What's the Narrative

First let me say that I am happy to be running as an Independent and being able to put effort into initiatives that parties do not have time for at the moment.  My campaign tagline is Effective Oversight, Simplicity, and Transparency – these three purposes have guided my efforts in developing the proposed initiatives described below and will further guide my efforts as Vermont’s next Secretary of State.

There are three main initiatives that I would like to fulfill in my inaugural term as Secretary of State. Each of these initiatives will require teamwork, working out the kinks, and developing a system with full confidence.  

Visually confirm your vote was cast just as you’d intended. (See a simplified animation here.)

The first initiative is that I would like to establish a system whereby voters can visually see their cast vote in a list of compiled votes – yielding the accurate candidate sum totals.  They will be able to see that, yes indeed, their vote counted.  I believe this will increase citizen participation markedly and that, as a result, the State of Vermont will be able progress at a steady pace.  

This will involve a private key (a string of numbers perhaps) that each individual retrieves from their ballot and then matches to the ‘grand voter list’.  If a record is contested there are other variables that will be considered and accounted for.  

Write & read trusted professional service provider reviews.

The second initiative is a facilitation by the Secretary of State’s Office of a website for Professional Service Provider reviews by clients.  This review process would start again with a private key given at service provision by the Professional Service Provider to the client.  This key validates the service provision. The client can use this key to provide public input on the website.  

Will make public & anonymize full text of cases seen.

And the third initiative would serve as check on the Professional Regulation activities of the Office.  Many complaints are made every year – the full text of these files (anonymized when necessary) should be public information.  This system would not only hold the Office of Secretary of State publicly accountable for the judgments that are being made but it would also serve to help citizens understand standards that are being used in Professional Services – either clearing up misunderstandings or leading to change.  

With these three initiatives fulfilled I believe that Vermont can become much stronger.