Nassau Co NY sues to undo election law, keep levers. Wal-Mart a top political donor. NC Ballot access challenge

Are Colorado Election officials making decisions behind closed doors?...They want to keep the lever machines: Nassau County wants the New York Election Reform and Modernization Act of 2005 declared unconstitutional, and wants the DS200 system decertified in New York State...Wal-Mart, UBS and Other Groups Added to OpenSecrets.org List of Top Political Givers...Too late the CA Atty Gen says ACORN did not violate the law....

All this and more in today's voting news below...

AK: Senate passes campaign finance bill
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=12245818
The bill, which found bipartisan support, would require notice of who or what is funding political ads on television or in the newspaper.

AZ: Arizona Bill, Removing Presidential Elector Names from Ballot, Advances
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/04/02/arizona-bill-removing-presidential-elector-names-from-ballot-advances/
If the Arizona bill is signed into law, the only states that will still print the names of presidential electors on their ballots will be Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Louisiana, and Idaho.

AZ: Citizens United sparks changes to Arizona campaign finance law
http://bit.ly/a8W5GI

CA: CA A.G. FINDS 'NO VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL LAW' IN 'SEVERELY EDITED' ACORN
'PIMP' VIDEOS; UNEDITED TAPES RELEASED
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7780
The Attorney General also confirms that O'Keefe never appeared in any of the offices "dressed as a 1970s Superfly pimp," as he had been edited to appear at the beginning and end of each of the videos. Neither did he ever claim to be a pimp...

CA: Judge hears challenge to city’s instant runoff voting system
http://tinyurl.com/yen2hzs SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge said at a court hearing Thursday* he is inclined to reject a citizens’ challenge* to San Francisco’s instant
runoff voting system, but made no final decision.

CO: COMPLAINT: Urgent - ongoing violation of Open Meetings Laws (ltr to Atty Gen)
http://bit.ly/cobxZ7 There is a meeting of Colorado election officials underway today in Westminster. These same officials are interfering with the Public’s right to observe. Your immediate intervention is requested.

MI: Barrow to ask court to order new Detroit mayoral election
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100401/METRO/4010468/1024/POLITICS03/Barrow-to-ask-court-to-order-new-Detroit-mayoral-election#ixzz0jxO8NEVP
Barrow requested a recount, but upon discovering problems with security seals on some absentee container boxes, the Wayne County Board of Canvassers ruled that none of the 41,485 absentee ballots would be recounted and the board reverted to the original election night results.

MI: Barrow seeks to nullify mayoral election
http://bit.ly/9wqRcl In his filing, Barrow, 61, alleges Bing "usurped and wrongfully holds title to the office of mayor" because of tainted ballots.

MS: Mississippi: DOJ objects to law requiring runoffs in some school board
elections http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006365.html

NC: North Carolina Ballot Access Hearing Set for May 20
http://bit.ly/canrYR A Superior court in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, will hear oral arguments in Brody v North Carolina Board of Elections on May 20. This is the case in which an independent candidate for the legislature argues that he should not need any petition to be on the November ballot this year, because ...

NY: County Challenges Electronic Voting System
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/04/01/26056.htm
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CN) - Nassau County and its Republican and Democratic Elections Commissioners sued New York State for requiring that pull-lever voting machines "trusted" for more than a century be replaced with "computerized voting technology that is notoriously vulnerable to systemic hacking, tampering, manipulation and malfunction."

NY: County begins paying for new voting system (Essex County)
http://bit.ly/9qVvUV
...the county will have to hire and train at least two technicians to keep the new equipment up and running during this fall's primary and general elections.

NY: New York State Will Leave U.S. House Seat Empty for 10 Months
http://bit.ly/8XyHrG

OR: Felons and Redistricting
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3150
Oregon State Senator Chip Shields has introduced SB 1028 that would change the way that prisoners are counted for the purposes of redistricting.

WI: Parties clash over election changes
http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12247641 The proposed law would require the Department of Transportation to share the names of people who have drivers licenses and state issued ID cards. Those people would be added to a list of eligible voters.


National

Online Tools Track Census Participation, Estimate Funding at Stake
http://tinyurl.com/yc9wvtl
The 2010 Census is under way and the Census Bureau has reported an approximate 52 percent national participation rate.

"A Look Ahead: Redistricting in 2010": This April 30 event looks worthwhile.... http://bit.ly/cKEGi0

William and Mary Election Law Society weekly wrap up April 2
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2010/04/02/weekly-wrap-up-17/

States act to revise judicial selection
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2010-03-30-judges_N.htm
WASHINGTON — A growing number of states are rewriting their rules on selecting judges to curb the influence of special interests on judicial contests.

Wal-Mart, UBS and Other Groups Added to OpenSecrets.org List of Top
Political Givers http://bit.ly/cqsPPb

States try to adapt to Supreme Court's campaign finance ruling
http://tinyurl.com/ylytn9j


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Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.