Polygon, the Dancing Bear

Occasional notes on politics, history, technology, architecture,
and the life of a county clerk

2002:
May / June / July
August / September / October
November / December

2003:
January / February / March
April / May / June / July
August / September / October
November / December

2004:
January / February / March
April / May / June / July
August / September / October
November / December

2005:
January / February / March
April / May / June / July
August / September / October
November / December

2006:
January / February / March
April / May / June / July
August / September / October
November / December

2007:
January / February / March
April / May / June / July
August / September / October
November / December

2008:
January / February / March
April / May / June / July

Current entries

Monday, December 20, 2004, 1:05 pm

Transition Notes. I take office as Washtenaw County Clerk and Register of Deeds on January 1st, and start work on Monday the 3rd. However, according to tradition, the public swearing-in ceremony and reception for all the countywide officials (prosecutor, sheriff, clerk-register, treasurer and drain commissioner) is held a few days later.

You're invited to my swearing-in!

Wednesday, January 5th, 4:30 pm
200 N. Main St. (lower level)
One block north of Main & Huron
Downtown Ann Arbor.

Refreshments will be served

The Clerk-Register has three chief deputies who are each "at-will" political appointees.

Chief deputy for deeds and vital records will be Jim Dries (rhymes with "trees") of Scio Township, formerly with Polk & Company, and a current township trustee.
Chief deputy for elections and administration will be Derrick Jackson of Ypsilanti Township, currently education and outreach director for Ozone House, and candidate in this year's primary for township trustee.
Karen Edman will continue as chief deputy for court services.

All other staff of the office will continue, as far as I know.

....Posted by Lawrence Kestenbaum — Comments

Tuesday, December 14, 2004, 9:50 am

Presidential Electors Meet. For the third election in a row, I went to the state capitol in Lansing yesterday to watch Michigan's presidential electors cast their votes. I also had lunch with the electors and assorted hangers-on, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Lt.Gov. John Cherry, and state Democratic chair Mark Brewer.

Much has changed in Lansing since my last visit. The Michigan National Tower, the tallest building on the Lansing skyline, built by auto magnate R. E. Olds for (what became) the Michigan National Bank, has been taken over by the state and renamed. The "Senate Hearing Room" where the electors lunch was held (very fancy, with walnut paneling and high coffered ceiling) is the former banking room.

Apparently Michigan National Bank no longer exists. It used to be the state's banking behemoth, at least geographically. In the 1930s, they persuaded the Legislature to grant them an exception to the regulations that limited the branching of all other banks.

The meeting of the electors was held in the state senate chamber at 2:00 pm. Lt.Gov. Cherry presided. A rabbi and a minister gave invocations. One elector was absent, and a replacement was elected. Gov. Granholm gave a short speech. The electors voted by ballot for president: 17 votes for John Kerry. Then they voted for vice president: 17 votes for John Edwards. Then U.S.Sen. Debbie Stabenow gave a short speech. An imam (Islamic) and a priest (Episcopal) gave closing invocations. The meeting was adjourned.

In theory, Michigan cannot have "faithless" electors who vote in unexpected ways, because state law provides that "refusal or failure to vote for the candidates for president and vice president appearing on the Michigan ballot of the political party which nominated the elector constitutes a resignation from the office of elector; his/her vote shall not be recorded, and the remaining electors shall forthwith fill the vacancy." This law is probably unconstitutional, but it has never been challenged.

Update: An Outrage in Minnesota. Minnesota did have a "faithless elector" on Monday, who failed to vote as expected. However, since the state allowed the electors to vote secretly, we will never know who it was!

I strongly agree with Timothy Noah's argument that presidential electors should NOT be allowed to hide their choices.

I call upon the Congress to reject Minnesota's electoral votes unless and until the votes of each elector are identified.

....Posted by Lawrence Kestenbaum — Comments

2002:
May / June / July
August / September / October
November / December

2003:
January / February / March
April / May / June / July
August / September / October
November / December