While the controversy over State Election Law 8-407 continues, the battle over ballots has turned into a partisan war of words.
In an interview with The Herald regarding the absentee ballot, Democratic Party Leader Gene Cammarato took some shots at his opposing-party detractors, questioning the motives of certain members of The League of Women Voters.
"If you look at the list of people from the League of Women Voters who are ranting and raving, it's the same people who are Republican," Mr. Cammarato said. "The League of Women Voters is supposed to be non-partisan, but Mindy Warsaw and Mona Goodman are not non-partisan. Take a look at the League of Women Voters-Sarah Nicholas, Mark Jackson-you give me those names and I'll show you time and time again where they have shown their support for the Republican party. If that's non-partisan, I must be a multi-billionaire, because that's not non-partisan.
"They discuss an issue and then they demand a result," he said. "They have their own agendas, and I find it ironic that the League has allowed it."
Meanwhile, The League of Women Voters says it is a non-partisan, political group that addresses issues without political favoritism.
"The League is made up of Republicans, Democrats and whoever else wants to join the League," said Barbara Bernardino, President of The League of Women Voters. "I'm sure if someone did an analysis of the League they would find there are a lot of Democrats in it, and I'm one of them."
Mona Goodman responded to Mr. Cammarato's statements by saying, "I'm a registered Republican, but I have nothing to do with the Republican party. Because we have a problem with dead people voting [September 1992 elections], because we have older people without all of their faculties being taken advantage of, I'm a Republican? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. How about a concerned citizen, how about someone who is concerned about the integrity of our voting system? I'm furious."
In response to a question regarding the documented history of Long Beach's illegal voting procedures, Mr. Cammarato said "the reason the problems have been documented here is because the Republicans in Long Beach are documenting the problem. The absentee ballots have not won an election. The results have never changed."
Ms. Bernardino fired back at Mr. Cammarato, saying "don't tell me that the 550-voting bloc doesn't swing an election in a small city like ours. And if the District Attorney is investigating [the absentee ballot irregularities], I don't think it's just the Republicans documenting it.
"It's about the integrity of the electoral process, it's not a partisan issue, it shouldn't be a partisan issue," she said. "The league does not make anything political, the league is simply saying there's something wrong with the absentee ballot voting process. If things worked the way they were supposed to, there would be nobody yelling and screaming, would there."
When told that Mr. Cammarato labeled her as partisan, Mindy Warsaw retorted by saying, "I've got my own party. I don't want to be a part of any party because neither party does anything right."
