AR: New ballots are not ready | The Baxter Bulletin
Touch-screen voting may be on hold in Baxter County and other counties across the state. Baxter County Clerk Rhonda Porter said the county has not received electronic ballots from the state for its iVotronics touch-screen voting machines. Porter said early voting begins Monday and paper ballots will be available to voters who want to vote early. "No matter what, it won't affect people's ability to vote," Porter said. Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels said some counties will not be able to use their touch-screen voting machines during the early voting period, but the problem should be fixed in time for the primary election May 23. Read More
CO: State could soon have mostly mail-in elections - 9NEWS.com Denver
Colorado's future elections would be mostly conducted by mail under a proposal set to be debated at the State Capitol. House Bill 1131 would require eligible voters to receive their ballot at their home and they could vote either by sending it in, dropping it off or surrendering it at what's being called a "service center" in the eight days leading up to and on Election Day in exchange for a ballot they could then cast in person. "The goal is to recognize that 60 to 70 percent of our population is already requesting a permanent mail-in ballot," said Rep. Carole Murray (R-Castle Rock), the former Douglas County Clerk and Recorder and the primary sponsor of the legislation. "What this does is extend that to 100 percent of our population in all elections." It is estimated the proposal could save county clerks statewide a minimum of $12 million. Colorado lawmakers changed the law before the 2010 primary election to allow counties the choice of holding that election by mail. Numerous counties did so and saved significant money in the process. Read More
CO: Under scrutiny, Gessler brushes off critics - KWGN
In just his third week on the job, Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler has already attracted more news coverage -- and controversy -- than his predecessor did in two years. Or so it seems. Democratic critics have been relentlessly attacking Gessler for his plan to continue doing legal work for his old law firm, which specializes in election law -- a potential conflict of interest for the officer charged with overseeing elections for the state. Read More
DC: Advocates Renew Fight For D.C. Voting Rights : NPR
The District of Columbia does not have a full vote in Congress, despite having more than half a million residents. But what many may not know is that every law passed by the city's council is submitted for congressional review, including the recent same-sex marriage bill which went into effect last year. Host Michel Martin speaks about the latest in the fight to gain voting rights for residents of D-C with R. Clarke Cooper. Cooper is Executive Director of the Log Cabin Republicans, a group that advocates for marriage equality in the District. Also joining the conversation is Ilir Zherka, executive director of DC Vote. Read More and Listen to Podcast
IN: Vote center bill could get House vote this week | Journal and Courier
After passing through a House committee 10-3 this past week, a Senate bill that would extend the life of vote centers in Tippecanoe County could be voted on by the full House next week. A schedule of the House's voting plans will be published Monday. Senate Bill 32, which sailed through the Senate in record time, cleared the House elections committee on Wednesday. Last year a bill to extend the vote center system stalled because lawmakers could not agree on absentee voting language included in the bill. Lafayette-area legislators have said it's important to keep this year's bill "clean" and get it passed early in the session. Read More
IA: Proof of citizenship would be required for college financial aid, voting - Iowa State Daily
Iowa House Republicans say they are aiming to stop fraud with bills drafted, which would require proof of citizenship be provided for voting and applying for financial aid for college. Rep. Mark Brandenburg, R-Pottawattamie, sponsored House File 113, which would require proof of citizenship or lawful residency in the country to apply for federal financial aid for Iowa colleges. Anyone who cannot provide proof would not be awarded student financial assistance by the higher education institution. HF 113 directs community colleges and Regents universities to require proof for students applying for federal financial aid at public colleges. It would prohibit a university from providing scholarships or other aid to someone who cannot provide citizenship proof. Read More
MT: Voter Issues Debated in Legislature | KXLF.com | Butte, Montana
For local democrat JP Pomnichowski, voting isn't something you need to earn, it's a natural born right. And this is why she thinks mail-in ballots are a good thing. She said they give people more time to consider the issues and make informed decisions. Conservative Carl Graham disagreed. He said voting isn't about sitting on the couch and checking a box. He added, "Rights come with responsibilities. If you're going to exercise your rights you take on certain responsibilities and that responsibility is to inform yourself and be a responsible part in our democratic process." Read More
MT: Election officials: voter fraud not a problem - The Bozeman Daily Chronicle: News
Montana's elections are getting a bad rap in the Legislature this year, with several lawmakers bringing forward bills under the pretense that elections have been fraught with fraud. One bill would get rid of the popular late-registration process in the state. Another would require state-issued identification cards in order for voters to register. And on Friday, the House of Representatives defeated a vote-by-mail measure, largely out of fear that it could be abused by people who want to skew the vote. However, federal, state and county election officials all say that voter fraud is not a serious issue in Montana, with few reports of people abusing the ballots and even fewer substantiated claims. "We're not getting inundated with calls," said Victoria Francis, of the U.S. District Attorney's Office in Montana, which sets up a hotline for every election that people can call to report voter fraud. "We send out a press release (about the hotline) every election cycle, all the newspapers in the state run it. We just don't get very many calls." Read More
TN: Shelby County v. Holder: Oral Argument Preview - Huffington Post
On Wednesday, February 2, U.S. District Judge John Bates will hear oral argument in one of the most important civil rights cases pending in the lower federal courts, Shelby County v. Holder, a case with nationwide ramifications for the right to vote and our democracy. At issue in Shelby County is the constitutionality of Congress' nearly unanimous 2006 decision to renew one of the most important and successful provisions of the Voting Right Act -- the Act's preclearance requirement (which requires certain jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination in voting to obtain federal permission before altering their voting laws or regulations). The Supreme Court has, on four separate occasions, upheld the constitutionality of the Act's preclearance provision - in 1966, 1973, 1980, and 1999 - concluding that Congress has broad power under the explicit grant of enforcement power in the Fifteenth Amendment to prevent and deter racial discrimination in voting. But in June 2009, in NAMUDNO v. Holder, the Supreme Court came dangerously close to striking down this critical provision. In an 8-1 ruling authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Court declined to decide the constitutionality of Congress' 2006 renewal of the preclearance provision, but invited future challenges. Shelby County, Alabama, accepted the invitation, filing suit earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Judge Bates has set aside two and-a-half hours for oral argument to carefully consider Shelby County's claim. Read More
TX: Voter ID bill will exclude student ID cards
A voter identification bill has sailed through the Texas State Senate, but student ID cards were left behind. Last week the Senate voted along party lines, 19 Republicans to 11 Democrats, to pass SB 14 and put Texas on its way to having one of the toughest election laws in the country. Although five forms of identification were approved, an amendment to add college and university student ID cards was not. Currently, only a voter registration card is needed to vote. The bill calls for voters to present a certain form of ID. Read More
VA: Board of Elections asks for probe into Montgomery County voting - wdbj7.com
The State Board of Elections is asking the Virginia Attorney General’s Office to investigate allegations of voting irregularities in Montgomery County. Meeting Monday afternoon in Richmond, members of the board could have petitioned for the removal of the registrar or members of the local electoral board, but chose to request the investigation instead. Read More
WA: Pierce County all-mail voting bill clears committee | Political Buzz
A bill that would require Pierce County to close its last polling places moved forward this morning. The Senate Government Operations Committee approved Senate Bill 5124, sending it to the Rules Committee. The Senate Government Operations Committee approved Senate Bill 5124, sending it to the Rules Committee. Gov Ops Chairman Craig Pridemore said he supported moving it along because of a separate provision unrelated to the poll voting controversy, but said the all-mail-voting proposal needs more work. Read More
National
The Real Cost of the GOP’s Push for Voter ID Laws - COLORLINES
Texas lawmakers are pushing forward with new state Voter ID legislation that will name the types of identification that will be acceptable at the polls. Local news stations are reporting that student ID’s issued by the state’s colleges and universities are missing from the new bill. Now voting rights advocates are even growing more concerned that the GOP’s real aim is to slowly dismantle hard fought voting rights. Currently, the proposed bill includes five forms of identification that voters would be allowed to show at the polls, including a driver’s license, state ID card, military ID, concealed handgun license and passport. University of Texas Arlington student paper The Shorthorn reports that the Republican-backed bill must first pass the House, where the GOP holds a substantial majority. The effort is part of much larger push by Republicans nationwide to enact stronger Voter ID legislation. In addition to Texas, party leaders are already in talks to introduce similar bills in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and Wisconsin. But as Chris Khrom wrote last week at the Institute for Southern Studies, each bill comes at a substantial cost. Read More
International
Australia: Electoral commission expands NSW e-voting project - NSW state elections 2011, NSW Electoral Commission, e-voting - CIO
The NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) has drastically expanded the reach of its e-voting project, iVote, which is now predicted to exceed initial expectations of 15,000 users on polling day, 26 March. The project, first slated in June last year, will now allow blind, vision-impaired and disabled voters, as well as those living in remote areas and those out of the state on the day, to cast a secret and unassisted vote from home or in other locations using an interactive voice recognition by phone or through the internet. Read More
Niger: Voting begins in Niger amid fraud worries | World | Reuters
Voters in Niger began casting their ballots on Monday in an election meant to hand power back to civilians in the West African uranium producer, but which could prove contentious due to fears of fraud. The election commission said over the weekend it had been informed fake voter ID cards were sold prior to the poll -- without saying how many -- while eight of the election's ten candidates had called for delays to the vote to allow time for better preparations. The military junta has refused to alter the schedule, however, after having promised to leave power by April, giving time for a likely second round in March. Read More
Nigeria: ‘Made in Nigeria’ voting machines for 2015 election
The Independent National Electoral commission has spent about N34.4 billion on importation of 132,000 units of data capturing machine for the 2011 voter registration exercise but Mohammed Abubakar, Minister of Science and Technology said Nigeria may not have to spend that much again on elections as local technologies for the same purpose are now available. Mr Abubakar said that “the electronic voting machine developed by the Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited, NIGCOMSAT, can assist the nation in biometric registration for election” and that by 2015 it will be ready for use at the election. The minister told journalists in Abuja that the technology would have been used for 2011 voter registration exercise but for some logistics that are not in place.“We have developed that capacity (production of electronic voting machine),” he said. “There was no time for experiment and we did want to take chances with this present voter registration, that is why we are postponing the use of these indigenous voting machines till 2015. Nigerian scientists and engineers have really done well with this new feat.” Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
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.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
CO voter-registration bill falls, Passes IA House, Vote by Mail debates in MT
CA: Court says Legislature can't write own ballot language - Capitol Alert
A state appeals court today ruled that the state Legislature did not have authority to draft its own ballot language for the successful high-speed rail bond measure lawmakers placed on the 2008 ballot. State law tasks the state attorney general with writing an impartial ballot title, label and official summary for "measures to be voted on throughout the State," though the Legislature has in the past drafted language for measures it places on the ballot with a two-thirds vote. Read More
CO: Dems quash Colorado voter-registration bill, call it costly and unconstitutional | Colorado Independent
State Democratic lawmakers killed a bill (pdf) yesterday that would have required Coloradans to provide proof of citizenship before registering to vote, saying it was a solution in search of a problem and eschewing vehement testimony from its supporters and new data introduced by new GOP Secretary of State Scott Gessler. Bill sponsor Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, said lawmakers should expect the legislation to be reintroduced in the House. The bill would have required residents to provide either a passport, birth certificate or naturalization papers, among others forms of identification, in order to vote. Currently, the state asks Coloradans only to sign a form attesting that they are citizens and eligible to vote in the country and state. Swearing falsely to citizenship and voter eligibility is a crime. Read More
CO: Hickenlooper urges secretary of state to release department's surplus funds - The Denver Post
Gov. John Hickenlooper said Thursday that Secretary of State Scott Gessler should "do (his) part" and release surplus funds he had planned to keep in his office so the money can be used to help balance the state budget. "I would certainly encourage him to — in this kind of a budget situation — that everybody has to do their part in every way they can," he said. "Our goal to every agency, every arm of government, is that we're all in this together and that everybody's going to have to be trying to cut their costs and find cheaper ways of doing things wherever possible." Read More
CT: UConn VoTeR center audits Nov. elections - The Daily Campus - News
The reliability of voting technology may be improved in future years because of a group of professors, students and engineers at the UConn Voting Technology Research Center. The VoTeR Center, which receives funding from the Secretary of State's Office, opened in 2006 – the same year that Connecticut switched from using polling machines with levers to electronic ballot-counting systems, according to UConn Today. Headed by Alexander Shvartsman, professor of computer science and engineering, the VoTeR Center conducts audits on past elections to find numeric differences between electronically counted ballots and hand-counted ballots. Read More
GA: Secretary of State Kemp Launches Elections Advisory Council Website - The Weekly Online
Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp today launched the Elections Advisory Council website, which provides citizens an e-government tool to share their ideas to strengthen Georgia’s elections. The Elections Advisory Council website can be found at www.sos.ga.gov/GAEAC. Citizens can use the website to obtain information on upcoming meetings and provide the Council their suggestions to improve election laws and procedures. “The Elections Advisory Council gives all Georgians the opportunity to share their ideas to strengthen Georgia’s election processes, create cost savings and increase efficiencies at the state, county and local government levels,” said Secretary Kemp. Read More
IA: Iowa House approves photo ID requirement to vote - Quad City Times
The Iowa House approved a measure Thursday that would require voters to show government-issued photo identification before they could cast a ballot. The measure cleared the House on a party-line vote, with Democrats arguing that Republicans supported the measure because they wanted to reduce voter participation. "This bill is designed to keep people away from the polls," said Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines. Read More
MN: GOP offers major overhaul to Minnesota’s voting system, democrats criticize bill as expensive, a "partisan ploy" | Twin Cities Daily Planet
Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake and Sen. Warren Limmer of Maple Grove unveiled the Republican plan to overhaul the state's voting system at a press conference on Wednesday. Among the proposed changes are the elimination of vouching, implementation of a photo identification system, a ban on health care workers assisting voters in the booth, and massive changes to the recount process. Most of the changes reflect complaints by the conservative group Minnesota Majority, which Kiffmeyer ran several years ago. Read More
MT: House OKs legislation hold all Montana elections by mail - Billings Gazette
After an emotional closing speech by the bill's sponsor, the House on Thursday endorsed a proposal that would set up vote-by-mail for all Montana elections, except those run by schools, starting in 2012. House Bill 130, sponsored by Rep. Pat Ingraham, R-Thompson Falls, was endorsed on a 57-43 vote after a lengthy debate. All 32 House Democrats, joined by 25 House Republicans, supported the bill, while 43 House Republicans opposed it. The measure is expected to face a final House vote Friday and will go to the Senate if it passes. Read More
MT: Mail-in ballots could be difficult for Indian population - Billings Gazette
Not everyone is convinced that a mail-in ballot for all of Montana's major elections is an idea whose time has come. Janet Robideau, of Indian People's Action in Montana, said Thursday that she would like to see more work done on the concept before the Legislature passes a bill to implement it. The House voted in favor of House Bill 130 on a preliminary vote Thursday. But Robideau said her previous experience in voter identification, registration and mobilization among the state's Indians showed her how difficult it can be to contact those voters in an election. “We found extreme difficulty in maintaining a good address list, primarily among Indian folks,” said Robideau, a Northern Cheyenne who lives in Missoula. “A lot of us move back and forth from reservation to town.” Read More
NC: AARP expresses concerns over voter ID impact - NC Policy Watch
Photo ID Requirement May Impact Older Voters
Legislation requiring photo identification in order to vote is expected to be introduced in the General Assembly in the first week of the session. Election officials state that voter fraud occurs with less than five votes out of every million cast. AARP is concerned that this requirement may establish barriers for older adults and people with disabilities who may not have a driver’s license or other photo identification. Many residents of assisted living facilities or nursing homes do not have photo IDs. If legislation is established requiring photo identification, the State of North Carolina should be responsible for paying for any costs associated with obtaining an ID. A greater opportunity for voter fraud is with absentee voting, since these voters do not have to show any ID, or appear before an election official. Voting illegally in North Carolina is a felony under the current law, and voters are required to provide identification to register to vote.” Read More
OH: Appeals court: Ballots cast aside because of poll-worker error should be counted | Cincinnati.Com
A federal appeals court cleared the way Thursday for more ballots to be counted in the razor-close race for Hamilton County Juvenile Court judge. The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the county's board of elections to count any ballot that was set aside because poll workers sent voters to the wrong precinct table on Election Day in November. The ruling is a victory for Democrat Tracie Hunter, who trails Republican John Williams by 23 votes and has argued that more of the disputed provisional ballots should be counted. Read More
VA: Virginia Governor appoints ex-Florida elections chief to head SBE - MiamiHerald.com
Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell has consolidated his party's grip on Virginia's State Board of Elections with the appointment of the former chief of Florida's election system and a former executive director of the state GOP. Donald Palmer succeeds Nancy Rodrigues as secretary of the SBE. The four-year term to which Democratic former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine appointed her ended Friday. As director of elections for Florida's Department of State, Palmer oversaw that state's 2008 presidential primaries, general election and last year's midterm congressional election. Read More
WV: Lawmakers Debate Costs, Benefits of Primary Election - WOWKTV.com
While there is little doubt a special election will be held Oct. 4 to choose a new governor, state lawmakers still are grappling with the question of whether to hold a primary election before then to give voters the chance to pick the candidates. A bill setting the primary election for June 20 made its debut before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, but not before county clerks across the state asked for the primary instead to be held in May. At the same time, two Democrats in the state House of Delegates said they favored political party conventions as the means to nominate candidates. Read More
National
Commentary: A Major Ruling on the Meaning of Bush v. Gore - ElectionLaw @ Moritz
The majority opinion of the Sixth Circuit panel in this Ohio provisional ballot case is, in my judgment, the most significant application of Bush v. Gore in the decade since that precedent was decided. The reason is that this new decision contains an extensive analysis of what Bush v. Gore requires with respect to the category of cases for which that precedent is most germane: disputes about how local election officials treated particular ballots as they decided whether or not to count them. Read More
International
Japan: Courts question constitutionality of vote disparity in 2010 election › Japan Today
The Fukuoka and Osaka High Courts, in rulings handed down Friday, questioned the constitutionality of the disparity of up to five times in the weight of votes cast in different constituencies in last July’s upper house election. In Fukuoka, Presiding Judge Tamio Hirota of the Fukuoka High Court ruled that the fivefold disparity in the weight of votes in the House of Councillors election last year represents ‘‘a violation of the Constitution.’‘ Hirota blamed the current system of dividing up the nation into electoral districts by the nation’s 47 prefectures, not by population, and said that the disparities in the weight of votes under such electoral zoning system ‘‘are currently in an intolerable situation.’‘ The ruling is on one of the series of lawsuits contesting the voting power disparity in the upper house election filed at all of the eight high courts and six branches nationwide. Read More
Pakistan seeks India's help on use of EVMs - The Times of India
Questions may have been raised by some sections about the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) but Pakistan and other neighbouring countries are keen to have them. Pakistan, which is "actively considering" introduction of EVMs for elections, has requested India to send a team of technical hands to demonstrate how these machines function, the Election Commission said in a release. Accordingly, a team from Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), which manufacture EVMs, will go to Pakistan next month to give a demonstration. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
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.
A state appeals court today ruled that the state Legislature did not have authority to draft its own ballot language for the successful high-speed rail bond measure lawmakers placed on the 2008 ballot. State law tasks the state attorney general with writing an impartial ballot title, label and official summary for "measures to be voted on throughout the State," though the Legislature has in the past drafted language for measures it places on the ballot with a two-thirds vote. Read More
CO: Dems quash Colorado voter-registration bill, call it costly and unconstitutional | Colorado Independent
State Democratic lawmakers killed a bill (pdf) yesterday that would have required Coloradans to provide proof of citizenship before registering to vote, saying it was a solution in search of a problem and eschewing vehement testimony from its supporters and new data introduced by new GOP Secretary of State Scott Gessler. Bill sponsor Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, said lawmakers should expect the legislation to be reintroduced in the House. The bill would have required residents to provide either a passport, birth certificate or naturalization papers, among others forms of identification, in order to vote. Currently, the state asks Coloradans only to sign a form attesting that they are citizens and eligible to vote in the country and state. Swearing falsely to citizenship and voter eligibility is a crime. Read More
CO: Hickenlooper urges secretary of state to release department's surplus funds - The Denver Post
Gov. John Hickenlooper said Thursday that Secretary of State Scott Gessler should "do (his) part" and release surplus funds he had planned to keep in his office so the money can be used to help balance the state budget. "I would certainly encourage him to — in this kind of a budget situation — that everybody has to do their part in every way they can," he said. "Our goal to every agency, every arm of government, is that we're all in this together and that everybody's going to have to be trying to cut their costs and find cheaper ways of doing things wherever possible." Read More
CT: UConn VoTeR center audits Nov. elections - The Daily Campus - News
The reliability of voting technology may be improved in future years because of a group of professors, students and engineers at the UConn Voting Technology Research Center. The VoTeR Center, which receives funding from the Secretary of State's Office, opened in 2006 – the same year that Connecticut switched from using polling machines with levers to electronic ballot-counting systems, according to UConn Today. Headed by Alexander Shvartsman, professor of computer science and engineering, the VoTeR Center conducts audits on past elections to find numeric differences between electronically counted ballots and hand-counted ballots. Read More
GA: Secretary of State Kemp Launches Elections Advisory Council Website - The Weekly Online
Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp today launched the Elections Advisory Council website, which provides citizens an e-government tool to share their ideas to strengthen Georgia’s elections. The Elections Advisory Council website can be found at www.sos.ga.gov/GAEAC. Citizens can use the website to obtain information on upcoming meetings and provide the Council their suggestions to improve election laws and procedures. “The Elections Advisory Council gives all Georgians the opportunity to share their ideas to strengthen Georgia’s election processes, create cost savings and increase efficiencies at the state, county and local government levels,” said Secretary Kemp. Read More
IA: Iowa House approves photo ID requirement to vote - Quad City Times
The Iowa House approved a measure Thursday that would require voters to show government-issued photo identification before they could cast a ballot. The measure cleared the House on a party-line vote, with Democrats arguing that Republicans supported the measure because they wanted to reduce voter participation. "This bill is designed to keep people away from the polls," said Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines. Read More
MN: GOP offers major overhaul to Minnesota’s voting system, democrats criticize bill as expensive, a "partisan ploy" | Twin Cities Daily Planet
Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake and Sen. Warren Limmer of Maple Grove unveiled the Republican plan to overhaul the state's voting system at a press conference on Wednesday. Among the proposed changes are the elimination of vouching, implementation of a photo identification system, a ban on health care workers assisting voters in the booth, and massive changes to the recount process. Most of the changes reflect complaints by the conservative group Minnesota Majority, which Kiffmeyer ran several years ago. Read More
MT: House OKs legislation hold all Montana elections by mail - Billings Gazette
After an emotional closing speech by the bill's sponsor, the House on Thursday endorsed a proposal that would set up vote-by-mail for all Montana elections, except those run by schools, starting in 2012. House Bill 130, sponsored by Rep. Pat Ingraham, R-Thompson Falls, was endorsed on a 57-43 vote after a lengthy debate. All 32 House Democrats, joined by 25 House Republicans, supported the bill, while 43 House Republicans opposed it. The measure is expected to face a final House vote Friday and will go to the Senate if it passes. Read More
MT: Mail-in ballots could be difficult for Indian population - Billings Gazette
Not everyone is convinced that a mail-in ballot for all of Montana's major elections is an idea whose time has come. Janet Robideau, of Indian People's Action in Montana, said Thursday that she would like to see more work done on the concept before the Legislature passes a bill to implement it. The House voted in favor of House Bill 130 on a preliminary vote Thursday. But Robideau said her previous experience in voter identification, registration and mobilization among the state's Indians showed her how difficult it can be to contact those voters in an election. “We found extreme difficulty in maintaining a good address list, primarily among Indian folks,” said Robideau, a Northern Cheyenne who lives in Missoula. “A lot of us move back and forth from reservation to town.” Read More
NC: AARP expresses concerns over voter ID impact - NC Policy Watch
Photo ID Requirement May Impact Older Voters
Legislation requiring photo identification in order to vote is expected to be introduced in the General Assembly in the first week of the session. Election officials state that voter fraud occurs with less than five votes out of every million cast. AARP is concerned that this requirement may establish barriers for older adults and people with disabilities who may not have a driver’s license or other photo identification. Many residents of assisted living facilities or nursing homes do not have photo IDs. If legislation is established requiring photo identification, the State of North Carolina should be responsible for paying for any costs associated with obtaining an ID. A greater opportunity for voter fraud is with absentee voting, since these voters do not have to show any ID, or appear before an election official. Voting illegally in North Carolina is a felony under the current law, and voters are required to provide identification to register to vote.” Read More
OH: Appeals court: Ballots cast aside because of poll-worker error should be counted | Cincinnati.Com
A federal appeals court cleared the way Thursday for more ballots to be counted in the razor-close race for Hamilton County Juvenile Court judge. The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the county's board of elections to count any ballot that was set aside because poll workers sent voters to the wrong precinct table on Election Day in November. The ruling is a victory for Democrat Tracie Hunter, who trails Republican John Williams by 23 votes and has argued that more of the disputed provisional ballots should be counted. Read More
VA: Virginia Governor appoints ex-Florida elections chief to head SBE - MiamiHerald.com
Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell has consolidated his party's grip on Virginia's State Board of Elections with the appointment of the former chief of Florida's election system and a former executive director of the state GOP. Donald Palmer succeeds Nancy Rodrigues as secretary of the SBE. The four-year term to which Democratic former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine appointed her ended Friday. As director of elections for Florida's Department of State, Palmer oversaw that state's 2008 presidential primaries, general election and last year's midterm congressional election. Read More
WV: Lawmakers Debate Costs, Benefits of Primary Election - WOWKTV.com
While there is little doubt a special election will be held Oct. 4 to choose a new governor, state lawmakers still are grappling with the question of whether to hold a primary election before then to give voters the chance to pick the candidates. A bill setting the primary election for June 20 made its debut before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, but not before county clerks across the state asked for the primary instead to be held in May. At the same time, two Democrats in the state House of Delegates said they favored political party conventions as the means to nominate candidates. Read More
National
Commentary: A Major Ruling on the Meaning of Bush v. Gore - ElectionLaw @ Moritz
The majority opinion of the Sixth Circuit panel in this Ohio provisional ballot case is, in my judgment, the most significant application of Bush v. Gore in the decade since that precedent was decided. The reason is that this new decision contains an extensive analysis of what Bush v. Gore requires with respect to the category of cases for which that precedent is most germane: disputes about how local election officials treated particular ballots as they decided whether or not to count them. Read More
International
Japan: Courts question constitutionality of vote disparity in 2010 election › Japan Today
The Fukuoka and Osaka High Courts, in rulings handed down Friday, questioned the constitutionality of the disparity of up to five times in the weight of votes cast in different constituencies in last July’s upper house election. In Fukuoka, Presiding Judge Tamio Hirota of the Fukuoka High Court ruled that the fivefold disparity in the weight of votes in the House of Councillors election last year represents ‘‘a violation of the Constitution.’‘ Hirota blamed the current system of dividing up the nation into electoral districts by the nation’s 47 prefectures, not by population, and said that the disparities in the weight of votes under such electoral zoning system ‘‘are currently in an intolerable situation.’‘ The ruling is on one of the series of lawsuits contesting the voting power disparity in the upper house election filed at all of the eight high courts and six branches nationwide. Read More
Pakistan seeks India's help on use of EVMs - The Times of India
Questions may have been raised by some sections about the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) but Pakistan and other neighbouring countries are keen to have them. Pakistan, which is "actively considering" introduction of EVMs for elections, has requested India to send a team of technical hands to demonstrate how these machines function, the Election Commission said in a release. Accordingly, a team from Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), which manufacture EVMs, will go to Pakistan next month to give a demonstration. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
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.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Voting News 01/27/11 - U Michigan Computer Scientist Makes Argument Against Internet Voting?
ID: 45 households in Asotin County get wrong ballot for upcoming election | KLEW CBS 3 - Lewiston, ID
The Asotin County Auditor's Office has sent out new ballots to fix a registration issue. It all started when a concerned citizen brought in his tax information. "His voter registration card showed that he was registered to vote in Asotin School District but he was paying property tax in Clarkston School District," said Asotin County Auditor Darla McKay. "So we did some further investigation with the Assessor's Office and mapped it out and we found that 45 Clarkston School District voters were registered to vote in the Asotin School District." Read More
IL: Court Allows Emanuel on Ballot for Chicago Mayor - NYTimes.com
Rahm Emanuel’s bid to become mayor of this city may proceed, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. The decision appeared to bring an end to weeks of legal debate over whether Mr. Emanuel qualified for the ballot, specifically whether his time in Washington as President Obama’s chief of staff meant that he had given up his residency status in Chicago, where he was born. By Illinois state code, candidates for mayor are required to have resided in Chicago for at least one year before Election Day. Mr. Emanuel left the White House in October, and the election is Feb. 22. Read More
IN: House committee to hear vote center bill | jconline.com | Journal and Courier
A bill that would extend the life of vote centers in Tippecanoe County will be heard by a House committee this afternoon. Senate Bill 32 has already passed out of the Senate and will go before the elections committee in the House chamber at 3:30 p.m. today. Heather Maddox, the Democratic co-director of the Tippecanoe County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, is traveling to Indianapolis and plans to testify in support of the bill today. She said she' worried the bill will face more questions in the House than it did in the Senate. Read More
MN: Kiffmeyer presents voting reform legislation | Hometown Source
Republican Rep. and former Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake argues her voting legislation will catch errors early. “If the math isn’t right upfront, it’s pretty difficult to correct it at the end,” said Kiffmeyer, speaking at a Capitol press today (Wednesday, Jan. 26). Kiffmeyer, as Republicans have for years, wants voting in Minnesota to require a Photo ID. But Kiffmeyer is also proposing the use of a so-called “electronic roster” system, an approach that could allow voters to merely swipe their driver’s license or state identify cards, sign and vote. She envisions the electronic system statewide — some 1200 precincts with fewer than 100 voters would be exempt. Read More
NY: Decision near in ballot fraud probe - Times Union
A Rensselaer County grand jury ended nearly seven hours of deliberation Wednesday in its probe of alleged absentee ballot fraud by nine city Democrats in the 2009 city primary election. The grand jury was behind closed doors Wednesday without any witnesses seen entering to testify. Special Prosecutor Trey Smith declined to comment about the investigation after he left the grand jury room at the Rensselaer County Court House late Wednesday afternoon. Read More
OH: Provisional ballot procedures could change - Hudsonhubtimes.com
Democrats in the Ohio House hope to change the way county elections boards decide whether to count certain provisional ballots. Rep. Alicia Reece, from Cincinnati, plans to offer legislation following an incident in her home district in which voters arrived at the correct polling location but were given ballots for the wrong precinct by poll workers. One candidate in a juvenile court race affected by the situation is leading the other by about 20 votes, with courts disagreeing on whether to count several hundred additional provisional ballots. "It has been a major issue in Hamilton County these past few weeks on what we look upon as an election nightmare... ," Reece told reporters during a press conference at the Statehouse Jan. 19. Read More
SC: House OKs IDs to vote - S.C. Politics - TheState.com
Buoyed by overwhelming Republican support, House lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday requiring voters to present a South Carolina driver’s license, a passport or a new state photo ID at the polls. If it becomes law, the bill will cost the State Election Commission $720,000 in its first year. Republicans say the bill, which passed 74-45 and now heads to the GOP-controlled state Senate, will protect against voter fraud.“The bill before you today is to preserve the integrity of our election system in South Carolina,” said state Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Horry, the bill’s primary sponsor. “We arrive at it by requiring that each voter do no less than what a voter does when they go to Walgreens to buy a bottle of Dimetapp. They present a driver’s license.” Wednesday’s vote marks the second consecutive year that a voter ID bill has passed the House. Last year, the issue died in the Senate. Democrats unsuccessfully argued the bill is an unnecessary expense to taxpayers — saying there is no evidence of voter fraud in the state — and a waste of precious, legislative time that would be better spent addressing the state’s financial woes. South Carolina is facing an $829 million funding shortfall for its budget year that starts July 1. Read More
TX: Few South Texas elections officials back ID plan - San Antonio Express-News
Mail-in ballots are viewed as more of a concern when it comes to potential fraud.
In South Texas, the region with the richest tradition of voter fraud in the state, few election officials believe a new law requiring all voters to have photo identification will do much to curb voting chicanery. The Texas Senate late Wednesday passed the controversial voter ID bill on a 19-11 vote, after more than 40 amendments were proposed — mostly by Democrats — and almost six hours of debate. While the outcome wasn't in doubt, Democrats launched a fierce campaign against the measure, saying it could prevent minority, elderly and more transient voters such as college students from voting. Read More
WI: Changes to voter ID bill suggested - JSOnline
The state's chief election officer recommended changes Wednesday to a bill that would require voters to show photo IDs at the polls, including allowing student IDs and passports to be used for voting. Key senators said they hadn't decided whether to make those changes. The recommendations by Kevin Kennedy, director of the state Government Accountability Board, came at a seven-hour public hearing in which proponents said the photo ID requirement would restore confidence in the election system and detractors said it would disenfranchise thousands of voters. The bill - a top priority in the Republican-run Legislature - would give Wisconsin the strictest photo ID requirement in the country, said David Canon, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientist. Read More
WY: Voter registration glitch checked - The Casper Journal
Renea Vitto, the Natrona County Clerk, is investigating a possible glitch in the computer software being used for Wyoming’s statewide voter registration system, which is causing some voters to be improperly notified that they have to renew their registration. The problem came to light recently after notices were set to voters in Natrona County whose names weren’t checked in the precinct poll books during last November’s election, indicating they didn’t vote. (It’s standard policy to update voter lists after each general election.) As it turns out, however, some of those who received notices did vote, causing them to also wonder whether their ballots were counted. “The voter’s vote did count,” Vitto said, explaining ballots are handled and counted separately from registration. “The ballots are never correlated to a name. It’s a voter registration issue.” Vitto said the problem seems to be tied to whether a person made a change at the polling place, such as switching parties or giving a new address. While such a change shouldn’t cause a nonvoting notice to be sent, that’s apparently what happened in some cases. Read More
National
Voter ID laws carry hefty price tag for cash-strapped states - Facing South
As state legislatures have opened for business over the last week, GOP lawmakers have begun not by pushing bills focused on jobs, but for measures that would require citizens to show photo identification while voting -- laws which, among other controversial features, will end up costing states tens of millions of dollars to implement. GOP leaders have introduced voter ID bills or plan to in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. In Texas -- which faces a budget shortfall of over $10 billion -- Gov. Rick Perry (R) went so far as to declare voter ID a legislative "emergency" to fast-track the bill. All the bills have sparked controversy. For one, there's scant evidence that voter impersonation at the polls -- the one kind of fraud that ID laws address -- is a big problem. The bills are also viewed by Democrats and voting rights advocates as deeply partisan, given studies that show the elderly, African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and other constituencies are most likely to not have the needed ID cards. Read More
Internet Voting Watch
Is online voting in the cards? | The Detroit News
Despite a steady call for better ballot access, security concerns are keeping online voting from universal acceptance. "Imagine what could happen if a career criminal hacker started working on this," said University of Michigan computer science professor J. Alex Halderman. "There are just too many doors in a Web-based system to secure. Nonetheless, and even with a slew of documented problems with electronic voting at traditional polling locations, there's a growing push from voters for even more convenient solutions, including voting online. Halderman, however, advises caution. A team of U-M researchers proved that just because it's possible to book an airline ticket or access a bank account online, voting online is a reality that's at least a decade or more off. Read More
International
India: Poll panel to give e-voting second shot - The Times of India
The State Election Commission (SEC) aims to make e-voting a big success in the elections to newly-formed Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) slated in April-end. The SEC got extremely poor response for its Rs 34-crore e-voting experiment in polls to six municipal corporations in October 2010. Out of 86.16 lakh registered voters, just 124 e-voted in the polls to Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara civic bodies. Read More
Philippines: Use of Precinct Count Optical Scan machines in ARMM poll OK'd | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online
The automated counting machines credited for the speedy results in last year’s national elections have won the nod of an election advisory council for use in the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The multi-sector Commission on Election Advisory Council (CAC) has given its imprimatur on the use of the precinct count optical scan or PCOS machines for the Aug. 8 ARMM polls, in a sign of confidence to the integrity of the machines. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
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.
The Asotin County Auditor's Office has sent out new ballots to fix a registration issue. It all started when a concerned citizen brought in his tax information. "His voter registration card showed that he was registered to vote in Asotin School District but he was paying property tax in Clarkston School District," said Asotin County Auditor Darla McKay. "So we did some further investigation with the Assessor's Office and mapped it out and we found that 45 Clarkston School District voters were registered to vote in the Asotin School District." Read More
IL: Court Allows Emanuel on Ballot for Chicago Mayor - NYTimes.com
Rahm Emanuel’s bid to become mayor of this city may proceed, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. The decision appeared to bring an end to weeks of legal debate over whether Mr. Emanuel qualified for the ballot, specifically whether his time in Washington as President Obama’s chief of staff meant that he had given up his residency status in Chicago, where he was born. By Illinois state code, candidates for mayor are required to have resided in Chicago for at least one year before Election Day. Mr. Emanuel left the White House in October, and the election is Feb. 22. Read More
IN: House committee to hear vote center bill | jconline.com | Journal and Courier
A bill that would extend the life of vote centers in Tippecanoe County will be heard by a House committee this afternoon. Senate Bill 32 has already passed out of the Senate and will go before the elections committee in the House chamber at 3:30 p.m. today. Heather Maddox, the Democratic co-director of the Tippecanoe County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, is traveling to Indianapolis and plans to testify in support of the bill today. She said she' worried the bill will face more questions in the House than it did in the Senate. Read More
MN: Kiffmeyer presents voting reform legislation | Hometown Source
Republican Rep. and former Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake argues her voting legislation will catch errors early. “If the math isn’t right upfront, it’s pretty difficult to correct it at the end,” said Kiffmeyer, speaking at a Capitol press today (Wednesday, Jan. 26). Kiffmeyer, as Republicans have for years, wants voting in Minnesota to require a Photo ID. But Kiffmeyer is also proposing the use of a so-called “electronic roster” system, an approach that could allow voters to merely swipe their driver’s license or state identify cards, sign and vote. She envisions the electronic system statewide — some 1200 precincts with fewer than 100 voters would be exempt. Read More
NY: Decision near in ballot fraud probe - Times Union
A Rensselaer County grand jury ended nearly seven hours of deliberation Wednesday in its probe of alleged absentee ballot fraud by nine city Democrats in the 2009 city primary election. The grand jury was behind closed doors Wednesday without any witnesses seen entering to testify. Special Prosecutor Trey Smith declined to comment about the investigation after he left the grand jury room at the Rensselaer County Court House late Wednesday afternoon. Read More
OH: Provisional ballot procedures could change - Hudsonhubtimes.com
Democrats in the Ohio House hope to change the way county elections boards decide whether to count certain provisional ballots. Rep. Alicia Reece, from Cincinnati, plans to offer legislation following an incident in her home district in which voters arrived at the correct polling location but were given ballots for the wrong precinct by poll workers. One candidate in a juvenile court race affected by the situation is leading the other by about 20 votes, with courts disagreeing on whether to count several hundred additional provisional ballots. "It has been a major issue in Hamilton County these past few weeks on what we look upon as an election nightmare... ," Reece told reporters during a press conference at the Statehouse Jan. 19. Read More
SC: House OKs IDs to vote - S.C. Politics - TheState.com
Buoyed by overwhelming Republican support, House lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday requiring voters to present a South Carolina driver’s license, a passport or a new state photo ID at the polls. If it becomes law, the bill will cost the State Election Commission $720,000 in its first year. Republicans say the bill, which passed 74-45 and now heads to the GOP-controlled state Senate, will protect against voter fraud.“The bill before you today is to preserve the integrity of our election system in South Carolina,” said state Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Horry, the bill’s primary sponsor. “We arrive at it by requiring that each voter do no less than what a voter does when they go to Walgreens to buy a bottle of Dimetapp. They present a driver’s license.” Wednesday’s vote marks the second consecutive year that a voter ID bill has passed the House. Last year, the issue died in the Senate. Democrats unsuccessfully argued the bill is an unnecessary expense to taxpayers — saying there is no evidence of voter fraud in the state — and a waste of precious, legislative time that would be better spent addressing the state’s financial woes. South Carolina is facing an $829 million funding shortfall for its budget year that starts July 1. Read More
TX: Few South Texas elections officials back ID plan - San Antonio Express-News
Mail-in ballots are viewed as more of a concern when it comes to potential fraud.
In South Texas, the region with the richest tradition of voter fraud in the state, few election officials believe a new law requiring all voters to have photo identification will do much to curb voting chicanery. The Texas Senate late Wednesday passed the controversial voter ID bill on a 19-11 vote, after more than 40 amendments were proposed — mostly by Democrats — and almost six hours of debate. While the outcome wasn't in doubt, Democrats launched a fierce campaign against the measure, saying it could prevent minority, elderly and more transient voters such as college students from voting. Read More
WI: Changes to voter ID bill suggested - JSOnline
The state's chief election officer recommended changes Wednesday to a bill that would require voters to show photo IDs at the polls, including allowing student IDs and passports to be used for voting. Key senators said they hadn't decided whether to make those changes. The recommendations by Kevin Kennedy, director of the state Government Accountability Board, came at a seven-hour public hearing in which proponents said the photo ID requirement would restore confidence in the election system and detractors said it would disenfranchise thousands of voters. The bill - a top priority in the Republican-run Legislature - would give Wisconsin the strictest photo ID requirement in the country, said David Canon, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientist. Read More
WY: Voter registration glitch checked - The Casper Journal
Renea Vitto, the Natrona County Clerk, is investigating a possible glitch in the computer software being used for Wyoming’s statewide voter registration system, which is causing some voters to be improperly notified that they have to renew their registration. The problem came to light recently after notices were set to voters in Natrona County whose names weren’t checked in the precinct poll books during last November’s election, indicating they didn’t vote. (It’s standard policy to update voter lists after each general election.) As it turns out, however, some of those who received notices did vote, causing them to also wonder whether their ballots were counted. “The voter’s vote did count,” Vitto said, explaining ballots are handled and counted separately from registration. “The ballots are never correlated to a name. It’s a voter registration issue.” Vitto said the problem seems to be tied to whether a person made a change at the polling place, such as switching parties or giving a new address. While such a change shouldn’t cause a nonvoting notice to be sent, that’s apparently what happened in some cases. Read More
National
Voter ID laws carry hefty price tag for cash-strapped states - Facing South
As state legislatures have opened for business over the last week, GOP lawmakers have begun not by pushing bills focused on jobs, but for measures that would require citizens to show photo identification while voting -- laws which, among other controversial features, will end up costing states tens of millions of dollars to implement. GOP leaders have introduced voter ID bills or plan to in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. In Texas -- which faces a budget shortfall of over $10 billion -- Gov. Rick Perry (R) went so far as to declare voter ID a legislative "emergency" to fast-track the bill. All the bills have sparked controversy. For one, there's scant evidence that voter impersonation at the polls -- the one kind of fraud that ID laws address -- is a big problem. The bills are also viewed by Democrats and voting rights advocates as deeply partisan, given studies that show the elderly, African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and other constituencies are most likely to not have the needed ID cards. Read More
Internet Voting Watch
Is online voting in the cards? | The Detroit News
Despite a steady call for better ballot access, security concerns are keeping online voting from universal acceptance. "Imagine what could happen if a career criminal hacker started working on this," said University of Michigan computer science professor J. Alex Halderman. "There are just too many doors in a Web-based system to secure. Nonetheless, and even with a slew of documented problems with electronic voting at traditional polling locations, there's a growing push from voters for even more convenient solutions, including voting online. Halderman, however, advises caution. A team of U-M researchers proved that just because it's possible to book an airline ticket or access a bank account online, voting online is a reality that's at least a decade or more off. Read More
International
India: Poll panel to give e-voting second shot - The Times of India
The State Election Commission (SEC) aims to make e-voting a big success in the elections to newly-formed Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) slated in April-end. The SEC got extremely poor response for its Rs 34-crore e-voting experiment in polls to six municipal corporations in October 2010. Out of 86.16 lakh registered voters, just 124 e-voted in the polls to Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara civic bodies. Read More
Philippines: Use of Precinct Count Optical Scan machines in ARMM poll OK'd | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online
The automated counting machines credited for the speedy results in last year’s national elections have won the nod of an election advisory council for use in the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The multi-sector Commission on Election Advisory Council (CAC) has given its imprimatur on the use of the precinct count optical scan or PCOS machines for the Aug. 8 ARMM polls, in a sign of confidence to the integrity of the machines. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
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.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
AK election review under way; MN lawmaker extolls e-pollbooks
AK: APNewsBreak: Election review could be done soon: AP Alaska | adn.com
An internal review of the 2010 election that left Alaska's historic U.S. Senate race in limbo for nearly two months should be mostly completed within 45 days, Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell said Tuesday. Read More
CO: Ranked Voting Method Request for Written Comments
The Colorado Secretary of State is developing a report that will be provided to the 2011 Colorado General Assembly on issues relating to conducting elections using ranked voting methods. We want to thank you again for submitting your comments and information regarding ranked voting. We have posted copies of your submissions online at the Secretary of State website. Read More
CT: CO Chain-of-Custody: Rest assured, we would never see this in Connecticut | CTVotersCount.org
We have no law or chain-of-custody requirement similar to the video requirement in Colorado. We have no standards for the facilities where ballots are stored. In most Connecticut municipalities it is easy for one official, to obtain and use a single key, to access ballots alone, undetected, for hours at a time. Ballots are stored in hallways, schools, closets, under desks, and abandoned classrooms. Read More
IL: The BRAD BLOG : Memo to Rahm: 'Appear On the Ballot' May be Somewhat Misleading in Chicago
Over the years, we've covered specific failures of the very same Sequoia e-voting systems that are used in Chicago and elsewhere across the country, as well as the remarkable duplicity of the company's top officials. So it seems like this would be a good moment to remind folks of the most disturbing Sequoia/Chicago related incidents. Read More
IL: Emanuel Ballot Appeal to Be Heard by Illinois Supreme Court - Businessweek
Rahm Emanuel, President Barack Obama’s former chief of staff, won an expedited review by the Illinois Supreme Court of his disqualification from Chicago’s Feb. 22 mayoral election. Read More
MA: Pittsfield to redraw voting precincts - Berkshire Eagle Online
City officials have begun the process of "re-precincting," which requires Massachusetts communities with 6,200 or more inhabitants to ensure each precinct has nearly an equal number of residents based on the 2010 federal census. Read More
MN: GOP offers major overhaul to Minnesota’s voting system | Minnesota Independent: News. Politics. Media.
Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake and Sen. Warren Limmer of Maple Grove unveiled the Republican plan to overhaul the state’s voting system at a press conference on Wednesday. Among the proposed changes are the elimination of vouching, implementation of a photo identification system, a ban on health care workers assisting voters in the booth, and massive changes to the recount process. Most of the changes reflect complaints by the conservative group Minnesota Majority, which Kiffmeyer ran several years ago. Read More
MN: Kiffmeyer presents voting reform legislation | Hometown Source
Kiffmeyer, as Republicans have for years, wants voting in Minnesota to require a Photo ID.
South Carolina House Republicans on Wednesday pushed through a measure requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls, as Democrats blasted them for spending money on what they called voter suppression while the state faces a deficit. Read More
TN: GOP wants 2 Republican members of Election Commission out on The Murfreesboro Post
The Rutherford County Republican Party Executive Committee voted Tuesday night asking two Republican members of the Election Commission and the newly appointed administrator of elections to resign thier posts. Read More
TX: Handgun licenses added to voter ID bill | Postcards
By a 30-0 vote, senators just added wording adding a state photo ID handgun license to a driver’s license, passport and military ID to the types of cards that can be used to verify identity before voters can cast their ballots. Read More
TX: Texas lawmakers plow through amendments to voter ID bill | Texas Legislature | News from...
State senators on Wednesday began working their way through three dozen amendments on a controversial voter identification bill that opponents acknowledged that they had little hope of stopping. Read More
TX: Voter ID amendments disclosed | Postcards
As the Texas Senate gets ready to decide whether to debate final passage of the controversial, GOP-supported voter ID bill, either this afternoon or late tonight, the first detail about 26 possible amendments is just coming out. Read More
WI: Is the proof in the picture? | Hudson Star-Observer | Hudson, Wisconsin
Proposed legislation to require citizens to show photo identification each time they vote is either a good idea or a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist, say local poll workers. Read More
WI: State elections chief urges changes to ID voting proposal - JSOnline
The state's chief election officer recommended key changes Wednesday to a bill that would require voters to show photo ID at the polls, including allowing student IDs and passports to be used for voting. Read More
WI: Hearing on ID bill held by State Senate Transportation Committee | Pierce County Herald | Ellsworth, Wisconsin
Wisconsinites will have their say today on a bill to make them show photo ID’s in order to vote. Read More
WI: GOP-backed photo ID requirement draws criticism
Wisconsin lawmakers were urged Wednesday to change a proposal requiring voters show photo identification before casting ballots to ensure legitimate voters aren't turned away, strengthen the law's constitutionality and reduce implementation costs. Read More
Internet Voting Watch
Europe’s security reinforced by Europe-U.S. cooperation
The secretary of state said that she is grateful that Estonia is a dependable, creative and close ally of the United States. “In the 20 years since Estonia’s independence, the country has become a successful model for others, with its Internet voting, cyber innovations, commitment to good governance, the rule of law, and fiscal responsibility,” said Clinton. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNewsSubscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
Please send article suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org.
=============================================The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vnDisclaimer: 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.
An internal review of the 2010 election that left Alaska's historic U.S. Senate race in limbo for nearly two months should be mostly completed within 45 days, Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell said Tuesday. Read More
CO: Ranked Voting Method Request for Written Comments
The Colorado Secretary of State is developing a report that will be provided to the 2011 Colorado General Assembly on issues relating to conducting elections using ranked voting methods. We want to thank you again for submitting your comments and information regarding ranked voting. We have posted copies of your submissions online at the Secretary of State website. Read More
CT: CO Chain-of-Custody: Rest assured, we would never see this in Connecticut | CTVotersCount.org
We have no law or chain-of-custody requirement similar to the video requirement in Colorado. We have no standards for the facilities where ballots are stored. In most Connecticut municipalities it is easy for one official, to obtain and use a single key, to access ballots alone, undetected, for hours at a time. Ballots are stored in hallways, schools, closets, under desks, and abandoned classrooms. Read More
IL: The BRAD BLOG : Memo to Rahm: 'Appear On the Ballot' May be Somewhat Misleading in Chicago
Over the years, we've covered specific failures of the very same Sequoia e-voting systems that are used in Chicago and elsewhere across the country, as well as the remarkable duplicity of the company's top officials. So it seems like this would be a good moment to remind folks of the most disturbing Sequoia/Chicago related incidents. Read More
IL: Emanuel Ballot Appeal to Be Heard by Illinois Supreme Court - Businessweek
Rahm Emanuel, President Barack Obama’s former chief of staff, won an expedited review by the Illinois Supreme Court of his disqualification from Chicago’s Feb. 22 mayoral election. Read More
MA: Pittsfield to redraw voting precincts - Berkshire Eagle Online
City officials have begun the process of "re-precincting," which requires Massachusetts communities with 6,200 or more inhabitants to ensure each precinct has nearly an equal number of residents based on the 2010 federal census. Read More
MN: GOP offers major overhaul to Minnesota’s voting system | Minnesota Independent: News. Politics. Media.
Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake and Sen. Warren Limmer of Maple Grove unveiled the Republican plan to overhaul the state’s voting system at a press conference on Wednesday. Among the proposed changes are the elimination of vouching, implementation of a photo identification system, a ban on health care workers assisting voters in the booth, and massive changes to the recount process. Most of the changes reflect complaints by the conservative group Minnesota Majority, which Kiffmeyer ran several years ago. Read More
MN: Kiffmeyer presents voting reform legislation | Hometown Source
Kiffmeyer, as Republicans have for years, wants voting in Minnesota to require a Photo ID.
But Kiffmeyer is also proposing the use of a so-called “electronic roster” system, an approach that could allow voters to merely swipe their driver’s license or state identify cards, sign and vote. Read More
MN: GOP ramps up push for photo ID at Minn. polls | The Austin Daily Herald
Republican legislators pushed ahead Wednesday with their effort to make voters present photo identification at the polls, hoping to use their new political muscle to achieve a long-held election law goal. Read More
MN: Power Line - Moving Against Voter Fraud
It is unclear why any legitimate voters would be "blocked out," since the state will make identification available for free to anyone who does not have a driver's license or other form of identification. Read More
NY: Hand count votes to reduce errors - Times Union
Columbia County voters have no question about who won last Nov. 3 because, before the election, we commissioners agreed that we would hand count every ballot. Several recent elections have proven tight, with deciding margins of less than 1 percent. Read More
South Carolina House Republicans on Wednesday pushed through a measure requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls, as Democrats blasted them for spending money on what they called voter suppression while the state faces a deficit. Read More
TN: GOP wants 2 Republican members of Election Commission out on The Murfreesboro Post
The Rutherford County Republican Party Executive Committee voted Tuesday night asking two Republican members of the Election Commission and the newly appointed administrator of elections to resign thier posts. Read More
TX: Handgun licenses added to voter ID bill | Postcards
By a 30-0 vote, senators just added wording adding a state photo ID handgun license to a driver’s license, passport and military ID to the types of cards that can be used to verify identity before voters can cast their ballots. Read More
TX: Texas lawmakers plow through amendments to voter ID bill | Texas Legislature | News from...
State senators on Wednesday began working their way through three dozen amendments on a controversial voter identification bill that opponents acknowledged that they had little hope of stopping. Read More
TX: Voter ID amendments disclosed | Postcards
As the Texas Senate gets ready to decide whether to debate final passage of the controversial, GOP-supported voter ID bill, either this afternoon or late tonight, the first detail about 26 possible amendments is just coming out. Read More
WI: Is the proof in the picture? | Hudson Star-Observer | Hudson, Wisconsin
Proposed legislation to require citizens to show photo identification each time they vote is either a good idea or a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist, say local poll workers. Read More
WI: State elections chief urges changes to ID voting proposal - JSOnline
The state's chief election officer recommended key changes Wednesday to a bill that would require voters to show photo ID at the polls, including allowing student IDs and passports to be used for voting. Read More
WI: Hearing on ID bill held by State Senate Transportation Committee | Pierce County Herald | Ellsworth, Wisconsin
Wisconsinites will have their say today on a bill to make them show photo ID’s in order to vote. Read More
WI: GOP-backed photo ID requirement draws criticism
Wisconsin lawmakers were urged Wednesday to change a proposal requiring voters show photo identification before casting ballots to ensure legitimate voters aren't turned away, strengthen the law's constitutionality and reduce implementation costs. Read More
Internet Voting Watch
Europe’s security reinforced by Europe-U.S. cooperation
The secretary of state said that she is grateful that Estonia is a dependable, creative and close ally of the United States. “In the 20 years since Estonia’s independence, the country has become a successful model for others, with its Internet voting, cyber innovations, commitment to good governance, the rule of law, and fiscal responsibility,” said Clinton. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNewsSubscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
Please send article suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org.
=============================================The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vnDisclaimer: 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.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
TX Photo ID opponents point to rural burden; UK's e-voting experiment recalled
There is an extremely high volume of coverage both of the Illinois Supreme Court's order regarding the Chicago mayoral election and of the photo ID debate in the Texas Senate. We have included a small sampling of articles on each of these issue.
Photo ID legislation appears to be a fait accompli in Texas, though opponents raised the argument that the proposed bill would burden remote areas. In the United Kingdom, consideration of voting system reforms prompts a partisan skeptic to revisit the country's e-voting pilots of the early 21st century.
All this and more in today's Voting News below.
GA: Press Releases - Newsroom - The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law | National Voting Rights Groups Put Georgia Secretary of State Kemp on Notice of Voting Rights Violations
Citing clear evidence that low-income Georgia residents are being denied a legally-mandated opportunity to register to vote, attorneys from Project Vote, Demos, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL), the ACLU Voting Rights Project, and the law firm of Dechert LLP sent an official notice letter today to Secretary of State Brian Kemp, on behalf of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, demanding that the Secretary immediately act to bring Georgia into compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Read More
IL: Clout St: Chicago election official: Might want to hold off on early voting
If the Supreme Court rules in Emanuel’s case or lower courts rule in any of the others, early voting would be halted at the affected locations so touch-screen voting machines could be swapped out, most likely overnight, he added. Read More
IL: Court halts ballots without Emanuel's name - AP News Wire, Associated Press News - Salon.com
The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered election officials not to print any mayoral ballots without Rahm Emanuel's name while the justices consider whether to hear an appeal from the former White House chief of staff. Read More
MO: Voter ID Bill Under Scrutiny in Missouri Senate - Yahoo! News
If Republicans have their way in the Missouri Senate, the state will have a tough new voter ID law. Senate leaders are calling for a photo identification requirement for voters at polling places by a vote of the legislature and leaving it up to voters in Missouri. The Kansas City Star reports a hearing of the Senate elections committee drew opposition to the law from voting rights groups. No one spoke in favor of the measure. Read More
NE: Voices, scenes from the polls - Omaha.com
A sampling of voters' voices and scenes from polling sites from today's recall election of Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle: Read More
NY: Mayor Marvin's Column: Voting Machines and Village Elections - Bronxville-Eastchester, NY Patch
Even assuming the machines are released to villages, we have no idea of the rental fee. In addition, we are required to purchase three scanable ballots for every anticipated voter, since the new election law (HAVA) allows two mistakes per voter. At one dollar per ballot, the cost is not inconsequential.
Voter ID legislation is sure to be one of the most important issues lawmakers address in the upcoming session. A December 2010 Civitas Institute Poll found 83 percent of respondents favored a law that requires voters to show government-issued photo identification before voting. Read More
RI: Burrillville legislators propose stronger election laws | The State Column
In an effort to prevent voter intimidation and other violations of elections laws, Sen. Paul W. Fogarty and Rep. Cale P. Keable are proposing legislation to require the Board of Elections to provide a uniformed police officer at all polling places. Read More
SC: SC Senate Republican Caucus » Blog Archive » Legislative week to focus on Voter ID, gambling and automated traffic tickets
Requiring a photo ID to vote, gambling and home poker games, and automated traffic tickets are on the General Assembly’s agenda this week. Read More
TX: Texas GOP pushing hard for voter ID bill | khou.com | KHOU.com Home Page
Texas Republicans are making a hard push to require voters to show photo identification before casting their ballots. Read More
TX: Indiana prof: 'Definitely a chance' that DOJ would reject Texas voter photo ID law | The American Independent
An Indiana election law expert said Texas lawmakers do have reasons to be concerned that proposed voter photo identification legislation — authored by state Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay) and based on Indiana law — may fail to meet standards under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Read More
TX: Despite Democratic delays voter ID inches toward passage | kvue.com | KVUE News | Austin, TX | Breaking News
Democratic delays have slowed, but not stopped, a Republican plan which would require a voter ID card in order to cast a ballot. It now appears poised to pass the Senate and go on to become Texas law. Read More
TX: Remote areas of West Texas penalized by voter ID, Uresti says - Alpine Daily Planet
Senate Democrats have fired two additional volleys against the GOP-supported voter ID bill being debated:
The relatively new instant-runoff voting system might reward a movie that is liked by almost everyone, even if it’s not No. 1 on a majority of ballots. Read More
Critics Love 'Social Network.' Will The Academy Defriend It? - NYTimes.com
Last year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences adopted instant-runoff voting for its selection of best picture, a decision which is sometimes credited for its choice of “The Hurt Locker” over “Avatar” and other nominees. Read More
Internet Voting Watch
CA: Redesigning LA's Neighborhood Council Elections
We hope to gain increased control over our own elections through the Election Task Force. One possible outcome (the "cafeteria") is to allow each neighborhood council a choice among several alternatives, including voting by mail, standard polling place balloting, internet voting, or your own combination of two or more of these. Read More
Canada: Online Party of Canada: Appeal to Non-Voters - Press Release - Digital Journal
A recent survey published by Elections Canada entitled, "Explaining the Turnout Decline in Canadian Federal Elections" analyzed the reasons given by non-voters in the 2000 Federal election for not going to the polls. Those reasons included a lack of interest in the election, negative attitudes toward politics, and personal/administrative factors. Young non-voters were more likely to cite a lack of interest and personal/administrative reasons for not voting. Read More
Canada: Examining AMS voter turnout - Queen's Journal
This year’s Kingston municipal elections in October saw 36 per cent of voters cast their ballot at polling stations using a paper-ballot system. After transitioning into online voting last year, the AMS saw three-point improvement on 2009’s paper ballot votes.
If the state election commission’s proposal works out, you would vote online or even from your mobile phone for the 2012 civic polls. The commission has appointed an expert committee of five to six members to create software programme, which will assist electors to vote online. Read More
Emigrants should have a vote in upcoming general election | New York State of Mind | IrishCentral
If you are not present in Ireland on polling day, then your vote is lost.
In Britain, citizens who registered in the last 15 years can vote abroad in elections for Parliament and European Parliament, but not local elections.
France has tested Internet voting in order to stimulate voter participation. A 2003 law means French voters living overseas are afforded the right to vote electronically, or by mail or at a local embassy or consulate. In Holland citizens abroad can vote by mail or online. Read More
International
UK: E-voting: why it was abandoned in the UK
Back in the early years of this century, the UK was at the forefront of testing out e-voting for public elections. An extensive series of pilots were held and then … e-voting fell out of favour, because the pilots were not a success for a wide range of reasons. The issue still keeps on popping up, so having recently come across again what I wrote back in 2003 about those pilots, those lessons are worth restating. Here is what I wrote back in the summer of 2003. Luckily the last paragraph turned out to be wrong. Read More
India: Engineer team lands for pre-poll EVM check - The Times of India
A team of engineers from BEL, Bangalore is here for the first level checking of electronic voting machines ahead of the assembly elections in May. Read More
Philippines: Comelec officials suspension upheld - Yahoo! Philippines News
The Court of Appeals has upheld the suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman of five Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials involved in the purchase of overpriced ballot secrecy folders worth P690 million. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNewsSubscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
Please send article suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org.
=============================================The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vnDisclaimer: 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.
Photo ID legislation appears to be a fait accompli in Texas, though opponents raised the argument that the proposed bill would burden remote areas. In the United Kingdom, consideration of voting system reforms prompts a partisan skeptic to revisit the country's e-voting pilots of the early 21st century.
All this and more in today's Voting News below.
GA: Press Releases - Newsroom - The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law | National Voting Rights Groups Put Georgia Secretary of State Kemp on Notice of Voting Rights Violations
Citing clear evidence that low-income Georgia residents are being denied a legally-mandated opportunity to register to vote, attorneys from Project Vote, Demos, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL), the ACLU Voting Rights Project, and the law firm of Dechert LLP sent an official notice letter today to Secretary of State Brian Kemp, on behalf of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, demanding that the Secretary immediately act to bring Georgia into compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Read More
IL: Clout St: Chicago election official: Might want to hold off on early voting
If the Supreme Court rules in Emanuel’s case or lower courts rule in any of the others, early voting would be halted at the affected locations so touch-screen voting machines could be swapped out, most likely overnight, he added. Read More
IL: Court halts ballots without Emanuel's name - AP News Wire, Associated Press News - Salon.com
The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered election officials not to print any mayoral ballots without Rahm Emanuel's name while the justices consider whether to hear an appeal from the former White House chief of staff. Read More
MO: Voter ID Bill Under Scrutiny in Missouri Senate - Yahoo! News
If Republicans have their way in the Missouri Senate, the state will have a tough new voter ID law. Senate leaders are calling for a photo identification requirement for voters at polling places by a vote of the legislature and leaving it up to voters in Missouri. The Kansas City Star reports a hearing of the Senate elections committee drew opposition to the law from voting rights groups. No one spoke in favor of the measure. Read More
NE: Voices, scenes from the polls - Omaha.com
A sampling of voters' voices and scenes from polling sites from today's recall election of Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle: Read More
NY: Mayor Marvin's Column: Voting Machines and Village Elections - Bronxville-Eastchester, NY Patch
Even assuming the machines are released to villages, we have no idea of the rental fee. In addition, we are required to purchase three scanable ballots for every anticipated voter, since the new election law (HAVA) allows two mistakes per voter. At one dollar per ballot, the cost is not inconsequential.
If the machine rental costs are anywhere near as exorbitant as those charged to our colleagues in Orange County, I would recommend we opt to use the lever machines and let the State challenge our results. (We do joke at Village Hall that the thousands of very reliable lever machines that have been declared obsolete may end up as a coral reef somewhere!) Read More
Elections officials from throughout New York are scheduled to gather in Rockland County on Wednesday to critique the performance of new optical scanner voting machines that were introduced to the election system in 2010. Read More
Voter ID legislation is sure to be one of the most important issues lawmakers address in the upcoming session. A December 2010 Civitas Institute Poll found 83 percent of respondents favored a law that requires voters to show government-issued photo identification before voting. Read More
RI: Burrillville legislators propose stronger election laws | The State Column
In an effort to prevent voter intimidation and other violations of elections laws, Sen. Paul W. Fogarty and Rep. Cale P. Keable are proposing legislation to require the Board of Elections to provide a uniformed police officer at all polling places. Read More
SC: SC Senate Republican Caucus » Blog Archive » Legislative week to focus on Voter ID, gambling and automated traffic tickets
Requiring a photo ID to vote, gambling and home poker games, and automated traffic tickets are on the General Assembly’s agenda this week. Read More
TX: Texas GOP pushing hard for voter ID bill | khou.com | KHOU.com Home Page
Texas Republicans are making a hard push to require voters to show photo identification before casting their ballots. Read More
TX: Indiana prof: 'Definitely a chance' that DOJ would reject Texas voter photo ID law | The American Independent
An Indiana election law expert said Texas lawmakers do have reasons to be concerned that proposed voter photo identification legislation — authored by state Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay) and based on Indiana law — may fail to meet standards under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Read More
TX: Despite Democratic delays voter ID inches toward passage | kvue.com | KVUE News | Austin, TX | Breaking News
Democratic delays have slowed, but not stopped, a Republican plan which would require a voter ID card in order to cast a ballot. It now appears poised to pass the Senate and go on to become Texas law. Read More
TX: Remote areas of West Texas penalized by voter ID, Uresti says - Alpine Daily Planet
Senate Democrats have fired two additional volleys against the GOP-supported voter ID bill being debated:
Remote areas will be penalized, and Texans who get their drivers’ licenses suspended may not be able to vote. Read More
TX: Davis recalls her experiences as a single mom in Voter ID debate - PoliTex
Long before she was a Harvard-educated attorney and a member of the state Senate, Wendy Davis was a divorced single mom who was holding down two jobs and raising a young daughter while attending Tarrant County Community College. Read More
National
“Toy Story 3″ for best picture? | Red Letter Days | a mySA.com blogThe relatively new instant-runoff voting system might reward a movie that is liked by almost everyone, even if it’s not No. 1 on a majority of ballots. Read More
Critics Love 'Social Network.' Will The Academy Defriend It? - NYTimes.com
Last year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences adopted instant-runoff voting for its selection of best picture, a decision which is sometimes credited for its choice of “The Hurt Locker” over “Avatar” and other nominees. Read More
Internet Voting Watch
CA: Redesigning LA's Neighborhood Council Elections
We hope to gain increased control over our own elections through the Election Task Force. One possible outcome (the "cafeteria") is to allow each neighborhood council a choice among several alternatives, including voting by mail, standard polling place balloting, internet voting, or your own combination of two or more of these. Read More
Canada: Online Party of Canada: Appeal to Non-Voters - Press Release - Digital Journal
A recent survey published by Elections Canada entitled, "Explaining the Turnout Decline in Canadian Federal Elections" analyzed the reasons given by non-voters in the 2000 Federal election for not going to the polls. Those reasons included a lack of interest in the election, negative attitudes toward politics, and personal/administrative factors. Young non-voters were more likely to cite a lack of interest and personal/administrative reasons for not voting. Read More
Canada: Examining AMS voter turnout - Queen's Journal
This year’s Kingston municipal elections in October saw 36 per cent of voters cast their ballot at polling stations using a paper-ballot system. After transitioning into online voting last year, the AMS saw three-point improvement on 2009’s paper ballot votes.
“I’m not sure if there’s a clear answer on [whether online voting affects voter turnout],” Matthews said. “All other things being equal, however, if it makes voting easier, then it should increase turnout, especially in (relatively) low turnout elections.” Read More
If the state election commission’s proposal works out, you would vote online or even from your mobile phone for the 2012 civic polls. The commission has appointed an expert committee of five to six members to create software programme, which will assist electors to vote online. Read More
Emigrants should have a vote in upcoming general election | New York State of Mind | IrishCentral
If you are not present in Ireland on polling day, then your vote is lost.
In Britain, citizens who registered in the last 15 years can vote abroad in elections for Parliament and European Parliament, but not local elections.
France has tested Internet voting in order to stimulate voter participation. A 2003 law means French voters living overseas are afforded the right to vote electronically, or by mail or at a local embassy or consulate. In Holland citizens abroad can vote by mail or online. Read More
International
UK: E-voting: why it was abandoned in the UK
Back in the early years of this century, the UK was at the forefront of testing out e-voting for public elections. An extensive series of pilots were held and then … e-voting fell out of favour, because the pilots were not a success for a wide range of reasons. The issue still keeps on popping up, so having recently come across again what I wrote back in 2003 about those pilots, those lessons are worth restating. Here is what I wrote back in the summer of 2003. Luckily the last paragraph turned out to be wrong. Read More
India: Engineer team lands for pre-poll EVM check - The Times of India
A team of engineers from BEL, Bangalore is here for the first level checking of electronic voting machines ahead of the assembly elections in May. Read More
Philippines: Comelec officials suspension upheld - Yahoo! Philippines News
The Court of Appeals has upheld the suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman of five Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials involved in the purchase of overpriced ballot secrecy folders worth P690 million. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNewsSubscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
Please send article suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org.
=============================================The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vnDisclaimer: 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.
Monday, January 24, 2011
TX Senate to take up photo ID Tuesday; SC audit raises questions; Pakistan eyes EVMs
A busy couple of days for voting news. In Texas, the State Senate will debate photo ID legislation tomorrow, and is expected to pass the bill. An citizen audit of South Carolina election results raises questions about ballot reconciliation. A bill to allow all Indiana counties to utilize vote centers is expected to pass, and in international developments Pakistan eyes electronic voting machines.
All this and more in today's Voting News below.
CA: Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Sample Ballot Released for First California “Top-Two” Election
The purpose of listing “party preference” on the ballot in the top-two systems of Washington and California is to help the candidate communicate a message, and to help the voter know something about the candidate. The U.S. Supreme Court, and the California Supreme Court, have ruled in the past that it is unconstitutional to discriminate for or against candidates, relative to labels on the ballot. Read More
CA: Oakland mayoral runners-up rehash race and look to the future : Local: In Oakland
At a public forum put on by Oakland's John George Democratic Club, City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan outlined her assessment of the city's first go at ranked choice voting, while political commentator and professor Joe Tuman announced his plans to pressure the city to reform all employee pensions and police staffing. Read More
CA: Tuteur: Voting only by mail would save $35,000
If Napa County conducted special elections using mail-in ballots only, it could save an estimated $35,000 per election, John Tuteur, the county’s registrar of voters, said. Read More
CO: Secret count preceded Saguache election ‘retabulation’ - Colorado Springs Conservative | Examiner.com
Examination of election videotapes reveal that the Saguache County Clerk’s office and two judges conducted a secret vote count Nov. 4 from 2 p.m. to about 7:12 p.m. prior to the Nov. 5 "retabulation."
A chairman of a key Senate committee said he intends to combine legislation that would require voters to show photo identification with a proposal to allow early voting in Missouri. But it was clear in testimony today that partisan divisions remain deep on both issues. Read More
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Proprietary software used to operate the optical scan machines in the recent November election was limited to the county and state-wide races. Purchasing the software for each individual municipality was deemed too cost-prohibitive by many of the villages. Read More
NY: Election Transparency Coalition: Joanne Lukacher and Howard Stanislevic Interviewed on Activist Radio
The conversation covered: Columbia County's 100% hand count; the request for a hand count of the NY Senate District 7 contest denied by the state's highest court; the ongoing Nassau County lawsuit against electronic vote counting; and more. Read More
OH: Husted wants reduction in provisional ballots | The Columbus Dispatch
While the federal courts debate whether Ohio should count provisional ballots cast in the wrong precincts, the state's top election official says Ohio needs a renewed focus on ensuring that people are voting in the correct precincts. Read More
PA: Bucks County Commissioners approve $3.2M redevelopment grant for Delaware Valley College - Perkasie News Herald - Montgomery News
The commissioners also tabled an $18,800 annual contract with Electec, Inc. to provide voting machine support for the 2011 Primary and General Elections. That item will be addressed at a future meeting, likely with a newly appointed commissioner also weighing consideration. Read More
SC: Dems, GOP sharply divided on voter ID - Local - TheSunNews.com
If you let your hair go gray or lost a lot of weight, if you're a college student or a senior citizen, or if your job requires long shifts, Susan Breslin says you might have trouble voting in future elections, under a legislative proposal that is up for debate. Read More
SC: Verify Your Vote: Preminary Results from Colleton and Charleston County Not Encouraging
The election officials in Charleston and Colleton Counties are dedicated public servants and we trust their work. However, as in commerce, and other matters as well, verification is necessary. The late President Reagan, during his negotiations with President Gorbachev of the former Soviet Union, liked to quote a Russian proverb, “Trust, but verify”. So it is here. Read More
SC:The BRAD BLOG : Citizen Oversight Reveals 1000s of Errors, Extra Votes, 'Lost' Votes in SC's 2010 Election
Frank Heindel, a SC commodities trader, who is mentioned in the article above, has almost single-handedly been taking on the system in his state by demanding transparency, oversight, and accountability via public records requests and meticulous hand-audits of the voting system logs in his state ever since last year's disastrous primary election. He is an inspiration, frankly, and another one of this nation's great models for what citizen-led Election Integrity work looks like. Read More
TN: Election meeting 'circus' shows challenges ahead | dnj.com | The Daily News Journal
If the most recent Rutherford County Election Commission meeting is evidence, the group's gatherings are bordering on a local version of "The Jerry Springer Show." Read More
TN: EDITORIAL: Jones unfit for election panel | dnj.com | The Daily News Journal
Rutherford County Election Commission Chairwoman Doris Jones should step down following a revelation that she had a poll worker fired for criticizing her and other GOP commissioners. Read More
TX: Texas Senate Will Begin Voter ID Debate Tuesday — Voter ID | The Texas Tribune
Most of the drama was saved for another day in the Texas Senate after the first installment of the planned debate over the contentious voter ID bill was postponed. Read More
TX: Missing the Point on Election Fraud - Newsdesk: Austin News, Politics, Opinion Blog - AustinChronicle.com
The Texas Civil Rights Project today criticized Gov. Perry and the Legislature for making Voter ID an "emergency" priority. TCRP director Jim Harrington brings up the usual points about disenfranchisement of minorities, but also brings up an even better one: Voter fraud is a really ineffective way to tip an election. Insider fraud is the real danger. Read More
TX: KRWG: El Paso Area Senator Comments On Texas Voter ID Bill (2011-01-24)
Statement from Senator Jos Rodr guez Regarding Senate Bill 14 (Voter ID):
"With an estimated 100,000 teachers expected to lose their jobs, a proposed $17 billion to be cut from vital health and human services programs and community colleges across our state likely having to shutter their doors due to the $27 billion budget shortfall, now is not the time to focus on a non-existent problem. It is time that we roll up our sleeves to work to address the real issues that face the future of our state. Read More
TX: Bill would require photo ID to vote in Texas
Texas voters would be required to show photo identification before casting ballots under a Republican-backed bill that has been put on a fast track to passage in the state Senate. Read More
TX: Voter ID bill is more stringent than 2009 version | First Reading
As for the legislation itself, several Senate sources who have looked at it say it’s a more stringent requirement than the one on the table in 2009. In 2009, they were talking about requiring photo ID or two forms of non-photo ID; the 2011 bill does not have that non-photo ID option. It does, however, have an exemption from the photo ID requirement for those who are at least 70 years old at the start of 2012 and who have their voter-registration card when they go to vote. Read More
UT: Voting rights got trashed | The Salt Lake Tribune
The real issue in the Utah House District 57 boundary line discussion is this: What about the voting rights of the 660 people in north Cedar Hills who showed up to vote last election? Read More
WI: End to election day registration may be costly - JSOnline
"Repealing it would be shortsighted and would be a tremendous disservice to the voters," says Kennedy, director of the Government Accountability Board, who also called it a "financially foolhardy step to take." Read More
WI: The relationship between the photo ID bill and the registration of aliens - Milwaukee Immigration Policy | Examiner.com
Perhaps the most lasting outcome of immigration regulation in the United States is the implementation and enforcement of increasingly complex forms of immigrant documentation. Once upon a time, American employers recruited immigrants, caring little about documentation. Gradually the fear of foreign-born criminals resulted in Congressional pushes for the registration of non-citizens. Read More
WI: Wisconsin's pretend crisis - JSOnline
The amount of voter fraud does not warrant limiting access to the ballot box for those without photo ID. This would be the elderly, people with disabilities and, disproportionately, low-income voters of color. And I'm not seeing a funded outreach in this bill on a scale that could make a mitigating difference. Read More
International
India: Petition seeks CCTVs in polling booths - The Times of India
The Madras high court on Saturday issued notices to the chief election commissioner and state chief electoral officer seeking a reply by Monday on a petition demanding electronic surveillance in all polling booths to prevent bogus voting, impersonation and tampering of electronic voting machines. Read More
Politicians' Doubting Of EVM Is A Challenge: Former CEC Gopalaswami - Hyderabad News on fullhyd.com
Calling politicians' apprehensions about the accuracy of EVMs (electronic voting machines) as one of his major challenges on hand, former Chief Election Commissioner of India N Gopalaswami on Friday said that a concentrated effort must be made to clear these doubts. Read More
India: Pakistan: The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Nation | Pakistan eyes EVMs
Some political parties in India might feel electronic voting machines (EVM) can be tampered with, but Pakistan has evinced a strong interest in the machines.
Changing the rules of the game: the NLRB is making union organizing easier - Lexology
There are indications that the Board is also considering shortening the time between the date of a petition for an election and the election itself. Currently, internal Board rules provide that the period should not exceed 45 days, but it is possible that the Board will reduce that to 14 days. The Board is also looking at implementing electronic voting in elections. Read More
Canada: hqprincegeorge.com | Your community resource
Currently there are more than 30 other municipalities in Canada already allowing online voting. Prince George Councillor Garth Frizzell thinks it is a great way to boost voter turn out as many people are comfortable with technology these days. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNewsSubscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
Please send article suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org
=============================================The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vnDisclaimer: 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.
All this and more in today's Voting News below.
CA: Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Sample Ballot Released for First California “Top-Two” Election
The purpose of listing “party preference” on the ballot in the top-two systems of Washington and California is to help the candidate communicate a message, and to help the voter know something about the candidate. The U.S. Supreme Court, and the California Supreme Court, have ruled in the past that it is unconstitutional to discriminate for or against candidates, relative to labels on the ballot. Read More
CA: Oakland mayoral runners-up rehash race and look to the future : Local: In Oakland
At a public forum put on by Oakland's John George Democratic Club, City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan outlined her assessment of the city's first go at ranked choice voting, while political commentator and professor Joe Tuman announced his plans to pressure the city to reform all employee pensions and police staffing. Read More
CA: Tuteur: Voting only by mail would save $35,000
If Napa County conducted special elections using mail-in ballots only, it could save an estimated $35,000 per election, John Tuteur, the county’s registrar of voters, said. Read More
CO: Secret count preceded Saguache election ‘retabulation’ - Colorado Springs Conservative | Examiner.com
Examination of election videotapes reveal that the Saguache County Clerk’s office and two judges conducted a secret vote count Nov. 4 from 2 p.m. to about 7:12 p.m. prior to the Nov. 5 "retabulation."
The video recording copies were obtained through a Colorado Open Records Act request Nov. 16. The county clerk’s office is required by law to keep continuous recordings of all election areas and activities, beginning two months before the election, up to and including any recounts, for two years. Read More
ELECTION OFFICIALS in the District are worried they can't afford the costs of the city's upcoming special election for an at-large D.C. Council seat. Among the ideas to save money is limiting the places where people can vote. But changing the rules so close to the election comes with its own cost to the integrity of the process. It's important that Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) and the council ensure that there is sufficient money for election officials to do their jobs. Read More
IL: Chicago ballots ordered printed with no Emanuel – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs
The Chicago Elections Board on Monday placed an order for the printing of two million ballots for next month's mayoral election without the name of former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel after an Illinois appeals court ruled his name could not be included because he failed to meet the residency requirement. Read More
In a judicial shocker, an Illinois appellate court, by a 2-1 vote, has kicked former Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel off the ballot in the race to become Chicago's next mayor. What's worse for Emanuel, as the dissenting judge points out, is that the majority booted him with less than one month before the election, just as absentee ballots are to be mailed to voters. Read More
IN: Vote centers on fast track in General Assembly - wsbt.com
The old model of voting in traditional, neighborhood precincts could be on its way out in Indiana.
The General Assembly is moving quickly this year on legislation that would allow election officials in all of the state's 92 counties to opt instead for vote centers, which are centralized polling places open to all registered voters countywide. Read More
IN: Vote centers get mixed response in Delaware County | thestarpress.com | The Star Press
A legislative initiative to allow Indiana counties to replace neighborhood polling places with fewer centralized locations where they can cast ballots is getting the cold shoulder in Delaware County, where top election officials disagree on how to implement such a plan. Read More
IN: Give the go-ahead to vote centers | The Indianapolis Star | IndyStar.com
They're popular, they save tax dollars and they make it easier to participate in the democratic process. Read More
KS: Voting hurdles / LJWorld.com
Given the low voter turnout in most local and state elections, it would be a shame to pass laws that discouraged participation by qualified, legal Kansas voters. If Kansas has a problem with voter fraud, it should be addressed, but until that problem can be defined, it doesn’t make sense to pass laws that will set new voting barriers and increase costs for county and state election officials. Read More
ME: Runoff Voting Topic of Meeting
he League of Women Voters is sponsoring a public informational meeting on instant runoff voting on Saturday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 121 Bucksport Road in Ellsworth. Read More
MO: Lawyer vows challenge if Missouri revives voter ID rule - KansasCity.com
A lawyer who successfully challenged Missouri’s photo identification law for voters in 2006 plans a new legal argument if the requirement is revived. Read More
MO: Engler: Voter ID and early voting will be combinedA chairman of a key Senate committee said he intends to combine legislation that would require voters to show photo identification with a proposal to allow early voting in Missouri. But it was clear in testimony today that partisan divisions remain deep on both issues. Read More
MS: Write-ins often become wasted votes - Local - SunHerald.com
According to state law, write-in candidates are permitted only as the legitimate substitute of a candidate who has died, resigned, withdrawn or been removed from the race. Read More
Registering to vote online could soon be a possibility in Nebraska. It's legislation being pushed through by one state lawmaker who says it would simply make it easier for Nebraskans to vote.
Some lawmakers say it will save the state money; others say it will only cost the state more. Read More
hProprietary software used to operate the optical scan machines in the recent November election was limited to the county and state-wide races. Purchasing the software for each individual municipality was deemed too cost-prohibitive by many of the villages. Read More
NY: Election Transparency Coalition: Joanne Lukacher and Howard Stanislevic Interviewed on Activist Radio
The conversation covered: Columbia County's 100% hand count; the request for a hand count of the NY Senate District 7 contest denied by the state's highest court; the ongoing Nassau County lawsuit against electronic vote counting; and more. Read More
OH: Husted wants reduction in provisional ballots | The Columbus Dispatch
While the federal courts debate whether Ohio should count provisional ballots cast in the wrong precincts, the state's top election official says Ohio needs a renewed focus on ensuring that people are voting in the correct precincts. Read More
PA: Bucks County Commissioners approve $3.2M redevelopment grant for Delaware Valley College - Perkasie News Herald - Montgomery News
The commissioners also tabled an $18,800 annual contract with Electec, Inc. to provide voting machine support for the 2011 Primary and General Elections. That item will be addressed at a future meeting, likely with a newly appointed commissioner also weighing consideration. Read More
SC: Dems, GOP sharply divided on voter ID - Local - TheSunNews.com
If you let your hair go gray or lost a lot of weight, if you're a college student or a senior citizen, or if your job requires long shifts, Susan Breslin says you might have trouble voting in future elections, under a legislative proposal that is up for debate. Read More
SC: Verify Your Vote: Preminary Results from Colleton and Charleston County Not Encouraging
The election officials in Charleston and Colleton Counties are dedicated public servants and we trust their work. However, as in commerce, and other matters as well, verification is necessary. The late President Reagan, during his negotiations with President Gorbachev of the former Soviet Union, liked to quote a Russian proverb, “Trust, but verify”. So it is here. Read More
SC:The BRAD BLOG : Citizen Oversight Reveals 1000s of Errors, Extra Votes, 'Lost' Votes in SC's 2010 Election
Frank Heindel, a SC commodities trader, who is mentioned in the article above, has almost single-handedly been taking on the system in his state by demanding transparency, oversight, and accountability via public records requests and meticulous hand-audits of the voting system logs in his state ever since last year's disastrous primary election. He is an inspiration, frankly, and another one of this nation's great models for what citizen-led Election Integrity work looks like. Read More
TN: Election meeting 'circus' shows challenges ahead | dnj.com | The Daily News Journal
If the most recent Rutherford County Election Commission meeting is evidence, the group's gatherings are bordering on a local version of "The Jerry Springer Show." Read More
TN: EDITORIAL: Jones unfit for election panel | dnj.com | The Daily News Journal
Rutherford County Election Commission Chairwoman Doris Jones should step down following a revelation that she had a poll worker fired for criticizing her and other GOP commissioners. Read More
TX: Texas Senate Will Begin Voter ID Debate Tuesday — Voter ID | The Texas Tribune
Most of the drama was saved for another day in the Texas Senate after the first installment of the planned debate over the contentious voter ID bill was postponed. Read More
TX: Missing the Point on Election Fraud - Newsdesk: Austin News, Politics, Opinion Blog - AustinChronicle.com
The Texas Civil Rights Project today criticized Gov. Perry and the Legislature for making Voter ID an "emergency" priority. TCRP director Jim Harrington brings up the usual points about disenfranchisement of minorities, but also brings up an even better one: Voter fraud is a really ineffective way to tip an election. Insider fraud is the real danger. Read More
TX: KRWG: El Paso Area Senator Comments On Texas Voter ID Bill (2011-01-24)
Statement from Senator Jos Rodr guez Regarding Senate Bill 14 (Voter ID):
"With an estimated 100,000 teachers expected to lose their jobs, a proposed $17 billion to be cut from vital health and human services programs and community colleges across our state likely having to shutter their doors due to the $27 billion budget shortfall, now is not the time to focus on a non-existent problem. It is time that we roll up our sleeves to work to address the real issues that face the future of our state. Read More
TX: Bill would require photo ID to vote in Texas
Texas voters would be required to show photo identification before casting ballots under a Republican-backed bill that has been put on a fast track to passage in the state Senate. Read More
TX: Voter ID bill is more stringent than 2009 version | First Reading
As for the legislation itself, several Senate sources who have looked at it say it’s a more stringent requirement than the one on the table in 2009. In 2009, they were talking about requiring photo ID or two forms of non-photo ID; the 2011 bill does not have that non-photo ID option. It does, however, have an exemption from the photo ID requirement for those who are at least 70 years old at the start of 2012 and who have their voter-registration card when they go to vote. Read More
UT: Voting rights got trashed | The Salt Lake Tribune
The real issue in the Utah House District 57 boundary line discussion is this: What about the voting rights of the 660 people in north Cedar Hills who showed up to vote last election? Read More
WI: End to election day registration may be costly - JSOnline
"Repealing it would be shortsighted and would be a tremendous disservice to the voters," says Kennedy, director of the Government Accountability Board, who also called it a "financially foolhardy step to take." Read More
WI: The relationship between the photo ID bill and the registration of aliens - Milwaukee Immigration Policy | Examiner.com
Perhaps the most lasting outcome of immigration regulation in the United States is the implementation and enforcement of increasingly complex forms of immigrant documentation. Once upon a time, American employers recruited immigrants, caring little about documentation. Gradually the fear of foreign-born criminals resulted in Congressional pushes for the registration of non-citizens. Read More
WI: Wisconsin's pretend crisis - JSOnline
The amount of voter fraud does not warrant limiting access to the ballot box for those without photo ID. This would be the elderly, people with disabilities and, disproportionately, low-income voters of color. And I'm not seeing a funded outreach in this bill on a scale that could make a mitigating difference. Read More
International
India: Petition seeks CCTVs in polling booths - The Times of India
The Madras high court on Saturday issued notices to the chief election commissioner and state chief electoral officer seeking a reply by Monday on a petition demanding electronic surveillance in all polling booths to prevent bogus voting, impersonation and tampering of electronic voting machines. Read More
Politicians' Doubting Of EVM Is A Challenge: Former CEC Gopalaswami - Hyderabad News on fullhyd.com
Calling politicians' apprehensions about the accuracy of EVMs (electronic voting machines) as one of his major challenges on hand, former Chief Election Commissioner of India N Gopalaswami on Friday said that a concentrated effort must be made to clear these doubts. Read More
India: Pakistan: The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Nation | Pakistan eyes EVMs
Some political parties in India might feel electronic voting machines (EVM) can be tampered with, but Pakistan has evinced a strong interest in the machines.
A Pakistan election commission team, which is scheduled to attend the January 25 event, has requested a demonstration and permission for a trip to a factory that makes EVMs. Rout said the Election Commission had decided to grant the request. Read More
Pakistan: Pak EC interested in Indian EVMs - The Economic Times
The Election Commission of Pakistan has evinced interest in Indian electronic voting machines and has requested for a demonstration of the EVMs, the Election Commission said today. Read More
Internet Voting WatchChanging the rules of the game: the NLRB is making union organizing easier - Lexology
There are indications that the Board is also considering shortening the time between the date of a petition for an election and the election itself. Currently, internal Board rules provide that the period should not exceed 45 days, but it is possible that the Board will reduce that to 14 days. The Board is also looking at implementing electronic voting in elections. Read More
Canada: hqprincegeorge.com | Your community resource
Currently there are more than 30 other municipalities in Canada already allowing online voting. Prince George Councillor Garth Frizzell thinks it is a great way to boost voter turn out as many people are comfortable with technology these days. Read More
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