NIST Report on Internet Voting, CO County Election has rsidents crying foul, Voter ID Bills in KS and MO

CO: Saguache County's election problems have residents crying foul - The Denver Post

As she shooed people out of the Saguache County courthouse in the wee hours of election night 2010, Clerk and Recorder Melinda Myers struggled to hold back tears. Unofficial tallies showed Myers losing to Republican challenger Carla Gomez, 1,101 to 1,116. Meanwhile, fellow Democrat Linda Joseph, a county commissioner, was trailing Republican Steven Carlson, 1,092 to 1,119. "I went to bed that night thinking I lost," Myers recalled last week. "I cried and cried." But within two days of the general election, Myers had announced the ballots needed to be "retabulated" — by the office she runs. When the process was complete, Myers won her race, 1,181 to 1,137. Joseph also emerged a winner, besting Carlson 1,160 to 1,151. Read More

Guam: Respicio introduces third bill on election reform | Pacific Daily News

Sen. Rory Respcio introduced a bill requiring the GEC to establish and follow written procedures during elections, according to a press release issued today. The bill would require procedures such as written voter instructions and on the correct handling of ballots and instructions on preparing and setting up polling places, according to the release. Updated guidelines for dealing with provisional ballots as well as for ballot reconciliation procedures would also be required. The bill would require the GEC to review their controlling regulations under the Guam Administrative Rules and Regulations (GAR), as well as the laws in the Guam Code Annotated. Read More

KS: Election fraud bill to receive scrutiny | CJOnline.com

Kansas Senate leaders suggested Friday that a requirement for people who register to vote for the first time in the state to prove they're citizens will receive close scrutiny as the chamber considers Secretary of State Kris Kobach's election fraud legislation. A bill containing Kobach's proposed Secure and Fair Elections Act won House approval on an 83-36 vote Friday, sending it to the Senate. The measure also would require voters to show photo identification at the polls, increase penalties for election crimes and enact changes designed to make mail ballots more secure. It would give the secretary of state's office the power to file and prosecute election fraud cases in state courts, along with county prosecutors and the attorney general's office. Read More

MO: House To Move Forward On Photo Voter I.D. - OzarksFirst.com

Missouri House of Representatives' floor leader, Rep. Tim Jones, R-Eureka, says he's "excited" the Missouri Senate has passed legislation that includes photo voter identification provisions. And Jones says he's ready to move ahead with the House's own bill on the topic. On Thursday, the Senate gave final passage to legislation that would require voters to show a government issued voter identification card with a picture in order to receive a ballot. Earlier the House passed legislation that includes both a constitutional amendment and enabling legislation that would put the photo voter identification into practice along with procedures for early voting. Read More

NH: Legislators debate student voting - TheDartmouth.com

Students, citizens and local and state representatives testified at the hearings for two bills — both designed to combat voter fraud — that would inhibit college students’ ability to vote in New Hampshire early Thursday morning. Dartmouth students, along with students from Plymouth State University, Keene State University and the University of New Hampshire, attended the hearings and testified against the bill. The College Democrats, College Republicans and College Libertarians collected approximately 700 signatures in opposition to the proposed legislation and presented the petition as part of their testimony. “This sends a very powerful message,” College Democrats of New Hampshire President Jeremy Kaufmann ’12 said in his testimony. “We’re terrified of the implication of government choosing voters rather than voters choosing the government.” Read More

NM: Clerks: Election code needs updating | KRQE News 13'

New Mexico’s county clerks believe some elections are a giant waste. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of cost savings are part of a set of proposals they are supporting now in the state legislature. “Over the last couple of election cycles I and my fellow clerks have experienced a number of problematic issues,” said Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver. Toulouse Oliver is among the state’s county clerks taking a long hard look at New Mexico’s election code. What they found might surprise you. “There’s some language currently in the election code about lever machines which are things we haven’t used in this state in a generation,” Toulouse Oliver said. That is not the only old school language they found. Ever wonder why school board and bond elections have their very own election day in February? The answer dates back nearly a century. Read More

NY: Burling supports extending deadline for absentee military voting - The Daily News Online: News

Assemblyman Dan Burling, R-Warsaw, has announced his support for extending the deadline for military absentee voting in elections. Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced legislation that would increase the window for the upcoming special election in the 26th Congressional District from 30 to 40 days after formal proclamation to 70 to 80 days. "I am pleased to see the governor present this new legislation that would allow for the inclusion of military ballots from our deployed men and women during elections," Burling said. "As a veteran, I know what a great sacrifice our servicemen and women give of themselves. Changing this law ensures that their vote will not be discounted due to time constraints." Read More

OH: Secretary of State Jon Husted Calls for Elections Reform Legislation

At a Statehouse press conference today, Secretary of State Jon Husted outlined his priorities for improving the overall administration of Ohio elections. With the 2012 Presidential Election on the horizon, Husted will work closely with legislative leaders and the Governor to see these changes passed into law and implemented as soon as possible. "The 2012 Presidential Election will have a tremendous impact on our state and nation. My goal is to ensure that the focus is on candidates, not on the process for electing them," Secretary Husted said. "For the vast majority of Ohioans, our elections system works very well, but there are changes we can make to improve overall access and accuracy and thereby, build more confidence in the results." Read More

PA: DePasquale pushes election reform package - York Dispatch

State Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York City, Thursday announced he has reintroduced election reform legislation. At a press conference in his York office, DePasquale detailed four bills. The measures would allow independents to vote in primaries, ease ballot access for third parties, allow early voting, reform corporate campaign contributions and create new disclosure rules for no-bid contracts. DePasquale's proposal would make the number of signatures independent and third-party candidates need to get their names on the November ballot the same as what is required of the Republican and Democratic parties. Currently, a third-party candidate for governor must get the number of signatures equal to 2 percent of the turnout of the previous gubernatorial election. That number can change with each election -- in 2006 it was 26,000 signatures and in 2010 it was 20,000. But it's always much higher than the 2,000 signatures a Republican or Democrat running for statewide office needs, said Stephen Baker, chairman of the Green Party of York County. Read More

National

NIST: Security Considerations for Remote Electronic UOCAVA Voting

NIST is pleased to announce the publication of NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7770- Security Considerations for Remote Electronic UOCAVA Voting (PDF format). This Interagency Report identifies desirable security properties of remote electronic voting systems, potential benefits and threats to these systems, and current and emerging technical approaches for mitigating risks. This report is intended for election officials, technologists, advocacy groups, UOCAVA voting system vendors, and other members of the elections community that will be working with the EAC, NIST, and the FVAP On improving the UOCAVA voting process with the use of electronic technologies. While this report assumes familiarity of the UOCAVA voting process and a high-level understanding of information system security technologies, it is intended to be accessible to a wide audience. Read More

International

Africa: Move over bulky ballot boxes and long queues; the era of e-democracy is here - Daily Nation: -

Uganda was among 17 African countries going to the polls this year. In all these states, the mere mention of electronic voting sparks a debate that portrays Africa as not being ready for digitalised elections. The Electoral Commission of Uganda tried biometric registration in a bid to reduce fraud. Uganda also used ICT in transmitting the results from the district returning officers to the national tallying centre. This is the kind of system that was used in Kenya during the referendum and by-elections with credible success. But the hard nut to crack in most African elections lies in digitalising the whole processes involved so as to attain e-voting alongside e-democracy and e-government. Challenges and the dark side usually take centre stage. Traditionally, an election is symbolised by ballot boxes and tonnes of manual paper work. To many citizens, this makes it “real”. But with the use of ICT, the future spells an evolution of touch screen voting booths and voting via the Internet or on the mobile phone. The shift to virtual ballot boxes that symbolise e-voting presents challenges as well as benefits. Read More

Expat Turks must travel to Turkey to vote June 12 - Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review

Turks abroad will not be able to vote in their countries of residence in the June 12 general elections, the Supreme Election Board, or YSK, announced Sunday. More than 2 million Turkish voters abroad will have to wait for another election to be able to cast their votes. The main opposition party, however, accused the government of deliberately blocking those voters in the June 12 elections. If the government wanted to implement the law to allow all Turks abroad to vote, it would be possible to make the necessary arrangements for upcoming elections even in one month, an opposition party figure said. Read More

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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.
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Grand Jury Report Finds No Voter Fraud in Kern Co. CA, Students Protest Proposed Residency Bill in NH

CA: Grand jury debunks reports of local voter fraud - Bakersfield.com

Many instances of voter fraud alleged in recent years have "morphed from facts and allegations to urban legend" and the biggest instances of the problem locally happened 20-plus years ago, according to a Kern County grand jury report released Thursday. Jurors investigated the local voting system, according to the report, after receiving a letter last year detailing a public presentation made by a 2002 30th Assembly District candidate alleging there were "huge discrepancies in voter registrations" before his loss. The report doesn't name names but it's obviously referring to Bakersfield businessman and Republican Dean Gardner, who lost the race to Democrat Nicole Parra by a razor-thin margin and alleged voter fraud at the time. Read Article
Download Grand Jury Report (PDF)

CO: Transparency issue in election - Center Post Dispatch

During the legislative luncheon at the Colorado Press Association convention Friday, Secretary of State Scott Gessler told the Center Post-Dispatch that he will be weighing in soon on the problems with the Nov. 2 Saguache election. The SOS oversight of the election began under previous Secretary of State Bernie Buescher, now counsel for the State Attorney General’s Office. Gessler said he is currently wading through a voluminous stack of documentation on the election and will carefully evaluate the information before responding. Many of the problems the SOS encountered in dealing with the outcome of the election may be explained by the fact that Gessler did not officially come on board until Jan. 11. By then, Saguache County Clerk Melinda Myers had allegedly certified the election and citizen complaints were on file with the Attorney General’s Office. The canvass board had already issued their non-certification of the recount, and legal deadlines appeared to have passed for challenging the election. Read More

CO: Ballots, lies and videotape: A botched election in south-central Colorado triggers avalanche of allegations | Real Aspen

Colorado Elections Director Judd Choate has proclaimed “great faith” in the results of two dubious political races in south-central Colorado and says two of his staffers were on hand to help with its “retabulation.” “On the fifth of November, we sent down a couple of people to work on their retabulation, and we had two of our people … help [Saguache] County reassess their numbers," Choate told the state's Best Practices and Vision Commission, which he chairs, in a January meeting. "They saw no problems.” The explanation was intended to quiet an escalating controversy in Saguache County, where County Clerk Melinda Myers reversed the results of the Nov. 2 election and three days later declared herself the winner. The outcome of the county commissioner's race also flipped in favor of the incumbent in Myers' party. The problem with Choate's account is that it isn't true. Amy Wilson, the secretary of state's elections trainer, was not present for the retabulation. Neither was a state lawyer Choate said was there. Read More

KS: Voter ID measures advance in Kansas, Missouri - KansasCity.com

Proposals requiring Kansas and Missouri residents to show picture IDs when they vote gained steam in both states’ legislatures Thursday. One plan cruised through the Kansas House on a 78-36 vote, setting it up for final approval today. The measure also would require every person to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Meanwhile, the Missouri Senate approved a constitutional amendment requiring voters to show photo identification. If approved by the full General Assembly, it would go before voters in 2012. Read More

MO: State Senate Passes Voter ID Bill - KOMU.com

A bill that would require Missouri to show a state, federal, or military picture ID when voting moved to the house Friday after passage in the state senate the day before. The bill would amend the state's constitution to change those requirements. Republican Senator Bill Stouffer of Marshall sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 2. "Our right to vote is probably one of the most important privileges we have and to ensure the integrity of the voting is extremely important," Stouffer said. Versions of this bill have come up before, most notably in 2008, but Stouffer said this one lacks the flaws of previous versions. Read More

NH: Students decry residency voting bill - NashuaTelegraph.com

A bill to strip college students of the right to vote conforms with the Founding Fathers’ view of domicile, its lone sponsor argued Thursday. Rep. Gregory Sorg, R-Easton, said he merely wants to return residency for voting to where you came from and not where you’re attending school. “This doesn’t take away the right to vote for anyone,” Sorg insisted. “This says you vote where you reside, and you don’t vote where you happen to spend a few years of your time but have a domicile somewhere else.” But more than 100 students from across the state overwhelmed the few supporters of this bill (HB 176) to contend this would be a strike against representative democracy. Many mocked House Speaker William O’Brien, R-Mont Vernon, who recently told a conservative group in Rochester that out-of-state students attending school here should be unable to vote as they lack enough life experience and “think liberally.” Read More

PA: State lawmaker pursues big voting reform ideas - abc27 News

A state representative wants to make some big changes to the Pennsylvania voting system, and he's pursuing his plans by introducing a bundle of reform bills. Eugene DePasquale (D-York) wants to increase the rights of Independent-registered voters, change how companies contribute to political campaigns, create early voting options for elections, and make it easier for Independents to run for office. DePasquale's first bill would allow Independent-registered voters to participate in primary elections, giving them the option to choose which party's primary they would like to attend each year. Read More

TN: SOS Tre Hargett cites people as culprits - Cleveland Daily Banner

There were no comments while Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett presented a brief overview of his job — until he began talking about elections. After his speech Thursday in front of the Kiwanis Club of Cleveland, a member said the voting machines used in Tennessee do not have a recorded paper trail and could be hacked in five minutes. “I don’t think they can be hacked in five minutes, but there is no perfect machine,” he said. “As long as we have people who want to commit fraud, they are going to find a way to commit it regardless of what kind of machine we have. Machines are not the culprit. People are the culprit” Hargett said he is not convinced the machines can be hacked in five minutes and the state is moving toward paper receipts that won’t tell how a person voted, only that they voted. It is his job to ensure all 95 counties have the tools necessary to run controversy-fee elections in which the public can have confidence. Read More

International

E-Voting Starts in Estonian Election | ERR

More than 20,000 people have already given their votes electronically in e-voting that started on Independence Day and continues until March 2 at 20:00. The electronic votes are not necessarily the "final answer" - the voter can change the vote simply by re-voting, with the last recorded vote being the one of record. Those who also vote in person at a polling precinct have their electronic votes cancelled and only the paper vote is counted. There is no electronic voting on Election Day, March 6. A total of 104,413 people voted online at the 2009 local elections. E-voting was first introduced in 2005 local elections, when fewer than 10,000 people used the new system.

India: Assam EVMs get Braille facility - The Telegraph - Calcutta

The visually impaired in Assam will literally feel their right to franchise with their fingers, with the Election Commission arranging for Braille-inscribed electronic voting machines for this year’s Assembly elections. Earlier, the visually challenged voters used to cast their votes guided by an escort to the press the right button on the EVM. But this time, the voter can directly press the button of his choice on the EVM by identifying the serial number that will be inscribed beside each button. A Braille voter can walk to the machine by himself, unaccompanied by any escort to cast his vote. A source said the new batch of EVMs manufactured last year, have a number of features that have made them tamperproof and also have Braille inscriptions. The visually impaired voter, however, will have to be told the serial number of the political parties or candidates by the person accompanying him or by the poll personnel at the booth. Despite this little aid, the new system will make the challenged voters feel more self-sufficient and reduce his dependence on a companion to exercise their franchise. Read More

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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.

Shelby Co. AL Voting Rights Act Challenge, Coffee Party Challenges CA "Top Two" Primary

CA: Voting rules remain vague ["Emergency Abesentee"] - Glendale News-Press

The City Council this week broached ditching so-called “emergency ballots” for last minute voters in favor of beefing up absentee vote-by-mail allowances, but stopped short of making any changes for the April 5 election. Glendale voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot up to seven days before the election, but after that deadline they can fill out an application for a so-called “emergency” vote-by-mail ballot up to Election Day. California election law allows for the late ballots for people who are disabled or who cannot make it to their precinct because of “unforeseen circumstances” — a vague term that city officials said essentially makes the application impossible to deny. Read More

CA: Candidate Files Federal Lawsuit to Block “Top Two” Primary - SB 6 / Prop 14 Lawsuit « Business & Election Law

A Coffee Party candidate running to succeed departing Congresswoman Jane Harman (CA-36) has filed a federal lawsuit to block the implementation of California’s new “Top Two” open primary. SB 6 will be used in a special election to replace departing Congresswoman Harman; current Secretary of State Debra Bowen is among the half dozen candidates who have declared their intention to run in the special election. Vote-by-mail ballots in that election could be cast in a matter of weeks. Unless an injunction is granted, voters will see a “no party preference” on the ballot for plaintiff Michael Chamness because the Coffee Party is not considered a “state recognized” political party. Under SB6, a “no party preference” label is applied to all minor-party candidates like Mr. Chamness and puts him at a disadvantage compared to Democratic or Republican candidates. Previously, minor-party candidates were allowed to use the ballot label of “Independent.” Mr. Chamness’ lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of Senate Bill 6 (SB 6), the law that implements Proposition 14’s “Top Two” Primary. The lawsuit argues that SB 6, which was passed by the Legislature in the middle of the night without opportunity for public comment, unfairly discriminates against and deprives minor-party candidates like Mr. Chamness of their fundamental rights. Read More

CO: Myers postpones testing of counting machine - Center Post Dispatch

In a Feb. 15 letter to election volunteers, Saguache County Clerk Melinda Myers postponed testing for the M650 that could destroy any remaining information about the Nov. 2, 2010 election. Denver attorney Rob Maguire, representing Aspen voting integrity activist Marilyn Marks in a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) suit filed Feb. 11, asked Myers and County Attorney Ben Gibbons to postpone the testing last week so that any possible data could be preserved. In the letter Myers wrote: “Yesterday our office received word that a complaint has been filed with District Court by parties outside Saguache County to gain access to ballots and electronic data storage from the 2010 election. In light of this pending litigation, we are unable at this time to run tests on the M650 Ballot Scanner machine. So we will be postponing the testing indefinitely till this trail is over.” Myers indicated the testing would be conducted later this year. Read More

GA: House OKs early-voting bill | ajc.com

A proposal to streamline early voting passed the Georgia House of Representatives on Wednesday with bipartisan support. House Bill 92, which passed 148-20, would begin advance voting on the fourth Monday before a primary or general election. Early voting would then run through the Friday immediately before the election. Elections for federal or state office would also include voting on the second Saturday before an election. The current early-voting period begins 45 days before a state or federal election and 21 days before a local election. A review of those dates, however, shows more than 75 percent vote in the last three weeks of each period. Read More

ME: Bill would disallow ‘do-overs’ for absentee voters — Bangor Daily News

Lawmakers heard testimony Wednesday on a bill that would prohibit Mainers who cast votes by absentee ballot from asking for a do-over simply because they changed their minds. The issue of when and how voters could request a new absentee ballot arose in the final days of last fall’s gubernatorial race. Hoping to capitalize on a last-minute surge in the polls, the campaign of independent candidate Eliot Cutler sent out an e-mail one day before Election Day advising anyone who might be second-guessing their early vote to request another ballot. Read More

NY: Proposed legislation would give military personnel time to mail ballots for special elections - Empire State News

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a program bill to amend New York's Public Officers Law to provide county boards of elections additional time prior to special elections in order to allow enough time for military ballots to be mailed and counted in compliance with federal law. Passage of this bill is needed to ensure that all voters in the 26th Congressional District have an opportunity to cast legal ballots in a special election to fill the congressional seat vacancy. Under current law, special elections are held between 30 and 40 days from their announcement. Governor Cuomo's measure would more than double the length to between 70 and 80 days. Read More

NC: Opposition mounts against voter ID bill - Yes Weekly

A proposed voter ID measure that is currently being crafted by state Republicans is generating a backlash from a number of groups, including the NC Democratic Party, the state chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and students from the state’s historically black colleges and universities. The voter ID bill, a component of the NC Republican Party’s 100-day legislative agenda, would require voters to show a valid photo ID before casting their ballot in local, state and national elections. Read More

SC: Report: More Than 1,000 Richland County Votes Missing - Free Times

As state senators debate controversial legislation that would force all voters to flash a photo ID at the polls, a coalition of election watchdogs have made a disturbing discovery they say shows South Carolina’s voting process is anything but secure. At issue is the possibility that thousands of votes cast in the Nov. 2 elections were not counted. The information comes from an independent post-election audit conducted in Richland County by a pair of computer experts. At one Bluff Road precinct, more than 1,000 votes are missing from the totals that were certified by the State Election Commission for the Nov. 2 election, according to University of South Carolina computer science professor Duncan Buell and Massachusetts programmer Chip Moore, who conducted the audit. Read More

National

Is Anyone Watching? - NYTimes.com

Two years ago, the Supreme Court looked over a cliff and decided not to jump. The question was whether a core section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as renewed by Congress in 2006 for another 25 years, was constitutional. A majority opinion by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. strongly suggested that it wasn’t. The section’s provisions “raise serious constitutional questions,” the chief justice said. He suggested that the administrative burdens the law places on the states where black citizens once faced nearly insurmountable obstacles to voting were no longer justified: “Things have changed in the South.” During the April 2009 argument in the case, Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District v. Holder, Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, in particular, appeared exasperated by the failure of Congress to take those changes into account when it renewed the law in the same format as the previous renewal in 1982. An iconic achievement of the civil rights era seemed headed for history’s dustbin, most likely by a vote of 5 to 4, and an anticipatory outcry began to build. But then either the chief justice or Justice Kennedy, or maybe both, blinked. There was no need to reach the constitutional issue, the eventual opinion held, because the tiny Texas utility district that had brought the challenge was entitled to try to “bail out” of the law’s coverage. A successful bail-out would moot the constitutional challenge. This was a most implausible reading of a statute that offered the bail-out opportunity only to political subdivisions, which the utility district, providing sewer service to 3,500 residents of Travis County, Tex., is not. But this non-decision decision – to which only Justice Clarence Thomas objected, arguing forcefully that the court should declare the section unconstitutional then and there – served to take the justices out of a spotlight they no longer welcomed.

Against this background, the nearly complete absence of attention received by another Voting Rights Act challenge is surprising. The new case was argued earlier this month in federal district court in the District of Columbia, and will almost certainly make its way to the Supreme Court. There appears to be no convenient off-ramp. The jurisdiction bringing the case, Shelby County, Ala., can’t qualify for a bail-out because it doesn’t meet the law’s requirement of a 10-year record without voting-rights enforcement problems. Read More

International

Ugandan opposition calls for protests, fresh presidential elections - Monsters and Critics

Opposition leaders in Uganda on Thursday called on their supporters to stage mass protests across the country and demanded a fresh presidential poll, four days after incumbent President Yoweri Museveni was declared to have won re-election. 'We will not recognize any government formed out of these elections,' said Kizza Besigye, who as Museveni's closest challenger was said to have secured just 26 per cent of the vote. In releasing its official results on Monday, the Ugandan electoral commission said Museveni had won a fourth term in office with 68-per- cent backing from the electorate. Besigye, who was Museveni's doctor during the bush rebellion that brought the president to power in 1986, has alleged that there was voter intimidation, bribery and anomalies in the voter register. Read More

UK: Campaign for voting reform turns nasty - The Independent

Campaigners against voting reform were last night accused of exploiting an election loophole to peddle "lies" about their opponents. The acrimony surrounding the 5 May referendum on ditching the first-past-the-post system intensified as a publicity drive by the "No2AV" campaign was referred to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).The controversy centres on adverts claiming that introducing the alternative vote for Westminster elections would cost the country £250m. The message is reinforced with images of a baby in intensive care – saying the cash should be spent on a cardiac facility – and of a soldier – saying the £250m would be better spent on bulletproof vests. Polls conducted since the campaign was launched suggest that support for moving to the alternative vote has fallen. Read More

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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 Job of an Election Official, Voter ID bill passes out of committee in WI

AL: Chapman Releases Legislative Wish List | ABC 32 WNCF TV

Secretary of State Beth Chapman released her legislative wish list today highlighting her top two priorities: military voting and photo voter identification. Chapman is continuing her fight to expedite military voting in Alabama and has a proven electronic system used successfully by another state’s pilot program in the last election. “The process my staff, the military votingtask force and I have been advocating for has been tested and proven to work. It has the instant ability to increase the number of military and overseas voters’ ballots returned to our state by fifty percent or more,” Chapman said. The number of military absentee ballots requested in Alabama in the most recent election was 4,875; the number returned was only 1,125. That is a 23% return rate. Chapman says this is a problem nationwide, but is a worse problem in Alabama due to the length of time required by state law to receive ballots by U.S. Postal Service only. Read More

CT: What It Takes To Be A Registrar - Connecticut News Story - WFSB Hartford

The often overlooked role of Connecticut's Registrars of Voters, the people who oversee elections, was put into sharp focus when the state waited two weeks until a winner in the race for governor was declared last November. So the Channel 3 Eyewitness News I-Team started asking questions about registrars: how they get their jobs, how they do their jobs and what training do they receive for a job some call one of the last bastions of political patronage in our state.Connecticut has a new governor, but who that governor was going to be was in doubt for two long weeks in November, and at the center of the controversy was the registrars of voters.In Bridgeport, one of Connecticut's largest cities, registrars did not order enough ballots, so photocopies were provided and polling hours were extended. There were also challenges to the ballots that were cast and recounts."That usually seems to be a problem in the bigger cities for whatever reason," said John Daly, of Manchester. Read More

ID: Idaho bill requires election workers to register - KHQ Right Now

Lawmakers in Idaho are considering a measure to require people carrying out official election duties, such as poll watching, to be registered voters in the state. The measure is being introduced in the Idaho Legislature a year after state lawmakers passed a law requiring voters to provide photo identification to cast their ballots. Read More

IN: Vote center bill signed into law | Journal and Courier

Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a bill into law Tuesday authorizing the continued use of vote centers in Indiana. Early work on the legislation ensured it did not get caught up in the legislative rancor that led to Tuesday's boycott by Democratic House members. "This is the first bill in the current session to be approved by the Senate, passed out of the House of Representatives and signed into law by Gov. Mitch Daniels," said Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, author of the bill.Vote centers were first used in 2007 elections in Tippecanoe, Cass and Wayne counties. They gained popularity with voters because of their convenience and accessibility -- and with county officials because of their cost savings. Read More

KS: House panel back Kansas voter ID bill - El Dorado Times

A voting bill sought by Secretary of State Kris Kobach has been approved by a Kansas House committee. The House Elections and Local Government Committee amended the bill Monday to clarify documents that voters could use to prove citizenship when registering to vote. It also sets a process for first-time voters to prove citizenship if they lack documents when they initially register. Kobach says the changes are necessary to prevent voter fraud and to preserve the integrity of the election process. Democrats on the committee voted against the bill, saying the changes will disenfranchise voters by requiring extra steps to vote. Read More

MT: Election Day no longer a holiday under bill OK'd by Montana House - Missoulian.com

Election Day would no longer be a holiday for state employees under a bill passed by the House on Tuesday. House Bill 435, by Rep. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, passed on a 64-35 vote. It faces a final House vote before going to the Senate. It would end state holidays on the day of the November general election every other year. "My constituents have expressed frustration at state government being closed that day," he said. Rep. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, opposed the bill, saying that many state and local government employees now use the day off to work as local election judges. Ending the holiday would make it harder for election officials to find judges, she said. There was little debate on the bill.

NH: Bill would require NH voters to have a photo ID - Boston.com

Even the sponsor of a bill that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls says it needs further study. Rep. Richard Drisko testified Tuesday before a legislative committee and asked that his bill be held so lawmakers could examine approaches taken in other states. The bill would require New Hampshire residents to have a valid driver's license or a non-driver's photo ID to get a ballot, something not currently mandated. However, Drisko said the bill accomplishes a concern that wasn't addressed in a similar bill that failed last year. Drisko's bill would create a state fund to pay for a photo ID for voters who don't have one. But his bill doesn't address concerns like same-day voter registration, which is allowed in New Hampshire. Read More

TN: Bill To Require Photo ID At Polls Up For Debate - NewsChannel5.com

A controversial bill that would require all registered voters to show a photo ID before they vote is being debated on Capitol Hill. The bill has already passed the Senate, now it's up for debate in the House. Supporters said it could cut down on voter fraud. But opponents, like the AARP, are now coming out against it. They said it could lead to voter disenfranchisement. They believe requiring a photo ID could lead to an unnecessary obstacle to voting. "You have to know our senior citizens, not all of them have that," said Senator Thelma Harper. Read More

WI: Committee advances voter ID bill, without Dems - wrn.com

Things get a little heated at a Senate committee hearing Tuesday afternoon. Committee Chair Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) refuses to let missing senator Jon Erpenbach vote on the controversial photo ID bill. The Middleton Democrat had fled the state with other Senate Democrats to avoid a vote on Governor Walker’s budget repair bill. The New Berlin Republican scolds Erpenbach for not being present. “I’ll wait an hour.” She says, “If you are in Illinois you can be here in two hours; I can wait.” While phoning-in from an undisclosed location, Erpenbach chimes in, “Mary, I’m here now. I’m ready to vote.” Erpenbach asks Lazich to extend a courtesy allowing him to cast his vote via phone, just as he had done for her. Lazich says considering the “Call of the House,” his absence is “unethical” and no courtesies will be extended. Read More

International

Belarus: ODIHR publishes final report on Belarus` presidential election | БЕЛОРУССКИЕ НОВОСТИ

The trial of Russian citizens Artyom Breus and Ivan Gaponov charged in connection with the December 19 anti-Lukashenka demonstration in Minsk. The government has fully met its target for the conversion of companies into stock corporations but fallen behind its plan to sell shares into private hands, Ryhor Kuznyatsow, chairman of the..." The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on February 22 published its final report on Belarus` December 14-19 presidential election, reiterating that the government has a considerable way to go to meet its OSCE commitments for democratic elections, BelaPAN said. There was a lack of independence and impartiality of the election administration, an uneven playing field and a restrictive media environment, as well as a lack of transparency at key stages of the electoral process, the ODIHR concluded in its final report. “Election night was marred by the detention of most presidential candidates and hundreds of citizens, among them journalists, human rights activists and other civil society representatives,” the ODIHR says, noting that dozens of them, including former presidential candidates, continue to be detained. “Overall, these circumstances undermined confidence in the election,” the Office stresses. It says that despite significant improvements introduced to the Electoral Code a year earlier, the country’s legal framework “still does not fully comply with OSCE commitments and other international standards, and continues to contain serious shortcomings." Local election commissions were dominated by members supportive of the incumbent president, which calls into question their impartiality, the ODIHR notes. Read More

India: Zoramthanga blames Electronic Voting Machines for MNF’s defeat - The Assam Tribune Online

Mizoram opposition leader and former Chief Minister Zoramthanga has blamed the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the last Assembly election as a reason for his party’s defeat in the hands of the Congress. The last Mizoram Assembly was held in 2009 and the Mizo National Front (MNF) was defeated by the Lal Thanhawla-led Congress party. Zoramthanga, a former militant leader and also the former Chief Minister said that experts have proved that there were some errors in using EVMs. 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 =============================================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 in CO, Vote Centers in IN, Bill prohibiting Intenet "kill switch"

AL: Sec. of State Releases Legislative "Wish List" | ABC 32 WNCF TV

The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC). The bill preserves the Electoral College, while assuring that every vote is equal and that every voter will matter in every state in every presidential election. Every vote, everywhere, would be politically relevant and equal in presidential elections. Elections wouldn't be about winning states. Every vote, everywhere would be counted for and directly assist the candidate for whom it was cast. Candidates would need to care about voters across the nation, including for a change, West Virginia, not just undecided voters in a handful of swing states. Read More

CO: Ranked voting will be on the ballot in Fort Collins | Colorado Independent

Advocates from across the political spectrum officially launched a campaign this week to radically change how Fort Collins elects city officials. Joined by multiple Colorado legislators and city council members, Fort Collins Ranked Voting hosted their campaign kickoff event at Avogado’s Number in Fort Collins after garnering enough signatures to put the alternative voting method on the city’s April ballot. If approved, Fort Collins would replace the traditional plurality voting system with a method that ensures winners receive majority support. For the 2013 municipal elections the mayoral and city council races would use ranked choice voting, also called instant runoff voting, that allows voters to rank candidates on the ballot according to their personal preference. Read More

CO: Photo ID bill receives initial House approval - The Pueblo Chieftain

Utility bills no longer would stand as valid proof of residency to vote under a bill hotly debated before receiving preliminary approval Monday in the House. The proposal, HB1003, would require voters to show a state-issued photo identification card in order to cast a ballot. Republicans lined up to support the bill, sponsored by Reps. Ken Summers, R-Lakewood, and Libby Szabo, R-Arvada, as a safeguard against voter fraud. Democrats called it an obstacle to voting, particularly for senior citizens, the infirm, the homeless and others who tend not to possess the documents the bill would require of the mobility to easily obtain them. Read More

IN: Gov. Daniels signs Vote Center Bill | Indiana Politics | Lafayette Online

Gov. Mitch Daniels today signed into law a bill authored by State Sen. Ron Alting (R-Lafayette) authorizing the continued use of vote centers in Tippecanoe County and allowing it as an option for the entire state. “This is the first bill in the current session to be approved by the Senate, passed out of the House of Representatives and signed into law by Governor Mitch Daniels,” Alting said. “Overwhelming support for this new law shows how important it is to provide a convenience to voters and options to local governments that are looking to cut election costs.” Read More

IA: County Auditor: Voters in Motels Are No Reason for Voter ID Law | KCRG-TV9

Voters listing motels as their addresses on voter registration documents isn’t evidence of voter fraud, Linn County Auditor Joel Miller said Friday. Miller said Iowa Republicans are wrong to use motel listings on voter registration records in their push to require Iowa voters to present photo identification at polling places. To prove his point, Miller is traveling to motels throughout the county to verify that voters who say they live in those motels are actually there. In fact, as I’m finding, we do have people legitimately living in hotels and motels and registered to vote appropriately and there’s nothing wrong with that,” he said before doing a check at Ced Rel Motel outside Cedar Rapids on Friday afternoon. Rep. Renee Schulte, R-Cedar Rapids, has led Republican legislators’ charge to pass voter ID legislation. The measure, approved by the house last month, would require voters to show a state-issued photo identification before they’re allowed to cast ballots. Requiring a photo ID is “not new, not cutting edge,” Schulte said prior to the bill’s passage in the house. Twenty-seven other states have some kinof voter ID requirement, but only two require a photo ID. Read More

KS: House panel supports Kansas voter ID bill - KansasCity.com

A voting bill sought by Secretary of State Kris Kobach has been approved by a Kansas House committee. The House Elections and Local Government Committee amended the bill Monday to clarify documents that voters could use to prove citizenship when registering to vote. t also sets a process for first-time voters to prove citizenship if they lack documents when they initially register. Kobach says the changes are necessary to prevent voter fraud and to preserve the integrity of the election process. Read More

MD: Motor voter registration sees gaps - baltimoresun.com

Nearly one out of four Marylanders who have tried to register to vote at a Motor Vehicle Administration office in the past four years has not been added to the voter rolls, according to state records obtained by The Sun. Though some of these tens of thousands of would-be voters have undoubtedly found alternative methods to register, officials at the State Board of Elections say they field calls every year from residents who say they turned up at the polls on Election Day only to discover their names did not appear on the rolls. Elections officials, good-government advocates and lawmakers say the failures illustrate the challenges of implementing the federal Motor Voter Act. Read More

NE: Nebraska voting equipment accurate, review finds - KHGI-TV

A hand count of ballots in 33 Nebraska voting precincts that use optical-scanning equipment found errors in only three. Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale ordered an audit of the November 2010 general election results from randomly selected precincts. More than 7,800 ballots were hand-counted in a U.S. House of Representatives election, a community college race and a county race. Gale says the audit found errors in three precincts. In each case, a discrepancy was discovered in one race, on one ballot. Gale said Tuesday the review confirms that state vote-counting technology has a "minuscule error rate." Votes on races in 2 of the precincts were marked too lightly for the machines to count. In a third precinct, one ballot should have been rejected because it wasn't initialed by officials. Read More

WI: GOP raises the stakes: Voter ID Bill Coming to Wisconsin Legislature in Dems' Absence? - JSOnline- JSOnline

In a move meant to lure boycotting opposition senators back to Wisconsin, the Republican leader of the state Senate threatened Monday to force a vote soon on a bill that is abhorred by Democrats: requiring people to show an ID at the polls. The push on the photo ID bill by Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) is the latest example of Republicans pressuring Democrats in hopes of ending the standoff over the bill on union rights. Senate Democrats disappeared to Illinois on Thursday to prevent a vote on that bill, and they’ve been there ever since. Read More

National

Bill explicitly prohibits Internet shut down | Government Security News

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, (I-CT), Ranking Member Susan Collins, (R-ME), and Federal Financial Management Subcommittee Chairman Tom Carper, (D-DE), introduced updated cyber secrurity legislation aimed at not only securing national cyber infrastructure, but also at stanching fears of a government “Internet Kill Switch.” The Cybersecurity and Internet Freedom Act, said a joint statement on Feb. 17 by the three Senators, explicitly states that “neither the President, the Director of the National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications or any officer or employee of the United States Government shall have the authority to shut down the Internet.” It also provides an opportunity for judicial review of designations of our most sensitive systems and assets as “covered critical infrastructure.” The bill was introduced amid increasing concerns that cyber security legislation would include an insidious ability by the U.S. government to shut down Internet access for citizens. Lieberman said the unfounded fears had overshadowed the more important goals of protecting energy transmission, water supplies, financial services and other critical infrastgructure. Read More

International

Colombia weighs anti-election fraud measures - Colombia news | Colombia Reports

With Colombia's October 2011 local elections approaching, bodies involved in the electoral process held a forum to discuss technological solutions to voter fraud, newspaper El Espectador reported Tuesday. The deadline for implementing electronic voting systems in Colombia is 2014. Interior and Justice Minister German Vargas Lleras said he agrees with the technological improvement in the voting system but said that "the electronic vote has little importance where illegal groups are trying to take on a political project." The minister said that voter fraud had been recorded in over 300 towns and that the government has recently been informed about illegal armed groups pressuring voters. Vargas said that he is holding consultations with political parties with the intention of bringing a comprehensive reform of the electoral code to Congress. "We have not given up this possibility. It has been tried five times and nothing has come to fruition," said Vargas. Read More


Estonia: Cyber-titan Estonia drafts e-squad to secure election - AFP

Estonia announced Tuesday it was drafting in its newborn cyber-squad to ward off potential attacks on the Baltic state's pioneering e-voting system in its looming general election. "The cyber-unit of the Estonian Defence League will keep an eye on Internet traffic and will react in the event of any attack," Heiki Sibul, chairman of the national electoral commission, told reporters. After five decades of Soviet rule ended in 1991, Estonia opted to go hi-tech as fast as possible. The European Union nation of 1.3 million became one of the world's most cyber-focused nations, earning the nickname "E-stonia". Since falling victim to a politically-charged "cyber-war" in 2007 widely blamed on Russian hackers, it has become a leading light in fending off online attacks, and hosts NATO's IT-defence facility. Read More

Phillippines: Back to 'dagdag bawas' polls? - HIDDEN AGENDA By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes | The Philippine Star

While it seems Malacañang might get its wish to have this year’s elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) postponed and synchronized with the May 2013 polls, the debate continues on whether the ARMM polls should push through or not, especially with the prevailing view that it is needed to strengthen democratic institutions in the region. But besides pushing through with the elections, the government should also listen to the call of non-partisan groups like the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the Consortium for Electoral Reforms (CER) for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to use of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines in the ARMM polls this August. These PCOS machines, which were leased through public bidding from the consortium Smartmatic-TIM, were first used in the Philippines’ successful first crack at poll automation in the May 2010 presidential elections. 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 =============================================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 Bill Passes CO House, Lever MAchines in NY Village elections, Ironic Twist in NY Election Law

CO: Photo ID voting requirement passes House - KDVR

After a long argument on the House floor, Republicans were able to pass a bill that would require a photo ID in order to vote on an initial voice vote. House Bill 1003, sponsored by Reps. Ken Summer of Lakewood and Libby Szabo of Arvada, argued that not requiring an ID opens the door for voter fraud. Democrats, meanwhile, argued that such fraud is not widespread and that the ID requirement will make it harder for seniors and the poor to vote. Read More

KY: Absentee voting procedures for primary announced | The Courier-Journal

Registered voters in Jefferson County who will be absent from the county on May 17 — the day of the primary election — can either apply for an absentee ballot now or vote at the Election Center in the Urban Government Center on Barret Avenue April 18 through May 16.The Election Center began accepting absentee ballot application requests by phone on Jan. 24 and began mailing absentee applications Feb. 14. The center will begin mailing absentee ballots on March 29, said Nore Ghibaudy, spokesman for the Jefferson County Board of Elections. Read More

MN: Pro/Con: People should need a photo ID to vote | Duluth News Tribune

To a fair amount of attention, a well-conceived bill to require photo IDs for voting was introduced in the Minnesota Legislature this session. This would be an important and long-overdue election reform, but one that has been stymied by DFL leadership, more so than by rank-and-file DFL lawmakers; 10 DFL House members voted for it in the last legislative session. With a new Republican majority at the Legislature, the bill probably will be passed this session, one way or another. Read More

NH: Students oppose voting restrictions - Brattleboro Reformer

College students hoping to vote in New Hampshire would face the most restrictive registration law in the country if lawmakers pass a bill targeting both students and members of the military, according to a nonpartisan think tank that focuses on voting access and election law. Republican Rep. Gregory Sorg of Easton has proposed barring students from voting in college towns unless they lived there before enrolling. The bill also specifies that member of the military stationed in New Hampshire should continue to be residents of their previous states for voting purposes. Read More

NM: Is voter fraud an issue, or is it competence? - The Santa Fe New Mexican

Electoral fraud is a long-running complaint — from those whose party or candidates lose the election. Sometimes the whiners make a compelling argument: the presidential elections of 1960, when Illinois' Cook County "came in" for John F. Kennedy, and of 2000, when Florida shoehorned George W. Bush into office, for example. Here in New Mexico, Río Arriba County was once reputed to be a region where souls rose from the dead to vote, and our state's Republican minority sometimes seems more dedicated to grumbling about fraud than to electing candidates. Read More


NY: Bill Would Allow Villages to Continue Using Lever Voting Machines - Nyack-Piermont, NY Patch

State lawmakers sent a Valentine of sorts to villages around the state with the Feb. 14 passage of a bill that would allow some locales to continue to use lever voting machines. Specifically, the measure would allow villages that administer their own elections to use the old-fashioned machines instead of federally mandated electronic machines until Dec. 31, 2012. Read More

NY: Dem Frank Skartados doomed by vague election law crafted by his own lawyer - NY Daily News

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's former adviser wrote the state law that may have cost him his powerful, veto-proof, Democratic supermajority. Democrat Frank Skartados was forced to concede the seat for the 100th Assembly District last week when he was a mere 15 votes behind. In his heart of hearts, he believes he won. But in a double whammy of irony, Skartados was seemingly doomed by a vague election law that was crafted by his own lawyer, Kathleen O'Keefe, while she worked as Silver's chief election counsel. O'Keefe's strict interpretation of her own law walled off one of Skartados' last hopes of fighting for the seat. "I couldn't do anything with the way the law was written," said Skartados, who conceded to Republican Tom Kirwan after one of the most drawnout contests in state history. "But I feel that justice was not served because the voices of everyone were silenced by the courts." Read More

NC: Voter photo IDs are just a modern-day poll tax | The Asheville Citizen-Times

America was established with the goal of preserving the civil rights of every citizen who participates in society, no matter their personal history. Enter the present powers-that-be in Raleigh, Republicans advocating legal tactics to disqualify Democratic voters. Voter ID requirements disenfranchise minorities, the poor, women, elderly. While photo IDs seem harmless, they are in fact the modern-day poll tax. Obtaining documentation can be quite costly. Naturalization is itself an expensive process; a copy of the naturalization certificate is currently $380. Birth certificates differ from state to state, with some charging $24. In this economy, even a small fee for an ID can keep a family from putting food on the table for several days.And where are the examples of the supposed massive voter fraud? Research indicates they are rare. Common sense tells us that those who set out to cheat will find more efficient ways of defrauding the system. Read More

WI: Republicans moving ahead with voter ID bill - chicagotribune.com

While Democrats are staying away, Senate Republicans could take up a bill requiring voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said Monday that bill was being considered for a vote as the 14 Democrats remain away to avoid having to take up another measure taking away collective bargaining rights for public employees. A committee vote to advance the voter ID bill for debate in the Senate was scheduled for Tuesday. Democrats have fought the bill for years, which they argue would make it more difficult for minorities and elderly people to vote.

International

Colombia lacks funds to roll-out biometric voter ID - Colombia news

Biometric identification voting systems will not be available for the upcoming October local elections, according to Colombia's Interior and Justice Minister German Vargas Lleras. The Interior Justice Minister Wednesday said that there is not enough money to implement the new voting system. A full-scale implementation of the system has been debated since it was first presented in Cartagena, Bolivar in October of 2010 The minister also said that implementing these machines is not an important issue in areas where armed criminal groups are seeking to control the results of the upcoming elections. National Registrar Carlos Ariel Sanchez defended the new system, saying that the country has already spent $200 million on the modernization of the electoral process but "has not invested money in using the identification databases to prevent electoral fraud." Read More

India: The Hindu : States / Other States : Braille all set to be introduced in West Bengal Assembly elections

The West Bengal Election Commission is set to introduce the Braille facility for visually-challenged voters in all Assembly constituencies. “In the 2006 Assembly polls, the facility was introduced only in Kolkata, but this time we have decided to introduce the Braille facility in all the 294 constituencies,” a senior EC official said. The details would be chalked out in a meeting with the Election Commissioner, he said. The latest electronic voting machines have been equipped with Braille signs which could be introduced in nearly 70,000 booths all over the State, the official said. Read More

Uganda: Elections |Voting materials delay as polling starts - Daily Monitor

Ugandans Friday morning trooped to cast their ballots for presidential and parliamentary candidates but several reports indicate that voting materials had not arrived at polling stations even within the capital, Kampala. Within Kampala, voting was delayed in many parts of Nakawa, Kawempe, Rubaga and Makindye Divisions. The delay was apparently due to lack of transport for voting materials. Daily Monitor’s reporter in Nakawa, Flavia Lanyero, reports that voting started late in many of the polling stations that she visited. She said voting started at 9:40am at Ddungu polling station, at 9:50am at Kitintale Police Post. Electoral rules say voting is supposed to start at all polling centres at 7am but according to Ms Lanyero, polling officials only arrived at Kitintale Polling Station after 9:30pm. Read More

UK: Electoral reform would cost millions, say 'No' campaigners - UK Politics, UK - The Independent

The campaign against reforming Britain's voting system will today claim that the change will cost taxpayers tens of millions of pounds which could be spent on public services. Opponents of the proposal will also say that Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, gave up on his pledge to protect students from higher fees as part of the coalition negotiations in order to "wring" the referendum vote out of the Conservatives. Meanwhile, supporters of the Yes Campaign for Voting Reform will unveil two rather unlikely supporters of their crusade: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The actors Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, who both won Baftas for their portrayal of the royal couple in The King's Speech, have sent messages of support to the "Yes" camp. Read More

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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.http://www.blogger.com/blog_this.pyra?t=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnyack.patch.com%2Farticles%2Fbill-would-allow-villages-to-continue-using-lever-voting-machines-2&n=Bill+Would+Allow+Villages+to+Continue+Using+Lever+Voting+Machines+-+Nyack-Piermont%2C+NY+Patch

CentCO SOS role in Saguache election, IA Auditors oppose Voter ID, No Vote Fraud in Forsyth Co. NC snafu,

CO: Information indicates SOS played major role in escalating Saguache election snafu - Center Post Dispatch

Over the past several weeks, many things have come to light that point directly to the Secretary of State’s Office (SOS) and their failure to enforce their own rules as the cause of Saguache County’s November election upheaval. In reviewing surveillance videotapes, one of the most telling incidents found was SOS trainer Amy Wilson’s interaction with Christian Samora on Nov. 2, as he runs the M650 voting machine. Wilson watches Samora remove the dust cover to the machine and, clearly, no seals have been placed on any of the data ports. Zip disks sit out unsecured. Having discovered this clear violation of security precautions prescribed as remedies for the use of the once decertified M650 ballot counter, Wilson was obligated to report this violation to the SOS “immediately” per their own rules. Had she done so, the election would have reverted to a hand count, as is also required under SOS rules. SOS official contradicts himself. The statements made by SOS elections division official Judd Choate also paint a dismal picture of Colorado’s election protection system. Read More

CO: Ranked voting will be on the ballot in Fort Collins | Colorado Independent

Advocates from across the political spectrum officially launched a campaign this week to radically change how Fort Collins elects city officials. Joined by multiple Colorado legislators and city council members, Fort Collins Ranked Voting hosted their campaign kickoff event at Avogado’s Number in Fort Collins after garnering enough signatures to put the alternative voting method on the city’s April ballot. If approved, Fort Collins would replace the traditional plurality voting system with a method that ensures winners receive majority support. For the 2013 municipal elections the mayoral and city council races would use ranked choice voting, also called instant runoff voting, that allows voters to rank candidates on the ballot according to their personal preference. Rep. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins, an advisor to the group, said the system is simple. Kefalas explained that if any candidate receives the majority of first place votes, they win. If no candidate receives a majority, the votes for the last place candidate are redistributed among the remaining candidates according to each voter’s preference. The process repeats until one candidate holds a simple majority. “It’s just like choosing your favorite ice cream,” Kefalas said. Read More

CT: Editorial: Lawmakers should make voting easier - Courant.com

One of the ways Connecticut can improve turnout on Election Day is to loosen restrictions on absentee voting. Lawmakers will hold hearings on a number of election-related bills this session, including some that would correct faults in ballot-counting procedures that became evident in Bridgeport in November's gubernatorial election. They'll also propose measures to increase voter turnout. We hope normally change-resistant Connecticut legislators aren't afraid to shake things up. Currently, the state Constitution says eligible Connecticut voters can use absentee ballots only if they are unable to go to the polls on Election Day for the following reasons: military duty, an out-of-town commitment, illness, disability, religious prohibition on secular activity on an election day, or work as an election official. Read More

IN: Monroe County Election Board addresses past, future voting policy | City & State | Indiana Daily Student

The Monroe County Election Board met Thursday to discuss the 2010 midterm election, new voting machines and accessibility issues for the upcoming municipal primary election. The board manages electoral policy and carries out elections for the county. The members of the board are Democrat Jan Ellis, chairwoman, Republican Judith Smith-Ille and Democrat Linda Robbins, Monroe County clerk and board secretary. Democrat Lee Jones was present in Ellis’ place Thursday. Read More

IN: Secretary of state won't face charges in incident at courthouse | The Indianapolis Star

Hamilton County authorities investigated an altercation involving Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White on Thursday at the courthouse where a grand jury is looking into vote-fraud allegations against him. A Sheriff's Department spokeswoman said Thursday that no charges would be filed in connection with the incident, which involved White and Westfield attorney Tim Stoesz. Stoesz has clashed with White, the former Hamilton County Republican chairman, over political matters in the past. A Sheriff's Department report described the incident as a disturbance on the second floor of the Hamilton County Judicial Center and said it was determined that "no criminal activity took place.'' Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Vicki Dunbar said Thursday that no charges would be filed. Read More

IA: Auditors oppose current voter ID bill - Le Mars Daily Sentinel

Iowa state auditors are opposed to a House bill that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls. Auditors are not against the idea of showing a photo ID to vote; they dislike the terms outlined specifically in House Bill 95, said Stacey Feldman, Plymouth County auditor. "The auditors aren't trying to say we oppose photo ID because we don't believe there's fraud in our state or we don't think we need to have better election laws to prevent fraud," Feldman said. "That's not what the message is. The message is specific to that House file." The Iowa State Association of County Auditors (ISACA) discussed the issue at a special meeting last Friday in Des Moines Feldman attended. She outlined the main problems ISACA auditors have with the proposed bill, from lack of money to pay for the changes to an increase in provisional balloting, "The biggest thing is voter education. There's a huge emphasis put on educating the public and the voter of the change if it were to pass," Feldman said. "And there's no funding behind it." That could possibly mean those education costs would trickle down to the county level and be passed on at the local level, Feldman said. Read More

NC: State Bureau of Investigation: No widespread voter fraud in Forsyth County | JournalNow.com

The State Bureau of Investigation has finished a probe of alleged voting fraud in Forsyth County and concluded that no widespread fraud took place. District Attorney Jim O’Neill said this afternoon that he had asked the SBI to look at Forsyth County elections after an incident in May 2010 in which a woman attempted to vote twice. An investigator with the N.C. State Board of Elections conducted a preliminary investigation and turned the results over to O’Neill. O’Neill then asked the SBI to find out if the case of voter misconduct was an isolated one, or if there was “a wider case of voter fraud conspiracy.” Read More

NY: State might allow lever voting machines in village elections | Watertown Daily Times

New Yorkers would continue to pull the lever — literally — for their preferred candidates in village elections under a bill passed Monday by the state Assembly. The bill must pass the Senate and the governor must approve it before it becomes law. In 2010 primary and general elections, the state made the switch from the lever machines — which are difficult for people with disabilities to use — to optical scanning machines to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act. Read More

OH: Lucas Co. BOE upgrade voting machines | 13abc.com

Lucas County Board of Elections began the upgrade of voting machines Thursday. Technicians are training Board of Election employees to complete the upgrades to the voting machines. The improvements will allow the county to use new high speed scanners and save money. Linda Howe says, "It will save us money in the future by the number of people we have to hire every year for Election Day." The director of the Board of Elections, Linda Howe, says finding people to work election night is tough. She says, "We were happy with the employees we had doing it, but its difficult to find people who can come in at 9pm on election night." Read More

SC: Election officials want ‘checks and balances’ - TheState.com

Richland County election officials will develop new practices to ensure that every vote is counted, after an outside audit found 1,127 electronic ballots went missing in the November election. Members of the county election commission said Thursday they hope to conduct a recount and develop fail-safe procedures in about three weeks. An audit of computer records, conducted by the League of Women Voters of South Carolina and released this week, uncovered errors with the vote tallies at two of the county’s 126 precincts. Computer records of votes mistakenly were not removed from some voting machines in the Bluff and Ward 21 precincts, election director Mike Cinnamon acknowledged Thursday. “We view what happened as human error,” said Cinnamon, director of elections for nearly 40 years. “It should never have happened, but did.” He reiterated that the 1,127 votes would not have changed the outcome of any race or ballot issue. Duncan Buell, the computer scientist who conducted the League’s review, concurred. Problems came to light a week after the election, when Richland Councilman Kelvin Washington called Cinnamon to express concerns that the numbers for the Bluff precinct were wrong. By then, Cinnamon said, the total vote already had been certified as accurate. “I do not know, cannot figure out, why that was not reported to you at that time,” Cinnamon told the commission. “That was our fault.” Read More

WV: Bill affects state's electoral votes - News - Charleston Daily Mail

A hotly debated bill to change the way U.S. presidents are elected emerged from a House committee on a voice vote. West Virginia would begin awarding its five electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote - regardless of how the state voted -- under the bill that cleared the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday. If the proposed system had been in place in 2008, this state's five electors would have cast ballots for Barack Obama. Republican John McCain soundly defeated Democrat Obama in West Virginia. The vote was 56 percent for McCain and 43 percent for Obama. Bill supporters argue the proposed system would cause presidential candidates to pay more attention to small states. Opponents believe just the opposite. House Bill 2378 would enroll the state in an interstate compact known as the "Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote." Read More

International

Ireland: Changing the voting system - The Irish Times

Twice in the history of the State, in 1959 and 1968, Fianna Fáil sought unsuccessfully in referendums to persuade the people to replace our voting system – proportional representation by the single transferable vote (PR-STV) – with the crude British “first past the post” system. On both occasions the No majorities, 52 to 48 and 61 to 39 per cent respectively, reflected the widely held perception that the party was simply trying cynically to copperfasten a permanent majority. Now, once again, changes to our PR system are being proposed with four parties backing its review or replacement. Germany’s model is Fianna Fáil’s manifesto alternative, “a mixed system of single-seat constituencies elected through the system of single transferable vote and a top-up national list which will ensure proportional representation”. The Green Party agrees, but specifies the top-up list would fill half the total seats, while Sinn Féin also wants a list system for a third of seats, but would retain multiple-seat constituencies for the rest. Fine Gael wants to ask a citizens’ assembly “to consider the merits or otherwise of a mixed member system where the Dáil has TDs that are directly elected and or where some are elected from a list”. Read More

Nigeria: The 'Rigging' We Will Not Discuss - allAfrica.com

We have a huge problem on our hands. We are facing the scary prospect of having the worst organised election in recent memory. Let no one delude Nigerians with the 'by the grace of God, Insha Allah' singsongs that we love to cling on too with a minimal input from our human angle. The general belief in our political system is that 'rigging' starts and ends with, ballot box snatching, stuffing or voting by under aged or fictitious names which must have been a strategy by some politicians who want to outsmart opponents anyway. Giving the situation we have at the moment, it should be clear to all Nigerians that we are in for some drama before, during and after the April elections. As I write, most of the candidates for the elections do not even know their status. There are court orders from nominees, losers at party primaries, INEC, political parties and just about anyone who wants a piece of the cake. Read More

Uganda Army Chasing Agents From Polling Stations, Shots Fired - WSJ.com

The Ugandan opposition Interparty Coalition has accused the country's military of harassing and chasing away opposition poll agents from polling centers in eastern Uganda, a spokeswoman said Friday. Margaret Wokuri said soldiers beat up opposition agents, forcing them to flee their posts in the coffee-growing districts of Mbale and Bududa. The agents were appointed by the IPC to monitor the election, which started early Friday. Troops also shot at a crowd of voters, injuring several people including Julius Onyago, a photo journalist working with the Kampala-based newspaper, the Razor, witnesses told Dow Jones Newswires from Mbale, Eastern Uganda. "They shot the journalist in the arm after he refused to hand over his camera," Nandala Mafabi, a law maker from Eastern Uganda said. Mafabi's vehicle was also shot at several times as the troops tried to stop his from reaching the polling stations affected. Read More

UK: What Is The Alternative Voting System?

Under the proposed Alternative Vote system people would choose one MP to represent their constituency in the House of Commons, like they do under the current First-Past-The-Post model. However, AV would require the winner to gain the approval of more than 50% of the voters in their constituency. Rather than placing an 'X' next to their preferred candidate on the ballot paper, the voter ranks each one in order of preference. If one candidate receives over half of the first place votes, he or she is elected. But if no single candidate gets an absolute majority, the second choices for the least popular candidate are redistributed. The process is repeated until one candidate gets an absolute majority. Read More

UK: Vote referendum: Clegg v Cameron - BBC News

David Cameron and Nick Clegg can sometimes appear joined at the hip but among the issues on which they fundamentally disagree is the way Britain elects its MPs. Britain will go to the polls on 5 May to decide whether to keep the first-past-the post voting system at Westminster elections or change to the Alternative Vote method, in which voters rank their choices in order of preference. The prime minister and deputy prime minister have both now set out where they stand in separate speeches. Here is what they had to say - followed by an analysis of how they said it. Read More

UK: Prisoners lose voting legal bid in High Court battle | Evening Standard

A High Court judge fuelled the row between Britain and Europe today by rejecting prisoners' demands for compensation for not having the vote. A total of 588 inmates have made claims against Justice Secretary Ken Clarke, with a possible 1,000 more in the pipeline. But Mr Justice Langstaff said the law - including the UK's Human Rights Act - made it clear they had no right to the ballot. Last week, MPs voted by 234 to 22 to defy the European Court of Human Rights and keep a blanket ban on enfranchising prisoners. The court has ruled that taking the vote from inmates breaches their rights. Yesterday its president, Jean-Paul Costa, compared Britain's approach to Greece's Sixties dictatorship. He said only the Greek junta of colonels had previously dared to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights. Today, however, Mr Justice Langstaff said judges in this country could only rule on laws passed by Parliament, including the Human Rights Act - which incorporates the European Convention in British law. Read More



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