TN e-poll book blocks 3,000 voters. Rivest-Risks of Internet Voting negate benefits

"I'm sorry you can't vote," .Up to 3,000 Shelby Co Tennessee voters were turned away and some were offered provisional ballots...A Victory in Florida For Tighter Cyber Security?...The US is going to help Nigeria conduct its presidential election in 2011...The Oregonian wants the SoS to be "open" to internet voting...What do experts say? "The risks of 'internet voting' more than negate any possible benefits from an increase in franchise." ~Ronald L. Rivest, Viterbi Professor of EECS, MIT..

All this and more in todays voting news below...

Editors note - this news is the Friday edition, but we began compiling it late Thursday night, and we forgot to change the date on the posting. We apologize for the confusion.

Voting News is adding two blogs to our blog roll, Florida Voters Coalition and Overseas Vote Foundation.

CA: Residents in troubled SoCal city allege vote fraud * (absentee ballot)
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15689668
Some residents of Bell say city officials asked them to fill out absentee ballots which city council members said they would submit on the voters' behalf, according to a Los Angeles Times report published Thursday.

CO: Colorado Independents Can Still Vote in Primary Election
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kunc/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1685348/Regional/]
Colorado.Independents.Can.Still.Vote.in.Primary.Election http://tinyurl.com/3a9dnc4 Dumm says the law allows unaffiliated voters to sign up with a party, even on primary election day, cast a ballot - and then switch back to their independent status.

CT: Connecticut’s got reform?
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/2010/08/06/connecticuts-got-reform/ After a few federal court cases, Connecticut moved quickly to amend its state campaign finance law. Over a veto, the Senate passed new legislation and a report is here.

FL: A Victory in Florida For Tighter Cyber Security?
http://floridavoterscoalition.blogspot.com/2010/08/victory-in-florida-for-tighter-cyber.html In an email yesterday to Florida Voters, Department of State Communications Director, Jennifer Krell Davis wrote:

“The Department does not intend to expand the use of electronic transmission of voted ballots.”

FL: Florida: Weak Election Audits Only, Thank You.
http://www.suewilsonreports.com/2010/08/florida-weak-election-audits-only-thank.html
In Sarasota, Florida today, a four year long battle over real election accountability has come to a bitter end.
...
SAFE President Kindra Muntz says only the battleground for safer Florida voting has changed, and that the group will now focus on changing state law to provide for more rigorous voting audits for all of Florida

TN: Election Commission Investigating Voting Glitch*
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/080610-election-commission-investigating-voting-glitch ..."I'm sorry you can't vote,"
...
the Election Commission will conduct their own investigation into the problem. If they aren't able to get to the bottom of it, they will ask outside investigators to come in and take a look at the problem.

TN: Computer Glitch Causes Problems At The Polls*
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Computer-Glitch-Causes-Problems-At-The-Polls/kZlDCfTt6ka265U94R11Yw.cspx
MEMPHIS, TN— A computer glitch caused problems for as many as 3,000 Shelby County voters when the polls opened election day.

According to Election Commissioner, Bill Giannini electronic equipment used to check voters had the wrong information loaded into them. Instead of showing early voters for this election, poll workers were given early voting lists from the May primary.

TN: Tennessee Computer Glitch Prevents Thousands From Voting*
http://www.i4u.com/article37165.html
Election Commissioner Bill Giannini said that as many as 3,000 voters were taken to voting machines only to find that poll workers inadvertently used electronic cards from May's primary election.

An error would then pop up saying the individual had already voted in the August 5 election. Voters were allowed to submit a provisional ballot but many didn't want to go through the hassle.

TN: Democratic Leaders Call for Federal Investigation of Thursday's Election*
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/tennessee/080610-democratic-leaders-call-for-federal-investigation-of-thursday's-election
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Chair for the Shelby County Democratic Party is calling for a federal probe into Thursday's voting glitch.

The glitch was discovered at some polling locations early Thursday. The mistake made it look like some voters had cast their ballots when they hadn't. While some voters were turned away from the polls at first, they were later asked to return and cast their votes.
...
The Election Commission said less than 500 provisional ballots were cast because of the problem.

TN: Electronic Glitch Jeopardizes Completion of Countywide Voting*
http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2010/08/05/electronic-glitch-jeopardizes-completion-of-countywide-voting
During the opening of polls at 7:00 a.m., it was discovered that voters who may have voted EARLY in the May primary but had not Early Voted for the Augbust election were recognized by EPB’s (Electronic Poll Books) as having already voting in this election.

Internet Voting Watch

Thoughts on UOCAVA Voting
Ronald L. Rivest, Viterbi Professor of EECS, MIT, Cambridge, MA
UOCAVA Workshop 2010-08-06
http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/ST/UOCAVA/2010/Presentations/RIVEST_2010-08-05-uocava.pdf
How should soldiers and overseas citizens best exercise their right to vote?

Overseas Voters from 9 U.S. States May Use Scytl’s Online Solution
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100805005881&newsLang=en

[Scytl involved in Finnish election, see "Finnish Court Dismisses E-Voting Result"
http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/04/11/1924213 ]

FL: A Victory in Florida For Tighter Cyber Security?
http://floridavoterscoalition.blogspot.com/2010/08/victory-in-florida-for-tighter-cyber.html In an email yesterday to Florida Voters, Department of State Communications Director, Jennifer Krell Davis wrote:

“The Department does not intend to expand the use of electronic transmission of voted ballots.”

OR: E-voting? Not ready yet (The Oregonian Editorial Board)
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/08/e-voting_not_ready_yet.html
There are still legitimate security concerns with any e-voting system. We continue to maintain that no election jurisdiction, including the Oregon secretary of state's office, should allow online voting until such systems allow for a paper audit trail that includes a digitally signed receipt of each vote.
...
Secretary of State Kate Brown rightly fears that e-voting could be susceptible to computer hacking and fraud. Yet she and other elections officials should remain open to the possibility as other countries and states experiment with online voting.

National

Upcoming Primaries: Last Chance to Vote States
https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/blog/36
Overseas Vote Foundation. Connecticut August 10, Minnesota August 10, Colorado August 10, Wyoming August 17 Washington August 17

Ex-lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti charged with campaign-finance fraud
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/05/AR2010080504416.html
The developments mark the latest chapter in the saga of PMA, whose success in securing funding for often-obscure defense contractors spawned the criminal probe and a recently completed House ethics inquiry. PMA's clients gained more than $200 million in federal earmarks from a roster of lawmakers,

Indicted PMA Group Boss Paul Magliocchetti Spread Wealth to Dozens of Politicians
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/08/indicted-pma-group-boss-paul-maglio.html
Paul Magliocchetti, the former head of now-defunct lobbying shop PMA Group, was indicted Thursday in federal court on charges he made hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions.

International

Clinton Pledges US Backing for Nigerian Electoral Process, VOA (2010)
http://aceproject.org/regions-en/countries-and-territories/NG/news/clinton-pledges-us-backing-for-nigerian-electoral?set_language=en
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that the administration is prepared to assist Nigeria in holding the presidential election in 2011


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