April-May Contributions and Expenditures of Hunter Mill District Supervisor Candidates

Below for your information is a summary table of the contributions to and expenditures by each of the five candidates running for Hunter Mill District Supervisor.  The data is compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).  More detailed information on each candidate's campaign funding may be found by clicking on the candidate's name.  

We would note that Maggie Parker, who works for Comstock Holdings, raised nearly eight times as much money and spent nearly five times as much money as her closest funding competitor, Walter Alcorn.  RestonNow has an article on Ms. Parker's funding sources here.

Contributions to and Expenditures by Hunter Mill District Supervisor Candidates, April 1-May 30, 2019
Source:  Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP)
	Walter Alcorn	Laurie Dodd	Shyamali Hauth	Parker Messick	Maggie Parker
Starting Balance	$44,942	$6,430	$5,459	$1,732	$0
Type of Receipt
Cash Contributions More than $100	$28,930	$5,150	$6,172	$0	$155,375
Cash Contributions of $100 or Less	$2,396	$2,135	$3,599	$155	$5,449
In-Kind Contributions More than $100	$448	$0	$0	$0	$93,452
In-Kind Contributions of $100 or Less	$0	$0	$95	$0	$0
Loans Received	$0	$2,000	$2,500	$0	$0
Miscellaneous Receipts	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Receipts 4/1/2019-5/30/2019	$31,774	$9,285	$12,366	$155	$254,276
Type of Expense
Itemized Expenses	$49,446	$11,246	$10,399	$848	$148,967
In-Kind Expenses	$448	$0	$95	$0	$93,452
Loans Repaid	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Surplus Funds	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Expenses 4/1/2019-5/30/2019	$49,894	$11,246	$10,494	$848	$242,420
Ending Balance on May 30, 2019	$26,821	$4,468	$7,331	$1,039	$11,856

Meet the Hunter Mill District Supervisor Candidates

The critical June 11th Democratic primary for County Supervisors is rapidly approaching. This primary likely will determine the successor for Catherine Hudgins as our elected representative in Fairfax County.

There are five candidates running in the Democratic primary: Walter
Alcorn, Laurie Dodd, Shyamili Hauth, Parker Messick and Maggie Parker.

In order to be an informed voter, please attend a candidate forum. There will be three public events prior to Primary Election Day.  CPR and members of the public will be asking the candidates about their position on growth and infrastructure:

Tuesday, April 16th at 6:30pm
Sponsored by Herndon-Reston Indivisible
Sunset Hills Montessori School
11180 Ridge Heights Rd, Reston, VA 20191 
 

Tuesday, April 23, 2019, from 7 PM – 9 PM
Sponsored by Reston Citizens Association

Lake Anne Community Center
Jo Ann Rose Gallery
1609-A Washington Plaza N, Reston, VA 20190

Monday, April 29, 7 to 9 pm
Sponsored by Hunter Mill District Democrats*
Reston Community Center Hunters Woods
CenterStage
2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston 20191
*Registration required:
http://huntermill.fairfaxdemocrats.org/bosforum/
NOTE: Must register by April 15th, but questions may be submitted through later date.

Our new Hunter Mill Supervisor will have significant influence on the future of Reston, including our golf courses.

Join with your neighbors in learning about the candidates’ positions, and REMEMBER TO VOTE ON JUNE 11!

The Privacy of Your Voting Data . . . or Not

Last week, the New York Times had an article, "Millions of Voter Records Posted, and Some Fear Hacker Field Day," highlighting the theft and publishing of 191,000,000 (that's "million") individual voter records from across the country.  The article highlights some of the same concerns expressed by Restonians reflected in the RA Board's vote to prevent the release of recent voter data to a Reston requester.  

Here's what it says about the theft and publication: 

 First and last names. Recent addresses and phone numbers. Party affiliation. Voting history and demographics.

A database of this information from 191 million voter records was posted online over the last week, the latest example of voter data becoming freely available, alarming privacy experts who say the information can be used for phishing attacks, identity theft and extortion. The information is no longer publicly accessible.

It is not known who built the database, where all the data came from, and whether its disclosure resulted from an inadvertent release or from hacks. The disclosure was discovered by an information technology specialist, Chris Vickery, and the findings were published on databreaches.net. . . .

The article goes on to highlight that almost all the data is freely available under law: 

Indeed, nearly all of the data that was released was already publicly available. But having it compiled in one place makes it particularly valuable.

As a result of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, state governments are each required to maintain a single, “interactive computerized” voter registration list with “name and registration information.” It leaves what that “registration information” consists of to the discretion of the states. But as big data increasingly plays a large role in politics and business, the presence of the publicly available information raises questions of privacy and security. . . .

So the intent of the law is to make it easier to encourage people to vote in national elections, an intent that could be abused by misuse of the available data based on some further analysis that voters (or voters of a particular stripe) are more or less inclined to buy something.  Whether it is particularly useful for cyber-criminal activities is actually less evident.

The article also highlights how important the availability of this data is to campaigns. 

Access to data is, of course, a necessity for modern campaigns. Voter databases vary from state to state — there is no federal agency overseeing voter data or registration — making it a messy field to navigate. It is this discombobulated system that makes companies like NationBuilder and NGP VAN, a software company that manages such data for Democrats, invaluable to campaigns.

"From our perspective, it is extremely important for campaigns to be able to know who can vote for them, and be able to do legitimate outreach and engagement,” said Jim Gilliam, the founder and chief executive of NationBuilder. “That’s the point of the democratic process: that you can talk to voters.”

But even without the streamlined databases of NationBuilder, such voter data is publicly available on a state-by-state basis.

So every state, even Virginia, makes this information available to the public and some states have a few protections to prevent its misuse.  As the article highlights: 

For example, in Pennsylvania, it costs $20 to download the whole voter file — which includes names, addresses, birth dates, gender and party — in a spreadsheet format. North Carolina offers free access to an online database of voters. Wisconsin makes its voter file available online, with privacy restrictions that leave out such information as dates of birth and Social Security numbers, and it charges $25, and $5 per 1,000 voter records.

Each state also has a varying set of rules and verification requirements to try to ensure the data is used solely for a political purpose. Anyone can search North Carolina’s free online voter database, for example, but in New Hampshire, people have to verify they are with a political party or committee before purchasing the voter file from the secretary of state. Many states and jurisdictions, from Alaska to the District of Columbia to Florida, allow for “unrestricted” use of the data, according to a database kept by NationBuilder.

In Virginia, in particular, the Fairfax County Office of Elections reports that the following information may be made available upon request “at a reasonable cost.”   Among the categories of people who may obtain this information are “Members of the public seeking to promote voter participation and registration by means of a communication or mailing without intimidation or pressure exerted on the recipient.”  This is very much what Mr. Flashman has said he is trying to accomplish in his request to RA.   
 

In contrast, a qualified person asking for official county, state, or federal election information could ask for and receive the following under Virginia law, among other categories of information:

• “List of Those Who Voted (LTWV) – a list of those persons who voted in a primary, special or general election in a specified jurisdiction, legislative, election district or statewide.”  

• “Vote History List (VHL) – a list of those persons who voted in a primary, special or general election in a specified jurisdiction, legislative, election district or statewide over a four year time period.” 

In both cases, the requester would receive, “(the) full name, residence address, mailing address, gender, date of birth, registration date, date last registration form received, registration status, locality, precinct, voting districts, voter identification number, election date, election type, and whether the voter voted in-person or absentee.”  In response to the vote history list, the requester’s response would additionally be organized chronologically by election.

Mr. Flashman’s request for the addresses of RA members who voted in the Tetra referendum seeks much less information by far than the state allows for similar voting record requests as this table shows:

Data type                                    Virginia                              Reston Assn.

 Name                                               Yes                                        No

 Residential Address                        Yes                                      Yes

 Mailing Address                               Yes                                         No

Gender                                              Yes                                         No

Date of Birth                                      Yes                                         No

Registration Date                              Yes                                         No

Date Registration Received              Yes                                         No

Registration Status                           Yes                                         No

Locality                                              Yes                                         No

Precinct                                             Yes                                         No

Voting District                                    Yes                                         No

Voter Identification No.                      Yes                                         No

Election Date                                     Yes                                     Known

Election Type                                     Yes                                     Known

In-person/Absentee Vote                    Yes                                         No

This brief comparison suggests that Mr. Flashman's request is exceptionally modest in terms of gaining access to the addresses of those who voted in the Tetra referendum.  There is no apparent reason why it should be denied unless that data is expressly deniable by the Virginia POAA.  To the contrary, it appears that the Virginia POAA requires that it be released as RA determined a year ago.   Indeed, Mr. Flashman has appealed to the Virginia state ombudsman for a legal determination of his right to access the data he has requested from RA. 

If the RA denial stands, Mr. Flashman could easily turn to county officials and request the much more complete voter data compiled by the County on all voters in Reston--most likely by its ZIP codes—under Virginia state law.  Moreover, it would result in acquiring data on at least hundreds of people who did not vote in the RA referendum and a number of people who aren't even members of RA (such as those in Town Center).  

It seems clear to us that RA should--on both legal and ethical grounds--provide Mr. Flashman the data he requested.  Not to provide this limited information undercuts the very goal RA tries to encourage:  That all dues paying RA members should vote in RA Board and other elections and referenda.  If the candidates or groups that wish to participate in such elections don't have that data, they will almost certainly be less able to effectively present their positions and priorities to likely Reston voters.  In turn and as a result of their limited access to candidates or issues, likely RA voters may be less inclined to participate in an RA election or referendum.

RCA Election: Sridhar Ganesan Elected President Together With New Board Members

Reston Citizens Association (RCA) today announced the election of Sridhar Ganesan, who was elected to RCA’s Board from Reston’s North Point District, as President and the election of four other directors to its Board for the year 2014-15.

 

John Hanley, Hunters Woods District director, was re-elected by the Board as RCA’s Vice President, a position that he has held for the past two years. Board Member Nick Georgas was elected as Secretary and Joe Leighton was reelected to the position of Treasurer.

 

Incumbent Hunters Woods District Director Constance Hartke was re-elected to the Board.

 

Dennis Hays was elected to the Board as an At Large Director.

 

Hank Schonzeit joined the Board as a new Director from Town Center/Lake Anne/Tall Oaks District, while Robin Hogan also joined the board as a new Director from South Lakes District.

ONLY FOUR DAYS LEFT TO VOTE IN THE RCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION!

The clock is ticking; now is your chance to vote in the RCA elections!  Don't delay; the polls close Sunday, June 22 at midnight.

The following seats are up for election: At-Large, North Point, Lake Anne/Town Center/Tall Oaks, South Lakes, and Hunters Woods/Dogwood. Each seat carries a three-year term. Anyone who (a) is 16 years or older and (b) lives anywhere in Reston (defined as Reston Small Tax District #5) is eligible to vote.

To read RCA President Colin Mills' explanation of how and why to vote, click here.

To learn how to vote, view the eligibility requirements, learn about the candidates, or to cast your ballot, click the link in the sidebar to the left, or the one below:

Click Here to VOTE

RCA 2014 Election Slate of Candidates

            

Reston Citizens Association

Contact:  Colin Mills

cwmills47@hotmail.com

(703)608-6049

June 7, 2014

RCA Announces Slate of Candidates for the 2014 Board Election

Online Elections run from June 7 to June 22

The Reston Citizens Association (RCA) today released the slate of candidates for its 2014 Board of Directors election. RCA, was founded in 1967 to promote and protect Reston's founding principles and quality of life by serving as a non-partisan forum for all residents and business owners. This year is an exciting one for RCA as they are working hard to educate the community on the new development spurred by the arrival of the Silver Line and Phase II of the Reston Master Plan while also recommending smart growth solutions for transportation, education, environment, and accessibility to local and County officials and associations.

The following seats are up for election: North Point Director, Lake Anne/Tall Oaks/Town Center Director, South Lakes Director, Hunters Woods Director, and an At-Large Director. Each seat carries a three-year term. 

 The 2014 candidates are:

Sridhar Ganesan is running for re-election for the North Point Director seat. Ganesan, a Reston resident for 16 years and RCA Board member for two, has focused on analytical, advisory support, communications, strategic planning, finance and organizational matters.  Prior to serving with RCA, he chaired the RA’s Tennis Advisory Committee and helped organize charity events/tennis tournaments. He would like to help RCA to grow and participate more vigorously in its mission of educating Restonians on community issues and leverage his global corporate, operational and strategic experience to ensure that issues that affect Reston follow due process, offer constructive solutions that enable smart growth, and deliver outcomes that are what a majority of the community desires.

Hank Schonzeit, a 21 year resident of Reston, is running for Lake Anne/Tall Oaks/Town Center Director.  He currently serves as the Chairman of his condominium’s fitness facility task force and participates on the facilities committee. He volunteers regularly for Reston Runners and a suicide prevention hot line and has served as  Governour’s Square Cluster President and Treasurer. He has spent most of his career as an executive in healthcare systems. He wants to help maintain and improve Reston’s life-enhancing character and opportunities for healthy living, play, work  and appreciation of nature. He believes growth and development should be carefully managed and supported by the Reston community and not diminish the Reston experience.

Constance (Connie) Hartke is running for re-election for the Hunters Woods Director seat. Hartke, a Reston resident for 10 years and RCA Board member for one, has focused on developing communication tools and documents and delivering them so Restonians can make informed decisions on matters of import to the Reston community. She would also like to continue to advocate to our county government and our HOA, Reston Association. Hartke has also been a Board member of Rescue Reston since 2013 and Treasurer and Secretary – Cove Mountain Woods HOA (in the Smoky Mountains, TN) since 2005.  She volunteers for the Reston Triathlon, Jim McDonnell’s Lake Swim, and Reston Marathon while  also writing and managing her blog on Reston Patch – http://bit.ly/patch-connie.

Dennis Hays, a 21 resident of Reston, is running for the At-Large Seat. Hays is currently a Board member of Friends of the Reston Regional Library, RR Community Fund, and Community Living Alternatives. He has been President and Chairman of Course and Schedule Committee for Reston Runner’s, a Director of Runners Marathon of Reston, President of American Foreign Service Association, and Chairman of Friends of the Paramaribo (Suriname) Zoo. Hays came to Reston for the “live, work, play” philosophy of the community, the emphasis on preserving nature and the “walkability” of the pathways and trails. He believes progress can and must support the spirit of our community, and that the legitimate concerns of those who live and work in Reston should be factored into decisions about the community’s future. He believes upcoming action on the Master Plan, transportation issues, the balance between parkland and development and our library require close attention and a clear voice..

There are no declared candidates for the South Lakes seat; however, there is a write-in slot on the ballot where voters may support any qualified Restonian for the seat. 

The RCA Board election will take place from June 7 to June 22 at midnight. Continuing the practice established in 2012, this year’s election will be held entirely online. Anyone who (a) is 16 years or older and (b) lives anywhere in Reston (defined as Reston Small Tax District #5) is eligible to vote. 

Voters can go to www.rcareston.com and click on the “CLICK HERE TO VOTE” link to learn more about the candidates and cast their ballots.