To the Editor:
Dear Fillmore Community,
Serving the citizens of Fillmore the past four years as a councilmember and as mayor has been a huge honor for me and an incredible privilege. I am so very proud of the things we accomplished, and I am especially proud of my fellow councilmember’s, for their integrity, love for this community, and mutual respect we had for one another. One of my biggest take-aways from this experience is knowing that I made some incredible friends who endorsed me and supported me through my entire term in office, and I take great comfort in knowing that these friendships remain with me as I leave the dais.
I am also very thankful for the hard work our City staff does, and thank each one of them for all that they do to make the work of Council so much easier.
To Lynn Edmonds, please be assured that with the colleagues you are about to begin working with, both on Council and the City staff, you have every opportunity to succeed, and I wish you the best.
I encourage all community members to become engaged in the process of governing our city. Attend city council meetings, follow agenda items that have a direct impact on our lives. Speak at meetings on items you feel strongly about to let the Council know your position. Each individual voice has such value to the Council. Nowhere else can an individual have a greater impact than at the local city level. So let your voices be heard. Participate.
I want to take a moment now to look forward. I have no doubt that the good work that has begun the past four years will continue to move forward. There is still much to be done, and I will be anxiously awaiting news of more economic development to come our way, continued increases to our reserve fund, solutions to our affordable housing issues, and all the other projects and improvements that will continue to make Fillmore the great community that it is. We are all truly blessed to call Fillmore home.
Thank you, Fillmore, for allowing me the privilege to serve you these past four years.
Carrie Broggie, Former Mayor & Council Member

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To the Editor:
Fillmore Election Day Observation...
As a concerned citizen of Fillmore and having a sincere interest to learn the voting process, I participated as a volunteer observer for Election Integrity Project California (EIPCa). I visited several of Fillmore’s precincts at last Tuesday’s election. What I observed was both enlightening and disheartening. I observed the opening of Poll Location #1, a hardworking assembly of grass roots citizens, with a “get it done attitude” that made up for their inexperience as poll workers. I thought this would pave the way for a very smooth and easy day of how our voting system works, or should work in California.
I traveled to the next Poll Location #2, where I was met with ‘Electioneering’ for a City Council Member. A campaign banner stretched across the tailgate of a small pickup truck parked less than 100 feet from the front door of this precinct. The driver was announcing loud and clear to a grounds worker that his candidate was going to win and that he, the grounds worker should go vote.
For those that don’t know the word “Electioneering” it is the display of candidate pictures, name, logo, T-shirt, etc., and audible discussions of ballot choices within 100 feet of a polling location. This is a violation to the fair integrity of our voting system, but in many cases hard to prove. It only got worse as I walked up to the precinct door and was ‘greeted’ by a young campaigner wearing a T-shirt with the words “Vote for ….” For City Council”. On entering the polling location, I directed the Poll Inspector (PI) to this issue and she did resolve the situation.
The same young campaigner reappeared in the polling location with a new plain t-shirt. The campaigner walked directly into the voting booth with a voter that already had two other adult occupants in the booth with her. This was another Election Code violation of privacy in the voting booth, or instructing voters how to vote without taking a required oath. When I went to the PI to question why several adult people occupying one booth was being permitted, I sensed resentment towards me by the PI. The PI called her supervisor who instructed the PI not to answer any of my questions and cover up all the signature books. I felt completely misunderstood because it was not my intention to interfere in the voting process. I found out later that this same Supervisor was the authority having jurisdiction over other precincts in Fillmore.
What began as a learning exercise suddenly went south and continued when I went to the next polling location #3. On entering this poll location, I actually met the Supervisor that had spoken on the phone to the PI at my previous stop. It was an awkward conversation as I walked in while the same Supervisor that had instructed the PI from Poll #2 was instructing the poll workers not to answer or acknowledge anyone observing at the polls. I took my place out of the way from any traffic and watched as an elderly man got his ballot and went into the polling booth. He didn’t appear to ask for help but another voter went into his booth and took over the marking of his ballot. I directed my concern to the PI of this location when the Supervisor interrupted and said to the PI that she didn’t have to listen to me…and to me she said, “I will take it under advisement”, but did not eject the assistant from the booth. The ballot was accepted from the elderly gentleman. I had seen enough at this location and a sinking feeling came over me that this may be happening all over Fillmore with this type of supervision.
My next stop was Poll Location #4 where I was greeted politely and welcoming, but there had not been any communication with this infamous Supervisor during my observation. This location became very busy and too confusing to observe. People asking if they could vote, should vote and what kind of ballot to use. I don’t know how poll workers can determine the eligibility of potential voters when the State of CA Legislature and Secretary of State have limited the ways to identify US citizens.
My last stop was Poll Location #5 where the experienced operation of the poll workers came through like a well-run assembly line. This showed me that a less confusing and knowledgeable panel does exist.
In closing this recounting of events as “I saw it”, some may recognize themselves in the telling of my experience. And I understand my opinion is subjective when it comes to how I felt while observing, but these violations did exist as I saw them. I have not mentioned any names and it may not matter. It just shows that these violations do exist and are apparently happening not just in Fillmore but County, State and Country wide. This is exponentially affecting the outcome of our elections and as a US Citizen everyone has the right to observe the functioning of an election. More people need to observe the Voting Process and understand that our complacency is being taken advantage of with Election Fraud. Please, don’t ignore the ‘rumors’ of Election Fraud as votes are being stolen across our state and country. It is happening, even in our “Small Town of Fillmore”.
Frustration was a catalyst when given the opportunity to join a nonpartisan organization that is truly concerned about the honest and ethical outcome of our US elections. A single voice can join like minds for change and improve the odds of outcome against voting dishonesty when you take action by observing in our next election.
If you feel the same as I did, please consider viewing the website for Election Integrity Project California-(EIPCa) www.eip-ca.com. Some of Election Codes Violated: {EC 319.5-Electioneering}; {EC 14224, 14282, 14283-Assisted Voter not taken Oath}; {EC 14222, 14224 (a), 14281-No more than one voter may occupy a single voter booth}; {EC 2300 (a) (9) (A)(B)(10), 14223 (b), 15104, 15104(b), 1510} Observer Rights;
Anonymous