Editorial reply -- Gary Durrett

It was heartening to see the News-Press direct it's attention to the

abuse of absentee ballots.

The last City Council election had a ridiculously high number cast,

and two candidates in particular had disproportionately festive turns at

the trough. Campaign workers even targeted specifically susceptible

demographic groups to show them how the process works, giving off the

strong stench of manipulation.

This thinly veiled form of ballot box stuffing takes organization and

lots of money. It will be illuminating in our upcoming election to see

which candidates benefit from this sleazy activity, and to what degree

the population registers it's displeasure with our electoral process

becoming a Florida-style joke. Fix it. Now.

GARY DURRETT

Glendale