Dear Volusia County Voters:

I am running for Supervisor of Elections because I believe that the Volusia County Elections Department has suffered under poor management for the past four years. Numerous wrong decisions and problematic policy procedures, as explained on the “issues” page of this website, have resulted in a “vote of no confidence” for Ann McFall, the current Supervisor.

In 2004 I founded Florida Fair Elections Coalition and Florida Fair Elections Center (FFEC), and serve as executive director of those organizations. For the past four years I have devoted myself full time to FFEC’s mission of fair and accurate elections. I have studied and am knowledgeable about election law, election procedures, and “best practices” election management. I am concerned about the security of electronic voting equipment, memory cards, and paper ballots, and would immediately implement strengthened security procedures if elected.

Having successfully run an all-volunteer organization for the past 4 years, I know how to motivate people and keep a “team” together for the betterment of our community. I understand how important it is for an administrator to hire and retain capable, competent, and knowledgeable individuals to achieve a smooth-running, responsible, and fully accountable operation. A positive work environment helps to build good morale and create a strong and effective organization.

Most important, I believe that an election administrator should be completely impartial and nonpartisan when it comes to counting votes. All voters should be treated equally and all votes should be counted equally, fairly and accurately. That is why I am running as an “NPA” (no party affiliation) in this election.

I hope you will support me in my effort to become the Supervisor of Elections in Volusia County. Together, we can strive to make Volusia’s elections a model for our state and for our nation.

Please vote for me on November 4th. I’m counting on YOU!
Susan Pynchon

Biographical Sketch

2004—2008: Founder and Executive Director, Florida Fair Elections Coalition and Florida Fair Elections Center; DeLand, FL

Biographical Sketch
Monitored, researched, and wrote reports on various elections and election problems around Florida, including special reports on elections in Volusia County, Flagler County, and Sarasota County. Made numerous trips to Tallahassee to speak on election-related issues before the Ethics and Elections Committees of the Florida House and Senate; advocated for verifiable paper-ballot elections in Washington D.C. and Tallahassee; studied election law and election “best practices.” Personally initiated and sponsored Florida’s first statewide election reform conference, which has become an annual event. Gave talks to community organizations throughout Florida to help educate Floridians about the problems with electronic voting, partisan election administration, and other reform issues. Co-founded the Florida Voters Coalition; served as a member of the Election Protection Coalition; and served on the Advisory Board of VoteTrustUSA. Interviewed frequently by local, state, and national news media on election-related issues, including CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the Daytona Beach News Journal, the DeLand Beacon, and the Orlando Sentinel; appeared in the Emmy-nominated documentary Hacking Democracy. Forged cooperative relationships with established civil rights organizations to monitor proposed legislation on the state and national level and to advocate for needed election reforms. Initiated the preservation of Florida election records, which would otherwise have been destroyed, for the 2000, 2004 and 2006 elections so that historians and researchers will forevermore have access to those records.

Recipient of the 2008 Nelson Poynter Civil Liberties Award, Florida ACLU The Nelson Poynter Civil Liberties Award has been presented for 29 consecutive years to an individual or group of individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of civil liberties. The award is named for the former crusading editor of the St. Petersburg Times, who was never afraid to stand up for unpopular causes. He fought racial segregation, defended the right of a free press, exposed corruption in government and supported the rights of the elderly and the poor. He also led the fight for the Sunshine Law, opening Florida’s government to public scrutiny and accountability. The first recipient of the Nelson Poynter Civil Liberties Award was the late Florida Governor LeRoy Collins in 1978, who was recognized for his courageous leadership in upholding racial justice and opposing the death penalty. Other recipients have included Florida Supreme Court Justice Gerald Kogan; Florida Bar Association President Chesterfield Smith; Immigrant Rights Attorney Cheryl Little; and, in 2007, author and columnist Carl Hiaasen.Together with three colleagues, I received the 2008 Nelson Poynter Civil Liberties award for “defending voting rights in Florida,” which included rallying diverse organizations across Florida in the successful push for statewide implementation of verifiable paper ballot voting systems in 2007 and other election reforms.

Educational background:
American College, Paris, France – one year; Liberal Arts
Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL – two years; Liberal Arts
University of Maine, Augusta, Maine – one year; Liberal Arts
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH – Business Math
Technical training: Honeywell, Inc., Minneapolis, MN
Election Conferences: Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA; Minneapolis, MN; Kissimmee, FL; DeLand, FL;

Residence:
I moved from Maine to Florida in January 1998 and have lived in beautiful DeLeon Springs for 10 ½ years.

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