KC Council approves second audit of Election Office

The KC Council unanimously approved the hiring of an outside auditing firm according to this article, to come in and examine the KC Elections Office, and they are even considering reinstituting a citizens oversight committee - like what was in place after problems in 2002 and 2003 (hmmm ... seems like a pattern is developing here - 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. 2006, too?). All well and good, if they are allowed to really examine what has gone on, with no strings attached.

Now about the possibility of a citizens oversight committee. Who decided that disbanding the earlier versions was a good idea? While I grant that it was probably due to budgetary reasons, did the powers that be think that because the problems that were identified after 2002 and 2003 were maybe rectified that there wouldn't be problems again in 2004? I think that if a citizens group is re-formed, that it should be a permanent group - and a group that has "teeth", with the ability to force anyone who screws up out of the office, and to force the Elections Office to actually obey Washington State law. Otherwise, what use would it be?

Let's hope that the two audits show, without a shadow of a doubt, just where the blame for the November election fiasco lies - at the feet of King Sims and Election Director Dean Logan - and that something positive will be done to rectify this appalling situation.