Utah vs.Digital Signatures
J.A. Terranson
measl at mfn.org
Wed Jun 2 22:17:15 PDT 2010
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_15214033
Utah Supreme Court hears ballot access case
Politics ; Court asked to determine whether they count in qualifying
candidates for ballot.
By Cathy McKitrick
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 06/02/2010 06:58:38 PM MDT
The use of electronic signatures in support of independent candidates and
initiative petitions now lies in the hands of Utah's high court.
State Supreme Court justices, joined by 2nd District Judge Glen Dawson --
sitting in for retired Justice Michael Wilkins -- heard arguments
Wednesday in the Anderson v. Bell case.
The justices took the matter under advisement and will rule later.
Plaintiff Farley Anderson, an aspiring candidate for governor, asked for
an expedited ruling so that, if he prevails, he can campaign.
"The people of Utah should have an alternative choice come this November,"
Anderson said
Lt. Gov. Greg Bell last March rejected Anderson as an unaffiliated
candidate because a small portion of his requisite 1,000 signatures had
been gathered online through the "I-Sign" system developed by Kanosh
businessman Steve Maxfield.
Assistant Attorney General Thom Roberts argued the statute dealing with
candidate nominations is paper-based. Roberts held up a list of typed
names that had evidently been submitted electronically.
"Those don't look like signatures," Roberts said, questioning the lack of
evidence to confirm their veracity.
"Did any one individual make a mark on a paper saying I intend this to be
my signature?" Roberts asked. "There's nothing -- all there is is a typed
list of names."
Chief Justice Christine Durham countered that all someone could tell from
a hand-signed list is that the
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signatures look different from one another.
"You don't know who placed them there, whether they're forgeries, whether
someone signed for somebody else," Durham said. "You know nothing other
than that they are signatures."
Roberts said he was troubled by the idea that Anderson's neighbors could
call in their support and ask him to sign their names.
That could happen under the paper process as well, Durham said.
And if all the signatures resemble each other, "Mr. Anderson will get wise
and start writing with his left hand," Durham said, eliciting laughter in
the crowded courtroom.
The state's legal definition of signatures extends to electronic
approvals, and Attorney Brent Manning -- brought on by the American Civil
Liberties Union of Utah to represent Anderson -- argued that Bell
overstepped his legal authority.
"We are operating in completely undirected territory in that the
lieutenant governor has taken it upon himself to invalidate lawful
signatures in this state," Manning said, noting it raises "severe
constitutional issues."
The group Utahns for Ethical Government is seeking permission to file a
friend-of-the-court brief in the case, arguing that electronic signatures
should be allowed not only in qualifying candidates for the ballot, but
also initiative petitions.
Outside the courtroom, Anderson voiced confidence in the outcome.
"I felt we were in very capable legal hands and that the argument was
clear," Anderson said. "If they consider strictly the issue of 'did we
meet the statutory scheme?,' we will certainly prevail."
Current state law allows government agencies to use electronic signatures
once they have the appropriate security protocols in place, Roberts said,
adding such processes have not been established for candidates and ballot
issues.
Maxfield defended the safeguards installed in his trademarked I-Sign
system, noting Mark Thomas, office administrator for the lieutenant
governor, had given him suggestions on how to develop it.
"Everything was designed originally to make sure that the electronic
signatures not only met the paper standards but exceeded them," Maxfield
told The Tribune .
Roberts questioned whether Thomas's advice to Maxfield constituted a real
collaborative effort.
"It's my understanding there was some communication between the two,"
Roberts said, "but in terms of working together to agree on a system, I
think that that was not the case."
Paul Neuenschwander , Bell's chief of staff, agreed.
"We'll need computer experts who know what they're talking about -- the
professionalism has yet to be established," Neuenschwander said.
No state currently recognizes electronic signatures to qualify candidates
for the ballot, according to the Associated Press.
cmckitrick at sltrib.com
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