D.C. halts test of internet voting pilot. Shelby Co TN election trial starts Monday

The District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics has suspended the public examination of DC's internet voting pilot...NY Senate Elections Committee held a hearing on the recent primary. Lawrence Norden with Brennan Ctr for Justice makes recommendations...Judge won't dismiss lawsuit against Shelby County TN Election Commission - "You might want to start preparing for yet another election, Shelby County."..India police want to question 3rd person over voting machine "theft"...

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

CA: OC Registrar of Voters Prepares Vote-by-Mail Ballots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur4nHvhXuxY (Youtube video of process)

CA: Ranked Choice Voting Opponents Appealing Dismissal Of Case
http://sfappeal.com/news/2010/09/ranked-choice-voting-opponents-appealing-dismissal-of-case.php

DC: Public Examination Period Suspended (internet voting for overseas/military)
http://www.dcboee.us/dvm/ "Due to usability issues brought to our attention, we have temporarily suspended the public examination test. Thank you for your intereste and participation in improving the functionality of this pilot project."

GA: A troubling side to early voting
http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia_elections_news/2010/09/29/a-troubling-side-to-early-voting-which-by-the-way-ends-monday/?cxntfid=blogs_georgia_elections_news

GUAM: Overseas Vote Foundation New FY budget start enabled Guam Elec Comm to buy stamps and send overseas absentee ballots http://ow.ly/2MPoA

MA: Town clerks say red and blue ballots confuse voters
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100930town_clerks_
say_red_and_blue_ballots_confuse_voters/ http://tinyurl.com/2eakgzh
Statewide, the top of Democratic primary ballots are red and the Republican primary ballots are blue. This has been the norm for 50 years, said Brian McNiff, spokesman for the secretary of state, who oversees Massachusetts elections.

ME: Clerk faces fine - Ross pleads ‘no contest’ to ballot mishandling charge
http://www.timesrecord.com/articles/2010/09/30/news/doc4ca4c0bee0c87875860437.txt
The Maine Attorney General’s Office filed a complaint in West Bath District Court on March 31 alleging that on or about Feb. 2, Ross “in her capacity as town clerk in processing absentee ballots in the town of Bowdoinham election for selectman, did unfold one or more absentee ballots at the time she removed the ballots from the absentee ballot envelopes,” in violation of Maine law regarding ...

MS: Clerks seek to stop write-in only election
http://www.sunherald.com/2010/09/27/2507662/clerks-seek-to-stop-write-in-only.html
The Laurel Leader-Call reports the lawsuit was filed last week in Jasper County Circuit Court.
The only person who signed up to run for the 13th District was incumbent Judge Robert G. Evans who died of cancer in July, after the candidates' qualifying deadline..

NH: READER OPINION: Make sure vote counts, by Deborah Sumner
http://sentinelsource.com/articles/2010/10/01/opinion/letters_editor/free/id_413526.txt

NY: Testimony of Lawrence Norden before the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Elections http://www.brennancenter.org/blog/archives/testimony_of_lawrence_norden_
before_the_new_york_state_senate_standing/ http://tinyurl.com/27dct7r

NY: REPORT FROM THE SENATE HEARINGS ON THE NYS PRIMARY
http://www.bolipari.com/boblog/2010/10/report-from-the-senate-hearings-on-the-nys-primary/
On September 29th Senator Joseph Addabbo, chair of the Senate Elections Committee held a hearing on the recent New York State primary when new paper ballot and optical scan systems were used statewide for the first time. The hearing focused on reported problems that occurred in New York City, the largest election jurisdiction in the country with almost 4.5 million registered voters.

OH: Secretary Brunner Issues Directive Regarding Voting Rights And Foreclosures; Refers Specific Cases Of Notary Abuse To Federal Prosecutors
http://www.progressohio.org/blog/2010/09/secretary-brunner-issues-directive-regarding-voting-rights-and-foreclosures-refers-specific-cases-of.html

TN: Judge won't dismiss lawsuit against Shelby County Election Commission
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/oct/01/judge-wont-dismiss-lawsuit-against-shelby-county-e/ You might want to start preparing for yet another election, Shelby County.

That's the message from the lead lawyer who successfully persuaded Chancellor Arnold Goldin today to rule against a Shelby County Election Commission motion to dismiss a lawsuit by local Democrats. Those candidates are alleging that widespread improprieties so taint the Aug. 5 election that some, if not all, of the results should be thrown out.

A trial is set to begin on Monday, with attorneys on both sides spending much of the weekend finishing the pretrial depositions.

TX: Local company making replacement eslate machines
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7699078

Internet Voting Watch

DC: Public Examination Period Suspended (internet voting for overseas/military)
http://www.dcboee.us/dvm/ Due to usability issues brought to our attention, we have temporarily suspended the public examination test. Thank you for your intereste and participation in improving the functionality of this pilot project.

National

Rock the Vote President Obama declared October as National Voter Registration Month. Do your part and register to vote right now: http://bit.ly/95FGRQ

Federal Voting Assistance Program, DoD Haven't received your ballot, see what options your state has electronically by going to www.fvap.gov . Every voter has at least one option to receive their ballot online.

Federal Voting Assistance Program, DoD Over 5,500 military ballots have come from overseas MPOs and the most going to Florida! Express mail for overseas military is working! Submit your ballot today! http://www.fvap.gov/global/news/nr22-2010.html

Subject: Lessig Op-Ed: How the campaign finance system is eroding confidence in Congress http://www.fixcongressfirst.org/blog/entry/subject-lessig-op-ed-how-the-campaign-finance-system-is-eroding-confid/

International

India: EVM theft: Ex-minister seeks bail
http://www.hindustantimes.com/EVM-theft-Ex-minister-seeks-bail/Article1-607127.aspx
Fearing arrest in the theft case of an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), a former minister of state has approached the Sessions court seeking anticipatory bail. Madhav Kinhalkar, who was minister of state for home in 1993, and his brother Satish Kinhalkar, filed an anticipatory bail plea after receiving notices from MRA Marg police station directing them to appear for questioning.

UK: Clegg's referendum on voting reform hits a snag... no one understands what he's on about http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1316591/Nick-Cleggs-voting-reform-referendum-hits-snag--understands-it.html The Electoral Commission - which is required by law to assess the question - found people with lower levels of education or literacy found it 'hard work' or completely impossible to understand.


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