Humboldt County CA's Nov 3 ballots are now publicly viewable...Meanwhile, the struggle goes on in Aspen - a poll shows over 66% want ballots released to the public....So you think e-voting is as safe as using an ATM? Then consider this: "Hacking ring steals $9 million from ATMs globally"...
Bo Lipari's testimony about New York's optical scan pilot...What does the outcome of New York's pilot with optical scanners mean? Is part of the problem the Dominion Imagecast? Are testing programs insufficient? In some states, like New Mexico and North Carolina, optical scanners have been a great improvement - over paperless electronic voting systems that they used to have. Undervote rates were greatly improved in these states....
The Tennessee Voter Confidence Act: "what began as a bipartisan effort to ensure electoral integrity has now devolved into something quite the opposite."...
...A hand recount verifies results of a recall election in Clatsop County....Pennsylvania to increase voter registration at state agencies...
Champaign Co Illinois Clerk sues over notification about undervotes :
"Because such an error message will take the form of an audible beep, accompanied by a message on a screen on the tabulation machine, the secrecy of a voter's choices is necessarily compromised," Shelden said in his lawsuit. "There is no more fundamental right than the right to vote and to cast a secret ballot."
Glasgow Co Kentucky may ditch paperless voting and use HAVA funds to buy new optical scan machines at $4,500 each....
CA: Humboldt County Election Transparency Project (ballots made public online)
Ballot Scans from the Election of November 3, 2009
http://www.humetp.org/20091103/
CO: Aspen Times poll about releasing ballots (from Aspen Election May 5 2009) http://apps.aspentimes.com/utils/polling/poll_results.php?poll_ident=1465
Should the city of Aspen release the ballots from the spring City Council election to anyone who wants to see them?
As of 8:30 AM 11/26/09: Yes 66.24%
http://aspenelectionreview.blogspot.com/2009/11/aspen-times-poll-about-releasing.html
CT: Connecticut Governor Wants Non-Discriminatory Public Funding
November 29th, 2009. Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell has asked the legislature to amend the state’s public funding law so that it does not discriminate for or against any candidate on the basis of the candidate’s partisan affiliation
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/11/29/connecticut-governor-wants-non-discriminatory-public-funding/
FL: South Florida election observers head for Honduras
With government institutions declining to send election observers to Honduras, about 300 people from a variety of groups left Miami on Friday to fill the void.
...
`AT ODDS'
``If the U.S. sends election observers before President Zelaya is restored, it would prepare the ground for recognizing the coup regime and its election as legitimate, putting the U.S. at odds with the rest of the hemisphere,'' wrote Robert Naiman, policy director of Just Foreign Policy, a left-leaning think tank.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/5min/story/1354995.html
FL: Two ballot proposals stir fears
A push for new redistricting standards could inspire legal challenges
November 27, 2009 ...Two little-noticed constitutional amendments that could be on the 2010 ballot are so potentially threatening to the status quo that there is already talk of lawsuits, disenfranchisement of minority voters and fears of a Democratic takeover of the GOP-controlled state government.
The push by FairDistrictsFlorida.org seems simple: Require that state lawmakers follow certain standards whenever they change the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts. These new districts should be compact, follow city and county lines if possible, and cannot be drawn in a way to help out incumbents or members of a political party.
Thom Rumberger, a lifelong Republican and chairman of the group, said the current system is rigged so that incumbents are protected and voters have few true choices at the ballot box
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091127/ARTICLE/911271043/2416/NEWS?Title=Two-ballot-proposals-stir-fears-
FL: Supervisor of Elections offices in Leon, other counties swamped with voter petitions (Ion Sancho)...Sancho said "we have to eyeball each petition and voter registration," with no computer scanning or random sampling permitted. An employee calls up each voter's original registration and compares it to the signature on each petition. Campaign committees pay supervisors 10 cents a name to verify.
Feliciano said there's about a 20 percent invalid rate -- often the result of unregistered voters signing petitions.
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20091128/BREAKINGNEWS/91127010/Supervisor-of-Elections-offices-in-Leon--other-counties-swamped-with-voter-petitions
FL: ON AMENDMENTS, SIGNATURES ABOUND
November 27, 2009. Some county elections supervisors, including Brevard County's, are being swamped with voter petitions for twin constitutional amendments that would fundamentally change Florida politics.
Besides a ballot deadline barely 60 days away, with holiday breaks in between, the pressure is raised by a new law requiring voting offices to validate or reject petitions within 30 days.
...
There are 49 public-petition initiatives on file with the Secretary of State's office but only two are jamming hallways and shelves in elections offices. Those are from FairDistrictsFlorida.org, a Miami-based committee that wants to end gerrymandering of political districts.
The petitions would forbid the Legislature to draw district lines to favor a political party or protect incumbents. The proposal would set legal criteria for challenging the age-old practice of leaders choosing their voters, through zig-zag remapping of districts, rather than voters choosing their leaders. Separate proposals address redistricting of congressional and state legislative boundaries...
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20091127/NEWS01/911270335/1006/On%20amendments%20signatures%20abound
IL: Shelden sues over notification about undervotes
..In his lawsuit, Shelden claims that an analysis of the undervotes in that election shows that 99.8 percent of the undervotes in that election "are intentional choices of voters not to cast a vote in a particular race."
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009/11/25/shelden_sues_over_notification_about_undervotes
IL: Illinois Lawsuit Over Vote-Counting Machines Will Test the Meaning of “Secret Ballot”
November 29th, 2009. On November 20, the County Clerk of Champaign County, Illinois, filed a lawsuit in state court over an Illinois law that requires the county to use vote-counting machines that make an audible beep if a voter attempts to cast a vote that is blank for some offices. The case is Mark Shelden v Illinois State Board of Elections, in Champaign County Circuit Court.
...
The Clerk says that the Constitution is being violated when a voter is forced to vote on a machine that tells everyone in the room if he or she chooses to leave certain offices blank. The Clerk says that there might be poll watchers in the room at the time, and the voter may be intimidated if that voter owes certain favors to people in one of the political parties, or someone in government, and it becomes known that the voter chose to leave some offices blank.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/11/29/illinois-lawsuit-over-vote-counting-machines-will-test-the-meaning-of-secret-ballot/
KY: Monroe County magistrates are contemplating the purchase of new voting machines. November 21, 2009. Magistrates listened to a presentation Friday by County Clerk Teresa Sheffield and Butch Pass with Harp Enterprises, a Lexington-based company, regarding a voting machine that scans paper ballots. The cost of the new voting machines for the county’s 12 precincts is $54,000.
“The only funds the fiscal court would need to expend would be approximately $900 per precinct for the necessary equipment required for each precinct, such as tables, ballot bags and screens,” Sheffield said.
http://www.glasgowdailytimes.com/local/local_story_325143109.html
NC: Buncombe County choice of voting machines in 2006 saved votes in 2008
11/29/2009 ...Buncombe County purchased new optical scan voting machines in 2006 in order to comply with state and federal laws.
...
A professor's study of North Carolina's 2008 Presidential election shows that optically scanned paper ballots were better at registering the intent of the voters than touch screen voting machines. Buncombe County's residual rate for President in 2008 was a low .8 %.
http://ncvoters.blogspot.com/2009/11/buncombe-county-choice-of-voting.html
ND: County to discuss addition of election coordinator
Lessmann recommended collectively advertising the position and hiring in a non-partisan fashion.
Lessmann said the need for a coordinator has arisen because in the past there have been “serious problems in elections.” These problems included lawsuits and elections which had to be redone
http://thecabin.net/news/local/2009-09-20/county-discuss-addition-election-coordinator
NY: NYS Senate Elections Committee Testimony
Bo Lipari. November 29 2009 Testimony on the voting machine pilot I gave at the New York State Senate Election Committee’s hearing on November 30, 2009.
...We know what went wrong – a bug caused some machines to hang on certain vote combinations in multiple candidate elections. As a retired software engineer, I seriously question vendors’ in-house testing, which absolutely should have turned up a simple defect like this. It also indicates that the state’s certification testing has some big holes, something which the State Board needs to be looking at very closely.
http://www.bolipari.com/boblog/2009/11/nys-senate-elections-committee-testimony/
OR: Just 4 votes
If just two voters had voted “no” instead of “yes” … or if four “yes” voters had decided not to vote at all in the recall election, Ann Samuelson might still have her job as District 5 Commissioner of Clatsop County, Oregon.
Instead she lost the citizen-driven recall and was removed from office.
...
The four-vote margin triggered an automatic hand recount of the paper ballots . The original machine tally was conducted on the ES&S M-650 optical scanner. That machine tally was verified by the hand count of the paper ballots and certified on November 10, 2009.
http://votingmatters.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/just-4-votes/
PA: Pennsylvania Developing Plan to Boost Voter Registration at State Agencies
...The move follows pressure from Advancement Project and other members of the Pennsylvania Voters Coalition, which have been concerned that Pennsylvania’s public assistance and disability agencies have not appeared to provide sufficient voter registration services and assistance to their clients.
http://tinyurl.com/apnl1109
TN: The Tennessee Voter Confidence Act
November 30, 2009. The change in tenor over the TVCA is most evident by the failure of legislation introduced to delay implementation until 2012. That legislation is expected to come back up for a vote early next year when the legislature reconvenes. At this point though, it appears what began as a bipartisan effort to ensure electoral integrity has now devolved into something quite the opposite.
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2009/11/30/the-tennessee-voter-confidence-act/
National
Advancement Project Newsletter
November 30, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/apnl1109
Just say no to paperless e-voting:
Hacking ring steals $9 million from ATMs globally
According to an FBI press release, a global ring of hackers broke into an unnamed American credit processing company, stole PIN numbers, manipulated accounts, and proceeded to steal 9 million USD from over 2000 ATM machines world-wide. (They have just been brought to justice.)
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/nov09/atm_111609.html
Justice Department Says Acorn Can Be Paid for Pre-Ban Contracts
November 27, 2009 WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has concluded that the Obama administration can lawfully pay the community group Acorn for services provided under contracts signed before Congress banned the government from providing money to the group
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/us/politics/28acorn.html?_r=1
Bruce McPherson: Implementing a reliable voter registration database
11/29/2009. It's time to update those guidelines so more citizens may register to vote while at the same time giving us a better picture of where those citizens are registered. The Committee on Voter Registration Databases addressed the basis of how we may accomplish those tasks and invites you to review its recommendations at www.eac.gov.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/ci_13888234
EAC's next public meeting will be webcast live December 3. Topics: election of 2010 officers; maintenance of effort; 2010 Election Day Survey; and implementation of the Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act.
http://www.eac.gov/News/meetings/12-03-09-public-meeting-washington-d-c
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
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Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Gouverneur Times vs NYS Board of Elections, Arkansas paper ballot battle, Voter Verified Inc?
Benton county citizens fight to keep their paper ballots....A new Florida corporation calling itself "Voter Verified Inc" files patent infringement against ES&S (and Diebold/Premier)...Bloomberg Spent $102 Million to Win 3rd Term yet won by fewer than 5 percent points...Complaint filed with Westchester County NY Board of Elections when two candidates names were missing from ballot at one of the polling sites..."FACT CHECK: Gouverneur Times vs. NYS Board of Elections"....
For some in military, power of vote now guaranteed...Franklin County PA used a central count scanner to do a recount, and says that it proved the precinct count to be accurate....
Philippine Elections and Murder Inc: "Elections in the Philippines are historically and perennially -- they're always violent -- they only vary in degrees, for instance in the number of people killed every election period," he said. "It has always been a problem for the Philippines, particularly in Maguindanao."
AR: PUBLIC VIEWPOINT: Don’t Throw Away Paper Ballots
November 27, 2009 ...Benton County proposes to be all-electronic, trusting our entire election to electronic voting machines that have documented vulnerabilities. In fact, counties across the country are scrapping these machines. Either the Election Commission knows something most of the country does not know, or they are way behind the curve.
http://smn.nwanews.com/news/2009/nov/27/public-viewpoint-dont-throw-away-paper-ba-20091127/
Optical Scan cheaper to own and operate, see
Voting System Cost Studies and Reports
http://www.votersunite.org/info/CostStudies.asp
States rush to dump touch-screen voting systems
States are increasingly abandoning touchscreen voting, scrapping multimillion-dollar systems purchased since 2000.
Arstechnica. August 20, 2008 It's a good time to pick up an electronic voting machine on the cheap—provided you're not a stickler for things like "accuracy" or "security." States are scrapping tens of thousands of pricey touchscreen systems in response to mounting concerns about the machines' reliability.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2008/08/states-rush-to-dump-touchscreen-voting-systems.ars
CA: City unveils improved election Web site
VoteSantaClarita.com provides voter essentials in English and Spanish
...VoteSantaClarita.com includes links with information on how to register to vote, how to vote by mail as well as an interactive form that shows voters their nearest polling place...
http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/21239/
FL: Voter Verified, Inc. v. Election Systems & Software, Inc.
RFC Case Number: P-V09-1969E
Court Case Number: 6:09-cv-01969-ACC-GJK
File Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Plaintiff: Voter Verified, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Anthony I. Provitola of Anthony I. Provitola, PA
Defendant: Election Systems & Software, Inc.
Cause: 35:271 Patent Infringement
11/19/2009 1 COMPLAINT against Election Systems & Software, Inc. with Jury Demand (Filing fee $ 350 receipt number 32920), filed by Voter Verified, Inc. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibits, # 2 Civil Cover Sheet)(LAM) (Entered: 11/20/2009)
11/19/2009 Summons issued as to Election Systems & Software, Inc. (LAM) (Entered: 11/20/2009)
http://www.rfcexpress.com/lawsuit.asp?id=52130
Voter Verified, Inc. v. Premier Election Solutions, Inc. et al
RFC Case Number: P-V09-1968P
Court Case Number: 6:09-cv-01968-PCF-KRS
File Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Cause: 35:271 Patent Infringement
11/19/2009 1 COMPLAINT against Premier Election Solutions, Inc., Diebold, Incorporated with Jury Demand (Filing fee $ 350 receipt number 32919) filed by Voter Verified, Inc. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibits, # 2 Civil Cover Sheet)(LAK) (Entered: 11/20/2009)
http://www.rfcexpress.com/lawsuit.asp?id=52129
Florida Profit Corporation
VOTER VERIFIED, INC.
Filing Information
Document Number P09000092637
FEI/EIN Number NONE
Date Filed 11/10/2009
http://twi.cc/agBZ
NY: FACT CHECK: Gouverneur Times vs. NYS Board of Elections
Editor's Note: This FACT CHECK is a companion article to "Ghost in the Machine"
“Virus” or “Source Code Bug”?
...The ImageCast systems used were untested and uncertified and contrary to election law, the source code was altered days prior to the election. The State has confirmed that the paper ballots have been secured and chain of custody is intact but that they have only counted them in the few districts where the ImageCast systems malfunctioned during the election. The paper ballots have not been counted in those districts where the source code was modified
http://www.gouverneurtimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8309:
fact-check-gouverneur-times-vs-nys-board-of-elections&catid=60:st-lawrence-news&Itemid=175
or use this tiny url http://twi.cc/nuQm
NY: Bloomberg Spent $102 Million to Win 3rd Term
To eke out a narrow re-election victory over the city’s understated comptroller, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg spent $102 million of his own money, or about $183 per vote, according to data released on Friday, making his bid for a third term the most expensive campaign in municipal history.
...
On Election Day, Mr. Bloomberg won by fewer than 5 percent points, at a cost of roughly $20 million for each point.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/bloomberg-spent-102-million-to-win-3rd-term/
NY: County legislators to discuss General Election problems
11-25-2009. Members of the Oswego County Legislature want answers as to what went wrong with the Nov. 3 General Election and they are hoping to get those answers when the Community and Consumer Affairs Committee meets this afternoon.
...
“We are going to discuss the snafus with this election,” Legislature Chairman Barry Leemann said Monday. “All of the legislators are concerned and we don’t want this happening again.”
http://www.valleynewsonline.com/viewnews.php?newsid=87442&id=1
NY: Poll site snafu disrupts Westchester County board outcome * (candidates names not on ballots)
November 27, 2009 Republican challenger Susan Konig has filed a court action against the Westchester County Board of Elections and Burton, she said, stemming from an issue on Election Day at one of the polling sites. District 9 covers Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton-on-Hudson and part of Cortlandt.
Konig, an author and former Croton village trustee, explained that at Blue Mountain Middle School in Cortlandt Manor — election district 11 — neither her nor Burton’s names appeared on the voting machine but John Testa and Dominic Volpe, county Board of Legislator candidates representing District 1, were listed. The problem, she said, was rectified after 93 voters had cast their ballots that day.
Those first few dozen votes that went to Testa were then given to Konig, and Burton, in turn, received Volpe’s. Konig came out ahead in that instance, she said, with roughly 37 votes. However, 25 people did not cast a vote on that line, she said...
http://www.lohud.com/article/20091127/NEWS02/911270328/-1/newsfront/Poll-site-snafu-disrupts-Westchester-County-board-outcome
OH: Ohio elections official takes fight to high court
Nov 25, 2009 - Jack Morrison Jr. has launched a pre-emptive strike to keep his seat as chairman of the Summit County Board of Elections. Morrison, convicted on two misdemeanor counts of ethics violations, filed a writ of prohibition Monday in the Ohio Supreme Court to stop Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner from removing him
http://www.ohio.com/news/73289047.html
PA: Recount shows accuracy of Franklin County's vote tally (machine count proves other machine count accurate?)
A recount of Franklin County votes for four Superior Court judgeships came within a handful of votes of the count on election night.
...
Franklin County commissioners chose to recount the votes on the central tabulator that Cumberland County uses to count absentee ballots, rather than hiring a vendor to conduct the recount at a cost of $1 a ballot or having staff spend days on a recount by hand.
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/localnews/ci_13863080
TN: Oakland candidate files suit over election
November 25, 2009. The Oakland resident who is questioning the outcome of the last mayoral election after losing by 15 votes will take his case back to court Dec. 9.
...
If Ferguson, a 30-year-old who is seeking his first public office, wins his case, a second mayor's election will be held.
Since November 2008, Ferguson and his attorney Lang Wiseman have tried to prove that at least 15 people who voted in the election should not have.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/nov/25/oakland-candidate-files-suit-over-election/
VA: Board tells group to ID source of Va voter data
November 24, 2009 RICHMOND, Va. - A nonprofit group has until Dec. 3 to identify the source of voter information it planned to use in a mass mailing to 350,000 Virginia households.
http://www.wtvr.com/news/dp-va--votermailing1124nov24,0,6144253.story
VA: Kaine urges nonviolent offenders to seek rights restoration
...Virginia and Kentucky are the only states that require people who have lost their rights through felony convictions to apply for reinstatement. In addition to voting rights, convicted felons in Virginia may also not serve on juries or hold public office.
"I think folks who serve their time should have their rights restored, especially those who have been convicted of nonviolent felonies," said Kaine.
...
"Our analysis of Virginia law is that I can't just do a blanket restoration -- I have to restore people by name," the governor explained....
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional
_govtpolitics/article/KAIN25_20091124-133602/307640/
or use this url http://twi.cc/0V4s
National
For some in military, power of vote now guaranteed
11/24/2009. It often takes about two months for a service member to receive an absentee ballot overseas and send it back to the states to be counted, Bysiewicz said. The MOVE Act will make it "much easier for our service people to vote and for elections officials to process the ballots," she said.
http://www.theday.com/article/20091124/NWS01/311249922/1018
Fly the Sleazy Skies
November 26, 2009. The Federal Election Commission — the supposed referee of fair campaigning — has just created an ethics loophole big enough for lobbyists to fly a corporate jet through. The commission has taken upon itself to reverse the Senate’s self-restriction against lawmakers’ cozy cut-rate travels on corporate jets.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/opinion/27fri4.html?_r=1
International
Election Violence Hits New Heights in Philippines
This week, authorities in Maguindanao, in the southern Philippines, made the grizzly discovery of 57 bodies of those who were attacked while traveling in a convoy to file candidacy papers for provincial governor...
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia/july-dec09/philippines_11-27.html
Filipino who lost wife in massacre files candidacy
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM
5ha6FJ6JRsaJkvGnvppty2USWW8UAD9C7TB7O0
or use this url http://twi.cc/7KYj
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
For some in military, power of vote now guaranteed...Franklin County PA used a central count scanner to do a recount, and says that it proved the precinct count to be accurate....
Philippine Elections and Murder Inc: "Elections in the Philippines are historically and perennially -- they're always violent -- they only vary in degrees, for instance in the number of people killed every election period," he said. "It has always been a problem for the Philippines, particularly in Maguindanao."
AR: PUBLIC VIEWPOINT: Don’t Throw Away Paper Ballots
November 27, 2009 ...Benton County proposes to be all-electronic, trusting our entire election to electronic voting machines that have documented vulnerabilities. In fact, counties across the country are scrapping these machines. Either the Election Commission knows something most of the country does not know, or they are way behind the curve.
http://smn.nwanews.com/news/2009/nov/27/public-viewpoint-dont-throw-away-paper-ba-20091127/
Optical Scan cheaper to own and operate, see
Voting System Cost Studies and Reports
http://www.votersunite.org/info/CostStudies.asp
States rush to dump touch-screen voting systems
States are increasingly abandoning touchscreen voting, scrapping multimillion-dollar systems purchased since 2000.
Arstechnica. August 20, 2008 It's a good time to pick up an electronic voting machine on the cheap—provided you're not a stickler for things like "accuracy" or "security." States are scrapping tens of thousands of pricey touchscreen systems in response to mounting concerns about the machines' reliability.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2008/08/states-rush-to-dump-touchscreen-voting-systems.ars
CA: City unveils improved election Web site
VoteSantaClarita.com provides voter essentials in English and Spanish
...VoteSantaClarita.com includes links with information on how to register to vote, how to vote by mail as well as an interactive form that shows voters their nearest polling place...
http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/21239/
FL: Voter Verified, Inc. v. Election Systems & Software, Inc.
RFC Case Number: P-V09-1969E
Court Case Number: 6:09-cv-01969-ACC-GJK
File Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Plaintiff: Voter Verified, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Anthony I. Provitola of Anthony I. Provitola, PA
Defendant: Election Systems & Software, Inc.
Cause: 35:271 Patent Infringement
11/19/2009 1 COMPLAINT against Election Systems & Software, Inc. with Jury Demand (Filing fee $ 350 receipt number 32920), filed by Voter Verified, Inc. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibits, # 2 Civil Cover Sheet)(LAM) (Entered: 11/20/2009)
11/19/2009 Summons issued as to Election Systems & Software, Inc. (LAM) (Entered: 11/20/2009)
http://www.rfcexpress.com/lawsuit.asp?id=52130
Voter Verified, Inc. v. Premier Election Solutions, Inc. et al
RFC Case Number: P-V09-1968P
Court Case Number: 6:09-cv-01968-PCF-KRS
File Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Cause: 35:271 Patent Infringement
11/19/2009 1 COMPLAINT against Premier Election Solutions, Inc., Diebold, Incorporated with Jury Demand (Filing fee $ 350 receipt number 32919) filed by Voter Verified, Inc. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibits, # 2 Civil Cover Sheet)(LAK) (Entered: 11/20/2009)
http://www.rfcexpress.com/lawsuit.asp?id=52129
Florida Profit Corporation
VOTER VERIFIED, INC.
Filing Information
Document Number P09000092637
FEI/EIN Number NONE
Date Filed 11/10/2009
http://twi.cc/agBZ
NY: FACT CHECK: Gouverneur Times vs. NYS Board of Elections
Editor's Note: This FACT CHECK is a companion article to "Ghost in the Machine"
“Virus” or “Source Code Bug”?
...The ImageCast systems used were untested and uncertified and contrary to election law, the source code was altered days prior to the election. The State has confirmed that the paper ballots have been secured and chain of custody is intact but that they have only counted them in the few districts where the ImageCast systems malfunctioned during the election. The paper ballots have not been counted in those districts where the source code was modified
http://www.gouverneurtimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8309:
fact-check-gouverneur-times-vs-nys-board-of-elections&catid=60:st-lawrence-news&Itemid=175
or use this tiny url http://twi.cc/nuQm
NY: Bloomberg Spent $102 Million to Win 3rd Term
To eke out a narrow re-election victory over the city’s understated comptroller, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg spent $102 million of his own money, or about $183 per vote, according to data released on Friday, making his bid for a third term the most expensive campaign in municipal history.
...
On Election Day, Mr. Bloomberg won by fewer than 5 percent points, at a cost of roughly $20 million for each point.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/bloomberg-spent-102-million-to-win-3rd-term/
NY: County legislators to discuss General Election problems
11-25-2009. Members of the Oswego County Legislature want answers as to what went wrong with the Nov. 3 General Election and they are hoping to get those answers when the Community and Consumer Affairs Committee meets this afternoon.
...
“We are going to discuss the snafus with this election,” Legislature Chairman Barry Leemann said Monday. “All of the legislators are concerned and we don’t want this happening again.”
http://www.valleynewsonline.com/viewnews.php?newsid=87442&id=1
NY: Poll site snafu disrupts Westchester County board outcome * (candidates names not on ballots)
November 27, 2009 Republican challenger Susan Konig has filed a court action against the Westchester County Board of Elections and Burton, she said, stemming from an issue on Election Day at one of the polling sites. District 9 covers Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton-on-Hudson and part of Cortlandt.
Konig, an author and former Croton village trustee, explained that at Blue Mountain Middle School in Cortlandt Manor — election district 11 — neither her nor Burton’s names appeared on the voting machine but John Testa and Dominic Volpe, county Board of Legislator candidates representing District 1, were listed. The problem, she said, was rectified after 93 voters had cast their ballots that day.
Those first few dozen votes that went to Testa were then given to Konig, and Burton, in turn, received Volpe’s. Konig came out ahead in that instance, she said, with roughly 37 votes. However, 25 people did not cast a vote on that line, she said...
http://www.lohud.com/article/20091127/NEWS02/911270328/-1/newsfront/Poll-site-snafu-disrupts-Westchester-County-board-outcome
OH: Ohio elections official takes fight to high court
Nov 25, 2009 - Jack Morrison Jr. has launched a pre-emptive strike to keep his seat as chairman of the Summit County Board of Elections. Morrison, convicted on two misdemeanor counts of ethics violations, filed a writ of prohibition Monday in the Ohio Supreme Court to stop Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner from removing him
http://www.ohio.com/news/73289047.html
PA: Recount shows accuracy of Franklin County's vote tally (machine count proves other machine count accurate?)
A recount of Franklin County votes for four Superior Court judgeships came within a handful of votes of the count on election night.
...
Franklin County commissioners chose to recount the votes on the central tabulator that Cumberland County uses to count absentee ballots, rather than hiring a vendor to conduct the recount at a cost of $1 a ballot or having staff spend days on a recount by hand.
http://www.publicopiniononline.com/localnews/ci_13863080
TN: Oakland candidate files suit over election
November 25, 2009. The Oakland resident who is questioning the outcome of the last mayoral election after losing by 15 votes will take his case back to court Dec. 9.
...
If Ferguson, a 30-year-old who is seeking his first public office, wins his case, a second mayor's election will be held.
Since November 2008, Ferguson and his attorney Lang Wiseman have tried to prove that at least 15 people who voted in the election should not have.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/nov/25/oakland-candidate-files-suit-over-election/
VA: Board tells group to ID source of Va voter data
November 24, 2009 RICHMOND, Va. - A nonprofit group has until Dec. 3 to identify the source of voter information it planned to use in a mass mailing to 350,000 Virginia households.
http://www.wtvr.com/news/dp-va--votermailing1124nov24,0,6144253.story
VA: Kaine urges nonviolent offenders to seek rights restoration
...Virginia and Kentucky are the only states that require people who have lost their rights through felony convictions to apply for reinstatement. In addition to voting rights, convicted felons in Virginia may also not serve on juries or hold public office.
"I think folks who serve their time should have their rights restored, especially those who have been convicted of nonviolent felonies," said Kaine.
...
"Our analysis of Virginia law is that I can't just do a blanket restoration -- I have to restore people by name," the governor explained....
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional
_govtpolitics/article/KAIN25_20091124-133602/307640/
or use this url http://twi.cc/0V4s
National
For some in military, power of vote now guaranteed
11/24/2009. It often takes about two months for a service member to receive an absentee ballot overseas and send it back to the states to be counted, Bysiewicz said. The MOVE Act will make it "much easier for our service people to vote and for elections officials to process the ballots," she said.
http://www.theday.com/article/20091124/NWS01/311249922/1018
Fly the Sleazy Skies
November 26, 2009. The Federal Election Commission — the supposed referee of fair campaigning — has just created an ethics loophole big enough for lobbyists to fly a corporate jet through. The commission has taken upon itself to reverse the Senate’s self-restriction against lawmakers’ cozy cut-rate travels on corporate jets.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/opinion/27fri4.html?_r=1
International
Election Violence Hits New Heights in Philippines
This week, authorities in Maguindanao, in the southern Philippines, made the grizzly discovery of 57 bodies of those who were attacked while traveling in a convoy to file candidacy papers for provincial governor...
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia/july-dec09/philippines_11-27.html
Filipino who lost wife in massacre files candidacy
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM
5ha6FJ6JRsaJkvGnvppty2USWW8UAD9C7TB7O0
or use this url http://twi.cc/7KYj
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link:
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Thursday, November 26, 2009
Impossible Numbers Certified in NY-23? Florida SOS says trust us, blue ink suddenly ok, Internet voting creeps up in Canada
Reporting Error about election audits in Westport CT news story......Illinois petition challenge process must go... Voter turnout in VA Governor's race went up in 2009...
Impossible Numbers Certified in NY-23 says Richard Hayes Phillips, Ph.D. an election fraud investigator. Phillips is known for his book, "Witness to a Crime: A Citizens’ Audit of an American Election" and lives in St. Lawrence County, NY...
Canada's election integrity erodes as more towns adopt internet, phone or mail balloting....Violence in Elections: Suspect in Philippine Election Massacre Surrenders... The International Criminal Court seeks investigation into Kenya's 2007 post-election violence that brought Kenya to the brink of civil war....
CA: Soapbox: Monterey County election has been certified, and here's how
November 24, 2009...The day after the election, the department reported that 8,500 vote-by-mail, provisional and damaged ballots cast and received by the close of polls on Election Day remained. Now what? Let the "official canvass" begin
http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20091124/OPINION04/911240301/1014/OPINION
CT: Reporting Error In Westport News Story
Story in Westport News: Audit ensures election accuracy
...
The State, as far as we know, does not observe the local audits and bases all of its reports on data supplied from the registrars and investigations not open to the public. With perhaps 130 audit observations to date, our observers have never reported the presence of an observer from the State:
...
We believe the audits are a small. critical, incremental investment. The statewide cost of audits represents less than 10% of the costs of printing the paper ballots. We estimate $72,000 in Nov 2008 for local audit activities vs. more than $750,000 for ballots in that election. Both of these costs are small when compared to the total costs of conducing elections, not to mention the risk to democracy if the voters intentions are not consistently realized in the official election results.
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2638
FL: Ensuring smooth state elections
By KURT S. BROWNING Guest Columnist
Thursday, November 26, 2009
"While we continue to encourage election-equipment vendors to search for ways to improve or enhance their voting equipment, let me be clear: The current equipment performs as it should --with blue or black ink."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091126/COLUMNIST/911261041/2127?Title=Ensuring-smooth-state-elections
IL: Illinois Challenge Process Must Go
This week, Free and Equal, Inc. has been working overtime in Chicago, defending candidates of all three recognized parties in Illinois from challenges to knock them off the ballot.
Illinois’ challenge process is inherently corrupt. Its only purpose is to rob the voters of their choices on Election Day. Naturally, the process favors the rich and powerful and places citizen candidates, regardless of party, at an undemocratic disadvantage.
https://www.freeandequal.org/2009/11/illinois-challenge-process-must-go/
NJ: Dalina seeks recount due to 31-vote margin
Hearing set for Dec. 3 in state Superior Court
With vote tallies indicating that he lost by a margin of less than 1 percent, Monroe Township Council candidate Stephen Dalina has filed for a recount of votes in the Ward 3 election.
http://ebs.gmnews.com/news/2009/1126/front_page/002.html
NY: Impossible Numbers Certified in NY-23 *
...Fundamentally, the fault does not lie with the Board of Elections, although perhaps they should have noticed the negative numbers before certifying them. The fault lies with computerized vote counting and our willingness to trust it.
It has already been reported that zero votes were incorrectly reported in numerous precincts in Jefferson, Madison, and Oswego Counties for one of the Congressional candidates, and that voting machine failures occurred in dozens of polling places in at least three different counties
...
In St. Lawrence County, ballots from eight polling places had to be hand counted due to voting machine failure. Machines in Louisville, Waddington, Clare, and Rossie "broke" early in the voting process on Election Day. Republican Commissioner Deborah Pahler said that the machines kept "freezing up... like Windows does all the time". Machines in Hermon, Lawrence, Colton's 2nd district, and Massena's 1st and 2nd districts failed to print the results...
http://www.gouverneurtimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8425:impossible-numbers-certified-in-ny-23&catid=60:st-lawrence-news&Itemid=175
or use this url http://twi.cc/P8cJ
NY: The Plunging Pilot Project: Impossible Vote Totals in NY-23
...While the pilot project is clearly in a nosedive, the State is proceeding with its plan to certify the very electronic voting system responsible for the impossible numbers in the NY-23 race. This certification would be meaningless and would lead to elections that are just as meaningless
http://electiontransparencycoalition.org/2009/11/26/the-plunging-pilot-project-impossible-vote-totals-in-ny-23/
or use this url http://twi.cc/MuZn
VA: Believe It or Not, Turnout Was Up in Virginia
Virginia's governor's race earlier this month was a blowout election in which one party was supposedly deeply demoralized. But, based on the most relevant metric, turnout was actually up.
...
Reflecting the strong Republican vote and the weak Democratic vote, the turnout in Virginia's counties was 45.47 percent, while in the cities it was 39.81 percent.
So, we have a split decision. More Virginians voted than four years ago, but a smaller percentage of registered voters showed up.
http://ballotbox.governing.com/2009/11/believe-it-or-not-turnout-was-up-in-virginia.html
Canada. Town eyeing vote-by-mail method again
25 November 2009 ...“More and more municipalities in Ontario are taking advantage of available technology and opting for alternative methods for holding elections, including vote-by-mail, telephone voting, Internet voting, and others,” Town of Fort Frances Clerk Glenn Treftlin...
http://www.fftimes.com/node/229318
Suspect in Philippine Election Killings Surrenders
SHARIFF AGUAK, Philippines — A politician identified as the prime suspect in the massacre of more than 50 people this week surrendered to the authoritie on Thursday and is expected to be charged Friday with multiple murders in the worst carnage in the country’s long history of election-related violence.
...
The victims were abducted while on their way to file paperwork to register Mr. Mangudadatu as a candidate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/world/asia/27phils.html?_r=1
Kenya: ICC: Prosecutor Seeks OK on Kenya Inquiry
26 Nov 2009 12:30:00 GMT
The Hague) - The request today by the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor to the court's judges to open a Kenya investigation is a decisive step toward justice for the country's 2007 post-election violence, Human Rights Watch said. The move comes after more than a year of inaction by Kenya's authorities on national prosecutions. The violence that followed Kenya's flawed 2007 general election left 1,200 people dead, caused 600,000 to flee their homes, and brought Kenya to the brink of civil war
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/0ab0dcb422e7a937bc5fd6d8c1247b42.htm
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
Impossible Numbers Certified in NY-23 says Richard Hayes Phillips, Ph.D. an election fraud investigator. Phillips is known for his book, "Witness to a Crime: A Citizens’ Audit of an American Election" and lives in St. Lawrence County, NY...
Canada's election integrity erodes as more towns adopt internet, phone or mail balloting....Violence in Elections: Suspect in Philippine Election Massacre Surrenders... The International Criminal Court seeks investigation into Kenya's 2007 post-election violence that brought Kenya to the brink of civil war....
CA: Soapbox: Monterey County election has been certified, and here's how
November 24, 2009...The day after the election, the department reported that 8,500 vote-by-mail, provisional and damaged ballots cast and received by the close of polls on Election Day remained. Now what? Let the "official canvass" begin
http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20091124/OPINION04/911240301/1014/OPINION
CT: Reporting Error In Westport News Story
Story in Westport News: Audit ensures election accuracy
...
The State, as far as we know, does not observe the local audits and bases all of its reports on data supplied from the registrars and investigations not open to the public. With perhaps 130 audit observations to date, our observers have never reported the presence of an observer from the State:
...
We believe the audits are a small. critical, incremental investment. The statewide cost of audits represents less than 10% of the costs of printing the paper ballots. We estimate $72,000 in Nov 2008 for local audit activities vs. more than $750,000 for ballots in that election. Both of these costs are small when compared to the total costs of conducing elections, not to mention the risk to democracy if the voters intentions are not consistently realized in the official election results.
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2638
FL: Ensuring smooth state elections
By KURT S. BROWNING Guest Columnist
Thursday, November 26, 2009
"While we continue to encourage election-equipment vendors to search for ways to improve or enhance their voting equipment, let me be clear: The current equipment performs as it should --with blue or black ink."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091126/COLUMNIST/911261041/2127?Title=Ensuring-smooth-state-elections
IL: Illinois Challenge Process Must Go
This week, Free and Equal, Inc. has been working overtime in Chicago, defending candidates of all three recognized parties in Illinois from challenges to knock them off the ballot.
Illinois’ challenge process is inherently corrupt. Its only purpose is to rob the voters of their choices on Election Day. Naturally, the process favors the rich and powerful and places citizen candidates, regardless of party, at an undemocratic disadvantage.
https://www.freeandequal.org/2009/11/illinois-challenge-process-must-go/
NJ: Dalina seeks recount due to 31-vote margin
Hearing set for Dec. 3 in state Superior Court
With vote tallies indicating that he lost by a margin of less than 1 percent, Monroe Township Council candidate Stephen Dalina has filed for a recount of votes in the Ward 3 election.
http://ebs.gmnews.com/news/2009/1126/front_page/002.html
NY: Impossible Numbers Certified in NY-23 *
...Fundamentally, the fault does not lie with the Board of Elections, although perhaps they should have noticed the negative numbers before certifying them. The fault lies with computerized vote counting and our willingness to trust it.
It has already been reported that zero votes were incorrectly reported in numerous precincts in Jefferson, Madison, and Oswego Counties for one of the Congressional candidates, and that voting machine failures occurred in dozens of polling places in at least three different counties
...
In St. Lawrence County, ballots from eight polling places had to be hand counted due to voting machine failure. Machines in Louisville, Waddington, Clare, and Rossie "broke" early in the voting process on Election Day. Republican Commissioner Deborah Pahler said that the machines kept "freezing up... like Windows does all the time". Machines in Hermon, Lawrence, Colton's 2nd district, and Massena's 1st and 2nd districts failed to print the results...
http://www.gouverneurtimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8425:impossible-numbers-certified-in-ny-23&catid=60:st-lawrence-news&Itemid=175
or use this url http://twi.cc/P8cJ
NY: The Plunging Pilot Project: Impossible Vote Totals in NY-23
...While the pilot project is clearly in a nosedive, the State is proceeding with its plan to certify the very electronic voting system responsible for the impossible numbers in the NY-23 race. This certification would be meaningless and would lead to elections that are just as meaningless
http://electiontransparencycoalition.org/2009/11/26/the-plunging-pilot-project-impossible-vote-totals-in-ny-23/
or use this url http://twi.cc/MuZn
VA: Believe It or Not, Turnout Was Up in Virginia
Virginia's governor's race earlier this month was a blowout election in which one party was supposedly deeply demoralized. But, based on the most relevant metric, turnout was actually up.
...
Reflecting the strong Republican vote and the weak Democratic vote, the turnout in Virginia's counties was 45.47 percent, while in the cities it was 39.81 percent.
So, we have a split decision. More Virginians voted than four years ago, but a smaller percentage of registered voters showed up.
http://ballotbox.governing.com/2009/11/believe-it-or-not-turnout-was-up-in-virginia.html
Canada. Town eyeing vote-by-mail method again
25 November 2009 ...“More and more municipalities in Ontario are taking advantage of available technology and opting for alternative methods for holding elections, including vote-by-mail, telephone voting, Internet voting, and others,” Town of Fort Frances Clerk Glenn Treftlin...
http://www.fftimes.com/node/229318
Suspect in Philippine Election Killings Surrenders
SHARIFF AGUAK, Philippines — A politician identified as the prime suspect in the massacre of more than 50 people this week surrendered to the authoritie on Thursday and is expected to be charged Friday with multiple murders in the worst carnage in the country’s long history of election-related violence.
...
The victims were abducted while on their way to file paperwork to register Mr. Mangudadatu as a candidate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/world/asia/27phils.html?_r=1
Kenya: ICC: Prosecutor Seeks OK on Kenya Inquiry
26 Nov 2009 12:30:00 GMT
The Hague) - The request today by the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor to the court's judges to open a Kenya investigation is a decisive step toward justice for the country's 2007 post-election violence, Human Rights Watch said. The move comes after more than a year of inaction by Kenya's authorities on national prosecutions. The violence that followed Kenya's flawed 2007 general election left 1,200 people dead, caused 600,000 to flee their homes, and brought Kenya to the brink of civil war
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/0ab0dcb422e7a937bc5fd6d8c1247b42.htm
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Aspen voters-don't ask questons! IL:Undervote lawsuit filed, NC BCBS campaign triggers probe
Giving thanks and a great tribute: A reader/activist writes that although John Gideon is no longer with us, his work continues to make a difference today -
"John Gideon continues to battle on through his Daily Voting News legacy. What a resource he's left people everywhere who need the information required to work on attempting to save their votes. I can't tell you the number of people he's assisted in my state just by having DVN handy to reference." Lisa Burks, Founder, National Coalition of Verified Voting AR Headquarters.
Ellen Theisen at Voters Unite continues to update a database of voting problems and news articles.
"Don't ask, don't think; trust us"
~Harvie Branscomb about Aspen Colorado's shameful efforts to keep the election process closed to the public and the McCarthy-style tactics used against local voting activists....
Hans von Spakovsky: Bob Bauer Wants To Criminalize Talk About Voter Fraud...
Something good! It is good to see reports of post election audits, something almost unheard of several years ago...The Champaign County Clerk of Illinois has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the undervote notification in Champaign County Circuit Court...
...NC Lawmakers join call for Blue Cross probe of anonymous robo calls, political campaigning, ethics issues...We wish all voting news readers a safe and happy Thanksgiving...
All this and more in today's voting news below....
CO: Don't ask, don't think; trust us
Dear Editor:
Message from: The city
To: Our citizens
1) Don't ask to see any copies of your anonymous ballots — something about them is just too dangerous for the public to handle — we will keep them briefly and destroy all copies for you...
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20091125/LETTER
Something good! It is good to see reports of post election audits, something almost unheard of several years ago...The Champaign County Clerk of Illinois has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the undervote notification in Champaign County Circuit Court...
...NC Lawmakers join call for Blue Cross probe of anonymous robo calls, political campaigning, ethics issues...We wish all voting news readers a safe and happy Thanksgiving...
All this and more in today's voting news below....
CO: Don't ask, don't think; trust us
Dear Editor:
Message from: The city
To: Our citizens
1) Don't ask to see any copies of your anonymous ballots — something about them is just too dangerous for the public to handle — we will keep them briefly and destroy all copies for you...
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20091125/LETTER
/911259992/1020&ParentProfile=1058
or use this http://twi.cc/FWnM
CO: Should the city of Aspen release the ballots from the spring City Council election to anyone who wants to see them? (scroll poll 2/3 way down the page)
http://www.aspentimes.com/
CT: Audit ensures election accuracy
11/25/2009 Westport's elected officials have already been sworn into office, but the results of the Nov. 3 election had yet to be put to rest until Friday evening
http://www.westport-news.com/ci_13862874
IL: Champaign County Clerk. lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the undervote notification in Champaign County Circuit Court
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2009/11/24/undervote-lawsuit-filed/
MO: Fighting corrpution like fighting H1N1? (campaign finance)
November 25, 2009
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/?p=6480
NC: Lawmakers join call for Blue Cross probe (anonymous robo calls, non profit campaigning, ethics issues)
November 24, 2009
http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/lawmakers
CO: Should the city of Aspen release the ballots from the spring City Council election to anyone who wants to see them? (scroll poll 2/3 way down the page)
http://www.aspentimes.com/
CT: Audit ensures election accuracy
11/25/2009 Westport's elected officials have already been sworn into office, but the results of the Nov. 3 election had yet to be put to rest until Friday evening
http://www.westport-news.com/ci_13862874
IL: Champaign County Clerk. lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the undervote notification in Champaign County Circuit Court
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2009/11/24/undervote-lawsuit-filed/
MO: Fighting corrpution like fighting H1N1? (campaign finance)
November 25, 2009
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/?p=6480
NC: Lawmakers join call for Blue Cross probe (anonymous robo calls, non profit campaigning, ethics issues)
November 24, 2009
http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/lawmakers
_join_call_for_blue_cross_probe
or use this http://twi.cc/z2El
[it may not be against the law for BCBS to engage in campaigning, but many issues call for investigation]
NC: Twenty state lawmakers have signed a letter calling for an investigation into a campaign by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C. (actual letter)
"...Further, given BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina’s status as a not-for-profit with a share of 96.8% in our individual insurance market built on over 60 years of preferred tax exemptions, we are concerned as a matter of public policy and ethical business practices that they have inappropriately engaged in political advocacy. As a corporation that claims to deliver innovative health care products and services to its members, BlueCross BlueShield appears to be engaging in a blatant political campaign utilizing the premiums paid by their customers."
http://projects.newsobserver.com/sites/projects.newsobserver.com/files/blue%20cross%20letter.pdf
NC: Lawmakers alerted to potential problems with finance reports
State election officials have asked a number of lawmakers to respond to potential problems with campaign finance reports.
Gary Bartlett, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said officials are sending the audit letters as they try to catch up on a two-year backlog of work.
http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2009/11/25/955482
NM: Favela indicted on 5 counts of false voting
11/22/2009 LAS CRUCES - The wife of a former judge convicted on felony voter fraud charges has been indicted on five counts of false voting.
...
Horacio Favela, 49, was found guilty in August of declaring himself as a resident of Sunland Park in March 2008, a requirement for candidacy for the judgeship and
- after winning the race - falsifying a document that acknowledged he was a qualified voter. He also was found guilty of voting twice in the November 2004 general election, once in Texas and once in New Mexico. Each count was a fourth-degree felony
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_13844919
NY: Hoffman Concedes; Speaks More on Election Controversy
Watertown Daily Times: "[In his statement,] Mr. Hoffman makes clear he won't ask for a recount because he doesn't think it will change the outcome.
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014817.html
PA: Pennsylvania Paperless Recount
Nov 23rd, 2009. I wrote before that this month’s re-count activity in Pennsylvania was notable because of the variety of voting methods used there, and hence the variety of recounting methods needed. In contrast to the Lackawanna county that I mentioned specifically, there are many counties in PA that use completely paperless DRE voting machines. In these cases, there are no actual ballots to recount, nor are there paper-trail tape-rolls to examine.
http://www.trustthevote.org/pennsylvania-paperless-recount
TN: Push Underway To Get Deceased Off Voting Rolls
November 24, 2009 ...He says they are working with the state to get a list of all deceased voters and remove them, but if the family or the state fail to notify election officials of a death, the process takes even longer.
http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-shelby-county-dead-voters-story,0,4666191.story
WA: County certifies 2009 General Election results (post election audits)
Nov 24 2009. King County’s post-election, random audit of 4 percent of accessible voting units (or electronic voting equipment) used at accessible voting centers resulted in a perfect match between the electronic vote totals and the paper audit trail. First introduced in the May 2006 special election, all manual audits of King County’s accessible voting units have been 100 percent accurate to date.
New for all-mail elections, a manual audit of mail ballots is conducted. Twenty batches, representing 4,338 ballots were hand-counted and compared to the machine count. All batch audits conducted have also been 100 percent accurate to date.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/iss-s/news/73031767.html
National
Survey on the Performance of American Elections Data Available
...Lots of questions about how well elections were run, from the perspective of voters, plus some questions about why non-voters didn’t vote.
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3004
Who is Behind the Anti-Robocall FEC Preemption Argument?
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014807.html
"Are Mapmakers Able to Target and Protect Congressional Incumbents?"
Chad Murphy and Antoine Yoshinaka have written this article for American Politics Research
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014808.html
von Spakovsky: Bob Bauer Wants To Criminalize Talk About Voter Fraud
von Spakovsky: "The spurious claims made in the [Bauer] letter were pretty outrageous at the time, but what is even scarier is that we now have a White House counsel who has asserted that anyone who talks about voter fraud, including the type of massive voter-registration fraud committed by ACORN, should be investigated
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014819.html
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
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[it may not be against the law for BCBS to engage in campaigning, but many issues call for investigation]
NC: Twenty state lawmakers have signed a letter calling for an investigation into a campaign by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C. (actual letter)
"...Further, given BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina’s status as a not-for-profit with a share of 96.8% in our individual insurance market built on over 60 years of preferred tax exemptions, we are concerned as a matter of public policy and ethical business practices that they have inappropriately engaged in political advocacy. As a corporation that claims to deliver innovative health care products and services to its members, BlueCross BlueShield appears to be engaging in a blatant political campaign utilizing the premiums paid by their customers."
http://projects.newsobserver.com/sites/projects.newsobserver.com/files/blue%20cross%20letter.pdf
NC: Lawmakers alerted to potential problems with finance reports
State election officials have asked a number of lawmakers to respond to potential problems with campaign finance reports.
Gary Bartlett, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said officials are sending the audit letters as they try to catch up on a two-year backlog of work.
http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2009/11/25/955482
NM: Favela indicted on 5 counts of false voting
11/22/2009 LAS CRUCES - The wife of a former judge convicted on felony voter fraud charges has been indicted on five counts of false voting.
...
Horacio Favela, 49, was found guilty in August of declaring himself as a resident of Sunland Park in March 2008, a requirement for candidacy for the judgeship and
- after winning the race - falsifying a document that acknowledged he was a qualified voter. He also was found guilty of voting twice in the November 2004 general election, once in Texas and once in New Mexico. Each count was a fourth-degree felony
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_13844919
NY: Hoffman Concedes; Speaks More on Election Controversy
Watertown Daily Times: "[In his statement,] Mr. Hoffman makes clear he won't ask for a recount because he doesn't think it will change the outcome.
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014817.html
PA: Pennsylvania Paperless Recount
Nov 23rd, 2009. I wrote before that this month’s re-count activity in Pennsylvania was notable because of the variety of voting methods used there, and hence the variety of recounting methods needed. In contrast to the Lackawanna county that I mentioned specifically, there are many counties in PA that use completely paperless DRE voting machines. In these cases, there are no actual ballots to recount, nor are there paper-trail tape-rolls to examine.
http://www.trustthevote.org/pennsylvania-paperless-recount
TN: Push Underway To Get Deceased Off Voting Rolls
November 24, 2009 ...He says they are working with the state to get a list of all deceased voters and remove them, but if the family or the state fail to notify election officials of a death, the process takes even longer.
http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-shelby-county-dead-voters-story,0,4666191.story
WA: County certifies 2009 General Election results (post election audits)
Nov 24 2009. King County’s post-election, random audit of 4 percent of accessible voting units (or electronic voting equipment) used at accessible voting centers resulted in a perfect match between the electronic vote totals and the paper audit trail. First introduced in the May 2006 special election, all manual audits of King County’s accessible voting units have been 100 percent accurate to date.
New for all-mail elections, a manual audit of mail ballots is conducted. Twenty batches, representing 4,338 ballots were hand-counted and compared to the machine count. All batch audits conducted have also been 100 percent accurate to date.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/iss-s/news/73031767.html
National
Survey on the Performance of American Elections Data Available
...Lots of questions about how well elections were run, from the perspective of voters, plus some questions about why non-voters didn’t vote.
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3004
Who is Behind the Anti-Robocall FEC Preemption Argument?
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014807.html
"Are Mapmakers Able to Target and Protect Congressional Incumbents?"
Chad Murphy and Antoine Yoshinaka have written this article for American Politics Research
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014808.html
von Spakovsky: Bob Bauer Wants To Criminalize Talk About Voter Fraud
von Spakovsky: "The spurious claims made in the [Bauer] letter were pretty outrageous at the time, but what is even scarier is that we now have a White House counsel who has asserted that anyone who talks about voter fraud, including the type of massive voter-registration fraud committed by ACORN, should be investigated
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014819.html
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
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email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link:
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
NJ Sequoia counties no recourse, PA mostly digital recount to cost $1.3 mill, Philippines election related massacre
New Jersey needs a lemon law for voting machines: Counties that purchased voting machines from Sequoia Voting Systems, which provides the majority of voting systems in the state, in many cases entered into contracts that leave them little recourse if the machines malfunction or require repairs, according to a report issued today by New Jersey Public Advocate Ronald K. Chen...
As Aspen Colorado backs away from election transparency, they suddenly remember their election commission wasn't properly appointed and new commission must be appointed. Will that be a bi-partisan commission?...Costly waste of time department: It will cost Pennsylvania $1.3 million to do a recount, much of it on paperless voting machines. Guess the losing candidate hasn't heard about GIGO, Garbage in, Garbage Out....ACORN has flaws, but: Have the Media 'Falsely Framed' ACORN?...
Philippines declares state of emergency after brutal election related massacre..
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AR: Paper Ballots Will Be Available To Benton County Voters
November 24, 2009 BENTONVILLE — Paper ballots will be available to anyone who wishes to use one during the 2010 elections.
...
Last week, Bill Williams, chairman of the Benton County Election Commission, said that the commission hoped to have 100 percent electronic voting by 2012’s elections with the exception of provisional and absentee ballots.
http://www.nwanews.com/news/2009/nov/24/paper-ballots-will-be-available-benton-county-vote/
AZ: City staff eye potential savings of all mail-in ballot election
November 22, 2009 BULLHEAD CITY - During Thursday's two-hour Bullhead City council retreat, City Clerk Diane Heilmann presented a report on the cost comparison of a traditional city election versus an all mail-in ballot election
...
Heilmann's study indicates an all mail-in ballot election would be less labor-intensive. Mohave County Elections Director Allen Tempert would continue to need people to open the ballots, prepare them for the tally machine “and he still needs to adhere to the testing and reporting legislation,” the report states.
http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2009/11/23/news/local/local3.txt
CO: Council moves to appoint new election commission
November 24, 2009 http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/137748
NJ: Public Advocate releases review of voting machine contracts
11/24/09 TRENTON -- Counties that purchased voting machines from Sequoia Voting Systems, which provides the majority of voting systems in the state, in many cases entered into contracts that leave them little recourse if the machines malfunction or require repairs, according to a report issued today by New Jersey Public Advocate Ronald K. Chen.
Read Report: The Purchase of Voting Systems in New Jersey: How Government Can Better Protect Taxpayer Rights and Voting Security
http://www.state.nj.us/publicadvocate/news/2009/approved/
091124_dpa_review_of_voting_machine_contracts.html
or use this http://twi.cc/REL7
NY: Hoffman considering challenge in NY-23
Nov 24, 2009 - Conservative Party candidate Douglas L. Hoffman passed his self-appointed deadline Monday without declaring whether he'd challenge results in the 23rd Congressional District race. Robert H. Ryan, Mr. Hoffman's spokesman, said the candidate would announce his decision today. He would not say what Mr. Hoffman's intentions were. Jude Seymour, Watertown Daily Times.
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20091124/NEWS03/311249966
NV: Former ACORN official in Las Vegas gets probation
LAS VEGAS — A former Las Vegas supervisor for the political advocacy group ACORN was sentenced Monday to up to three years' probation for his role in a plan to pay canvassers to register Nevada voters during last year's presidential campaign.
...
Edwards pleaded guilty in August to two gross misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to commit the crime of compensation for registration of voters. He testified at a preliminary hearing in September that ACORN canvassers making $8 per hour were paid "blackjack" bonuses of $5 per shift if they turned in 21 or more voter registration cards.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iifOOLhatbjfQ_Hbj-oKLmjodawQD9C5FO081
PA: Editorial: A costly recount (mostly paperless voting in PA)
At the risk of being nicknamed the million-dollar man, Pittsburgh lawyer Templeton Smith Jr. insisted on a costly - and likely fruitless - recount in the close race for a fourth seat on the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
The recount is expected to be completed by tomorrow, with the winner certified next week. Secretary of State Pedro Cortes estimates that the recount could cost taxpayers as much as $1.3 million.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20091124_Editorial__A_costly_recount.html
TX: Texas county mails voter cards
Nov 24, 2009 - Nestled among Black Friday sales circulars, the latest Netflix selections and disturbingly early holiday greetings, thousands of Taylor County residents should keep an eye out for some fairly important little blue cards.
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2009/nov/23/taylor-co-voter-cards-mailed/
National
Have the Media 'Falsely Framed' ACORN?
November 24, 2009 ...How is it that after laboring in relative obscurity as a community organizer for almost 40 years, ACORN was so falsely framed in news stories that many Americans believed the absurd and alarming notion that it stole a presidential election? The answer is a tale of not only how the Republican Party and conservative news media framed ACORN, but also how most mainstream journalism organizations were negligent by repeating rather than fact-checking the spurious allegations...
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004047850
International
Philippines declares state of emergency after election massacre
Police and politicians linked to Philippines poll convoy massacre as toll rises to 46
A state of emergency was declared in the southern island of Mindanao yesterday after gunmen killed and mutilated at least 46 people in the Philippines’ worst single incident of political violence.
President Arroyo announced the emergency as police and soldiers recovered dozens of bodies from shallow graves in Maguindanao province — where they had been crudely buried on Monday. The atrocity is said to be a personal embarrassment for Ms Arroyo, who is supported by the local politician widely suspected of being behind the killings.
The victims were relatives and supporters of an opposition politician, and were travelling to register his candidature in next year’s election for the governorship of Maguindanao.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6929267.ece
Philippines Declares State of Emergency
New York Times...The discovery of 22 more bodies left only a few people unaccounted for among of the group of about 50 lawyers, journalists and relatives of local politicians who were abducted Monday by what witnesses said were more than 100 gunmen. At least 20 journalists were among those slain, the authorities said.
...
Mr. Mangudadatu attributed the attack to his decision to challenge the governorship of Maguindanao. Mr. Ampatuan, the governor, is the patriarch of his clan, which has dominated politics in the province for decades.
Reporters Without Borders, an advocacy group for press freedoms, joined the chorus of voices denouncing the massacre. “Never in the history of journalism have the news media suffered such a heavy loss of life in one day,” the group said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/world/asia/25phils.html?_r=1
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
As Aspen Colorado backs away from election transparency, they suddenly remember their election commission wasn't properly appointed and new commission must be appointed. Will that be a bi-partisan commission?...Costly waste of time department: It will cost Pennsylvania $1.3 million to do a recount, much of it on paperless voting machines. Guess the losing candidate hasn't heard about GIGO, Garbage in, Garbage Out....ACORN has flaws, but: Have the Media 'Falsely Framed' ACORN?...
Philippines declares state of emergency after brutal election related massacre..
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AR: Paper Ballots Will Be Available To Benton County Voters
November 24, 2009 BENTONVILLE — Paper ballots will be available to anyone who wishes to use one during the 2010 elections.
...
Last week, Bill Williams, chairman of the Benton County Election Commission, said that the commission hoped to have 100 percent electronic voting by 2012’s elections with the exception of provisional and absentee ballots.
http://www.nwanews.com/news/2009/nov/24/paper-ballots-will-be-available-benton-county-vote/
AZ: City staff eye potential savings of all mail-in ballot election
November 22, 2009 BULLHEAD CITY - During Thursday's two-hour Bullhead City council retreat, City Clerk Diane Heilmann presented a report on the cost comparison of a traditional city election versus an all mail-in ballot election
...
Heilmann's study indicates an all mail-in ballot election would be less labor-intensive. Mohave County Elections Director Allen Tempert would continue to need people to open the ballots, prepare them for the tally machine “and he still needs to adhere to the testing and reporting legislation,” the report states.
http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2009/11/23/news/local/local3.txt
CO: Council moves to appoint new election commission
November 24, 2009 http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/137748
NJ: Public Advocate releases review of voting machine contracts
11/24/09 TRENTON -- Counties that purchased voting machines from Sequoia Voting Systems, which provides the majority of voting systems in the state, in many cases entered into contracts that leave them little recourse if the machines malfunction or require repairs, according to a report issued today by New Jersey Public Advocate Ronald K. Chen.
Read Report: The Purchase of Voting Systems in New Jersey: How Government Can Better Protect Taxpayer Rights and Voting Security
http://www.state.nj.us/publicadvocate/news/2009/approved/
091124_dpa_review_of_voting_machine_contracts.html
or use this http://twi.cc/REL7
NY: Hoffman considering challenge in NY-23
Nov 24, 2009 - Conservative Party candidate Douglas L. Hoffman passed his self-appointed deadline Monday without declaring whether he'd challenge results in the 23rd Congressional District race. Robert H. Ryan, Mr. Hoffman's spokesman, said the candidate would announce his decision today. He would not say what Mr. Hoffman's intentions were. Jude Seymour, Watertown Daily Times.
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20091124/NEWS03/311249966
NV: Former ACORN official in Las Vegas gets probation
LAS VEGAS — A former Las Vegas supervisor for the political advocacy group ACORN was sentenced Monday to up to three years' probation for his role in a plan to pay canvassers to register Nevada voters during last year's presidential campaign.
...
Edwards pleaded guilty in August to two gross misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to commit the crime of compensation for registration of voters. He testified at a preliminary hearing in September that ACORN canvassers making $8 per hour were paid "blackjack" bonuses of $5 per shift if they turned in 21 or more voter registration cards.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iifOOLhatbjfQ_Hbj-oKLmjodawQD9C5FO081
PA: Editorial: A costly recount (mostly paperless voting in PA)
At the risk of being nicknamed the million-dollar man, Pittsburgh lawyer Templeton Smith Jr. insisted on a costly - and likely fruitless - recount in the close race for a fourth seat on the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
The recount is expected to be completed by tomorrow, with the winner certified next week. Secretary of State Pedro Cortes estimates that the recount could cost taxpayers as much as $1.3 million.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20091124_Editorial__A_costly_recount.html
TX: Texas county mails voter cards
Nov 24, 2009 - Nestled among Black Friday sales circulars, the latest Netflix selections and disturbingly early holiday greetings, thousands of Taylor County residents should keep an eye out for some fairly important little blue cards.
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2009/nov/23/taylor-co-voter-cards-mailed/
National
Have the Media 'Falsely Framed' ACORN?
November 24, 2009 ...How is it that after laboring in relative obscurity as a community organizer for almost 40 years, ACORN was so falsely framed in news stories that many Americans believed the absurd and alarming notion that it stole a presidential election? The answer is a tale of not only how the Republican Party and conservative news media framed ACORN, but also how most mainstream journalism organizations were negligent by repeating rather than fact-checking the spurious allegations...
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004047850
International
Philippines declares state of emergency after election massacre
Police and politicians linked to Philippines poll convoy massacre as toll rises to 46
A state of emergency was declared in the southern island of Mindanao yesterday after gunmen killed and mutilated at least 46 people in the Philippines’ worst single incident of political violence.
President Arroyo announced the emergency as police and soldiers recovered dozens of bodies from shallow graves in Maguindanao province — where they had been crudely buried on Monday. The atrocity is said to be a personal embarrassment for Ms Arroyo, who is supported by the local politician widely suspected of being behind the killings.
The victims were relatives and supporters of an opposition politician, and were travelling to register his candidature in next year’s election for the governorship of Maguindanao.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6929267.ece
Philippines Declares State of Emergency
New York Times...The discovery of 22 more bodies left only a few people unaccounted for among of the group of about 50 lawyers, journalists and relatives of local politicians who were abducted Monday by what witnesses said were more than 100 gunmen. At least 20 journalists were among those slain, the authorities said.
...
Mr. Mangudadatu attributed the attack to his decision to challenge the governorship of Maguindanao. Mr. Ampatuan, the governor, is the patriarch of his clan, which has dominated politics in the province for decades.
Reporters Without Borders, an advocacy group for press freedoms, joined the chorus of voices denouncing the massacre. “Never in the history of journalism have the news media suffered such a heavy loss of life in one day,” the group said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/world/asia/25phils.html?_r=1
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
Monday, November 23, 2009
NY-23 election questions, Benton AR flirts with election disaster, E-vote secrecy hack
NY-23 E-Vote Failures Merit Full Hand-Count in Response, An update to the reports of an e-voting 'virus', and other failures, in New York's recent Special Election for the U.S. House...New Yorks CD-23 had a source code bug not virus, but questions remain...Hoffman to Decide About N.Y. 23 Challenge This Weekend...
HAVA chuckle in Nassau County, New York? A total of 17 votes were cast on $3.5 million worth of disabled accessible voting machines...
Aspen Colorado officials still not ready to make ballot image files public...Luther Weeks describes a breach of chain of custody in a Haddam, CT election...
North Carolina GOP contests Clay Aiken vote...VOOGLE: From Idea To Reality, Virginia Poling Place Information Gadget!...
International: Brazilian Breaks Secrecy of Brazil's E-Voting Machines With Van Eck Phreaking...Concerns about India's paperless e-voting and push for biometric ID...21 dead in bloodiest pre-election violence in Maguindanao, Mindanao...
AR: COMMENTARY: County Flirts With Disaster
Benton County is seriously considering going to all-electronic voting. At least their election commission chairman is.
This is a particularly terrible idea at a uniquely awful time.
...
37 percent of the county’s voters demanded paper ballots in the last election.
I’m sure the fiasco in 2006 contributed to that. I’m also sure, however, that long lines to the machines contributed to that too. Voting on paper was simply faster during the peak times.
I hate to see the issue of filling a legitimate need for moremachines get tangled up in what now could be perceived as a referendum on paperless voting.
http://rmn.nwanews.com/news/2009/nov/22/commentary-county-flirts-disaster-20091122/
AR: Paper option needed
November 21, 2009. LITTLE ROCK — I sense a bipartisan storm brewin’ in Benton County as election commissioners urge county government to save money by virtually abandoning paper ballots.
They favor purchasing an additional 200 used electronic voting machines for $360,000, but there appear to be both Democrats and Republicans who aren’t too keen on trusting the outcome of elections solely to electronic machines without also having the familiar and verifiable paper ballots.
...
This sort of thing just looks suspicious in a system that must rely on credibility, and no doubt it fuels debate with those who place their trust in paper ballots. In Benton County, that’s apparently no small number. No fewer than 37 of every 100 Benton County voters in the 2008 general election used paper ballots. I’d say it was a big mistake morally and politically to basically deny nearly four our of every 10 voters their voting preference to save an estimated (and debatable) $95,000.
If I were on the Quorum Court and was working with a new, well-intentioned but relatively inexperienced election commission, I’d be wanting to see proven facts about how much money would actually be saved by abandoning paper ballots and purchasing hundreds of used machines. Then I’d be weighing that estimate against the public’s will and desire.
http://adg.nwanews.com/news/2009/nov/21/paper-option-needed-20091121/
CA: November 3rd election, scanning in progress
Humboldt County Election Transparency Project
We've started scanning ballots from the November 3rd election. Due to the horribly light turnout, we're almost done.
This election is using Hart ballots and equipment, rather than Diebold/Premier.
http://democracycounts.blogspot.com/2009/11/november-3rd-election-scanning-in.html
more on the project at http://humtp.com/index.html
CO: Eection dispute, lawsuit, squabbling continue in Aspen
11/23/09 If often takes a while for things to settle down in a small town after an election. But Aspenites are taking things to extremes. They’re still arguing about their recent city election— the one they held in May.
http://coloradoindependent.com/42856/election-dispute-lawsuit-squabbling-continue-in-aspen
CO: Aspen Election Review - May 5 2009 (IRV single ballot audit unit)
Links to media- discussion of ballot release and election review
http://aspenelectionreview.blogspot.com/2009/08/links-to-media-discussion-of-ballot.html
CO: Election commissioners’ terms not in line with charter
November 23, 2009 http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/137745
CT: Courant: Ballot Access Should Require Two People Of Opposing Parties
November 23, 2009 We believe that ballots cannot be trusted unless there is a strong chain of custody, one critical part of that is that all access should be by at least two people and of opposing parties, and opposing interests in primaries. The Courant is right on in their editorial covering the Haddam situation
...
The issue goes beyond a documented instance of two people from the same party accessing the ballots. The issue includes the risks of single individuals having access to a single key needed to access the ballots – leaving them vulnerable to unauthorized access.
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2620
OH: Montgomery County to cut number of polling places from 360 to 220
Consolidation would save money, make average precinct size about 1,000 voters
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/politics/montgomery-county-to-cut-number-of-polling-places-from-360-to-220montgomery-county-to-cut-number-of-polling-places-from-360-to-220-405456.html
MA: The Ghost in the Voting Machine
The UC election confirms that electronic voting can’t be trusted
November 23, 2009 Last week’s close Undergraduate Council election ended with a bang: The Election Commission voted to decertify the results...
...
Election officials were also confused about how the software worked, and the email bearing the VP’s signature implied that Hysen’s ability to access the database meant he could also change the results unnoticed. Although there appears to be no evidence of tampering, the suspicion will be tough to dispel.
Yet, just because no fraud seemed to occurr doesn’t make it impossible. No networked system can be fully secure, and modern computers are running so much code written by so many people that a backdoor could exist at any level. Even without malicious attacks, tabulation systems that employ sophisticated verification mechanisms can behave in mysterious ways, which compounds the general problem in computing that no one can fully trust code they did not author...
http://www.thecrimson.com/column/fully-charged/article/2009/11/23/election-voting-more-vote/
NC: GOP contests Aiken vote
RALEIGH -- The Wake County Republican Party on Friday challenged pop singer Clay Aiken's vote in this fall's school board elections, prompting a hearing that could strip him of his registration.
The "American Idol" runner-up and graduate of Leesville Road High in Raleigh last week lambasted the victorious GOP-backed school board candidates as "selfish idiots."
...
"It smacks of politics and sour grapes and sore winners," he said. "You guys won. Really? It is within their purview to challenge any voter, but I'm hard-pressed to imagine they would have done so if he hadn't expressed his opinion." ...
http://www.newsobserver.com/home/story/203381.html
NY: Hoffman to Decide About N.Y. 23 Challenge This Weekend
...
Hoffman conceded to Bill Owens (D) after election night returns on Nov. 4 showed a comfortable margin for the latter. Owens has since been sworn in to Congress
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2009/11/hoffman-to-decide-about-ny-23.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=eye-on-2010
NY: NY-23 E-Vote Failures Merit Full Hand-Count in Response
An update to the reports of an e-voting 'virus', and other failures, in New York's recent Special Election for the U.S. House
...As we averred over the weekend, there are now certainly more than enough problems and questions concerning the electronic tabulation of ballots in the election, that a full, district-wide manual count should be publicly performed to remove any doubts, if possible, concerning the accuracy of the final results.
...
is no longer up to the voters or offficials or courts of New York to determine the "winner" of the House seat. Rather, the matter is now wholly up to the whims of the Democratic-majority Congress as The BRAD BLOG pointed out a week or so ago in an article we filed on NY-23, written as tabulation failures in the race were beginning to emerge...
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7536#more-7536
NY: NY-23 and the E-Voting 'Virus'
Recent allegations from the Right of malware on voting machines in New York's November Special Election may be overblown, but the long-overdue general concerns are right on point...
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7535
NY: NY CD-23: Questions Remain About "Pilot" Federal Election *
We have written previously about New York's reckless rollout of uncertified voting systems in real elections. Letters from good-government groups to the US Dept. of Justice, the NY State Attorney General and the NY State Board of Elections have also expressed these concerns. The only response from these officials has been to stay the course.
...
Today we have received reports that BMDs configured using the Bridge Tool, incorrectly printed what was supposed to be a two-sided ballot. In one county, out of 58 ballots printed, one ballot had the races on the front duplicated on the back, omitting the proposals that should have been on the back. On another ballot, only the front side printed, again omitting proposals on the back....
...
New York has no procedure to independently inspect the contents of scanner memory cards, a service performed by the University of Connecticut at the request of their Secretary of the State. New York has not adopted the rigorous procedures reportedly followed in the State of California to attempt to ensure that its voting machines and Election Management System PCs used to configure them are free of malware...
http://e-voter.blogspot.com/2009/11/ny-cd-23-qestions-remain-about-pilot.html
NY: Yes New York, There Is No Virus In NY-23
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2614
NY: Voting Machines Used Were Not Certified
20 November 2009 GOUVERNEUR, NY - The Dominion ImageCast voting machines used in this year's Nov. 3rd election, both in the 23rd Congressional Special Election and in the local elections around the state have not been certified for use by the State Board of Elections.
Reports of bugs in the programming code, known security flaws, outright failures, and concerns over the potential for tampering have not prevented the State from calling the pilot program "very successful."
...
A spokesman for Dominion maintains that the "virus" reports from Hamilton County were really a source code "bug" instead, one that required reprogramming of the source code in the days prior to the election. Dominion indicates that their technicians "created a workaround" for some bad code that was causing the machines to freeze-up in certain types of elections.
http://www.gouverneurtimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8216:voting-machines-used-were-not-certified&catid=60:st-lawrence-news&Itemid=175
NY: Statement from the Board of Elections on the 23rd Congressional District
http://readme.readmedia.com/Statement-from-the-Board-of-Elections-on-the-23rd-Congressional-District/984695
NY: HAVA chuckle in Nassau
November 20, 2009 The federal Help American Vote Act, a 2002 law meant to help localities modernize their election systems, draws some bipartisan derision at the Nassau County Board of Elections, where workers are sorting through the absentee ballots to decide key county elections.
Not the least — but certainly not all — of that derision is aimed at the rows of 450 HAVA-mandated voting machines for the disabled, which cost some $3.5 million.
A total of 17 votes were cast on those machines on Nov. 3rd, and some of the ballots were cast by able people when the mechanical voting machine in a polling place was out of commission.
http://www.newsday.com/blogs/politics/spin-cycle-1.812042/hava-chuckle-in-nassau-1.1612968
NY: Bard students unhappy with voting hassle (WITH VIDEO)
November 20, 2009 A STATE Supreme Court ruling that the votes of 12 Bard College students forced to file affidavit ballots on Election Day be counted without question has done little to quell concerns that college students were singled out by Republicans and others who want to prevent them from voting in local elections.
Jonathan Becker, an associate professor of political science at Bard, said on Thursday that the college intends to “explore all avenues” available to protect its students from being targeted for such voter abuse in the future...
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2009/11/20/news/doc4b0627821e878814635107.txt
PA: County recounting votes for Superior Court judge
November 18, 2009 The Indiana County commissioners have called in technicians from the county's election system consultant in Nebraska to comply with a state directive to recount the county's votes in the Nov. 3 balloting for judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
The mandatory recount could cost the county about $13,000 and the state $1.3 million.
On Friday, Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro Cort©s ordered the recount, the first statewide recount triggered by law in Pennsylvania history.
http://www.indianagazette.com/articles/2009/11/18/news/10028573.txt
SC: Votes Lost & Found in Myrtle Beach
Nov 20th, 2009 ...voting technology expert Doug Jones:
..."This is an excellent example of a procedural error of the type that the voting systems could help defend against, but don’t. It would be possible to write specs that lead to automatic detection of machines believed to have been deployed for which no totals have been reported. Sadly, we haven’t got such behavior in our system specs, and as a result, we chalk such problems up to human error and let the voting system off the hook."
http://www.trustthevote.org/votes-lost-found-in-myrtle-beach
TX: Dallas County elections chief vows to correct mailing problems
November 18, 2009 ...County Commissioner John Wiley Price said this week that numerous voters had called his office to complain about not being notified in time of the proper voting locations during the Nov. 3 election.
Price said a printing company mailed out the notices late, affecting 80,000 voters in his district alone. Even though turnout was low, Price wondered if the problem could have affected a Dallas school board race in his district that ended in a runoff...
"People didn't know where to vote," she said. "They were mad, and they actually wanted me to file a complaint."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/
dn/latestnews/stories/111909dnmetelexmailing.3b32b17.html
VA: VOOGLE: From Idea To Reality
November 23rd, 2009...Google (in partnership with Pew’s Voter Information Project) took heed of Mr. Ornstein’s challenge to create the Virginia Poling Place Information Gadget!
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/whytuesday/~3/EsOe5SVQPXQ/
Washington’s road to women’s suffrage: 1854
November 23rd, 2009. Next year will mark the 100-year anniversary of women’s suffrage in Washington … something definitely worth celebrating.
...
In 1854, Arthur Denny proposed an amendment to the first territorial election law that would give women the vote. It was defeated in the Territorial House of Representatives by one vote, eight for and nine against. Almost 17 years would pass before the issue was raised in the Legislature again.
http://blogs.sos.wa.gov/FromOurCorner/index.php/2009/11/the-road-to-women%e2%80%99s-suffrage-1854-to-1910/
National
EAC public meeting is December 3, 2009
This meeting will be webcast live on the EAC Web site.
http://www.eac.gov/blog-postings/eac-public-meeting-is-december-3-2009
International
Brazil: Your Rights Online: Brazilian Breaks Secrecy of Brazil's E-Voting Machines With Van Eck Phreaking
November 21...a hacker has shown that the Linux-based voting machines aren't perfectly safe; he was able to eavesdrop on them
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/11/22/027229/Brazilian-Breaks-Secrecy-of-Brazils-E-Voting-Machines-With-Van-Eck-Phreaking
Canada: Voting by phone, Internet possible
Laurentian Valley - Ontario, Canada. Election results could be available within 15 minutes of polls closing if council opts to go with vote by phone and via the Internet for the 2010 municipal election.
http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2178981
India: India needs to correct its voting system.
It needs to get rid of the electronic voting system. Which is basically a short cut for voting malpractices. India is one of the poorest country in that region and cannot afford to have an electronic voting system and add another flaw to our system. India should revert back to the paper based voting system.
...
India also needs to get away from the idea of biometric ID etc, because such a ID would be misused and could lead to identity threats...
http://ravichristo.blogspot.com/2009/11/india-needs-to-correct-its-voting.html
Mindanao. 21 dead in bloodiest pre-election violence in Maguindanao; 15 still unaccounted for
Monday, 23 November 2009. KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/23 November) – An undetermined number of armed men ambushed on Monday morning the wife of a gubernatorial bet, two female lawyers, nearly a dozen journalists and security personnel, in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao, en route to the provincial Commission on Elections office in Shariff Aguak, to file his certificate of candidacy
http://www.mindanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7253&Itemid=50
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link:
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HAVA chuckle in Nassau County, New York? A total of 17 votes were cast on $3.5 million worth of disabled accessible voting machines...
Aspen Colorado officials still not ready to make ballot image files public...Luther Weeks describes a breach of chain of custody in a Haddam, CT election...
North Carolina GOP contests Clay Aiken vote...VOOGLE: From Idea To Reality, Virginia Poling Place Information Gadget!...
International: Brazilian Breaks Secrecy of Brazil's E-Voting Machines With Van Eck Phreaking...Concerns about India's paperless e-voting and push for biometric ID...21 dead in bloodiest pre-election violence in Maguindanao, Mindanao...
AR: COMMENTARY: County Flirts With Disaster
Benton County is seriously considering going to all-electronic voting. At least their election commission chairman is.
This is a particularly terrible idea at a uniquely awful time.
...
37 percent of the county’s voters demanded paper ballots in the last election.
I’m sure the fiasco in 2006 contributed to that. I’m also sure, however, that long lines to the machines contributed to that too. Voting on paper was simply faster during the peak times.
I hate to see the issue of filling a legitimate need for moremachines get tangled up in what now could be perceived as a referendum on paperless voting.
http://rmn.nwanews.com/news/2009/nov/22/commentary-county-flirts-disaster-20091122/
AR: Paper option needed
November 21, 2009. LITTLE ROCK — I sense a bipartisan storm brewin’ in Benton County as election commissioners urge county government to save money by virtually abandoning paper ballots.
They favor purchasing an additional 200 used electronic voting machines for $360,000, but there appear to be both Democrats and Republicans who aren’t too keen on trusting the outcome of elections solely to electronic machines without also having the familiar and verifiable paper ballots.
...
This sort of thing just looks suspicious in a system that must rely on credibility, and no doubt it fuels debate with those who place their trust in paper ballots. In Benton County, that’s apparently no small number. No fewer than 37 of every 100 Benton County voters in the 2008 general election used paper ballots. I’d say it was a big mistake morally and politically to basically deny nearly four our of every 10 voters their voting preference to save an estimated (and debatable) $95,000.
If I were on the Quorum Court and was working with a new, well-intentioned but relatively inexperienced election commission, I’d be wanting to see proven facts about how much money would actually be saved by abandoning paper ballots and purchasing hundreds of used machines. Then I’d be weighing that estimate against the public’s will and desire.
http://adg.nwanews.com/news/2009/nov/21/paper-option-needed-20091121/
CA: November 3rd election, scanning in progress
Humboldt County Election Transparency Project
We've started scanning ballots from the November 3rd election. Due to the horribly light turnout, we're almost done.
This election is using Hart ballots and equipment, rather than Diebold/Premier.
http://democracycounts.blogspot.com/2009/11/november-3rd-election-scanning-in.html
more on the project at http://humtp.com/index.html
CO: Eection dispute, lawsuit, squabbling continue in Aspen
11/23/09 If often takes a while for things to settle down in a small town after an election. But Aspenites are taking things to extremes. They’re still arguing about their recent city election— the one they held in May.
http://coloradoindependent.com/42856/election-dispute-lawsuit-squabbling-continue-in-aspen
CO: Aspen Election Review - May 5 2009 (IRV single ballot audit unit)
Links to media- discussion of ballot release and election review
http://aspenelectionreview.blogspot.com/2009/08/links-to-media-discussion-of-ballot.html
CO: Election commissioners’ terms not in line with charter
November 23, 2009 http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/137745
CT: Courant: Ballot Access Should Require Two People Of Opposing Parties
November 23, 2009 We believe that ballots cannot be trusted unless there is a strong chain of custody, one critical part of that is that all access should be by at least two people and of opposing parties, and opposing interests in primaries. The Courant is right on in their editorial covering the Haddam situation
...
The issue goes beyond a documented instance of two people from the same party accessing the ballots. The issue includes the risks of single individuals having access to a single key needed to access the ballots – leaving them vulnerable to unauthorized access.
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2620
OH: Montgomery County to cut number of polling places from 360 to 220
Consolidation would save money, make average precinct size about 1,000 voters
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/politics/montgomery-county-to-cut-number-of-polling-places-from-360-to-220montgomery-county-to-cut-number-of-polling-places-from-360-to-220-405456.html
MA: The Ghost in the Voting Machine
The UC election confirms that electronic voting can’t be trusted
November 23, 2009 Last week’s close Undergraduate Council election ended with a bang: The Election Commission voted to decertify the results...
...
Election officials were also confused about how the software worked, and the email bearing the VP’s signature implied that Hysen’s ability to access the database meant he could also change the results unnoticed. Although there appears to be no evidence of tampering, the suspicion will be tough to dispel.
Yet, just because no fraud seemed to occurr doesn’t make it impossible. No networked system can be fully secure, and modern computers are running so much code written by so many people that a backdoor could exist at any level. Even without malicious attacks, tabulation systems that employ sophisticated verification mechanisms can behave in mysterious ways, which compounds the general problem in computing that no one can fully trust code they did not author...
http://www.thecrimson.com/column/fully-charged/article/2009/11/23/election-voting-more-vote/
NC: GOP contests Aiken vote
RALEIGH -- The Wake County Republican Party on Friday challenged pop singer Clay Aiken's vote in this fall's school board elections, prompting a hearing that could strip him of his registration.
The "American Idol" runner-up and graduate of Leesville Road High in Raleigh last week lambasted the victorious GOP-backed school board candidates as "selfish idiots."
...
"It smacks of politics and sour grapes and sore winners," he said. "You guys won. Really? It is within their purview to challenge any voter, but I'm hard-pressed to imagine they would have done so if he hadn't expressed his opinion." ...
http://www.newsobserver.com/home/story/203381.html
NY: Hoffman to Decide About N.Y. 23 Challenge This Weekend
...
Hoffman conceded to Bill Owens (D) after election night returns on Nov. 4 showed a comfortable margin for the latter. Owens has since been sworn in to Congress
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2009/11/hoffman-to-decide-about-ny-23.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=eye-on-2010
NY: NY-23 E-Vote Failures Merit Full Hand-Count in Response
An update to the reports of an e-voting 'virus', and other failures, in New York's recent Special Election for the U.S. House
...As we averred over the weekend, there are now certainly more than enough problems and questions concerning the electronic tabulation of ballots in the election, that a full, district-wide manual count should be publicly performed to remove any doubts, if possible, concerning the accuracy of the final results.
...
is no longer up to the voters or offficials or courts of New York to determine the "winner" of the House seat. Rather, the matter is now wholly up to the whims of the Democratic-majority Congress as The BRAD BLOG pointed out a week or so ago in an article we filed on NY-23, written as tabulation failures in the race were beginning to emerge...
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7536#more-7536
NY: NY-23 and the E-Voting 'Virus'
Recent allegations from the Right of malware on voting machines in New York's November Special Election may be overblown, but the long-overdue general concerns are right on point...
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7535
NY: NY CD-23: Questions Remain About "Pilot" Federal Election *
We have written previously about New York's reckless rollout of uncertified voting systems in real elections. Letters from good-government groups to the US Dept. of Justice, the NY State Attorney General and the NY State Board of Elections have also expressed these concerns. The only response from these officials has been to stay the course.
...
Today we have received reports that BMDs configured using the Bridge Tool, incorrectly printed what was supposed to be a two-sided ballot. In one county, out of 58 ballots printed, one ballot had the races on the front duplicated on the back, omitting the proposals that should have been on the back. On another ballot, only the front side printed, again omitting proposals on the back....
...
New York has no procedure to independently inspect the contents of scanner memory cards, a service performed by the University of Connecticut at the request of their Secretary of the State. New York has not adopted the rigorous procedures reportedly followed in the State of California to attempt to ensure that its voting machines and Election Management System PCs used to configure them are free of malware...
http://e-voter.blogspot.com/2009/11/ny-cd-23-qestions-remain-about-pilot.html
NY: Yes New York, There Is No Virus In NY-23
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2614
NY: Voting Machines Used Were Not Certified
20 November 2009 GOUVERNEUR, NY - The Dominion ImageCast voting machines used in this year's Nov. 3rd election, both in the 23rd Congressional Special Election and in the local elections around the state have not been certified for use by the State Board of Elections.
Reports of bugs in the programming code, known security flaws, outright failures, and concerns over the potential for tampering have not prevented the State from calling the pilot program "very successful."
...
A spokesman for Dominion maintains that the "virus" reports from Hamilton County were really a source code "bug" instead, one that required reprogramming of the source code in the days prior to the election. Dominion indicates that their technicians "created a workaround" for some bad code that was causing the machines to freeze-up in certain types of elections.
http://www.gouverneurtimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8216:voting-machines-used-were-not-certified&catid=60:st-lawrence-news&Itemid=175
NY: Statement from the Board of Elections on the 23rd Congressional District
http://readme.readmedia.com/Statement-from-the-Board-of-Elections-on-the-23rd-Congressional-District/984695
NY: HAVA chuckle in Nassau
November 20, 2009 The federal Help American Vote Act, a 2002 law meant to help localities modernize their election systems, draws some bipartisan derision at the Nassau County Board of Elections, where workers are sorting through the absentee ballots to decide key county elections.
Not the least — but certainly not all — of that derision is aimed at the rows of 450 HAVA-mandated voting machines for the disabled, which cost some $3.5 million.
A total of 17 votes were cast on those machines on Nov. 3rd, and some of the ballots were cast by able people when the mechanical voting machine in a polling place was out of commission.
http://www.newsday.com/blogs/politics/spin-cycle-1.812042/hava-chuckle-in-nassau-1.1612968
NY: Bard students unhappy with voting hassle (WITH VIDEO)
November 20, 2009 A STATE Supreme Court ruling that the votes of 12 Bard College students forced to file affidavit ballots on Election Day be counted without question has done little to quell concerns that college students were singled out by Republicans and others who want to prevent them from voting in local elections.
Jonathan Becker, an associate professor of political science at Bard, said on Thursday that the college intends to “explore all avenues” available to protect its students from being targeted for such voter abuse in the future...
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2009/11/20/news/doc4b0627821e878814635107.txt
PA: County recounting votes for Superior Court judge
November 18, 2009 The Indiana County commissioners have called in technicians from the county's election system consultant in Nebraska to comply with a state directive to recount the county's votes in the Nov. 3 balloting for judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
The mandatory recount could cost the county about $13,000 and the state $1.3 million.
On Friday, Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro Cort©s ordered the recount, the first statewide recount triggered by law in Pennsylvania history.
http://www.indianagazette.com/articles/2009/11/18/news/10028573.txt
SC: Votes Lost & Found in Myrtle Beach
Nov 20th, 2009 ...voting technology expert Doug Jones:
..."This is an excellent example of a procedural error of the type that the voting systems could help defend against, but don’t. It would be possible to write specs that lead to automatic detection of machines believed to have been deployed for which no totals have been reported. Sadly, we haven’t got such behavior in our system specs, and as a result, we chalk such problems up to human error and let the voting system off the hook."
http://www.trustthevote.org/votes-lost-found-in-myrtle-beach
TX: Dallas County elections chief vows to correct mailing problems
November 18, 2009 ...County Commissioner John Wiley Price said this week that numerous voters had called his office to complain about not being notified in time of the proper voting locations during the Nov. 3 election.
Price said a printing company mailed out the notices late, affecting 80,000 voters in his district alone. Even though turnout was low, Price wondered if the problem could have affected a Dallas school board race in his district that ended in a runoff...
"People didn't know where to vote," she said. "They were mad, and they actually wanted me to file a complaint."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/
dn/latestnews/stories/111909dnmetelexmailing.3b32b17.html
VA: VOOGLE: From Idea To Reality
November 23rd, 2009...Google (in partnership with Pew’s Voter Information Project) took heed of Mr. Ornstein’s challenge to create the Virginia Poling Place Information Gadget!
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/whytuesday/~3/EsOe5SVQPXQ/
Washington’s road to women’s suffrage: 1854
November 23rd, 2009. Next year will mark the 100-year anniversary of women’s suffrage in Washington … something definitely worth celebrating.
...
In 1854, Arthur Denny proposed an amendment to the first territorial election law that would give women the vote. It was defeated in the Territorial House of Representatives by one vote, eight for and nine against. Almost 17 years would pass before the issue was raised in the Legislature again.
http://blogs.sos.wa.gov/FromOurCorner/index.php/2009/11/the-road-to-women%e2%80%99s-suffrage-1854-to-1910/
National
EAC public meeting is December 3, 2009
This meeting will be webcast live on the EAC Web site.
http://www.eac.gov/blog-postings/eac-public-meeting-is-december-3-2009
International
Brazil: Your Rights Online: Brazilian Breaks Secrecy of Brazil's E-Voting Machines With Van Eck Phreaking
November 21...a hacker has shown that the Linux-based voting machines aren't perfectly safe; he was able to eavesdrop on them
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/11/22/027229/Brazilian-Breaks-Secrecy-of-Brazils-E-Voting-Machines-With-Van-Eck-Phreaking
Canada: Voting by phone, Internet possible
Laurentian Valley - Ontario, Canada. Election results could be available within 15 minutes of polls closing if council opts to go with vote by phone and via the Internet for the 2010 municipal election.
http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2178981
India: India needs to correct its voting system.
It needs to get rid of the electronic voting system. Which is basically a short cut for voting malpractices. India is one of the poorest country in that region and cannot afford to have an electronic voting system and add another flaw to our system. India should revert back to the paper based voting system.
...
India also needs to get away from the idea of biometric ID etc, because such a ID would be misused and could lead to identity threats...
http://ravichristo.blogspot.com/2009/11/india-needs-to-correct-its-voting.html
Mindanao. 21 dead in bloodiest pre-election violence in Maguindanao; 15 still unaccounted for
Monday, 23 November 2009. KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/23 November) – An undetermined number of armed men ambushed on Monday morning the wife of a gubernatorial bet, two female lawyers, nearly a dozen journalists and security personnel, in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao, en route to the provincial Commission on Elections office in Shariff Aguak, to file his certificate of candidacy
http://www.mindanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7253&Itemid=50
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
Friday, November 20, 2009
FCC considers Internet Voting, WV oks internet voting for military, NY Voting Machines had bug not virus
The biggest threat to democracy quietly sneaks forward: The FCC seeks public comment on internet elections by Dec. 10 of this year... Clearly the e-voting movement is not keeping up. Problems with voting machines pale compared to the risks of internet voting. Voting online is not secure and is not secret according to many tech experts...Meanwhile, West Virginia just passed a law allowing online voting for military, it goes to the governor to be signed...
"Voting is not a commodity or industry, it's a democratic right...Anti-trust officials must stop this monopolization of America's most basic democratic process. More fundamentally, though, we must restore full public ownership and management of our voting systems."~Jim Hightower...This should be true everywhere: "Registration of voters should never be seen as a political act." – European Commission Head of Delegation to Zambia...
...
There is good news and bad news about New York's voting systems. The problems with some New York voting machines were not due to a virus, as reported yesterday by the Gouverneur Times, but were due to a flaw/bug in the source code. The problem was not caused by election workers but by the voting vendor. The good news is that there are paper ballots. But the bad news is that elections are still being used as beta tests for voting vendors. We all know there is no perfect voting system but is it too much to ask that these voting systems work correctly? Bo Lipari has a write up on his blog and we have a press release from the New York State Board of Elections...In Utah New ID Check-In scans your drivers license....
All this and much more in today's voting news below...
IL: Undervotes and the AccuVote
Champaign County Clerk under Elections. The formerly Diebold, formerly Premier, now ES&S Accu-Vote ballot tabulation system is under the gun to meet the state standards for rejecting undervotes. (We do not use the Accu-Vote) At the State Board of Elections meeting yesterday we learned that their first go around on testing failed, and now they are making programming changes and retesting.
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2009/11/18/undervotes-and-the-accuvote/
IL: Illinois Newspaper Story on Challenge to Green Party U.S. House Candidate in 14th District
November 20th, 2009 The Daily Herald, a newspaper in Arlington Heights, Illinois, has this article about a Democratic Party-connected challenge to the Green Party’s candidate for U.S. House in the 14th district.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/11/20/illinois-newspaper-story-on-challenge-to-green-party-u-s-house-candidate-in-14th-district/
MA: BREAKING NEWS: Vote-Rigging Alleged in UC Presidential Election
November 19, 2009 In an unprecedented reversal following allegations of fraud and vote-tampering, the Undergraduate Council Election Commission decided to “de-certify” the results of the presidential election released today, pending further notice.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2009/11/19/11-bowman-votes-seiler/
MN: Kummer wins Park Board seat without a majority
Candidate is first under ranked-choice voting to be elected without support from a majority of voters.
November 19, 2009 ...Incumbent Kummer amassed 46 percent of the vote to almost 42 percent for Jason Stone in a replay of their 2005 finish. Her election without a majority occurred because 957 ballots, or 12 percent of those cast, were exhausted. That means either the voter didn't list a second or third choice, or the candidate the voter listed was eliminated from consideration.
http://www.startribune.com/local/70425287.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
MO: Cooper County Clerk's office canvasses voter registration records
...The effort is being made in accordance with the law, which states this must be done every two years.
http://www.boonvilledailynews.com/news/x255188660/Cooper-County-Clerks-office-canvasses-voter-registration-records
NC: Most missed filing deadlines
Finance reports 'a little screwy'
CHAPEL HILL - This year the town instituted a new campaign-finance report to reveal candidates' spending up through six days before the election. Trouble is, only one candidate managed to file it on time. And she only received $1 in campaign contributions.
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/news/story/53692.html
NJ: Quigley on Bill Creating Online Voter Registration (A-4189)youtube video
November 18, 2009 In this video press release, Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley (D-Hudson) discusses her legislation to allow New Jersey residents to register to vote online. The measure (A-4189) would create an online voter registration form, hosted on a secure site within the Department of State's Web site, that would allow residents to register to vote, change their voting address after a move or change their name in the voter file, all from a computer
http://videos.nj.com/2009/11/quigley_on_bill_creating_onlin.html
NY: Statement from the Board of Elections on the 23rd Congressional District
http://readme.readmedia.com/Statement-from-the-Board-of-Elections-on-the-23rd-Congressional-District/984695
NY: No Voting Machine Virus in New York-23 Election
November 20, 2009 By Bo Lipari. Erroneous reports are circulating that a virus caused a problem in the scanners used in the NY-23 Congressional race.
...
The issue was a bug in the Dominion source code that caused the machine to hang while creating ballot images for certain vote combinations in multiple candidate elections (the ImageCast, like the other scanner used in New York, the ES&S DS200, creates digital images of each ballot which can be reviewed after the election). So if, for example, a “vote for three candidates out of five” race was voted in a certain way, the scanner would hang. This is one reason why the defect affected some, but not all machines with ballots containing this type of race, because only certain combinations of votes caused the memory problem. But here’s the thing – the problem was discovered before the election.
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2009/11/20/212
OH: Party-line vote (HB 260 goes to state senate next)
Elections bill passed by divided Ohio House
Registration would be easier, 'golden week' eliminated
November 19, 2009 ...The House bill would make changes to virtually all aspects of the voting process.
...
The bill would streamline the processes for showing identification at the polls and for casting provisional ballots. It also would allow online voter registration and automatic updating of registrations when voters move or change their name.
http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/
stories/2009/11/19/copy/election_bill.ART_ART_11-19-09_B1_8KFNMBB.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
or use this url http://twi.cc/6HAS
SD: South Dakota Court Says Inactive Voters May Sign Petitions
November 20th, 2009 On November 13, a South Dakota Circuit Court Judge ruled that petition signatures are valid if the signer is not on the list of active registered voters, but is on the list of inactive voters. Inactive voters are those who once registered to vote, but whose registration is considered questionable because the post office reported that the voter had moved and that voter has not re-registered.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/11/20/south-dakota-court-says-inactive-voters-may-sign-petitions/
UT: Utah New ID Check-In
Utah is creating a new cool check in process for voters. The State’s voter registration data base will be able to read the bar codes on a voter’s driver’s license. So when a voter goes to check in to vote, a poll worker will be able to scan the bar code on the back of the State driver’s license and that person will be pulled up in the state database.
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3002
WVA: Online Voting Bill Passes During Special Session
November 19, 2009 House Bill 406 passed during the special legislative session Nov. 19
House Bill 406 passed during the special legislative session Thursday. The bill gives military and other West Virginia citizens the opportunity to vote online, while outside of the country.
Each participating county will setup an online system. Military and overseas voter will be able to login to the Web site using a security code, and cast their ballot.
...
The bill now goes to Gov. Joe Manchin for a signature
http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=70683
WV To Offer Online Voting For Some
WEST VIRGINIA- A pilot program to allow West Virginians, serving in the military, the opportunity to vote online passed the Legislature unanimously on Thursday during the special session.
House Bill 406 now needs West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin's signature in order to become law.
http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=88782
National
FCC wants public comment on digital democracy - (internet voting whack-a-mole )
Comments due by December 10 of this year
http://government.zdnet.com/?p=6219
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/index.do?document=294676
VerifiedVoting.org : Technologists' statement on internet voting
This is also the position of VerifiedVoting.org on internet voting, and ...
www.verifiedvoting.org/article.php?id=5866
ES&S trying to monopolize America's voting system
Lowdown
...But during the past decade, state and local election authorities have ever-so-quietly allowed a little intrusion to come between the casting and the counting of our votes. The intrusion is called "privatization."
Balloting, which has historically and properly been a purely public function in our country, now relies largely on electronic machines that are made and controlled by a handful of corporations
...
Anti-trust officials must stop this monopolization of America's most basic democratic process. More fundamentally, though, we must restore full public ownership and management of our voting systems.
http://www.csindy.com/colorado/esands-trying-to-monopolize-americas-voting-system/Content?oid=1514922
Uniform State Law Commission Meets Again to Consider Changes in Electoral College
November 20th, 2009
The National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws has existed since the 19th century. It proposes model laws to the state legislatures of all states. The Commission has been meeting this year to work on a proposed model law on how to stop presidential electors from voting for presidential or vice-presidential candidates who vote for someone in the electoral college who was not their party’s choice.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/11/20/uniform-state-law-commission-meets-again-to-consider-changes-in-electoral-college/
International
Registration of voters should never be seen as a political act – European Commission Head of Delegation to Zambia
European Commission Head of Delegation to Zambia Derek Fee yesterday said the registration of voters should never be seen as a political act in favour of one side but as a necessary step in ensuring that election results reflect the true will of majority voters.
http://zambianchronicle.com/?p=5392
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
"Voting is not a commodity or industry, it's a democratic right...Anti-trust officials must stop this monopolization of America's most basic democratic process. More fundamentally, though, we must restore full public ownership and management of our voting systems."~Jim Hightower...This should be true everywhere: "Registration of voters should never be seen as a political act." – European Commission Head of Delegation to Zambia...
...
There is good news and bad news about New York's voting systems. The problems with some New York voting machines were not due to a virus, as reported yesterday by the Gouverneur Times, but were due to a flaw/bug in the source code. The problem was not caused by election workers but by the voting vendor. The good news is that there are paper ballots. But the bad news is that elections are still being used as beta tests for voting vendors. We all know there is no perfect voting system but is it too much to ask that these voting systems work correctly? Bo Lipari has a write up on his blog and we have a press release from the New York State Board of Elections...In Utah New ID Check-In scans your drivers license....
All this and much more in today's voting news below...
IL: Undervotes and the AccuVote
Champaign County Clerk under Elections. The formerly Diebold, formerly Premier, now ES&S Accu-Vote ballot tabulation system is under the gun to meet the state standards for rejecting undervotes. (We do not use the Accu-Vote) At the State Board of Elections meeting yesterday we learned that their first go around on testing failed, and now they are making programming changes and retesting.
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2009/11/18/undervotes-and-the-accuvote/
IL: Illinois Newspaper Story on Challenge to Green Party U.S. House Candidate in 14th District
November 20th, 2009 The Daily Herald, a newspaper in Arlington Heights, Illinois, has this article about a Democratic Party-connected challenge to the Green Party’s candidate for U.S. House in the 14th district.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/11/20/illinois-newspaper-story-on-challenge-to-green-party-u-s-house-candidate-in-14th-district/
MA: BREAKING NEWS: Vote-Rigging Alleged in UC Presidential Election
November 19, 2009 In an unprecedented reversal following allegations of fraud and vote-tampering, the Undergraduate Council Election Commission decided to “de-certify” the results of the presidential election released today, pending further notice.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2009/11/19/11-bowman-votes-seiler/
MN: Kummer wins Park Board seat without a majority
Candidate is first under ranked-choice voting to be elected without support from a majority of voters.
November 19, 2009 ...Incumbent Kummer amassed 46 percent of the vote to almost 42 percent for Jason Stone in a replay of their 2005 finish. Her election without a majority occurred because 957 ballots, or 12 percent of those cast, were exhausted. That means either the voter didn't list a second or third choice, or the candidate the voter listed was eliminated from consideration.
http://www.startribune.com/local/70425287.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
MO: Cooper County Clerk's office canvasses voter registration records
...The effort is being made in accordance with the law, which states this must be done every two years.
http://www.boonvilledailynews.com/news/x255188660/Cooper-County-Clerks-office-canvasses-voter-registration-records
NC: Most missed filing deadlines
Finance reports 'a little screwy'
CHAPEL HILL - This year the town instituted a new campaign-finance report to reveal candidates' spending up through six days before the election. Trouble is, only one candidate managed to file it on time. And she only received $1 in campaign contributions.
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/news/story/53692.html
NJ: Quigley on Bill Creating Online Voter Registration (A-4189)youtube video
November 18, 2009 In this video press release, Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley (D-Hudson) discusses her legislation to allow New Jersey residents to register to vote online. The measure (A-4189) would create an online voter registration form, hosted on a secure site within the Department of State's Web site, that would allow residents to register to vote, change their voting address after a move or change their name in the voter file, all from a computer
http://videos.nj.com/2009/11/quigley_on_bill_creating_onlin.html
NY: Statement from the Board of Elections on the 23rd Congressional District
http://readme.readmedia.com/Statement-from-the-Board-of-Elections-on-the-23rd-Congressional-District/984695
NY: No Voting Machine Virus in New York-23 Election
November 20, 2009 By Bo Lipari. Erroneous reports are circulating that a virus caused a problem in the scanners used in the NY-23 Congressional race.
...
The issue was a bug in the Dominion source code that caused the machine to hang while creating ballot images for certain vote combinations in multiple candidate elections (the ImageCast, like the other scanner used in New York, the ES&S DS200, creates digital images of each ballot which can be reviewed after the election). So if, for example, a “vote for three candidates out of five” race was voted in a certain way, the scanner would hang. This is one reason why the defect affected some, but not all machines with ballots containing this type of race, because only certain combinations of votes caused the memory problem. But here’s the thing – the problem was discovered before the election.
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2009/11/20/212
OH: Party-line vote (HB 260 goes to state senate next)
Elections bill passed by divided Ohio House
Registration would be easier, 'golden week' eliminated
November 19, 2009 ...The House bill would make changes to virtually all aspects of the voting process.
...
The bill would streamline the processes for showing identification at the polls and for casting provisional ballots. It also would allow online voter registration and automatic updating of registrations when voters move or change their name.
http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/
stories/2009/11/19/copy/election_bill.ART_ART_11-19-09_B1_8KFNMBB.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
or use this url http://twi.cc/6HAS
SD: South Dakota Court Says Inactive Voters May Sign Petitions
November 20th, 2009 On November 13, a South Dakota Circuit Court Judge ruled that petition signatures are valid if the signer is not on the list of active registered voters, but is on the list of inactive voters. Inactive voters are those who once registered to vote, but whose registration is considered questionable because the post office reported that the voter had moved and that voter has not re-registered.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/11/20/south-dakota-court-says-inactive-voters-may-sign-petitions/
UT: Utah New ID Check-In
Utah is creating a new cool check in process for voters. The State’s voter registration data base will be able to read the bar codes on a voter’s driver’s license. So when a voter goes to check in to vote, a poll worker will be able to scan the bar code on the back of the State driver’s license and that person will be pulled up in the state database.
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3002
WVA: Online Voting Bill Passes During Special Session
November 19, 2009 House Bill 406 passed during the special legislative session Nov. 19
House Bill 406 passed during the special legislative session Thursday. The bill gives military and other West Virginia citizens the opportunity to vote online, while outside of the country.
Each participating county will setup an online system. Military and overseas voter will be able to login to the Web site using a security code, and cast their ballot.
...
The bill now goes to Gov. Joe Manchin for a signature
http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=70683
WV To Offer Online Voting For Some
WEST VIRGINIA- A pilot program to allow West Virginians, serving in the military, the opportunity to vote online passed the Legislature unanimously on Thursday during the special session.
House Bill 406 now needs West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin's signature in order to become law.
http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=88782
National
FCC wants public comment on digital democracy - (internet voting whack-a-mole )
Comments due by December 10 of this year
http://government.zdnet.com/?p=6219
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/index.do?document=294676
VerifiedVoting.org : Technologists' statement on internet voting
This is also the position of VerifiedVoting.org on internet voting, and ...
www.verifiedvoting.org/article.php?id=5866
ES&S trying to monopolize America's voting system
Lowdown
...But during the past decade, state and local election authorities have ever-so-quietly allowed a little intrusion to come between the casting and the counting of our votes. The intrusion is called "privatization."
Balloting, which has historically and properly been a purely public function in our country, now relies largely on electronic machines that are made and controlled by a handful of corporations
...
Anti-trust officials must stop this monopolization of America's most basic democratic process. More fundamentally, though, we must restore full public ownership and management of our voting systems.
http://www.csindy.com/colorado/esands-trying-to-monopolize-americas-voting-system/Content?oid=1514922
Uniform State Law Commission Meets Again to Consider Changes in Electoral College
November 20th, 2009
The National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws has existed since the 19th century. It proposes model laws to the state legislatures of all states. The Commission has been meeting this year to work on a proposed model law on how to stop presidential electors from voting for presidential or vice-presidential candidates who vote for someone in the electoral college who was not their party’s choice.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/11/20/uniform-state-law-commission-meets-again-to-consider-changes-in-electoral-college/
International
Registration of voters should never be seen as a political act – European Commission Head of Delegation to Zambia
European Commission Head of Delegation to Zambia Derek Fee yesterday said the registration of voters should never be seen as a political act in favour of one side but as a necessary step in ensuring that election results reflect the true will of majority voters.
http://zambianchronicle.com/?p=5392
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
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