By Roger Gitlin – EYE ON DEL NORTE – June 17, 2021

I’m certain you have all learned one additional ballot has been discovered at Tuesday’s recount of the Crescent Fire Protection District Assessment election… and it’s a very important vote, indeed. The vote was a YES vote; it WILL change the result of this election.Tuesday’s count was via ballot:

876 – NO

858 – YES

18 votes more NO than YES.

The ballot value of those votes was:

$72,367.60 – 50.01%

$72,348.40 – 49.99%.

The one vote which was noted via human error discovery, placed in the NO pile when it should have been placed in the YES vote stack.

Before moving on the rest of this post, I need to say something which need not but MUST be stated. The County Clerk / Registrar of Voters learned of this “human” error after the votes had been tabulated and I was personally advised of this notation from Alissia Northrup Allisia ‘s office is of the very highest level of integrity and fairness. There is no question in my mind, not a doubt, that the Clerk’s office is fair, honest and trustworthy.Having stated this unequivocal support of the bean counters, allow me to register my protest of the unfair, arbitrary and highly questionable protocol practices of the Crescent Fire Protection District and the highly convoluted evaluation of vote weighing by Plan West.In a word, the entire process was:

U N F A I R

The CFPD has called an “Emergency” meeting today at 4pm via ZOOM. No 72 hour requirement needed for this meeting?????????

I hope you will call to the ZOOM number (253) 215-8782

Meeting ID 874 5803 4224

PASSCODE : 991215.

It is my hope the CFPD will accept the result (albeit disappointing) then organize an Advisory Committee to satisfy the manner in which votes have been tabulated. I would respectfully ask to be a member of that Advisory group.

If following today’s 4pm meeting the CFPD votes to move forward with a recount in which other errors may be discovered in data entry, I believe that decision to move forward would be a grave mistake and leave in its wake, an indelible stain which will irreparably damage election integrity in Del Norte County for years to come.

Let’s proceed in the correct and respectable manner, not with a hammer but with the understanding the folks we all work for, the People, are listened to and respected.