[August 12, 2011] Questions raised about straw poll ballots Tweet Aug 12, 2011 (The Bradenton Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Opponents of incorporating Lakewood Ranch are questioning whether straw poll ballots are being forwarded to all registered voters. During the first week of August, 11,961 straw poll ballots were mailed to Lakewood Ranch's registered voters asking whether they favor cityhood for their community. Voters were given three weeks -- until Aug. 22 -- to return their ballots. On Thursday, Bob Hendel, one of the leaders of the anti-incorporation group Friends of Lakewood Ranch, said that postage on straw ballot envelopes was insufficient to allow forwarding. "We have been receiving inquiries from residents who should have been receiving ballots," Hendel said. But Keith Davey, one of the leaders of the Lakewood Ranch Incorporation Study Group, which supports cityhood, said there is no problem with delivery of the ballots locally, or to other states. "They are trying to do anything to stir up trouble. There's nothing to it," Davey said. Hendel stood by his concern, however, that some ballots may not have been received, although he was unable to provide an estimate of the number. "We think that is very significant and represents a significant percentage of the registered voters," Hendel said. "Any percentage that we give you is a guess." Michael Griffin, a pro-cityhood advocate, said that Kerkering, Barberio & Co., the independent certified public accounting firm that is handling processing of the straw poll, and the direct mail house handling the mailings, has handled everything properly. "They followed the regulations to the T," Griffin said. Brian Jones of Andrick and Associates, which handled the printing and mailing of the ballots, said his direct mail house compared the database of addresses provided by supervisors of elections with the Postal Service database to ensure addresses were up to date. "We have the most current addresses possible. If they didn't let the post office know of a change of address, there is no way that anyone would know," Jones said. Because the database used in the mailings contained the current address for each voter, whether at Lakewood Ranch or elsewhere, there is nothing that needs to be forwarded, Jones said. Out of the nearly 12,000 addresses from supervisors of elections, 1,436 were found to be different and updated prior to the mailing, Jones said. Results of the straw poll will be tabulated and provided to the Manatee and Sarasota legislative delegations. Should the majority of residents favor incorporation, legislators would have the political backing they need for a special act allowing the chartering of a new city. The Herald was unable to contact a Postal Service official for comment Thursday afternoon. To see more of The Bradenton Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bradenton.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Bradenton Herald, Fla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]