July 17, 2009 Voting News.Tennessee votes at risk 2010? Wisconsin early vote? Vote By Mail in CA, Iran update,USENIX event

Tennessee still in the news. The Tennessean says the spat is “not what Tennessee voters want” and, “More than sufficient funds are in place to purchase and install the machines, if only the bickering will stop and officials will work in a bipartisan manner to make it happen.” New Hillsboro FL elections chief is a "double dipper" which does not inspire trust in that office. Wisconsin considers early voting, Bush v Gore dead, and Project Vote shows how states that enforce Voting Rights Act see dramatic improvements in voter registraton. I urge activists to work on voter registration issues in addition to voting machine issues. Bloggers rule the world!

CA Editorial: Mail-in elections save money, but at what cost?
While cost is important, it's not the only or even the most important consideration in the administration of elections.
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/story/2017467.html

FL Elections chief Lennard sworn in, becomes latest 'double dipper'
Earl Lennard officially became Hillsborough County elections supervisor in a 10 a.m. swearing-in ceremony today in the elections supervisor's office.
At the same time, Lennard also became a "double dipper," collecting a $132,000 salary as elections supervisor while continuing to collect his $167,468 annual pension from 41 years with the Hillsborough County school system.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jul/15/lennard-sworn-elections-supervisor-becomes-latest-/news-politics/

NV High voter registration in Nevada
Nearly 80 percent of eligible Nevadans are now registered to vote, according to the secretary of state's office.
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_12798787

TN A debate over machine politics | In Session: Tennessee Politics
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Rep. Gary Odom, D-Nashville, go at it over the state’s Voter Confidence Act on Sunday’s upcoming editorial page in The Tennessean.
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/a-debate-over-machine-politics/

TN What if Herenton v. Cohen is a Close Election?
http://www.liberadio.com/2009/07/16/what-if-herenton-v-cohen-is-a-close-election/

WI Should Wisconsin allow more early voting?
The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB) is asking for opinions from local election officials and the general public during a series of summer listening sessions about the possible implementation of early voting measures for the 2010 elections.
http://www.biztimes.com/blogs/milwaukee-biz-blog/2009/7/17/should-wisconsin-allow-more-early-voting

National. The Untimely Death of Bush v. Gore Richard L. Hasen - Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
"...the promise of election reform inspired by the case is now dead. Indeed, a case could come along some day reviving Bush v. Gore as precedent. Perhaps it is better to think of the case as dormant as a constitutional precedent."
http://legalworkshop.org/2009/07/17/the-untimely-death-of-bush-v-gore

National. Low-Income Voters Added to the Voting Rolls through Improved NVRA Implementation
When states have decided to prioritize compliance with the federal law, improvements have been startling.
http://www.progressivestates.org/node/23303

National. New Project Vote Report Evaluates Fifteen Years of the NVRA
a comprehensive new report released today by Project Vote, The NVRA at Fifteen: A Report to Congress, voting rights attorney Estelle Rogers finds that lack of enforcement, failures of state and federal leadership, and restrictive court decisions have left the full potential of the NVRA unrealized
http://www.projectvoteblog.org/265/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3365&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=263&cHash=7be648563f

Ghana. "Adopt Open Registration Format"
The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), on Thursday urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to adopt an open registration system to capture statistics for the compilation of the voters' register for future elections.
She (Professor Miranda Greenstreet, Co-Chair of CODEO) commended the EC for initiating plans to use Biometric Technology in future voter registration exercises.
http://peacefmonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24337&Itemid=56

Iran. TEHRAN -- Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has put forward a number of proposals to resolve the post-election problems and maintain unity in society and emphasized that everyone should abide by the law.
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=199025

Montreal, Canada, August 10–11, 2009, for EVT/WOTE '09.
USENIX/ACCURATE Electronic Voting Technology Workshop (EVT
EVT/WOTE seeks to bring together researchers from a variety of disciplines, ranging from computer science and human-computer interaction experts through political scientists, legal experts, election administrators, and voting equipment vendors.
http://www.usenix.org/events/evtwote09/