India's Electronic Voting Controversy. Suit seeks to void Shelby TN election

Democrats ask court to void Shelby County Tennessee's August election. Vote-total discrepancies not mere error, suit alleges...On Australia's national cliffhanger: "It's not a good sign when the best way out may be a fresh election."...Verified Voting "On India’s Electronic Voting Controversy". India's officials should address the voting machine vulnerabilities rather than punish experts who reveal them..

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


CO: Aspen changes course on election reform
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/142161
But on a 3-2 vote, the council decided to drop the winner-take-all method, making the question on November’s ballot an up-or-down referendum that will either retain IRV or go back to the 45/50 percent method, in which a runoff is held one month ...

CT: Candidate files complaint in close election recanvass. Update: Another candidate complaint
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/candidate-files-complaint-in-close-election-recanvass/
Via CTNewsJunkie, Ken Green has filed a complaint in the Hartford election, where election night results had him winning by two votes and a close vote racanvass has him losing by two votes. His complaint alleges several questionable machine counts . irregularities, and potential chain of custody issues.

DC: Washington, D.C. On-Line News Source “Greater Greater Washington” Advocates IRV http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/26/washington-d-c-on-line-news-source-greater-greater-washington-advocates-irv/

FL: Volusia judicial race headed for recount (machine count?)
County Council District 3 race may also be recounted
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-volusia-judicial-election-recount-20100825,0,3809197.story

NV: Election official: Every vote counted (Mohave County)
http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2010/08/25/news/local/doc4c74b80359519079538495.txt
..It’s not that they’re not counting correctly but, every once in a while, a roller gets stuck and it’s not taking a ballot. Sometimes it’s as easy as turning it off and turning it back on,” Tempert said.

NY: Counties gear up for first statewide use of new voting machines
http://www.stargazette.com/article/20100822/NEWS01/8220328/Counties
+gear+up+for+first+statewide+use+of+new+voting+machines http://tinyurl.com/36ys49j
Bo Lipari of New Yorkers for Verified Voting says the message notifying people they have over-voted is cryptic and doesn't explain the consequences of keeping the ballot -- essentially that no vote will be counted for that office.

OH: Sheriff’s office: Hacking fears unfounded on Election Night (Butler Co)
http://www.journal-news.com/news/hamilton-news/sheriffs-office-hacking-fears-unfounded-on-election-night-880261.html?cxtype=rss_local-news
The sheriff’s office announced Wednesday, Aug. 25, that its investigation is complete into the May 4 special election in which elections servers were unable to deliver tabulated results to the website due to a large volume of IP addresses interrupting the system.

TN: Democrats ask court to void Shelby County August election*
Vote-total discrepancies not mere error, suit alleges
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/aug/26/democrats-ask-court-to-void-august-election/
They are asking a Chancery Court judge to declare the election void, to seize all equipment for further review, to make sure that winning candidates are not sworn in and to allow current elected officials to continue in their posts.
...
"Thus according to (the Election Commission's) own records, 6,802 more votes were cast than individuals who participated in the August 2010 election,"

International

Australia: This tiptoe along the precipice has an awful lot of downsides
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/this-tiptoe-along-the-precipice-has-an-awful-lot-of-downsides-20100826-13u4n.html?rand=1282820514720
It's not a good sign when the best way out may be a fresh election.

India:

On India’s Electronic Voting Controversy
http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6772
How this controversy plays out is conjecture, but the essential story – the early, almost under-the-radar concerns about electronic voting, followed by expert public demonstration of the ultimate dangers of e-voting, followed by more widespread outcry – should be familiar to American ears.

India: Court rejects Hari Prasad's bail in EVM case (tv newscast)
http://newstoday.smashits.com/video/rq6cxIM1nw8/court-rejects-hari-prasad-s-bail-in-evm-case.html
Hari Prasad, the man who proved Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) can be rigged, was sent to two-day police custody on Thursday. Hari Prasad, had applied for bail on medical grounds following his arrest earlier this week. But his bail was rejected.

India: Democracy imperilled
http://www.dailypioneer.com/278669/Democracy-imperilled.html
The arrest of Hari Prasad, a technologist whose research helped prove beyond doubt that Indian EVMs are vulnerable to fraud, sends out a dangerous signal: That anybody who challenges the Central Election Commission runs the danger of persecution and prosecution in our democracy
...
Mr Prasad’s arrest also shows how many of our fundamental freedoms are slowly being taken away without our knowledge. Equally, it’s ironical that the state is virtually powerless against a dangerous man like Abdul Nasser Madani but swoops down on an individual who asked uncomfortable questions concerning national interest.

India: Hari Prasad’s arrest smacks of vendetta by the ECI, VeTA demands immediate acquittal http://www.indianevm.com/blogs/?p=422
Peeved by the EVM researchers’ research findings that “India’s EVMs are vulnerable to fraud”, Election Commission hit back at the critics with the vengeance unknown to the scientific community around the world. Arrest of Hari Prasad Technical Coordinator of VeTA on charges of theft, house trespass or house breaking etc. under sections 380, 454 and 457 smacks of intolerance and vendetta.
...
Why do we say this is a case of vendetta? Because this is not the first time that an EVM has gone missing from the ECI (several dozen EVMs were stolen in the past according to ECI’s own response) but never in the past such drastic action was taken.

India: Citizens, speak up! UPA govt is framing a national whistle-blower act
http://rtigroupaligarh.blogspot.com/2010/08/citizens-speak-up-upa-govt-is-framing.html

India: EC defends arrest of engineer who exposed EVM flaws
http://janamejayan.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/4558/
Or is it witchhunt?
Instead of arresting, the EC ought to have heard the matter and examined it, said BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.


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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.