The danger of a national database

Until this country develops a plan to protect our democracy from cyber attacks, could we put a hold on consolidating the entire nation into one database? I would rather have someone with ill intent begin their project with at least 50 separate objectives/targets.

Centralizing the entire United States’ voter information into one database is a bad idea. This is not just related to voting and elections, this type of data increases the possibility of being hacked because of the value it would have for criminals who connect personal information for the purpose of fraud and other varieties of information for profit.

Please put some thought into what you are about to surrender. As a citizen of New Hampshire I ask you, please reconsider.

David Colby

Loudon

They’re using you, Bill Gardner

I’m perplexed at the willingness of Secretary of State Bill Gardner to continue to go along with Trump’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, a total sham to provide cover for continual gutting of voter rolls of people not prone to vote Trump. The whole thing is part of the three-ring Trump circus as was the “Infrastructure Summit” in early June that sucked in Gov. Chris Sununu.

The Election Advisory Commission is headed by Kris Kobach, the one American who is, without a doubt, the most anti-voting individual in the country. As Sec. of State of Kansas, Kobach spent his entire tenure trying to figure out new ways to disenfranchise voters. He was dragged into court numerous times for his venomous attempts to tilt the scale. And, like Trump, he is continually seeing conspiracies that, upon examination, never existed. He is a perfect fit for Trump.

Why Bill Gardner even agreed to serve in the charade is confusing. Bill is a bright guy, and a stellar Secretary of State, and there is nothing about Bill Gardner that would keep him from seeing what a bogus assignment Trump had devised. I can only think that maybe Bill thought he could make a difference.

That, Bill, is mission impossible. These guys already had a black and white agenda, mostly white, and you are going to be nothing more than a talking point about how a reputable Secretary of State contributed.

Don’t send them anything. Whether or not it’s already in the public domain, don’t give it up. If they want to come up and purchase it at going rate, they have that right. But to surrender it right out of the chute is a gigantic step too far. Also, think about resigning from the club. You are going to be nothing more than a gleaming ornament as they attempt to establish credibility.

Ted Leach

Hancock

Need to reconsider

My hope and request is that Gov. Chris Sununu and Secretary of State Bill Gardner reconsider the hasty decision to provide our voting data to a commission in Washington. There are a number of good reasons to reconsider.

First, willingly turning over data on Granite Staters to Washington is simply not the New Hampshire way. Second, there does not appear to be a basis in state law, RSA 654:31, for the governor or the secretary of state to be able to release our data to this commission. Third, even if there were a basis, there are no assurances or safeguards about how our data will be used, or if it will be handled securely. Fourth, there is no reason to proceed with such haste without first consulting with the attorney general’s office concerning both the legality and the procedure. Finally, it would be a great disappointment to see New Hampshire participate in the activities of this commission, as the commission was founded on the false premise of widespread voter fraud.

Quite frankly, the claim by Gov. Sununu, which was then repeated by President Trump, that people from Massachusetts are being bused into New Hampshire to vote hasn’t helped matters. We all know that doesn’t happen in New Hampshire. We know our hard-working local election officials and our volunteers run good, clean elections. We know our voters take elections and the issues seriously. And we also know Granite Staters expect all of our leaders to do their best to safeguard New Hampshire law and New Hampshire values. It’s time to reconsider the hasty decision to provide our data, and to consider what is more consistent with our laws, our values, and our traditions.

Sen. Dan Feltes

Concord

(Feltes represents Concord, Henniker, Hopkinton, Penacook and Warner)

Is this a joke?

Behind all the noise about presidential tweets today, Trump’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity is requesting full names, addresses, birth dates, and Social Security numbers, as well as the voting history for all registered voters for each state in the country.

According to the letter sent to the Connecticut Secretary of State, the information will be made public.

Excuse me? What happened to the privacy of our secret ballot? Is “Election Integrity” in the title of this commission a joke?

I am calling on Governor Sununu, the Secretary of State, and anyone involved with elections in our State to categorically refuse this request.

Karen Maitland

Concord

Make it easier for Putin

I just sent our governor an email asking why he would ever allow all my voter information be sent to Trump’s new Voter Fraud Commission headed by Kris Kobach. Why not put it all together quickly so Trump can give all our state’s voting information to Putin next week when they meet privately. That way Russia won’t have to spend so much time trying to hack all the different states.

Laura Rizzi

Washington

Don’t share it

I was not aware that when I registered to vote, the Secretary of State had my name, date of birth, my Social Security number, my voting record and any criminal record I might have. Nor was I aware that I gave my permission to the Secretary of State to give away my personal information as he chooses, including to a committee in Washington that has no reason to have it.

We all guard carefully these items of personal identification and in my opinion, this information should not be given out at the whim of the governor and the secretary. What a gift to those who seek to steal identities, etc.

The secretary says this is all in the public domain. I would like to know exactly what public domain and how to access it if this is the case. I, for one, am requesting that this personal information not be shared with Washington for any reason.

Peg Smith

Concord

Bad judgment

Very disappointed with New Hampshire Secretary of State Billy Gardner’s judgment. Both red and blue states are refusing to fall for this phony voter fraud commission.

There is absolutely no proof of 3 million to 5 million fraudulent votes. Time for Billy to step aside?

Kevin Michael Monahan

Bow

Refuse to kowtow

We are adamantly and furiously opposed to having any of our voter history information released to the federal election commission.

We don’t care if it is publicly available, a weak excuse which Gardner cites. It is a disgrace that New Hampshire, with its proud motto, “Live Free or Die”, would kowtow to this “request.”

Gov. Sununu, show some backbone and refuse. Our response as voters is Hell No!

Richard and Carol O’Brien

Dover

Against the people

I cannot state this strongly enough: I object to the release of my voting history, along with other identifying information, to appease the delusional rantings of a man who “won” the election, yet is obsessed with claiming the 3 million more votes that went to Hillary were fraudulent.

What can he gain other than ammunition for the Trump-Putin Mafia goons to parade their jackboots through the streets? What cloth symbols will those who see him for what he is – a dangerous madman – have to wear? Doesn’t his threat to punish those states’ officials who have the conscience to resist tell you something about his malice?

Today, I listened to a segment on “On the Media” about how Aaron Copeland sought out a new American sound, traveling around the country, soaking up folk music, for his 1942 symphony, “Fanfare for the Common Man.” In the 1950s, McCarthy and his HUAAC thugs blacklisted him for supporting egalitarianism. How utterly ironic that President Trump, in his courting the Common People, is turning on them, finding ways to squeeze more of what they don’t have to assuage the avaricious greed of the wealthy. Can’t you just hear that hungry Walrus and his Carpenter friend, “O Oysters, come and walk with us!”

Apparently, so many do not. Including Gov. Sununu walking right along that beach, ready to hand his deceitful president any tool he demands.

Darlene Olivo

Concord

A witch hunt for fraud

Last year, after 10 years of debate, the New Hampshire Legislature passed a bill with overwhelming bipartisan support, allowing individuals to voluntarily opt into the federal Real ID program. Along the way, Real ID was seen as both a federal violation of privacy rights and an intrusion into states’ rights, protected by the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

This compromise, done the New Hampshire Way, allows citizens to choose whether or not to participate in this program establishing a national database containing personal identification.

Now comes the hastily established voter fraud commission, which by its name, holds as its sole task to find support for the president’s belief that there was rampant voter fraud during the 2016 election. This does not have as its goal enhancing voter access nor ensuring voters rights, rather its sole outcome can only serve to further disenfranchise the right of Americans to vote. Unfortunately, New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, already having laid to rest the false rumors of bus loads of fraudulent voters, gives an air of legitimacy to this witch hunt, by agreeing to lend his decades of election experience to this commission. He and Gov. Chris Sununu immediately and without reservation pledged to provide the requested voter information to the feds.

This is a clear invasion of individual privacy and states’ sovereignty. As we celebrate our nation’s independence and our freedoms, we cannot permit this information to be released to the Fraudulent Commission Against Voting. It can serve no positive purpose.

Ken Roos

Concord

They’re the people’s data

So far at least, the governor and secretary of state seem determined to hand over our voter information to the White House.

While more than 40 other states have indicated some reluctance to do this, New Hampshire’s executive branch have responded to Washington like sheep dogs to a whistle. They are wrong to do so. At the very least, the governor and Executive Council should hold a properly noticed public hearing so the people of this state can say what they think. It is, after all, their data that will be shipped off to Washington.

Peter Hoe Burling

Cornish

Fraud didn’t happen

Why would he do that? Why would Secretary of State Bill Gardner just hand over 10 years’ worth of the state’s voting rolls to the Trump administration when he stated he doesn’t even know how that information will be used?

Kris Kobach, chairman of the “Election Integrity Commission,” has requested from all 50 states voter data which includes name, address, date of birth, voting history dating back to 2006, party affiliation, last four Social Security numbers, military status and any felony convictions. Wait ... what?

Could this be a way to lay a foundation for future voter suppression? Does it have something to do with Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of three to five million undocumented immigrants illegally voting in 2016?

I think we all know here in New Hampshire “busloads from Massachusetts” just didn’t happen, even though Kobach has defended Trump’s unfounded claims. What’s the real reason behind this request?

While we’re on the subject of voting integrity, does anybody else wonder why Trump has remained virtually silent about Russia’s hacking of our 2016 election yet has been quite vocal about nonexistent voter fraud?

Terri O’Rorke

Keene

It’s my vote

Please I beg you, do not give my voter information to anyone, Democrats or Republicans or Independents. My vote belongs to me and not you. Voting is a privilege and is private. It is nobody’s business who or how I vote, behind that curtain at the polls. It is a closed ballot. You need to check Roberts Rules of Order.

The main object of this form of voting is secrecy, and it is resorted to when the question is of such a nature that some members might hesitate to vote publicly their true sentiments. I vote for the person I feel is the most qualified for the position, not just because they are a Democrat or Republican.

Should anyone ask me how I voted in any election my response is, “No comment. My vote is mine and mine alone.” Most people respect this, and would not ask such a personal question.

Verne Greene

Keene

So, what’s next?

I am outraged that the secretary of state has complied with Trump’s national effort to gain information on my personal voting information. The governor ought to be ashamed that New Hampshire is only one of 10 states to fully comply to this violation of constitutional privacy. Next, Trump will require all voters to have their Social Security numbers tattooed on their arms.

Richard M O’Donnell

Wolfeboro

Who needs rights?

Gov. Sununu appears eager to acquiesce in the demands of the Trump administration.

Voter rights? Forget about them.

States rights? Who needs them.

It’s all in the lap of the federal government now. CEO Trump and the Board of Oligarchs, that is.

Clark J. Nichols

Henniker