter is as comfortable and knowledgeable of the system as those who design and prepare the ballot.

When my elderly mother first confronted the "new" optical scan ballot (she was in her eighties at the time), she had to call me into the voting booth to help her because the circles she was supposed to darken were too pale for her to discern. From then on she brought a magnifying glass with her, but her experience was instructive. Ballot design should be vetted by all segments of the community to ensure there are not difficulties unexpected by the designer.

I personally did not have any problems with format of the ballot. However I suggest a voter opinion survey on ballot format in polling stations be carried out during the next municipal election and, based on the opinion survey public hearings should be conducted in order to redesign ballot (which should be in compliance with guidelines set by the Secretary of State). Since Cambridge has a PR system it can be confusing to new voters in Cambridge and hence I recommend that education seminars should be organized by the commission and publicized to educate new voters. Besides this, poll workers should be competent enough to explain the ballot format and PR system to a voter.

Ballots can always use tweaking. The current ballot seems to work for most voters.

I do not recall having any problem with the format of last year's ballot, but I would want to take another look at it before saying that I was sure the instructions were clear and easy to read. With ballot design, I think the commission could use citizen focus groups, made up of a diverse representation including youth, the elderly and the disabled, in order to evaluate particular ballot designs.

15. Voting Rights. Do you favor voting rights for legal immigrants in municipal elections? Do you favor lowering the voting age in municipal elections? What special problems or opportunities would such a change cause for the Election Commission? Do you support or oppose a constitutional amendment to remove conditions for absentee voting? Do you favor same day voter registration? Do you support or oppose legislation allowing workers to take two hours off from work to vote on Election Day? Do you favor provisions under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) that requires voters to provide their driver's license or the last four digits of their social security number to register to vote? Would you support or oppose legislation requiring all voters to show a photo ID before they vote?

Voting rights for legal immigrants: Yes in municipal elections for those with green cards.

Lowering the voting age: We don't have massive voter turn-out of 18 year olds, but it might improve things if they could begin their voting lives earlier while still in high school, so I support it.

Both of these, however, makes the creation of separate, accurate voting lists is a problem, as well as ballots and ballot instructions that are accessible to non-English speakers.

Conditions for absentee voting are outdated and should be reformed.

I enthusiastically support election day voter registration, with voting on provisional ballots. I think wide-spread voter fraud is unlikely, but even a small amount is unacceptable. I also understand that it will require additional personnel and additional training of poll workers, but both of those are easily achieved. I support efforts to make employers grant paid time off to employees to allow them to vote, but I am wary of the implications of a strict two-hour time period.

Being licensed to drive is not a requirement for voting. Social Security cards clearly state they are not to be used for identification. How does providing either of these forms of identification promote anything other than discouraging turnout? I have seen no data to support the notion that there is rampant voter fraud, that there are organized campaigns to plump the rolls, that democracy is threatened by hoards of people going from precinct to precinct representing themselves as voters whom they are not.

Showing photo IDs should not be a requirement. It favors the affluent and able-bodied and discourages those who are poor, have limited English, or are disabled.

I personally believe in having the same election laws throughout the state and also believe that it is a right and privilege of US citizens to vote in municipal elections without further lowering the voting age. The right of a citizen to vote encourages many permanent residents to become US citizens. If state legislatures enact the laws which will allow the legal immigrants to vote in municipal elections, then this will increase the voter turnout and possibly necessitate an increase in the number of precincts. Since many legal immigrants do not know English, my knowledge of five languages will be of great help to the Election Commission.

I prefer to remove certain conditions for absentee voting in order to encourage voter turnout. I support the same-day registration and allowing workers to take two hours off from work on Election Day. While campaigning for John Kerry in New Hampshire, Maine and Minnesota I had asked the local Muslim community to encourage the voters who come to mosque for afternoon prayers to register to vote and to vote. I support Help America Vote Act (HAVA). I do not support any legislation that requires photo ID because many citizens do not have passport or driver's license or any kind of photo ID. However, poll workers should have the right to ask for some kind of ID if he/she suspects a particular voter. I believe in honest and free elections.

No I do not favor voting rights for legal immigrants in municipal elections? I do not favor lowering the voting age in municipal elections? I favor same day voter registration and support legislation allowing workers to take two hours off from work to vote on Election Day. I would like to study the provisions of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) that requires voters to provide their driver's license or the last four digits of their social security number to register to vote. I would not oppose legislation requiring all voters to show a photo ID before they vote?

I am in favor of voting rights for legal immigrants (i.e. would be green-carded or "permanent resident aliens") many of whom are on the track to become US citizens, so that they can have a say in the governing of the community in which they live. I also favor the lowering of the voting age to 17 for municipal elections. Both these measures would increase participation and turnout, but would likely create more work for the Election Commission. I definitely favor a constitutional amendment to remove the conditions for absentee voting. This could very substantially increase turnout. At present 26 states have unconditional absentee balloting. If we truly want Massachusetts on the cutting edge of empowering voters and making voting as open and accessible to all citizens as possible, this and same-day voter registration are measures we must enact.

Vermont is a state for example which has unconditional absentee balloting. The state undertook a massive effort to educate it's electorate that voting could be done this way and it significantly increased overall voter participation and turnout, with those voting by absentee ballot going from under 5% to 20% of the votes. I also support legislation allowing workers to take two hours off from work to vote on Election Day. And better yet, I would like very much to see election day become a national holiday. Cambridge could begin to model this for our state and nation by making election day a municipal holiday.

I have no problem with having to supply a picture ID, but not a driver's license which would discriminate against those who do not drive. While state-issued ID's similar to drivers' licenses are available for non- drivers, the burden and cost of application raises memories of poll taxes of an earlier era. Also I would prefer having to bring proof of residency (like a fuel bill) rather than the last four digits of your social security number for same-day registration. I would not favor the requirement of a picture ID just to vote as this could be used to suppress voting, but it should be required for same-day registration.

Polyxane (Poly) S. Cobb

Mushtaque Alikhan Mirza

Frank A. Pedro

Linda Sophia Pinti

16. Miscellaneous. Do you have any other suggestions for carrying out the powers and duties of an Election Commissioner? Is there anything else you would like the Cambridge Democratic City Committee to consider in evaluating your candidacy for the office of Election Commissioner?

I think Election Commissioners should be advocates for voter registration and voting; spending time making presentations to high school students on the importance of registering and voting, promoting registration among those groups that traditionally don't participate, and being available to community groups to discuss voting and promoting participation.

If I am given a chance to serve as Election Commissioner I propose to form a community outreach committee that will includes volunteers to reach out ethnic and minority communities. The main task of this committee would be to address the needs of each minority community and promote voter registration among them.

The proposed FY08 budget of the Election Commission has gone up to $ 911,630 from the FY07 budget of $775,415 which I consider a step in a right direction. However I would like to see the Election Commissioners evaluate their budget in terms of costs/benefits and to submit a report every year.

I ask the Cambridge Democratic City Committee to consider my hard work and qualification as stated below in evaluating my candidacy.

1. I personally registered more than 300 voters of South Asian origin in the past two years in Cambridge.

2. Most recently in the gubernatorial election I mobilized thousands of immigrants from South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa by carrying out the "Yalla Vote" drive for Deval Patrick.

3. My background in mathematics and computers will be a great asset to the Election Commission.

4. There is growing population of South Asians and North Africans in Cambridge and I can easily reach out to them with my knowledge of five languages.

None

I would advocate and practice a policy of continuing education for the commissioners and would myself make an effort to attend seminars and events on all aspects of voting and election integrity. I believe that the Election Commission should reflect the diversity of the community of Cambridge and as an openly gay person, and while I am running on my qualifications and not merely this minority status, I would be the first openly GLBT member of the Election Commission.