1. 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?

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

3. Voter Participation (registration and turnout).

1. 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 across elections for different offices? Do you have any specific suggestions for increasing participation?
2. Location & Boundaries. Do you favor keeping the current model of eleven wards with three precincts apiece when lines are redrawn after the 2010 census? Or would you favor more or fewer precincts or polling places? Are there particular boundaries that should be redrawn during re-precincting? Or polling places that should be relocated?
3. 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, as Boston voters may?

5. Election Commission Staff. What is the proper balance between the commissioners and the staff? How will you hire and evaluate the Commission’s executive director? What actions, if any, should be taken to limit turnover at the Commission? How will you work with the Commission’s staff? Do you have any basic principles you follow when hiring and managing staff?

6. 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?

7. Operation of the Election Commission. Do you have any comments on, or changes to propose, in the day-to-day administration of the Commission? Has the commission been appropriately responsive to candidates, political parties, and interest groups that request or require its services? If not, what changes do you propose? 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 where they serve?

8. Election Day Procedures. How can the Commission avoid problems at polling places on Election Day? What role should the Commissioners play in insuring a trouble-free Election Day? Do you favor the continued use of optical scan voting devises in Cambridge elections? How would you evaluate the way in which the proportional representation "count" was done in November 2009?

9. Recount Procedures. What is your evaluation of the recount procedures of the Commission? How did the commission handle the 2009 School Committee recount? What changes, if any, would you suggest? What standards would you use in deciphering disputed ballots?

10. 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?

11. Voting Rights. Do you favor voting rights for legal immigrants in municipal elections? Do you favor lowering the voting age in municipal elections? Do you favor same-day voter registration? Do you favor requiring all (or any) voters to show a photo ID before they vote? What special problems or opportunities would each such change cause for the Election Commission?

12. 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?