The Citizens Jury on Election Recounts is a privately funded entity that has assembled 24 jurors and given them stipends and various resources to evaluate the recount process and make recommendations. The "jurors" are randomly selected regular people.
"I think there needs to be many different examinations of the lessons learned from the recount," said Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, who, along with Rep. Laura Brod, R-New Prague, has endorsed the citizen jury concept for this hyperlocal and hypertopical issue. "Citizens are the ones participating in the elections, and they have felt the effects of not having a senator for many months. They have an important stake in describing what they've learned and making suggestions for improvements."
Will they be novel? Will they be a filter for expertise that will (hopefully) be available to them? Will they be a good filter? Will they prove that the masses are asses, or will they prove that there is truth in community? We'll see.
More like this
Two years ago when the votes were counted in the US Senate race in Minnesota, Republican Norm Coleman was ahead of Democratic Al Franken, which automatically triggered a recount.
After last week's New Hampshire primaries, I've gotten a lot of email requesting my take on the uproar surrounding recounts and voting machines.
"Yesterday the voters spoke. We prevailed," ... [my opponent could opt to waive the recount.]
"It's up to him whether such a step is worth the tax dollars it will take to conduct," He said, telling reporters he would "step back" if he were in [his opponent's] position...
"Yesterday the voters spoke. We prevailed," ... [my opponent could opt to waive the recount.]
"It's up to him whether such a step is worth the tax dollars it will take to conduct," He said, telling reporters he would "step back" if he were in [his opponent's] position...
I'm afraid I have to assume masses are asses until it's proven otherwise. *raises a glass* Here's to being proven wrong.
You should be on the committee. Seriously.
I sure wish I'd known about it. I'm saving the link to Crosby's foundation. It sounds like there may be other citizen juries in the future. I would love to participate in something like that. Of course, then I'd have to not be an ass. :P
But are they Real Americans?
Can this jury sentence Norm Coleman to death?