John Smith

Equal Access to Voting

We stand for making voting easier. Connecticut had a 36.4% voter turnout on Nov 3, 2009, and yet TV shows like American Idol manage to get millions of people to vote.

We need a modern voting system that acknowledges 21st century pressures and values, one that ensures every vote gets counted and gets as many to participate as possible. Voting is the bedrock protection mechanism to our democracy, so when people don't vote, our government suffers.

Why Not Allow Early Voting? Currently 31 states permit no excuse, in-person early voting at election officials' offices and, in some states, other satellite locations. Connecticut is not one of them. Connecticut allows only those electors with a valid reason for doing so to cast their votes before an election by submitting an absentee ballot.

The General Assembly can extend the use of the absentee ballot, but only by amending the state constitution.  The constitution sets the qualifications of electors and the time, place, and manner for voting.  Existing state law authorizes the General Assembly to allow electors to vote by absentee ballot only if they are unable to appear at the polling place on the day of election due to (1) absence from their city or town of residence, (2) sickness or physical disability, or (3) the tenets of their religion, which forbid secular activity.

The bottom line? It would require a constitutional amendment to open the absentee voting process to more people, and Gerry Garcia supports such an amendment.

Military Voting

We must improve the process to ensure that the voices of our military men and women are heard at home while they fight two wars in distant lands to protect the rights we hold so dear. As Secretary of the State, we will dedicate the resources necessary to centralize a registry of our men and women in uniform who are serving out of state domestically and abroad,to better organize it, and to ensure that they get their ballots and that their ballots make it back.

What can be done to ensure voting rights for those serving in the military? State laws, including Connecticut's, authorize these individuals to register and vote absentee in state and local elections, including members of the United States Uniformed Services and merchant marine, their family members, and U. S. citizens residing outside the country. Congress is presently considering several proposals to amend UOCAVA, including one, S. 3073 that passed the Senate on October 1, 2008. Like some of the other bills, it establishes procedures to improve absentee ballot delivery to, and collection from, overseas military voters It also expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense (DOD) should examine electronic voting to protect voter privacy and guard against voter fraud. In the wake of the 2008 federal election, Congress will likely consider additional proposals. Gerry Garcia would work for these protections for our nation's military.

A Champion for Small Business

The Secretary of the State's office needs to evolve to become the one-stop-shop for business solutions, serving as business concierges to help our businesses solve problems and recruit business to our state. It may be the aspect of Connecticut government that stands to benefit the most from modernization and taking advantage of new technologie, and in doing so, to touch the lives of Connecticut employers and working families.

The Secretary of the State's office is the keeper of the business registry for Connecticut's 322,000 businesses. It can and should do more. It should be the distribution point for useful, timely and actionable information that helps Connecticut businesses do more business, more efficiently in this global marketplace.

Connecticut employers needs timely, useful and actionable information to help their businesses succeed, and the Secretary of the State's office must evolve into the one-stop-shop for business support.  It can serve as the gateway to Connecticut’s government services, enabling business by providing a simple, single point of contact. Gerry Garcia supports a commitment towards modernization that facilitates easy online access to information.