By Tribune Editorial Board - 10/14/10
An intensified attention to detail needs to be brought to the
North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office. The work there might not
be glamorous, but it’s important. It’s work that needs to be done
correctly, whether it’s the wording of petition for referral or
initiated measures, building statewide ballots, running elections
or managing business or corporate filings.
That office needs to achieve the kind of high performance the
state’s residents are seeing elsewhere in state government.
Corey Mock would bring a fresh look at how the secretary of state’s
office might be managed. A first-term Democratic legislator serving
on the political subdivisions committee, Mock has had a look at the
challenges of bringing the office’s software programming up to the
standard necessary for business filings. A relatively recent
graduate of the University of North Dakota, he works as an
executive director of a free clinic based in Grand Forks.
Mock does not have a long record, but what’s there suggests that he
is bright, focused and, yes, ambitious — not necessarily a
surprising thing for a young man.
He has maintained an organized campaign that has aggressively taken
the incumbent to task for problems related to the secretary of
state’s office.
Al Jaeger has been secretary of state in North Dakota since since
1992. He had a record of solid performance up until the primary
election in June, when a candidate was left off the ballot — a
mistake for which Jaeger has assumed responsibility.
As the campaign heated up, the state’s residents learned of
significant overtime hours accumulated by Jaeger’s upper level
staff, raising questions about his use of resources and his working
relationship with the Legislature over funding.
And work at the secretary of state’s office has been backed up at
times. If the office doesn’t have the staff to get the job done
properly, it’s an issue Jaeger should have taken up with the
Legislature.
Taken together, these issues suggest a certain lack of attention to
detail and focus.
The responsibilities of the secretary of state are at the heart of
our North Dakota-style democracy. The recent record of performance
in that office suggests it’s time for a change.
The Tribune endorses Corey Mock for secretary of state on the Nov.
2 General Election ballot.
By Dale Wetzel - Associated Press - 9/16/10
North Dakota businesses must file paper forms and endure processing delays because Secretary of State Al Jaeger mishandled a technology project that would have allowed online filing of routine paperwork, Jaeger's Democratic opponent said Wednesday.
Jaeger, a Republican, has spent more than $2 million over six years developing the project, which is now stalled because of financial problems at the company he hired for the job, Grand Forks state Rep. Corey Mock said during a news conference in Bismarck.
"Businesses in North Dakota cannot submit their registrations online, and that is just something that has been forgotten or ignored over the last four years," Mock said. He said Jaeger "has mismanaged this office, and cost taxpayers and businesses both time and money."
Jaeger said the project has been delayed, but he said its problems were beyond his control and not due to poor management. They have also been disclosed to a legislative oversight committee, of which Mock is a member, Jaeger said.
"Any independent, nonpartisan review of what has happened would easily confirm that everything that we've done has been done correctly," Jaeger said. "I think under the circumstances, we have done rather well, within the framework of the appropriations that were given to us, and the circumstances that we have been dealt."
North Dakota's secretary of state is known primarily as the state's top elections administrator, but record keeping makes up the bulk of the office's work. It keeps business registrations and reports, licenses contractors, is a repository for trademarks and trade names, and maintains a central indexing system of liens against crops, real estate and other property. A lien is a claim against property, typically filed by someone who is owed money by the property's owner.
The technology project is intended to develop a system that will allow the secretary of state's customers to do routine business online. Jaeger began exploring it six years ago, when he asked the Legislature for $500,000 to develop an online central indexing system for liens. Lawmakers approved $125,000.
In February 2008, Jaeger halted the project — which then focused on developing an online lien indexing system — after developers reported problems meshing its computer code with North Dakota's. The code was originally written for North Carolina's secretary of state.
Later that summer, CC Intelligent Solutions Inc., of Raleigh, N.C., was hired to develop a new system by June 2009, documents show. The deadline was later pushed forward by a year. The company was an adviser on the earlier project that Jaeger halted, although it did not develop the project's software.
Last May, a month before the deadline, CC Intelligent Solutions laid off most of its staff because of money problems, Jaeger said. The company still maintains it can complete the project, but it does not expect to finish the online central indexing system until September 2011. Software to handle the rest of the office's business services is not expected to be finished until June 2015, Jaeger said.
Julian Bossong, a vice president for CC Intelligent Solutions, said Wednesday the company expected to finish the work much sooner, although he did not give a target date. The project's scope has expanded, and that contributed to the delays, Bossong said.
"Our full expectation is that we will have that system fully operational long before that," he said. The company has been hiring back some of its laid-off workers, "and we clearly expect to be around for many, many years," Bossong said.
Jaeger said he was exploring other options for finishing the job. "We need to have the project done as soon as possible," he said.
Mock said if he is elected, he will see whether the project can be salvaged or needs to begin anew. He suggested assembling a task force of North Dakota business people, technology providers and state government's Information Technology Department to quiz them on what features they believe are needed.
"I believe we should have done more consulting with North Dakota contractors and with the professionals that work with this system ... to prevent any of these mistakes," Mock said.
By Tu-Uyen Tran - Grand Forks Herald - 8/21/10
There’s a persistent image of the Grand Cities as unfriendly territory for young people. Perhaps it’s the occasional grumbling about noisy UND students and their parties. Perhaps it’s the slightly older population.
When two college students were elected to the Grand Forks City Council and School Board in June, it seemed fresh and new.
But they’re far from the area’s only young leaders; many just slip under the radar.
When the Herald asked established community leaders for some ideas, the same, small number of names kept coming up. When we started asking young leaders themselves, the list suddenly became unmanageably large. This is a small sample of who’s young and engaged in the community.
Community leaders say getting young people engaged is one way to keep them in the area and keep the local economy healthy as Boomers age and retire.
Corey Mock, 25
State representative, District 42
It was U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, who encouraged Corey to get into public service and, the senator said, it didn’t matter with what party. Being from a Minot family of Republicans, he volunteered for the gubernatorial campaign of Republican and Minot native John Hoeven.
Corey has since found the Democrats a better fit and is, today, running for secretary of state.
When he was encouraged to run the first time, he said he feared his chances as a recent UND grad were slim — “Don’t you have to be 65 and independently wealthy?” he thought — but was told that other people needed someone to represent them, too. It helped, too, that District 42, which includes UND and its surroundings, has long been friendly to young candidates.
On the campaign trail, Corey said he faced questions like “What makes you more qualified than someone who’s been around who has 40 years of experience?” His answer: It’s about ability, not age.
In his day job, Corey is executive director of the Third Street Clinic, which helps low-income residents find affordable health care.
END ARTICLE
There were many, MANY other people featured in this article, and Rep. Mock feels very honored to be one of them. We couldn't fit the whole article on here, but we recommend you read the entire entry found HERE (Grand Forks Herald website) that features many other young Grand Forks leaders.
By Kristen Daum - INFORUM - 8/13/10
North Dakota’s Democratic-NPL secretary of state candidate is accusing his Republican opponent of poor management and inefficient practices because of what he calls “egregious amounts of overtime” paid to employees of the office.
Corey Mock, a Grand Forks legislator, said he looked into the overtime hours after seeing mishaps this year from Secretary of State Al Jaeger’s office – such as a libertarian candidate accidentally being left off the June primary ballot because of misplaced paperwork.
But, Jaeger – who’s seeking re-election this year after 18 years in office – said Mock’s claims of excessive overtime don’t accurately reveal the whole picture and are an unfair attack on state employees.
According to public data obtained by Mock’s campaign, 20 secretary of state employees accumulated more than 3,600 hours of overtime during the 10 months from July 2009 through April 2010.
Taken on average, each employee would have had 181 hours of overtime – almost double the average amount paid to employees across North Dakota state government, Mock said.
Additionally, 22 employees received upward of 7,200 hours in overtime pay during the 2007-09 biennium, or an average of 327 OT hours each, Mock said.
“To me, this is a clear sign of mismanagement,” Mock said during a press conference Thursday in Fargo. “It’s either a waste of money, a case of overworking staff, or maybe it’s both.”
Mock did not have information on how much money the overtime hours equated to in employee pay but did request it Thursday from Jaeger.
Jaeger called Mock’s statements “a wrong analysis and a distortion of the facts” and an “inappropriate” attack on state employees.
Because of North Dakota’s booming economy, the Secretary of State’s Office has dealt with an increased demand for services, Jaeger said.
The secretary of state oversees elections, registers businesses, licenses contractors and regulates boxing and mixed-martial arts, among other duties.
Despite the significantly higher workload, the number of employees has remained the same because state government leaders have asked agencies to hold the line on requests for additional staff, Jaeger said.
But, he added, employees “very seldom” are required to work overtime, and most volunteer for the extra hours.
Jaeger said the cost of overtime hours during the 2007-2009 biennium amounted to 7 percent of the department’s salary budget, or about $190,200.
Meanwhile, about 4.4 percent – or nearly $140,000 – of the department’s current biennium budget has gone to cover overtime pay.
State employees are paid time and a half once they exceed 40 hours of work per week.
Mock voted in the Legislature to approve the Secretary of State’s departmental budget, Jaeger said.
“The cost of overtime is a better use of taxpayer money and is a better investment than adding full-time employees with benefits,” Jaeger said. “My record has clearly been one of prudent and effective use of the funds entrusted to this office.”
By Rebecca Beitsch - Bismarck Tribune - 7/31/10
The North Dakota Secretary of State’s race pits Republican
incumbent Al Jaeger against Democrat Corey Mock.
Jaeger has served in the office since 1992 and Mock, a freshman state representative from Grand Forks, works as the executive director of a free clinic there.
The secretary of state is responsible for overseeing elections, registering businesses, contractors and nonprofits, and sits on the emergency and athletic commissions. Both candidates were asked about a number of issues concerning the office.
Office updates
Jaeger said the office is in need of technical updates for the website, particularly on a system that would allow businesses to file necessary paperwork online. The secretary of state’s office has spent four years on such a project.
“State agencies have only been on the Internet for about 13 years, and while we do need to enhance our presence, we are limited to a certain degree by the amount of funding we receive,” Jaeger said.
Mock is in agreement that the office is in need of a
technological makeover. He said the website is confusing and
outdated, and in many cases leads to dead links, particularly with
voting information.
He said the site doesn’t do enough to give voters basic
information.
“We don’t have an FAQ page. There’s nothing to tell people new
to the state how to vote. A lot of people coming in don’t know that
they don’t have to register,” Mock said.
Mock said moving to an online filing system for businesses needs
to be a top priority for the office.
In April, a candidate’s paperwork was connected to other office
paperwork and sent to the wrong unit of the office, where it went
unnoticed for some time.
Mock said the incident, which resulted in a candidate being left
off the ballot, shows that business filings take too long.
“Why did it take six weeks for that paperwork to be filed?” Mock
asked. “This isn’t an isolated incident. What happens in one unit
has a domino effect on the other units.”
Jaeger said while he takes full responsibility for the mistake,
human error cannot be eliminated entirely. He’s not sure a new
system will make that much of a dent in the thousands of pieces of
mail they receive, but it would do a more efficient job of
explaining what needs to be filed, step by step.
Third party access
Jaeger said he doesn’t think most of North Dakota’s election
laws are too restrictive on third parties because they’re applied
fairly.
Jaeger said North Dakota offers the parties numerous methods to
maintain their status and there is no voter registration to hinder
a third party voter’s access to the ballot. There also have been
changes to allow national third parties more time to get signatures
to have their candidates placed on the ballot in the state.
As far as a recent lawsuit filed by the state Libertarian Party
over a law that requires candidates to get a certain number of
votes in the primary to advance to the general election, Jaeger
said that’s a discussion worth having.
“All I can say is it’s been this way since the ’80s, but I think
changing it merits some discussion.”
Mock agreed but said changing it should fall to the
Legislature.
However, should the provision remain, Mock said the state should
consider moving to an open primary system where people can vote
across party lines as they do in the general election. That would
provide a way for third parties to demonstrate broad-based
support.
Voting by mail
Both Jaeger and Mock said
expanding voting by mail should be a decision left to county
auditors. The law giving counties local control over elections
sprang from legislation crafted by Jaeger.
Mock said one of his goals is to increase voting, but he’s not
prepared to endorse one method over another when counties are the
ones picking up the tab. Mock said economies of scale make it
difficult for rural counties to have polling locations but that
doesn’t mean urban areas should have to follow suit.
Jaeger points out there’s little difference between voting by
mail and voting absentee — those who don’t want to vote at the
polls can simply request an absentee ballot. However, were North
Dakota to remove polls as an option, there would be pushback from
those who prefer to vote in person.
Partisanship
Both candidates said their
political affiliation would not affect their ability to do their
job.
“I take an oath of office to uphold the laws of this state,”
Jaeger said. He said the current method of a partisan election is
still preferable to having the secretary of state be appointed by
the governor.
Mock said it’s key to remove politics from the office, but one
label doesn’t describe all his views or how he would handle himself
in office.
“It doesn’t change how I view the duties of the secretary of
state post Nov. 2,” Mock said.
By Teri Finneman - INFORUM - 7/1/10
BISMARCK – A mistake in the North Dakota secretary of state’s office led to a Libertarian candidate being told he qualified for the November ballot when he didn’t.
Richard Ames of Wahpeton recently received a notice of nomination from Secretary of State Al Jaeger that his name would be placed on the November ballot.
But Ames’ eight votes for state senator in District 25 were not enough to allow the Libertarian candidate to advance to the next election.
Jaeger said his office’s system created a certificate for anyone who was a winner in the June primary. Because Ames was the only Libertarian candidate competing in his race, he was deemed a winner even though he didn’t have enough votes under law to advance
A staff employee did not catch Ames’ certificate to remove it from the pile of about 175 certificates to be signed, Jaeger said.
Ames called the office Tuesday to inquire about receiving the certificate and was told what happened, Jaeger said.
Another primary election incident occurred when Jaeger’s office misplaced the paperwork of Libertarian Public Service Commission candidate Josh Voytek, resulting in the candidate not being listed on the ballot.
After Jaeger consulted with Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, they decided to include Voytek’s name on the November ballot.
Jaeger’s election opponent, Rep. Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks, said he’s looking into what improvements he can make to the office if elected.
Mock said he’s concerned that the election system is operated by a computer system with little or no oversight from the secretary of state.
“There seems to be no checks and balances in the office, and these mistakes are happening,” he said. “Right now, it seems to be one on top of the other.”
Ames said Wednesday that he was surprised to get the certificate and knew something was wrong. He said mistakes happen, but the secretary of state’s office exists for the sole purpose of managing paperwork and documents.
As for the certificate, Ames said he’s going to keep it as a souvenir.
The recent loss of paperwork by the Secretary of State’s office that led to the omission of a candidate’s name from the June primary ballot has generated a number of questions.
Corey Mock, Democratic candidate for Secretary of State, says that there is a need to increase efficiency in the Secretary of State’s office. According to Secretary Jeager, Libertarian candidate for Public Service Commissioner, Joshua Voytek, submitted the proper paperwork to be included on the June ballot within the official deadline.
That paperwork was inadvertently included with applications for business registrations and directed to the wrong office, the error was not discovered until May 24th. The discovery of the lost documents was made when the business documents were finally processed six weeks later.
Mock says that office mistakes happen and are unavoidable and understandable, but this error does highlight a larger issue with processing delays. Mock said the six week delay is almost double the normal expected timeframe.
While speaking on the Say Anything Morning Show Mock said that the length of the delay should be talked about because new businesses needing those registrations should be made aware of the extended time, “I think that the businesses in North Dakota should be made aware of the delay so that they can make proper accommodations.”
Mock said there are several issues at hand, he says the Secretary of State’s office is understaffed and in need of modernization. Mock cited an audit that suggested that the creation of an online application system would alleviate a large strain on a staff that handles a large volume of mail daily and would cut down on duplicated labor that comes from having to manually re-enter data.
By Associated Press - 6/17/10
BISMARCK (AP) — Secretary of State Al Jaeger says a Libertarian candidate for North Dakota's Public Service Commission was left off the primary ballot because of a paperwork mistake.
Jaeger says Joshua Voytek of Fargo will have his name on the November ballot.
Voytek says he's surprised to learn of the mix-up — but he says Jaeger was honest about what happened.
A candidate for statewide office needs at least 300 votes in North Dakota's primary to qualify for the general election.
Jaeger says Voytek turned in the needed forms to run in the primary, but they were lost in his office until after the April 9 filing deadline. The forms were attached to some unrelated business paperwork.
By Dale Wetzel - Associated Press - 6/11/10
Republican Secretary of State Al Jaeger should take a more
prominent role in encouraging people to vote, his Democratic
challenger said Thursday, citing chronically low turnout for the
state’s June elections.
“If (Jaeger) sees his job as just administering the election, and
not promoting it, I guess that’s his job description,” Corey Mock
said. “I see it as more than that.”
Tuesday’s statewide ballot drew 101,510 North Dakotans to the
polls, a turnout rate of 20.2 percent, according to unofficial
returns.
North Dakota has no voter registration. Turnout is calculated by
comparing the number of voters to an estimate of North Dakota’s
voting-age population, as compiled by the State Data Center in
Fargo. The center said 502,873 people were eligible.
The turnout ranks as the third-worst in North Dakota’s last 10 June
elections, according to voting statistics. The most anemic turnout
during that period was during the 2004 primary, when 18.9 percent
of eligible North Dakotans voted.
The secretary of state is North Dakota’s chief elections
administrator. Jaeger described the turnout as disappointing, but
said political parties, interest groups and the candidates’
campaigns should be responsible for drumming up interest.
“I don’t believe that it’s the function of our office, using
taxpayer dollars, to encourage voter turnout,” said Jaeger, who was
first elected secretary of state in 1992.
Mock said the secretary of state’s office could push a number of
initiatives, from making brochures available at courthouses and
schools to producing public service announcements. The secretary of
state also could speak to civic groups and schools to encourage
voting, he said.
“When tax dollars go into the state’s office to administer the
election, to purchase the machines, to train the county auditors, I
feel like we should be getting more for our money than just hoping
the political parties support it,” Mock said.
Jaeger said commercials and public appearances by the secretary of
state ostensibly to encourage voting could be viewed as
self-serving, especially during years when the incumbent is up for
election.
He focuses on election preparation to ensure the balloting takes
place without problems, Jaeger said.
“Our job is to make sure that the people are aware of their voting
options ... and to make sure that everything that happens on
Election Day goes smoothly,” Jaeger said. “As far as the voter
turnout, that is a separate issue.”
By Adam Blomeke - North Decoder- 6/2/10
Today we continue our series of interviews of candidates with our first statewide candidate, Corey Mock. Corey ran in 2008 to become the representative for District 42, and is now running to be North Dakota's youngest Secretary of State.
North Decoder: Why are you running for Secretary of State?
Corey Mock: I started this campaign believing in my heart that I had the skills and vision to bring some innovation and prudent management to the Secretary of State's office. However, it wasn't until March 26 of this year that I truly realized why I was running for this office. That was the day I was endorsed by the Democratic-NPL party of North Dakota to be their candidate. While standing in front of the hundreds of delegates that just gave me their unanimous support, and after listening to the nominating speeches of Heidi Heitkamp and Senator Ryan Taylor (District 7), I could only think of what mattered most to me. In the front row sat my family: my parents, my REAL boss (my girlfriend Jeannie), and my grandparents - Raymond and Judy Mock.
Raymond spent his early years mostly in Ryder and Minot. Like many people at the time, his education ended after the eighth grade. He worked hard labor his whole life, mostly in construction of roads, bridges and digging basements. I grew up respecting his attitude in life: that your word is your bond and your reputation is all that matters throughout life. He has lived as a simple man that to this day has never voted in an election.
Since I was elected to the legislature from Grand Forks and he lives in Minot, he never had a chance to vote for his grandson. After I received the endorsement for Secretary of State, I knew that my grandfather will have the opportunity to exercise his God-given right as an American and vote in the upcoming election. He will walk into a voting booth and see his grandson's name on the ballot. It is realistic to assume that I may be the only person he ever votes for, which carries with it a tremendous amount of trust and responsibility.
In reality, I am not running for Secretary of State to provide fulfillment in the life of a grandparent. I am running because of a long-term commitment, as a legislator and as a citizen, to the core responsibilities of the office as a gatekeeper of democracy. Whether you are 18 or 80 - you deserve a Secretary of State that cares about the integrity of our government and has a passion to share this experience with all North Dakotans. Even if somebody is too young to vote, they still deserve elected officials who care, if only for the sake of civic education. The Secretary of State should be out in the schools, teaching the importance of voting to children. And that is something I will be doing once I'm in office
While I am proud of the honor, I don't want to be the only person my grandfather has voted for. I want every North Dakotan to be engaged enough that they vote every election on every issue or office. In part, this is obviously the responsibility of the citizen; however, there has to be institutions that reduce the burden of voting and fully engage with the public. Our state needs a Secretary of State that does more than just issue 3 press releases over the course of 4 years. We need a leader in charge who keeps the public informed about upcoming events -- including elections -- so our democracy can grow as we continue onward in this new millennium. North Dakota deserves better than the inconsistent enforcement of state laws that has taken place over the last 18 years.
After traveling across the state and speaking with voters, I feel that my message is exactly what North Dakotans are looking for: new ideas to achieve the results we deserve. We need a Secretary of State that is actually excited about the future of North Dakota, and is prepared to work day-in and day-out to answer the call of every citizen in this state.
North Decoder: Can you give us a brief rundown of your resume and what it is specifically that qualifies you to be Secretary of State?
Corey Mock: My political career got started in 2008 when I was elected to represent District 42 in the North Dakota House of Representatives. I had always loved and respected the political process, and jumped at the opportunity to represent a district that needed a new voice for their concerns. I ran a campaign to represent working class North Dakotans, students, and young families that had been forgotten or ignored by their current elected leaders. On November 4, 2008, the residents of District 42 agreed that new representation was needed for the future of our community and the state of North Dakota. I have been proudly representing my district ever since.
At the time of my election to the House of Representatives, I was working as an instructor of Geography at the University of North Dakota and conducting research on election policy for our state. My experience at UND includes a B.A. in History, minor in Geography, and eventually a M.A. in Community and Urban Development as I complete my thesis on political geography in my spare time.
My education, research, and work as a legislator is naturally connected to the Secretary of State position. The office oversees elections and voting, lobbyist registrations, business and non-profit registrations, contractor licensing, and serves as keeper of all official documents for the State of North Dakota, just to name a few of the responsibilities. The office has approximately 25 employees that work on behalf of the Secretary of State to ensure these needs are met in a timely fashion.
When I am not working as a legislator, I serve as the Executive Director of Third Street Clinic, a non-profit organization that provides access to free health care services for low-income residents of the Greater Grand Forks community. I work with two other paid employees and 88 medical volunteers to provide access to high-quality medical services for thousands of community residents when they need it most. This position requires sound managerial skills, passion for community improvement, and the ability to adapt with new challenges and technology.
North Dakota needs a Secretary of State that has the experience and ideas to give our state the results we deserve . My experience as a political geographer, non-profit manager, and lifelong North Dakotan is a combination of skills that I believe this agency needs. I'm looking forward to traveling across our great state and earning the support of everyone I meet. The next 6 months will be an outstanding opportunity to show North Dakotans how the Secretary of State's office will look and run if I am elected. I am excited by the people I've already been able to meet and their energy toward the ideas we've been offering. Campaigning and leadership, too, is a give and take, and we've also been able to learn and incorporate a lot into our vision of the future.
North Decoder: One story that has gone largely unreported(including by us I suppose) is related to rural voting. Much of this has been done by mail in the past cycle or two despite the order by the State Department that county auditors have purchase the optical voting machines that we see in the populated areas. How should we handle voting in some of the more rural areas of the state?
Corey Mock: I think the lesson that we learned with the issue of ballot printing is that elections in North Dakota are best run when they are kept local. County auditors are the officers best positioned to work with local leaders to ensure the needs of their constituents are met. This question becomes difficult to answer because each county is unique in its needs and issues.
The Secretary of State has an obligation to communicate with every county auditor to best address their needs with regard to elections and voting. The trend over the years has been to adopt policies favorable to large counties (e.g. Cass county) but create added complications for more rural counties (e.g. Bottineau county.) These policies include the signing of a contract with ES&S - our voting machine supplier - who provides price incentives for counties that print with an out of state company. This results in reduced costs for Cass County with regard to printing ballots, but ultimately forces 49 smaller counties to print their ballots in Minnesota as opposed to choosing a local company.
This is just one example of how "top-down" leadership in the Secretary of State's office has penalized most counties and made it difficult for county auditors to administer elections using best practices for their communities.
With regard to methods of voting, and even just in general, I believe that each county should have the resources needed from the state to provide unobstructed access to an election ballot. Each individual county should feel confident that the Secretary of State is there to listen and work with their county's needs and will be receptive to new ideas for improving our electoral system. I personally hold onto traditionalist beliefs in that I like to physically cast a ballot at a polling location, and will be eager to work with counties to ensure they can cater to residents like me if that is something they desire.
North Decoder: What would you do as Secretary of State to encourage voting? Especially in rural areas? Would you commit to touring the state on a regular basis to help encourage all North Dakotans to vote?
Corey Mock: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
We have all heard those words at some point or another. While it would be disingenuous to promise increased voter turnout if elected Secretary of State, improvements in the way we educate voters will have positive impacts in more ways than one. For example, North Dakota is the only state in the nation that does not require its citizens to register in order to vote. The Secretary of State should be out there, informing the public of this unique situation. The potential for increased voter-turnout in every corner of the state is immense; however, it takes real leadership in the office for that to happen.
With that being said, assuming that our Secretary of State has even been "leading the horse to water" is giving him much more credit than he deserves.
North Dakota has not had a voter education campaign in over four years. Information about how to vote in a North Dakota election is buried amongst broken links and misleading page titles on the Secretary of State's website. The most updated information includes a movie titled "You Count: Native Vote 2006" and a link to a television ad on voting rights that leads to a "The page cannot be found" message.
North Dakota simply deserves better.
As Secretary of State, I will work to ensure that my website has the most up-to-date and user friendly methods of informing the public about elections. This includes short video tutorials, links to on-going radio and television ads, working links to documents, and a page that will provide instant answers to the most frequently asked questions.
I volunteer every summer for the American Legion Boys State program in Wahpeton, ND. This is just one of many programs that educates students about civics and democracy. The Secretary of State should be utilizing programs like North Dakota Boys and Girls State to inform citizens about our electoral process in a fun and entertaining way.
As I mentioned before, I will also visit communities across North Dakota and speak to class rooms, community organizations, and service groups about our state's electoral process. We have a unique opportunity to encourage citizens to become involved, all while updating friends and neighbors about how state government is working towards a better future for North Dakota.
North Decoder: What improvements need to be made to our election system to give more citizens the opportunity to vote?
Corey Mock: Since North Dakota has the most accessible voting system, I believe that much of the systemic impediment to voting comes out of failures to communicate between the Secretary of State and the general public. Despite the historic election in 2008, the Secretary of State has failed to offer the citizens of our state a voter education program in over four years. This, coupled with a mere 3 press releases to the public since 2006, illustrate the significance of the communication breakdown between Secretary Jaeger and the people of our state.
The most significant improvements that can be made by the Secretary of State include a complete overhaul of the way state government communicates with its citizens. This entails a user-friendly and modern website with timely updates that are important to business owners and voters alike. Other improvements include regular press releases to keep the public informed, ongoing voter education campaigns, guest appearances in class rooms, and organizational meetings with citizens to chat one-on-one about the importance of voting in North Dakota.
However, one important element regarding our election system is often forgotten. While the Secretary of State may be the Chief Elections Officer of North Dakota, the rubber really meets the road at the county level. Each county auditor is responsible for executing elections within their jurisdiction. To ensure elections are run efficiently and in a way that is cost-effective, the Secretary of State must work with all county auditors to hear their concerns and provide resources that may be necessary. Secretary Jaeger has implemented a "top-down" approach to running elections that has hindered the ability of our locally elected officials from doing the job they were elected to do. My commitment to improvement begins by communicating and cooperating with county leaders in a way that has been unseen in nearly a decade.
North Decoder: Another of the Secretary's responsibilities deals with registering various entities (corporations, lobbyists, car dealerships, etc). These duties seem mundane, but North Decoder readers know that even such seemingly non-partisan duties can be abused ( as was the case here ). Can you talk more about the importance of these duties to progressives?
Corey Mock: What happened in 1999, and again in 2009, were unfortunate situations that illustrated clear bias in the enforcement of our laws. While the Secretary of State has double standards when it comes to lobbyist registrations, part of the problem also comes from one-party rule in North Dakota government and the lack of any independent oversight over the actions of elected leaders.
The Secretary of State serves as the primary agent of enforcement for most laws related to lobbying, elections, and campaigning. Investigations begin by a complaint being filed with the Secretary of State, followed by an investigation by the office of the Attorney General. These two departments have the ultimate authority to determine if any misconduct has occurred and serve as both enforcer and judge in the process.
If I would have been the Secretary of State in 1999 and in 2009, both situations would have received thorough investigations, and both violations would likely have been met with some consequences or legal response. Giving the maximum penalty to a first-time lobbyist and allowing 4 professional out-of-state lobbyists to work for approximately 2 weeks without registration sends the signal to me t hat Secretary Jaeger has become complacent with his job, and isn't all that interested in serving the best interests of his constituents.
North Dakota is one of 10 states without any form of ethics committee or commission. Enforcement of these laws lies within the discretion of the Secretary of State, and it has become evident that his blatant disregard for our laws is not in line with North Dakota values.
I am pleased to announce -- and readers of NorthDecoder are the first to know -- that I am currently working on legislation to create an ethics commission for the state of North Dakota, which will restore trust in government by removing this authority from the Secretary of State's office. Regardless of who sits at the desk of the Secretary of State, people in North Dakota deserve a trusted system that respects the laws of our state and the integrity of our citizens. You will learn more about this proposal in the coming months.
North Decoder: You have been an advocate of creating an independent commission to do the task of redistricting in our state, can you discuss this and talk some about how the SoS's office should be a part of that?
Corey Mock: Legislative district boundaries are drawn in North Dakota by the same individuals that benefit from the outcome. Like all legislative committees in North Dakota, the majority party is alloted the most seats on the committee and gets to choose the members from both parties. After each decennial census, the legislature forms a special interim committee to review the census results, determine the number of districts that are needed, and draw the lines accordingly. While they are not supposed to draw lines to benefit any individual or group of individuals, a naive individual would conclude that North Dakota has seen more than its share of coincidences over the years.
After the 2000 census, the legislative assembly met to redraw the district lines and reduce the number of districts. The result of the reapportionment included a reduction from 49 to 47 districts and the forced run-offs between Senators Steve Tomac (D-Anthony) and Aaron Krauter (D-Regent); and between Senators Jerome Kelsh (D-Fullerton) and Joel Heitkamp (D-Hankinson). There were also several other intentional changes, including the merging of a small residential neighborhood in northeast Mandan -- home of Heidi Heitkamp -- with a heavily Democratic district (District 31). This technique was used to ensure Heidi would not run for the North Dakota legislature in 2002 in Republican-controlled Mandan.
These are childish games played by elected leaders to achieve short-term political gain. None of this has been challenged in court because there is no record of intent to gerrymander districts for political advantage. However, one need only to review the results of the redistricting process controlled by the majority party to understand the underlying motives.
Gerrymandering is something that is done by both Republicans and Democrats across our country, often times with disingenuous motives. My work in the 2009 Legislative Session is an example of how I firmly believe in good, responsible laws for our state that reflect our high moral standards in both intent and practice. North Dakota should have a redistricting process that is both fair and independent; one that removes bias from the occasion, and which eliminates the temptation for cheap parlor tricks to artificially alter the political composition of our govern ment.
Al Jaeger has not shown an interest in responsible governing for years, and now is the time for change in the office. When I am elected Secretary of State on November 2nd, North Dakotans can be assured that I will continue the conversation I started in last year's legislative session long after I take office.
[Editor's note]Again, please donate to Corey's campaign to bring the secretary of State's office out of the bronze age. I have asked, and Corey has agreed to stop by and chat and answer any questions you may have for him.
By Rebecca Beitsch - Bismarck Tribune - 6/2/10
Rep. Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks, a candidate for secretary of state,
said the office’s current election software contract encourages
state auditors to outsource their ballot printing to a Minnesota
company.
A contract with Election Systems & Software Inc., signed by
Secretary of State Al Jaeger at the end of 2009, details the rates
counties would be charged for going with ESS’s partner printer
Synergy Graphics versus the ballot printer of their choice.
“The secretary of state has taken away county control and replaced
it with a top down approach,” that takes business away from North
Dakota companies, Mock said.
Synergy, the partner ballot printing company, was bankrupt at the
time the contract was signed, although that status was terminated
days after the contract was signed.
In some cases ESS doubled the cost of services if counties did not
use Synergy as their printer. In other cases fees were charged for
using an alternative printing company when no cost was attached for
using Synergy.
“Some of the smaller counties just don’t have the resources to pay
all these extra fees,” Mock said.
Jaeger said he’s pleased with the arrangement because numerous
elections have gone off without a hitch while using these services,
but he was unaware Synergy was bankrupt.
“I was not aware that they were, all I know is we’re getting the
services we’re paying for,” Jaeger said.
Jaeger said ESS is one of the few companies in the nation he can
contract with, but it’s up to county auditors whether they want to
contract with Synergy for printing.
Jaeger said the technology that allows ballots to be put online in
advance of the election and that tracks the ballots as they are
processed all comes from ESS.
But that same technology requires a lot from the printers as well
as a certain type of stock and coding is needed so the ballot can
be read correctly.
Because of the price of such ballots, many counties have switched
to Synergy. Of the 53 counties in North Dakota, only three now use
local printers: Burleigh, Stark and Ward.
Larry Berget, owner of The Printers in Bismarck, used to do
printing for 14 nearby counties but has now lost all but two
contracts, the ones for Burleigh and Ward counties.
That has cost him more than $54,000 in business.
Berget said he doesn’t mind losing to competitors if they’re in
state, but the problem starts once that business goes over state
lines. He said the secretary of state’s office should do more to
incentivize working with local businesses.
Morton County, which used to contract locally, has switched to
Synergy because of financial reasons, said County Auditor Paul
Trauger.
To go local would have cost the county an extra $1,600, but he
said they would switch back if it were cheaper.
“We don't print as many ballots as Burleigh, so there was a big
financial factor in us going out of state,” Trauger said.
Jaeger said it comes down to economies of scale.
“Here’s a company that specializes in this and prints throughout
the country, so they operate by volume,” he said.
In Bottineau County, they’ve switched to Synergy, “but we held off
as long as possible,” said Auditor Mae Strike.
Strike said she found it easier to deal with her local printer
because there was less paper work and red tape involved.
She’s still ordering other voting materials locally.
“We had good service (with Synergy), but I’d like to stay within
North Dakota when they can do it too and have been working with us
for a long time.”
The contract with ESS doesn’t end until 2013, and Mock said he
wouldn’t be opposed to contracting with them again, but he would
prefer a negotiation that does more for North Dakota
businesses.
By Ryan Johnson - Prarie Fire - 5/25/10
Secretary of State Al Jaeger sent an e-mail to media outlets today pointing out that the filing deadline for campaign contributions reports is coming up soon - Thursday, May 27.
Under North Dakota state law, "contributions" are defined as
"a gift, transfer, conveyance, provision, receipt, subscription, loan, advance, deposit of money, or anything of value, made for the purpose of influencing the nomination for election, or election, of any person to public office or aiding or opposing the circulation or passage of a statewide initiative or referendum petition or measure."
This report, which covers Jan. 1 through May 19, is mandatory for pretty much every political group that is a part of campaigns before the June 8 election. It gets kind of technical, but they have to report all contributions over $200 received from a single contributor from Jan. 1 to May 19. They also report the total of all contributions under $200, and some are required to list the amount of cash on hand on Jan. 1 and May 19.
Here are the groups or people that are required to file this report by Thursday:
- statewide candidate committees
- candidates for the legislative assembly
- candidates for judicial district office
- state political parties
- district political parties
- registered political action committees (PAC)
- registered multi-candidate political committees
- candidates for county office
- candidates for city office (in cities with a resident population of 5,000 or more)
Under state law, candidates and political parties need to turn in their report or have it postmarked by Thursday to avoid mandatory late fees. Additionally, they are required to report additional contributions over $500 between May 20 and June 8 (to make sure all major contributions leading up to the June 8 elections are also reported).
Jaeger pointed out that because the forms will be considered on time as long as they are postmarked by Thursday, he anticipates getting some of the forms next week (because of the Memorial Day holiday). He said his office is entering the reports ASAP after receipt, and a few are already posted - you can look through them on the secretary of state's website.
I did a quick scan this afternoon and it looks like only a few groups and politicians have turned in their reports so far. The Grand Forks Republican Coordinating Committee started the year with $9,874 and had $13,563 on hand as of May 19. Between Jan. 1 and May 19, they took in $750 in contributions greater than $200 and $4,245 in contributions less than $200 - making for a total of $4,995 in contributions in 2010.
Both secretary of state candidates have reports available online. Here's how the committees for incumbent Republican Jaeger and Democratic-NPL endorsed candidate Corey Mock have done since Jan. 1:
Pre-primary contributions for N.D. Secretary of State candidates
| |
Al Jaeger (R) |
Corey Mock (D) |
| Cash on hand Jan. 1 |
$1,510.27 |
$0.00 |
| Cash on hand May 19 |
$2,616.56 |
$12,962.12 |
| Total contributions greater than $200 |
$1,250.00 |
$10,630.20 |
| Total contributions less than or equal to $200 |
$875.00 |
$9,560.26 |
| Total of all contributions |
$2,125.00 |
$20,190.46 |
