Kudos to Humboldt County CA Registrar Carolyn Crnich, Yolo County. CA Registrar Freddy Oakley, for adopting innovative methods to increase transparency & public involvement in elections..Big applause to Columbia Co New York Election Commish Virginia Martin for hand counting the votes, leaving no doubt about the results....Credibility of Minnesota's election process vindicated.. Nassau SD 07 audit to expand..This headline make my hair explode-Tom Green Co TX: "1,545 local ballots found. Votes would not have changed election results"..
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AK: Judge hears arguments in Miller's Senate battle; decision won't come before Friday http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/politics/7770-judge-hears-arguments-in-millers-senate-battle-decision-wont-come-before-friday
AK: Alaska elections director disputes Miller voting claims
http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/10606088/article-Alaska-elections-director-disputes-Miller-voting-claims-?instance=home_news_window_left_top_1
... disputed Republican Joe Miller's allegations that perhaps hundreds of felons were wrongfully allowed to vote in last month's U.S. Senate race.
Gail Fenumiai said the state Division of Elections compares its voter rolls weekly with data from the Department of Corrections and removes those who have lost their right to vote. Asked if she had any concerns that felons were wrongfully allowed to vote, she answered emphatically: "Absolutely not.
CA: Election Integrity Awards in Marin Co., California on 12/16
http://democracyandelectionintegrity.org/ MEET two brave and innovative registrars of voters and their associates who introduced the TEVS open source method to create safer, more transparent elections in their counties and engaged citizens in the process. MEET AND TALK TO THE AWARD WINNERS
From Humboldt County Carolyn Crnich, Mitch Trachtenberg and Kevin Collins
From Yolo County, Tom Stanionis and Freddie Oakley (Freddie is unable to attend)
CA: Board asks elections chief to make changes(Ventura County)
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/08/board-asks-elections-chief-to-make-changes/
CO: Canvass Board submits vote abstract, files complaint* (Saguache County)
http://www.centerpostdispatch.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=1406&page=72 (machines not secured, logic & accuracy not according to rule, ballots altered with sticky tabs, audit not correctly performed, every time ballots scanned machine gave different result, various discrepancies...)
CO: Clerk misrepresents returns (Saguache County)
http://www.centerpostdispatch.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=1407 Contrary to Myers press release, the official canvass board statement found discrepancies in machine vote counts for all races and did not “sign off” on the final “audit” but instead submitted only a vote abstract..
MN: Credibility of Minnesota's election process vindicated. http://ceimn.org/Minnesota_recount_Dayton_Emmer_Governor_Ritchie_elections_voting_SCTimes
The state's elections system works in a credible and accurate way.
NC: Close call: Recount for statewide instant-runoff, judicial election
http://www.mountainx.com/news/2010/ballots_must_be_counted_again_in_statewide_instant-runoff_election
NC: Polston submits new protest of general election
http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2010/dec/09/polston-submits-new-protest-of-general-election-ar-602441/
He wants all results from East Winston center tossed out
Polston is asking the Forsyth County Board of Elections to toss out all the results from the East Winston Heritage Center precinct because blank ballots were found in the box when elections officials conducted a recount.
NY: Your vote counts. By VIRGINIA MARTIN Dem. election commissioner of Columbia Co. http://www.columbiapaper.com/index.php/opinions/1675-by-virginia-martin-
Why county is hand-counting all its ballots
...We're using this as an opportunity to boost civic participation in our elections. In a hands-on, see-it-with-their-own-eyes way, we're having individuals count the votes that were cast by their neighbors. No one in our county will speculate that the results were skewed because the machines didn't work right.
NY: Virginia Martin is a hero of American democracy (INTERVIEW)
http://markcrispinmiller.com/2010/12/virginia-martin-is-a-hero-of-american-democracy-interview/
VM: We had to develop a great many highly specific procedures in order to ensure (and, after the fact, to confirm) that the chain of custody would always be unbroken, that no process would be undertaken unilaterally, and that correct results would be reported.
NY: Nassau election: it's almost over (Nassau SD 07 audit to expand)
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/spin-cycle-1.812042/nassau-election-it-s-almost-over-1.2529996 Both parties said the audit would “continue,” but with no timetable to resume the audit. Also, they did not conclude that the machines had “failed,” a threshold in the state law that is not defined.
NY: Tale Of The Tape: With 80,000 New Votes Tallied, Election Night Accuracy Questioned http://www.queenstribune.com/feature/Feature_120910.html “I’m not sure the public really appreciates the extent to which human error plays a role in election results,” said Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest),
NY: Board of Elections employee testifies in front of grand jury
http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/12/09/news/doc4d01238475c98703711821.txt
OR: Oregon Republicans want partial recount in governor's race to test Multnomah County http://blog.oregonlive.com/mapesonpolitics/2010/12/oregon_republicans_want_partia.html
"Simply put, it's cheap insurance to make sure the tabulation was accurate," said Oregon Republican Chairman Bob Tiernan...
OH: Dispute leaves elections in limbo
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101209/NEWS0108/12100327/Dispute-leaves-elections-in-limbo Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner will apparently have to decide how the Hamilton County Board of Elections will carry out a court-ordered review of provisional ballots in the as-yet-undecided juvenile court race, because the board is split along party lines.
OR: Recount starts in State Senator election
http://www.ktvl.com/articles/state-1198050-election-bates.html
MEDFORD, Ore. -- The election for District 3 Oregon State Senator is far from over, as the recount in the Bates-Dotterrer race began Wednesday.
...
"People have to have a real confidence in democracy -- a real confidence in how we run a vote count, and I think when this is done they will feel that way," Bates said.
SD: Election crime deprives at least one student vote
http://www.sdsucollegian.com/news/election-crime-deprives-at-least-one-student-vote-1.1824755 Law enforcement investigating who's responsible turning in voter registration forms past deadline
TX: 2010 ELECTION: 1,545 local ballots found (Tom Green County)
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2010/dec/08/ballot-box-left-out-of-vote-totals-nov-2/
Votes would not have changed election results
“Once we realized it was something to do with early voting, we realized one of the mobile ballot boxes was missing,” McKerley said. “We found a shelf that had our training equipment, and somehow that piece of equipment had gotten set on those shelves.”
...
McKerley said her office first realized something was wrong during the week of Thanksgiving
TX: Inept step: Decision to disrupt voter registration at naturalization ceremonies ill-considered http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/7330909.html
Internet Voting Watch
The Call for Papers for the Conference on Electronic Democracy is extended until January 16th, 2011. http://www.e-voting.cc/
National
FVAP: Overseas Citizens Post-Election Survey
http://www.fvap.gov/reference/overseassurvey.html The survey is one of the few tools we have to gauge what you and other overseas U.S. citizens think of the absentee voting process.
International
India: Bihar opposition want end to voting machines
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/india/bihar-opposition-want-end-to-voting-machines-1.726994 Parties cite examples of US and Germany which have done away with the practice
Mogeria: Thieves steal voting equipment at Nigeria airport
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2013632378_apafnigeriaelection.html
Thieves infiltrated Nigeria's main international airport and stole just-arrived equipment needed to register voters in the oil-rich nation ahead of next year's hotly contested presidential election, an official said Thursday.
...
The theft, while not immediately linked to corrupt politicians, is a troubling sign heading into Nigeria's election. The West African nation emerged from dictatorships into an unsteady democracy only a decade ago, with thuggery and fraud a common feature in local, state and federal elections.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy. Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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=============================================
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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, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Michigan recount uncovers ballot probs. Internet voting in age of Cyber War
Michigan recount mess: 1000s of ballots in Huron & Tuscola Cnty weren't secured properly so cant be recounted...NC Statewide IRV contest faces recount..MY City, How Do You Lose Nearly 200,000 Votes? "This calls into question the whole validity of the process." — Sam Roberts..India missing 4,000 electronic voting machines..Dr. Barbara Simons on internet voting...All out Cyber War over Wikileaks shows risk of using internet for elections..
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AK: Miller disputes Senate vote count at Juneau hearing
http://www.ktuu.com/news/ktuu-miller-senate-suit-hearing-120810,0,3656395.story
Miller argues that write-in votes must name “Lisa Murkowski,” exactly as her name appears on her declaration of candidacy, to be counted.
AK: Alaska judge to decide Senate challenge by Friday
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/08/AR2010120800930.html
A decision in Miller's favor could result in thousands of challenged write-in ballots for incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski being tossed and lead to a recount
AR: Losing candidates file lawsuit over missing absentee ballots in Arkansas' Phillips county http://www.kspr.com/sns-ap-ar--newsnow,0,7936274.story
Phillips County election officials say 65 absentee ballots from the Nov. 2 general election are missing and now several candidates who lost close races are filing a lawsuit.
...
The list showed 608 absentee votes were cast, but only 543 were turned over to commissioners for certification on Nov. 15.
CA: After losing, politician rethinks ranked-choice voting
http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/after-losing-politician-rethinks-ranked-choice-voting-7291
San Leandro Mayor Tony Santos was a big booster of ranked-choice voting, the controversial new system for conducting local elections in California
FL: December 12th is the 10th Anniversary of Supreme Court Decision to Halt Florida Recount in 2000 Presidential Election http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/december-12th-is-the-10th-anniversary-of-supreme-court-decision-to-halt-florida-recount-in-2000-presidential-election-111481979.html
IL: Judge to Naperville: Return candidates to ballot
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20101207/news/712089915/
A DuPage County judge on Tuesday ordered the city of Naperville to allow two city council candidates back on the April 5 ballot.
They were among four kicked off the ballot due to what they called misleading paperwork issued by the city. In the wake of that ruling, two other candidates, forced off for the same reason, also were reinstated.
IN: Secretary of State-Elect Tries Again to Halt Election Challenge
http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?id=1322622 Parker claims White is ineligible to take office because he registered to vote at the wrong address. Brooks says that's a misstatement of the law, which requires only that candidates be registered in the district they intend to serve -- in White's case, the entire state.
MA: Plymouth County election results official despite missing names
http://www.wickedlocal.com/norwell/news/x1921990420/Plymouth-County-election-results-official-despite-missing-names “The mantra is supposed to be ‘count every vote,’ ” Markham said, “but though the commonwealth must have known there was a problem with several towns when they didn’t report the names of their top write-ins, they did nothing.”
MI: Election recount uncovers ballot problems
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=7831069 Trouble first showed up in Huron County, where about 25 percent of the ballots could not be recounted....
A state election official says at least 10 of the 32 precincts in Tuscola County cannot be recounted because of these and other mistakes made by precinct officials.
(Huron & Tuscola Cnty,ballots not properly secured can't be recounted)
MI: Cost costs $250,000 and rising for Saugatuck Township in legal battle with developer Aubrey McClendon http://www.hollandsentinel.com/topstories/x1757248538/Cost-costs-250-000-and-rising-for-Saugatuck-Township-in-legal-battle-with-developer-Aubrey-McClendon The filing on behalf of township residents Walter Hanlin and John Latini is funded by Aubrey McClendon. It alleges township officials inappropriately handled the ballots from the May 5 election and botched a recount.
MN: Tom Emmer concedes gubernatorial election to Mark Dayton
http://ecmpostreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6868&Itemid=1
Following a statewide recount and after receiving a written opinion from the Minnesota Supreme Court, reaffirming its earlier opinion that dismissed a key Emmer argument that election officials across the state had not acted appropriately in reconciling precinct returns.
MN: Supreme Court says counties correctly reconciled results
http://ceimn.org/Minnesota_recount_Dayton_Emmer_Governor_supreme_court_elections
The Supreme Court today released the reasoning behind its decision last month to deny Republican Tom Emmer's request to order counties to re-do a process known as reconciliation
NC: N.C. Appeals Court Runoff Heads for Recount
http://www.thevoterupdate.com/articles/2010/12_8_10_irv_recount.php
More than a month after voting ended in North Carolina, the only statewide race still without a winner is headed for a recount.
NC: Thigpen wants re-count in N.C. Court of Appeals race
http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/12/08/article/thigpen_wants_re_count_in_nc_court_of_appeals_race Spokesman Reid Overcash says Thigpen wants to make sure the count was performed properly because instructions may have been confusing to county officials
NC: Buncombe County Board of Elections finishes weeklong hand count
http://www.mountainx.com/news/2010/buncombe_county_board_of_elections_completes_week-long_vote_tally
NC: Instant runoff flop
http://www.news-record.com/blog/54431/entry/106453 Well, it's still not settled -- belying the "instant" component of this hare-brained scheme.
NC: Hearing Held in Lawsuit by Voters in Kinston, North Carolina, Who Want Non-Partisan City Elections http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/07/hearing-held-in-lawsuit-by-voters-in-kinston-north-carolina-who-want-non-partisan-city-elections/
On December 3, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates, a Bush Jr. appointee, held a hearing in Laroque v Holder, 10-0561. The case is in federal court in Washington, D.C.
NY: Johnson to appeal ruling of Martins victory
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/johnson-to-appeal-ruling-of-martins-victory-1.2522022
NY: Altschuler Concedes House Race In Suffolk
http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new_york/altschuler_concedes_house_race_suffolk
Although initial returns showed Bishop the winner, additional votes were later discovered that gave Altschuler the edge. But when absentee and affidavit ballots were counted, Bishop regained the lead.
...
There were calls for a hand recount, but the Suffolk County Board of Elections conducted an audit of 3 percent of the voting machines, found that they had performed without error and certified the election.
NY: City, town officials balk at paying election costs
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101207/NEWS/12070325/-1/SITEMAP (Goshen)
NY: New York, NY - Bloomberg: New Voting Machines Are Worse Than Paper Ballots
http://www.vosizneias.com/70620/2010/12/07/new-york-ny-bloomberg-new-voting-machines-are-worse-than-paper-ballots/
NY: How Do You Lose Nearly 200,000 Votes? (podcast available)
http://www.wnyc.org/articles/its-free-country/2010/dec/07/lose-nearly-200000-votes/
On today's Brian Lehrer Show, Sam Roberts, urban affairs correspondent for The New York Times, talks about the discovery of nearly 200,000 unreported votes from the mid-term elections.
OH: Election lawsuit looming? County commish race in court? (Lucas County)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=506Da8YyPzc
Republican candidate George Sarantou is marshaling his political forces behind an effort to find out whether hundreds of provisional ballots were properly included in the recent vote certification...
TX: Harris Co. voter registration changes cause a stir
http://www.khou.com/news/local/Department-of-Justice-Looks-Into-Harris-County-Voter-Registration-Changes-111410974.html new process for newly naturalized systems might not include voter registration
WI: Few faults found with Waukesha County clerk's election system
http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/111555214.html Among the recommendations from Internal Audit Manager Lori Schubert: assigning different IDs and passwords to three employees who now use the same one; never connecting certain PCs to the county network or Internet; and storing periodic back-up of programming data in some place other than the courthouse.
Internet Voting Watch
Barbara Simons on internet voting (presentation slides available)
http://fsi.stanford.edu/news/barbara_simonsinternet_voting_an_idea_whose
_time_has_not_come_liberation_technology_series_summary_20101207/
http://tinyurl.com/24sg6vk There are a plethora of powerful technologies that make Internet voting inherently unsafe.
'ALL-OUT CYBER WAR' OVER WIKILEAKS
Extraordinary battle underscores serious threats to our very democracy, in more ways than one.. http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8237 Despite the proven ability of a small group of hackers to take down several of the most secure financial sites in the universe, with ease, in what appears to be incredibly short notice, there remain those who believe that voting over the Internet and e-voting at local polling places, can be carried out safely and securely --- even with, often, trillions of dollars riding on the outcome of such elections.
Leaked Cables: Chinese Hackers Used Microsoft Source Code To Attack Google & US Government http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/69455
WikiLeaks cables have shown that Chinese security firms, with ties to the Chinese military, hired hackers, including the group responsible for the original Blaster worm, to exploit Windows vulnerabilities, attack Google and conduct cyber warfare against U.S. government websites.
Symantec Predicts 2011 Security Trends
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2373894,00.asp
Given the "huge sums of money available to criminal enterprises at low risk of prosecution," Symantec predicts further attacks on non-PC devices, possibly smartphones, electronic voting systems, or power grid controllers.
National
Procedural Manual for the Election Assistance Commission's Voting System Testing and Certification Program, Version 2.0 http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2010/11/30/2010-30101/procedural-manual-for-the-election-assistance-commissions-voting-system-testing-and-certification This article has a comment period that ends in 55 days
Commentary Suggests that Gerrymandering in the United States is On the Way Out
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/08/commentary-suggests-that-gerrymandering-in-the-united-states-is-on-the-way-out/
International
Canada: How votes are counted (uses ES&S optical scanners)
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/902470--how-votes-are-counted
As Peel Regional Police investigate allegations of voting fraud, Mississauga and the company that supplies voting machines are defending the reliability of the technology
Egypt: Elections Monitor: Violence in run-offs and calls to dissolve parliament
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/elections-monitor-violence-run-offs-and-calls-dissolve-parliament
India: Vijayawada police recover 6 stolen EVMs, 4 persons arrested
http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/vijayawada-police-recover-6-stolen-evms-4-persons-arrested/520504.html
India: Missing EVMs beep an alarm
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/119245/missing-evms-beep-alarm.html
The recent recovery of some EVMs from a scrap dealer at Vijayawada strengthens fears about the efficacy and safety of polling machines. It also corroborates a campaign launched by political parties and certain NGOs in Andhra Pradesh, which estimate that an astounding 4,000 EVMs have gone unaccounted since the 2004 parliamentary elections.
Nicaragua, Venezuela: Venezuela aided Nicaragua vote-buying, U.S. leak says
http://www.americas-forum.org/content/venezuela-aided-nicaragua-vote-buying-us-leak-says Nicaragua received "suitcases full of cash" from Venezuela that may have helped to sway tainted elections in 2008, according to U.S. diplomatic cables that throw light on Nicaragua's increasingly authoritarian leader Daniel Ortega.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy. Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and
at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from 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
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AK: Miller disputes Senate vote count at Juneau hearing
http://www.ktuu.com/news/ktuu-miller-senate-suit-hearing-120810,0,3656395.story
Miller argues that write-in votes must name “Lisa Murkowski,” exactly as her name appears on her declaration of candidacy, to be counted.
AK: Alaska judge to decide Senate challenge by Friday
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/08/AR2010120800930.html
A decision in Miller's favor could result in thousands of challenged write-in ballots for incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski being tossed and lead to a recount
AR: Losing candidates file lawsuit over missing absentee ballots in Arkansas' Phillips county http://www.kspr.com/sns-ap-ar--newsnow,0,7936274.story
Phillips County election officials say 65 absentee ballots from the Nov. 2 general election are missing and now several candidates who lost close races are filing a lawsuit.
...
The list showed 608 absentee votes were cast, but only 543 were turned over to commissioners for certification on Nov. 15.
CA: After losing, politician rethinks ranked-choice voting
http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/after-losing-politician-rethinks-ranked-choice-voting-7291
San Leandro Mayor Tony Santos was a big booster of ranked-choice voting, the controversial new system for conducting local elections in California
FL: December 12th is the 10th Anniversary of Supreme Court Decision to Halt Florida Recount in 2000 Presidential Election http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/december-12th-is-the-10th-anniversary-of-supreme-court-decision-to-halt-florida-recount-in-2000-presidential-election-111481979.html
IL: Judge to Naperville: Return candidates to ballot
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20101207/news/712089915/
A DuPage County judge on Tuesday ordered the city of Naperville to allow two city council candidates back on the April 5 ballot.
They were among four kicked off the ballot due to what they called misleading paperwork issued by the city. In the wake of that ruling, two other candidates, forced off for the same reason, also were reinstated.
IN: Secretary of State-Elect Tries Again to Halt Election Challenge
http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?id=1322622 Parker claims White is ineligible to take office because he registered to vote at the wrong address. Brooks says that's a misstatement of the law, which requires only that candidates be registered in the district they intend to serve -- in White's case, the entire state.
MA: Plymouth County election results official despite missing names
http://www.wickedlocal.com/norwell/news/x1921990420/Plymouth-County-election-results-official-despite-missing-names “The mantra is supposed to be ‘count every vote,’ ” Markham said, “but though the commonwealth must have known there was a problem with several towns when they didn’t report the names of their top write-ins, they did nothing.”
MI: Election recount uncovers ballot problems
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=7831069 Trouble first showed up in Huron County, where about 25 percent of the ballots could not be recounted....
A state election official says at least 10 of the 32 precincts in Tuscola County cannot be recounted because of these and other mistakes made by precinct officials.
(Huron & Tuscola Cnty,ballots not properly secured can't be recounted)
MI: Cost costs $250,000 and rising for Saugatuck Township in legal battle with developer Aubrey McClendon http://www.hollandsentinel.com/topstories/x1757248538/Cost-costs-250-000-and-rising-for-Saugatuck-Township-in-legal-battle-with-developer-Aubrey-McClendon The filing on behalf of township residents Walter Hanlin and John Latini is funded by Aubrey McClendon. It alleges township officials inappropriately handled the ballots from the May 5 election and botched a recount.
MN: Tom Emmer concedes gubernatorial election to Mark Dayton
http://ecmpostreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6868&Itemid=1
Following a statewide recount and after receiving a written opinion from the Minnesota Supreme Court, reaffirming its earlier opinion that dismissed a key Emmer argument that election officials across the state had not acted appropriately in reconciling precinct returns.
MN: Supreme Court says counties correctly reconciled results
http://ceimn.org/Minnesota_recount_Dayton_Emmer_Governor_supreme_court_elections
The Supreme Court today released the reasoning behind its decision last month to deny Republican Tom Emmer's request to order counties to re-do a process known as reconciliation
NC: N.C. Appeals Court Runoff Heads for Recount
http://www.thevoterupdate.com/articles/2010/12_8_10_irv_recount.php
More than a month after voting ended in North Carolina, the only statewide race still without a winner is headed for a recount.
NC: Thigpen wants re-count in N.C. Court of Appeals race
http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/12/08/article/thigpen_wants_re_count_in_nc_court_of_appeals_race Spokesman Reid Overcash says Thigpen wants to make sure the count was performed properly because instructions may have been confusing to county officials
NC: Buncombe County Board of Elections finishes weeklong hand count
http://www.mountainx.com/news/2010/buncombe_county_board_of_elections_completes_week-long_vote_tally
NC: Instant runoff flop
http://www.news-record.com/blog/54431/entry/106453 Well, it's still not settled -- belying the "instant" component of this hare-brained scheme.
NC: Hearing Held in Lawsuit by Voters in Kinston, North Carolina, Who Want Non-Partisan City Elections http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/07/hearing-held-in-lawsuit-by-voters-in-kinston-north-carolina-who-want-non-partisan-city-elections/
On December 3, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates, a Bush Jr. appointee, held a hearing in Laroque v Holder, 10-0561. The case is in federal court in Washington, D.C.
NY: Johnson to appeal ruling of Martins victory
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/johnson-to-appeal-ruling-of-martins-victory-1.2522022
NY: Altschuler Concedes House Race In Suffolk
http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new_york/altschuler_concedes_house_race_suffolk
Although initial returns showed Bishop the winner, additional votes were later discovered that gave Altschuler the edge. But when absentee and affidavit ballots were counted, Bishop regained the lead.
...
There were calls for a hand recount, but the Suffolk County Board of Elections conducted an audit of 3 percent of the voting machines, found that they had performed without error and certified the election.
NY: City, town officials balk at paying election costs
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101207/NEWS/12070325/-1/SITEMAP (Goshen)
NY: New York, NY - Bloomberg: New Voting Machines Are Worse Than Paper Ballots
http://www.vosizneias.com/70620/2010/12/07/new-york-ny-bloomberg-new-voting-machines-are-worse-than-paper-ballots/
NY: How Do You Lose Nearly 200,000 Votes? (podcast available)
http://www.wnyc.org/articles/its-free-country/2010/dec/07/lose-nearly-200000-votes/
On today's Brian Lehrer Show, Sam Roberts, urban affairs correspondent for The New York Times, talks about the discovery of nearly 200,000 unreported votes from the mid-term elections.
OH: Election lawsuit looming? County commish race in court? (Lucas County)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=506Da8YyPzc
Republican candidate George Sarantou is marshaling his political forces behind an effort to find out whether hundreds of provisional ballots were properly included in the recent vote certification...
TX: Harris Co. voter registration changes cause a stir
http://www.khou.com/news/local/Department-of-Justice-Looks-Into-Harris-County-Voter-Registration-Changes-111410974.html new process for newly naturalized systems might not include voter registration
WI: Few faults found with Waukesha County clerk's election system
http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/111555214.html Among the recommendations from Internal Audit Manager Lori Schubert: assigning different IDs and passwords to three employees who now use the same one; never connecting certain PCs to the county network or Internet; and storing periodic back-up of programming data in some place other than the courthouse.
Internet Voting Watch
Barbara Simons on internet voting (presentation slides available)
http://fsi.stanford.edu/news/barbara_simonsinternet_voting_an_idea_whose
_time_has_not_come_liberation_technology_series_summary_20101207/
http://tinyurl.com/24sg6vk There are a plethora of powerful technologies that make Internet voting inherently unsafe.
'ALL-OUT CYBER WAR' OVER WIKILEAKS
Extraordinary battle underscores serious threats to our very democracy, in more ways than one.. http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8237 Despite the proven ability of a small group of hackers to take down several of the most secure financial sites in the universe, with ease, in what appears to be incredibly short notice, there remain those who believe that voting over the Internet and e-voting at local polling places, can be carried out safely and securely --- even with, often, trillions of dollars riding on the outcome of such elections.
Leaked Cables: Chinese Hackers Used Microsoft Source Code To Attack Google & US Government http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/69455
WikiLeaks cables have shown that Chinese security firms, with ties to the Chinese military, hired hackers, including the group responsible for the original Blaster worm, to exploit Windows vulnerabilities, attack Google and conduct cyber warfare against U.S. government websites.
Symantec Predicts 2011 Security Trends
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2373894,00.asp
Given the "huge sums of money available to criminal enterprises at low risk of prosecution," Symantec predicts further attacks on non-PC devices, possibly smartphones, electronic voting systems, or power grid controllers.
National
Procedural Manual for the Election Assistance Commission's Voting System Testing and Certification Program, Version 2.0 http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2010/11/30/2010-30101/procedural-manual-for-the-election-assistance-commissions-voting-system-testing-and-certification This article has a comment period that ends in 55 days
Commentary Suggests that Gerrymandering in the United States is On the Way Out
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/08/commentary-suggests-that-gerrymandering-in-the-united-states-is-on-the-way-out/
International
Canada: How votes are counted (uses ES&S optical scanners)
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/902470--how-votes-are-counted
As Peel Regional Police investigate allegations of voting fraud, Mississauga and the company that supplies voting machines are defending the reliability of the technology
Egypt: Elections Monitor: Violence in run-offs and calls to dissolve parliament
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/elections-monitor-violence-run-offs-and-calls-dissolve-parliament
India: Vijayawada police recover 6 stolen EVMs, 4 persons arrested
http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/vijayawada-police-recover-6-stolen-evms-4-persons-arrested/520504.html
India: Missing EVMs beep an alarm
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/119245/missing-evms-beep-alarm.html
The recent recovery of some EVMs from a scrap dealer at Vijayawada strengthens fears about the efficacy and safety of polling machines. It also corroborates a campaign launched by political parties and certain NGOs in Andhra Pradesh, which estimate that an astounding 4,000 EVMs have gone unaccounted since the 2004 parliamentary elections.
Nicaragua, Venezuela: Venezuela aided Nicaragua vote-buying, U.S. leak says
http://www.americas-forum.org/content/venezuela-aided-nicaragua-vote-buying-us-leak-says Nicaragua received "suitcases full of cash" from Venezuela that may have helped to sway tainted elections in 2008, according to U.S. diplomatic cables that throw light on Nicaragua's increasingly authoritarian leader Daniel Ortega.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy. Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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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, December 6, 2010
NY SD 7 recount battle rages on. NC instant runoff wipes candidate's 100K lead
Saturday a judge ruled against manual count of NY's Sen Dist 7 contest. Prof. Philip Stark (Dept of Statistics, UC Berkeley)expert witness for Nassau Cnty DEMS was not allowed to testify but some remarks were read into the record: "The potential for error in this contest is large: In total, the 242 unaudited machines could hold enough error to account for the apparent margin 186 times over. Sixty-six of the 242 unaudited machines could individually hold enough error to account for the apparent margin." hat tip to Lonna Atkeson at Election Updates blog. Johnson filed appeal ..
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AK: Judge allows Murkowski to participate in election challenge
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/120310/loc_745154655.shtml
AR: Man Linked To Explosive Device Found At Polling Place Arrested
http://www.4029tv.com/r/26020238/detail.html ...members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Mark Krause, a 40-year-old Arkansas man, in connection with an explosive device found at a polling place in Osage, Ark., in Carroll County in June 2010.
CT: Registrars' busy Monday: mayoral panel, recount nearing finish
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Registrars-busy-Monday-mayoral-panel-recount-864481.php The Connecticut Post and the Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition, which were granted access to the election materials by the city, will finish compiling the recount data over the next day or two. Meanwhile, the registrars are inspecting the figures -- which were broken up by voting district and ballot type -- and raising any concerns they have before the numbers are made public.
CT: Just who are the people counting the ballots? (in Bridgeport)
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Just-who-are-the-people-counting-the-ballots-860614.php Most of them are members of the Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition, which joins the League of Women Voters in Connecticut, Common Cause, CTVoters.org and Connecticut Citizen Action Group.
CT: End in sight as Bridgeport recount breaks for the weekend
http://www.ctpost.com/default/article/End-in-sight-as-Bridgeport-recount-breaks-for-the-859431.php While finalizing the recount numbers from one district, Weeks compared his team's numbers for photocopied ballots with the city's figures. He showed the comparison to Santa Ayala, Bridgeport's Democratic registrar of voters. The numbers weren't in alignment, so the two agreed to check for a recounting fault.
Guam: 1st Court Hearing Set for Election Fraud Lawsuit
http://guamnewswatch.com/201012063772/Local-News/1st-Court-Hearing-Set-for-Election-Fraud-Lawsuit.html
KS: Coalition says proposed voter ID law is costly, unneeded
http://www.kansas.com/2010/12/06/1620624/coalition-says-proposed-law-is.html
MN: Emmer Zooms in on Voter Database in Minn. Gov Race
http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1869158.shtml?cat=1 But routine post-election updates to the system won't be completed anytime soon. And officials caution that the system can't be used the way Emmer wants - to pair the number of votes and eligible voters.
NC: McCullough overtakes Thigpen in NC court race
http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/12/06/1854375/mccullough-overtakes-thigpen-in.html
Nearly complete results from the instant runoff race for the North Carolina Court of Appeals show the second-place candidate overtaking the leading candidate from the first round of voting. (goes from 100,000 votes ahead to 6,700 votes behind)
NC: N. Carolina GOP to push for voter photo IDs
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/06/1959602/nc-gop-to-push-for-voter-photo.html Republicans who take control of the General Assembly in January want to make North Carolina the 10th state requiring voters to show a driver's license or other photo ID. House leaders hope to pass a bill in their first 100 days
NJ: Jurors in voter fraud trial involving Atlantic City Councilman Marty Small caught in legal marathon http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/atlantic_city/article_9eebd822-00d4-11e0-95de-001cc4c03286.html There are 760 people on the witness list.
NJ: Republicans petition Superior Court over election results
http://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/111385549_Re
publicans_petition_Superior_Court_over_election_results.html
http://tinyurl.com/23lb58p ...challenge includes allegations of illegal electioneering tactics, equipment difficulty - with one machine already the subject of an earlier court order, and denial of voter access.
NY: NEW YORK JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF MACHINE COUNTS
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3669 The Democrats were seeking a full recount of all optical scan machines because apparently the 3% post election recount showed that some ballots were not counted –there were more ballots in the box than counted by the machine.
NY: 7th SD: Johnson files appeal
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/spin-cycle-1.812042/7th-sd-johnson-files-appeal-1.2521241
NY: Testimony Proffered to New York Supreme Court Judge Ira Warshawsky Regarding the November 2010 Senate Contest in NY Senate District 7
http://statistics.berkeley.edu/~stark/Preprints/nysd7-4-12-10.htm
The potential for error in this contest is large: In total, the 242 unaudited machines could hold enough error to account for the apparent margin 186 times over. Sixty-six of the 242 unaudited machines could individually hold enough error to account for the apparent margin.
NY: Republicans Lay Claim to New York State Senate
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/nyregion/05elect.html?_r=1
“The judge’s decision to deny a recount is wrong on the letter and spirit of the law,” Mr. Shafran said. “In a race where the margin is less than half of 1 percent, the failure to count every vote is a disservice to every voter.”
NY: Bloomberg and Sharpton Seek Changes to NY Election Rules
http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2010/dec/06/bloomberg-and-sharpton-seek-changes-ny-election-rules/ ... offering "no-excuse" absentee ballots, the creation of an early voting period, extending the deadline to register for or switch enrollment in a political party, and allowing ballots to be filled out outside of the polling station where they are deposited.
OH: Election lawsuit looming? Sarantou mulls options (over provisional ballots)
http://www.foxtoledo.com/dpp/news/local/election-lawsuit-looming
Elections officials in Lucas County counted nine of every ten provisional ballots. The rates in other urban counties in Ohio were much lower. There is a court challenge involving provisional ballots already pending in Hamilton County to decide a Cincinnati-area judge’s race.
Internet voting watch
WikiLeaks cables reveal fears over Chinese cyber warfare
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/04/wikileaks-cables-china-cyber-warfare
State department dispatches show US concerns about links between Chinese government, military and hackers
National
Federal Voting Assistance Program, DoD Are you an overseas citizen? Take our survey - http://www.fvap.gov/reference/oveseassurvey.html We really want your feedback! Thank you so much!
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and
at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
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=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from 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
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AK: Judge allows Murkowski to participate in election challenge
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/120310/loc_745154655.shtml
AR: Man Linked To Explosive Device Found At Polling Place Arrested
http://www.4029tv.com/r/26020238/detail.html ...members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Mark Krause, a 40-year-old Arkansas man, in connection with an explosive device found at a polling place in Osage, Ark., in Carroll County in June 2010.
CT: Registrars' busy Monday: mayoral panel, recount nearing finish
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Registrars-busy-Monday-mayoral-panel-recount-864481.php The Connecticut Post and the Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition, which were granted access to the election materials by the city, will finish compiling the recount data over the next day or two. Meanwhile, the registrars are inspecting the figures -- which were broken up by voting district and ballot type -- and raising any concerns they have before the numbers are made public.
CT: Just who are the people counting the ballots? (in Bridgeport)
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Just-who-are-the-people-counting-the-ballots-860614.php Most of them are members of the Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition, which joins the League of Women Voters in Connecticut, Common Cause, CTVoters.org and Connecticut Citizen Action Group.
CT: End in sight as Bridgeport recount breaks for the weekend
http://www.ctpost.com/default/article/End-in-sight-as-Bridgeport-recount-breaks-for-the-859431.php While finalizing the recount numbers from one district, Weeks compared his team's numbers for photocopied ballots with the city's figures. He showed the comparison to Santa Ayala, Bridgeport's Democratic registrar of voters. The numbers weren't in alignment, so the two agreed to check for a recounting fault.
Guam: 1st Court Hearing Set for Election Fraud Lawsuit
http://guamnewswatch.com/201012063772/Local-News/1st-Court-Hearing-Set-for-Election-Fraud-Lawsuit.html
KS: Coalition says proposed voter ID law is costly, unneeded
http://www.kansas.com/2010/12/06/1620624/coalition-says-proposed-law-is.html
MN: Emmer Zooms in on Voter Database in Minn. Gov Race
http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1869158.shtml?cat=1 But routine post-election updates to the system won't be completed anytime soon. And officials caution that the system can't be used the way Emmer wants - to pair the number of votes and eligible voters.
NC: McCullough overtakes Thigpen in NC court race
http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/12/06/1854375/mccullough-overtakes-thigpen-in.html
Nearly complete results from the instant runoff race for the North Carolina Court of Appeals show the second-place candidate overtaking the leading candidate from the first round of voting. (goes from 100,000 votes ahead to 6,700 votes behind)
NC: N. Carolina GOP to push for voter photo IDs
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/06/1959602/nc-gop-to-push-for-voter-photo.html Republicans who take control of the General Assembly in January want to make North Carolina the 10th state requiring voters to show a driver's license or other photo ID. House leaders hope to pass a bill in their first 100 days
NJ: Jurors in voter fraud trial involving Atlantic City Councilman Marty Small caught in legal marathon http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/atlantic_city/article_9eebd822-00d4-11e0-95de-001cc4c03286.html There are 760 people on the witness list.
NJ: Republicans petition Superior Court over election results
http://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/111385549_Re
publicans_petition_Superior_Court_over_election_results.html
http://tinyurl.com/23lb58p ...challenge includes allegations of illegal electioneering tactics, equipment difficulty - with one machine already the subject of an earlier court order, and denial of voter access.
NY: NEW YORK JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF MACHINE COUNTS
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3669 The Democrats were seeking a full recount of all optical scan machines because apparently the 3% post election recount showed that some ballots were not counted –there were more ballots in the box than counted by the machine.
NY: 7th SD: Johnson files appeal
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/spin-cycle-1.812042/7th-sd-johnson-files-appeal-1.2521241
NY: Testimony Proffered to New York Supreme Court Judge Ira Warshawsky Regarding the November 2010 Senate Contest in NY Senate District 7
http://statistics.berkeley.edu/~stark/Preprints/nysd7-4-12-10.htm
The potential for error in this contest is large: In total, the 242 unaudited machines could hold enough error to account for the apparent margin 186 times over. Sixty-six of the 242 unaudited machines could individually hold enough error to account for the apparent margin.
NY: Republicans Lay Claim to New York State Senate
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/nyregion/05elect.html?_r=1
“The judge’s decision to deny a recount is wrong on the letter and spirit of the law,” Mr. Shafran said. “In a race where the margin is less than half of 1 percent, the failure to count every vote is a disservice to every voter.”
NY: Bloomberg and Sharpton Seek Changes to NY Election Rules
http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2010/dec/06/bloomberg-and-sharpton-seek-changes-ny-election-rules/ ... offering "no-excuse" absentee ballots, the creation of an early voting period, extending the deadline to register for or switch enrollment in a political party, and allowing ballots to be filled out outside of the polling station where they are deposited.
OH: Election lawsuit looming? Sarantou mulls options (over provisional ballots)
http://www.foxtoledo.com/dpp/news/local/election-lawsuit-looming
Elections officials in Lucas County counted nine of every ten provisional ballots. The rates in other urban counties in Ohio were much lower. There is a court challenge involving provisional ballots already pending in Hamilton County to decide a Cincinnati-area judge’s race.
Internet voting watch
WikiLeaks cables reveal fears over Chinese cyber warfare
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/04/wikileaks-cables-china-cyber-warfare
State department dispatches show US concerns about links between Chinese government, military and hackers
National
Federal Voting Assistance Program, DoD Are you an overseas citizen? Take our survey - http://www.fvap.gov/reference/oveseassurvey.html We really want your feedback! Thank you so much!
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and
at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from 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
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Travis Texas recount 'shines light on election problems'. Minn recount slammed
Seriously? Politico piece slams Minnesota recounts, says they should be harder to get...Meanwhile judge rules against Dems quest for Nassau recount in Johnson-Martins NY 7th Senate race. Johnson to appeal..Value of recounts learned in Texas House Dist 48: "That recount has become like turning over a big rock to see all the unpleasant things that live in the darkness beneath it, and what it has revealed about voting in Travis County is not pretty."..6 India EVMs recovered from scrap dealers..We bank online, why not vote online? Consider "Millions cashless in bank glitch"...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AK: Joe Miller gambles with Alaska Senate challenge
http://dailycaller.com/2010/12/04/joe-miller-gambles-with-alaska-senate-challenge/
CA: Three Compton residents sue city, allege voting rights violations
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/12/three-compton-residents-sue-city-allege-voting-rights-violations.html The complaint filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges that the at-large elections for City Council seats have the effect of diluting the Latino vote.
GUAM: Gutierrez Election Lawsuit Gets 1st Hearing in Superior Court December 15th
http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9821:gutierrez-election-lawsuit-gets-1st-hearing-december-15th&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156
The lawsuit filed by former Governor Carl Gutierrez which seeks to over-turn the Guam Election Commission's certification of Calvo-Tenorio as the winners of the 2010 Gubernatorial election will gets its first hearing in Superior Court next week Wednesday.
MA: Plymouth County Commission write-in winners written off?
Results don’t include top vote getters from Carver, Abington
http://www.wickedlocal.com/rochester/town_info/government/x556844365/Write-in-winners-written-off Governor’s Council to reconsider election results..
MN: Emmer drops nearly all Hennepin challenges
http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111328179.html?page=1&c=y
For Republican Tom Emmer, behind by nearly 9,000 votes, the path to the governor's office has only gotten steeper since Election Day.
MN: (Editorial)States can avoid Minnesota's recount mess
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/45913.html
Criticizes MN recount trigger, recounts are expensive, etc.
MN: Minnesota recount ends, but Emmer seeks answers
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/185626/ When Hennepin County election officials ended their work Friday night, the five-day recount of all 2.1 million ballots cast on Nov. 2 wrapped up with Democrat Mark Dayton leading by about the same as when it started: roughly 9,000 votes. But work continues today as Emmer and Dayton's campaigns begin examining ballots Emmer representatives challenged.
MN: State allows disputed ballots to be examined again
http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111303764.html A Supreme Court justice also scolded his former colleague who is now one of Tom Emmer's attorneys in the recount.
MN: Ballot example 9 (one of the challenged ballots)
http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111147224.html A ballot challenged by volunteers for GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer that Hennepin County elections officials have deemed to be frivolous. (The ballot is clearly & correctly marked)
MN: Minn. prosecutor finds no evidence of voter fraud
http://plainsdaily.com/story/8367
A prosecutor in north-central Minnesota says he won't file charges in a complaint that two disabled voters had their ballots filled out by a group home worker.
NY: Republicans Lay Claim to New York State Senate
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/nyregion/05elect.html?_r=1
Republicans claimed they had retaken the New York State Senate on Saturday after a State Supreme Court justice rejected a hand recount of a pivotal race in Nassau County. But Democrats said they planned to appeal the decision this week,
NY: 17% Of NYC Votes Not Counted In Midterm Election
http://gothamist.com/2010/12/03/17_of_nyc_votes_not_counted_in_midt.php
And if you voted in Queens, there was a 1 in 3 chance the the ballot wasn't counted, with a whopping 80,000 uncounted ballots found in the borough alone.
NY: Judge rules against recount in Johnson-Martins race
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/35028/judge-rules-against-recount-in-johnson-martins-race/ But not so fast! The judge set a hearing for Tuesday on whether or not a 5 percent audit is required before certification. And Senate Democrats say Johnson on Monday will file an appeal to Saturday’s decision.
NY: Editorial: Fix New York's election laws
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial-fix-new-york-s-election-laws-1.2515192
..only seven of the 32 machines randomly selected for audit came from the crucial 7th Senate District, where control of the State Senate hangs in the balance. To create total confidence in the outcome, the best bet is a full recount of all the paper ballots in this district...
OR: State GOP could take Senate race to courts
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101204/NEWS/12040309
TX: Texas House District 48 Recount Shines Light on Election Problems
http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/texas-house-district-48-recount-shines/
(Travis County)The eSlate voting machines do not track votes or link them to voters in any way and there is no way to verify anything about those votes beyond just carrying out another automated count....The system offers no transparency and no verification or protections for the rights of the voter.
WY: Indians Question Colo. Firm's Motives In Vote Case
http://cbs4denver.com/news/Wyoming.Indians.question.2.2031500.html
At issue is a local dispute over the election of county commissioners in Fremont County. Mountain States Legal Foundation has been representing the county pro bono for the last five years in a fight against American Indians who want greater representation on the commission.
WY: Wyoming legislation would ban primary crossover voting
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_a76552d5-2d13-5fba-871c-e9483dd60fcc.html Nearly 10,000 Wyoming voters changed their registration for the primary election in August so they could vote for the other party's candidates.
Internet voting watch
Australia: Millions cashless in bank glitch
http://www.smh.com.au/business/millions-cashless-in-bank-glitch-20101126-18akf.html
A corrupted file in the National Australia Bank's computers on Wednesday jammed its payment system, hitting customers from a range of banks who rely on the NAB to process payments
Canada: Electronic voting open to abuse
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/Electronic+voting+open+abuse/3930610/story.html
Who decided to do it this way anyhow? I don't remember being asked my opinion.
...
say let's go back to an honest system. I sure don't mind waiting the extra time for results if I know for sure they'll be unmanipulated
National
“Where Are the Vote Counts?” From New York to Ivory Coast
http://www.trustthevote.org/where-are-the-vote-counts-from-new-york-to-ivory-coast
Ranked-Choice Voting: Democracy or Expediency?
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/blogs/prop-zero/Ranked-Choice-Voting-Democracy-or-Expediency-111345844.html
International
Egypt: Run-offs digest: Egyptians face intimidation and vote-buying at the ballot box...again http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/run-offs-digest-egyptians-face-intimidation-and-vote-buying-ballot-boxagain
India: 6 EVMs recovered from scrap dealers
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/6-EVMs-recovered-from-scrap-dealers/articleshow/7049951.cms
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and
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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
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AK: Joe Miller gambles with Alaska Senate challenge
http://dailycaller.com/2010/12/04/joe-miller-gambles-with-alaska-senate-challenge/
CA: Three Compton residents sue city, allege voting rights violations
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/12/three-compton-residents-sue-city-allege-voting-rights-violations.html The complaint filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges that the at-large elections for City Council seats have the effect of diluting the Latino vote.
GUAM: Gutierrez Election Lawsuit Gets 1st Hearing in Superior Court December 15th
http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9821:gutierrez-election-lawsuit-gets-1st-hearing-december-15th&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156
The lawsuit filed by former Governor Carl Gutierrez which seeks to over-turn the Guam Election Commission's certification of Calvo-Tenorio as the winners of the 2010 Gubernatorial election will gets its first hearing in Superior Court next week Wednesday.
MA: Plymouth County Commission write-in winners written off?
Results don’t include top vote getters from Carver, Abington
http://www.wickedlocal.com/rochester/town_info/government/x556844365/Write-in-winners-written-off Governor’s Council to reconsider election results..
MN: Emmer drops nearly all Hennepin challenges
http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111328179.html?page=1&c=y
For Republican Tom Emmer, behind by nearly 9,000 votes, the path to the governor's office has only gotten steeper since Election Day.
MN: (Editorial)States can avoid Minnesota's recount mess
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/45913.html
Criticizes MN recount trigger, recounts are expensive, etc.
MN: Minnesota recount ends, but Emmer seeks answers
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/185626/ When Hennepin County election officials ended their work Friday night, the five-day recount of all 2.1 million ballots cast on Nov. 2 wrapped up with Democrat Mark Dayton leading by about the same as when it started: roughly 9,000 votes. But work continues today as Emmer and Dayton's campaigns begin examining ballots Emmer representatives challenged.
MN: State allows disputed ballots to be examined again
http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111303764.html A Supreme Court justice also scolded his former colleague who is now one of Tom Emmer's attorneys in the recount.
MN: Ballot example 9 (one of the challenged ballots)
http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111147224.html A ballot challenged by volunteers for GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer that Hennepin County elections officials have deemed to be frivolous. (The ballot is clearly & correctly marked)
MN: Minn. prosecutor finds no evidence of voter fraud
http://plainsdaily.com/story/8367
A prosecutor in north-central Minnesota says he won't file charges in a complaint that two disabled voters had their ballots filled out by a group home worker.
NY: Republicans Lay Claim to New York State Senate
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/nyregion/05elect.html?_r=1
Republicans claimed they had retaken the New York State Senate on Saturday after a State Supreme Court justice rejected a hand recount of a pivotal race in Nassau County. But Democrats said they planned to appeal the decision this week,
NY: 17% Of NYC Votes Not Counted In Midterm Election
http://gothamist.com/2010/12/03/17_of_nyc_votes_not_counted_in_midt.php
And if you voted in Queens, there was a 1 in 3 chance the the ballot wasn't counted, with a whopping 80,000 uncounted ballots found in the borough alone.
NY: Judge rules against recount in Johnson-Martins race
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/35028/judge-rules-against-recount-in-johnson-martins-race/ But not so fast! The judge set a hearing for Tuesday on whether or not a 5 percent audit is required before certification. And Senate Democrats say Johnson on Monday will file an appeal to Saturday’s decision.
NY: Editorial: Fix New York's election laws
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial-fix-new-york-s-election-laws-1.2515192
..only seven of the 32 machines randomly selected for audit came from the crucial 7th Senate District, where control of the State Senate hangs in the balance. To create total confidence in the outcome, the best bet is a full recount of all the paper ballots in this district...
OR: State GOP could take Senate race to courts
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101204/NEWS/12040309
TX: Texas House District 48 Recount Shines Light on Election Problems
http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/texas-house-district-48-recount-shines/
(Travis County)The eSlate voting machines do not track votes or link them to voters in any way and there is no way to verify anything about those votes beyond just carrying out another automated count....The system offers no transparency and no verification or protections for the rights of the voter.
WY: Indians Question Colo. Firm's Motives In Vote Case
http://cbs4denver.com/news/Wyoming.Indians.question.2.2031500.html
At issue is a local dispute over the election of county commissioners in Fremont County. Mountain States Legal Foundation has been representing the county pro bono for the last five years in a fight against American Indians who want greater representation on the commission.
WY: Wyoming legislation would ban primary crossover voting
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_a76552d5-2d13-5fba-871c-e9483dd60fcc.html Nearly 10,000 Wyoming voters changed their registration for the primary election in August so they could vote for the other party's candidates.
Internet voting watch
Australia: Millions cashless in bank glitch
http://www.smh.com.au/business/millions-cashless-in-bank-glitch-20101126-18akf.html
A corrupted file in the National Australia Bank's computers on Wednesday jammed its payment system, hitting customers from a range of banks who rely on the NAB to process payments
Canada: Electronic voting open to abuse
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/Electronic+voting+open+abuse/3930610/story.html
Who decided to do it this way anyhow? I don't remember being asked my opinion.
...
say let's go back to an honest system. I sure don't mind waiting the extra time for results if I know for sure they'll be unmanipulated
National
“Where Are the Vote Counts?” From New York to Ivory Coast
http://www.trustthevote.org/where-are-the-vote-counts-from-new-york-to-ivory-coast
Ranked-Choice Voting: Democracy or Expediency?
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/blogs/prop-zero/Ranked-Choice-Voting-Democracy-or-Expediency-111345844.html
International
Egypt: Run-offs digest: Egyptians face intimidation and vote-buying at the ballot box...again http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/run-offs-digest-egyptians-face-intimidation-and-vote-buying-ballot-boxagain
India: 6 EVMs recovered from scrap dealers
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/6-EVMs-recovered-from-scrap-dealers/articleshow/7049951.cms
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and
at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from 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
Friday, December 3, 2010
Election hangover,Bush V Gore legacy. N.Carolina still counting IRV contest
Champaign Ill Cnty Clerk compares return rate of emailed vs snail-mailed blank overseas military ballots....MN GOP candidate Emmer to withdraw some ballot challenges..MN counties await payment for election docs political parties demanded..Steven Schlesinger,atty for Johnson(D) count..said New York's new optical scanning machines "suck," and estimated 40 percent failed a required audit..Report: Barriers to Voting Access at 3 out of 4 NY Polling Sites..Election Hangover - The real legacy of Bush v. Gore...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AL: Jefferson CO, AL: Nell Hunter has retired after servicing 47 years as voter registrar http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006485.html
AL: Illegally placed campaign signs may get the "death penalty" in Huntsville
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/12/illegally_placed_campaign_sign.html
CA: RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Glitch cited for Measure M recount (reporting error)
http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_pension03.4207f6a.html
On election night, a computer problem led to early results not properly showing the number of precincts reporting. Officials have insisted the vote totals were accurate. The problem, along with late-arriving voters, led to delays in posting of results
CO: Fort Collins to consider instant-runoff voting
http://www.ncbr.com/article.asp?id=54882
CT: Democratic Registrar of Voters Talks Ballots, Cross-Endorsement
http://newtown.patch.com/articles/democratic-registrar-of-voters-talks-ballots-cross-endorsement LeReine Frampton wants to clarify how cross-endorsement works.
IL: FPCA Ballot Return Rates (ballots requested by overseas military voters)
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/12/03/fpca-ballot-return-rates/
For this election, we had 213 voters who requested a ballot through email and 583 who requested it through regular mail. We had a 27% return rate for the email ballots and a 40% return rate for mail ballots. For military voters, who seemed to be the primary focus of the law, we had 16 out of 41 email ballots returned (28%) against 93 out of 155 mail ballots returned (38%).
MA: Easton asked to close schools for statewide elections
http://www.enterprisenews.com/topstories/x652139263/Easton-School-Committee-asked-to-close-school-for-statewide-elections
MN: A Note on Reconcilation in Minnesota
http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/comments/index.php?ID=7977
It looks as is if, going forward, "reconciliation" will be the main issue in the still-unresolved gubernatorial election in Minnesota.
MN: Dayton withdraws 'frivolous' challenges
http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111236354.html
MN: Emmer to withdraw some ballot challenges
http://www.startribune.com/politics/blogs/111267109.html But in saying so, he also laid heavy stress on one of the arguments that would likely be used in a court challenge if DFLer Mark Dayton is declared the winner after the recount, a standard known as "reconciliation."
MN: Counties Await Payment For Requested Election Documents
http://www.keyc.com/node/44637 Two weeks ago the County sent letters to both parties requiring a 1,000 dollar down payment.They say the DFL Party has paid...but the Republican Party has not...Kennedy says, "To date we haven't received anything yet."And other counties say they're facing the same problem.
...
Both Nicollet County and Waseca County were threatened with litigation by the Republican Party if documents were not completed in a timely manner.Kennedy says, "Then we were notified that with threatened litigation that if we didn't have that available that they would pursue another means of obtaining that information and or suing the city basically."And now much of the work ready, neither party has arranged to pick up the completed documents in Nicollet County.
MN: Emmer, Minn. GOP weigh risks of election lawsuit
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/nation/emmer-minn-gop-weigh-risks-of-election-lawsuit-1097287.html As a recount in the Minnesota governor's race nears completion with no evidence that it will change the outcome, the Republican candidate and his party face a critical decision: whether to contest the result in court or step aside and let Democrat Mark Dayton take office.
NC: Margin narrows in NC Court of Appeals contest (91 of 100 counties tally in)
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/12/03/841836/margin-narrows-in-nc-court-of.html
State elections director Gary Bartlett said late Friday election officials in 91 counties had completed counting the second round of instant runoff ballots in the race between Judge Cressie Thigpen and Doug McCullough. The other counties were expected to finish Monday.
ND: Burleigh County Sheriff's Department investigates whether men voted twice
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_9a4b2c58-ff0f-11df-9c94-001cc4c03286.html Glatt said the possible irregularity was discovered during an audit. (2 men may have voted early and on election day)
NJ: Court to decide if Manasquan ballots get recount
http://www.app.com/article/20101202/NEWS/12030321/Court-to-decide-if-Manasquan-ballots-get-recount A Superior Court judge will decide today whether ballots in the still undecided Manasquan municipal election should be subject to a second recount.
...
In the motion filed by the Attorney General's Office, Dinan certified that the recount led to a change in the mail-in ballot numbers. Ferrante's count grew from 78 to 79; McCarthy's dropped from 55 to 54. That puzzled her, Dinan said in the motion.
...
"I could not understand how a vote counted by the optical scanner would not be counted by a hand recount," Dinan said in the motion.
NJ: Atlantic City Councilman Marty Small called phone card giveaways wrong
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/atlantic-city_pleasantville_ brigantine/article_006455f0-fe93-11df-a50e-001cc4c03286.html
NJ: Outcome of Gloucester County freeholder race unchanged by recount
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20101203_Outcome_of_Gloucester_
County_freeholder_race_unchanged_by_recount.html http://tinyurl.com/2e5wewg
The outcome of the Gloucester County freeholder race was unchanged by a recount that required checking all paper ballots and voting machines, officials announced Thursday
NV: Lawsuit Filed to Stop Card Drawing to Determine Identity of Next Eureka County, Nevada Clerk http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/03/lawsuit-filed-to-stop-card-drawing-to-determine-identity-of-next-eureka-county-nevada-clerk/
NY: Difficulties with absentee ballots contribute to lower turnout
http://www.bupipedream.com/Articles/Difficulties-with-absentee-ballots-contribute-to-lower-turnout/16759
NY: Senate Democrats lack cash, time
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Senate-Democrats-lack-cash-time-852302.php
"Whatever the cost, we're going to raise the resources necessary to pay it off," said Austin Shafran, a spokesman for Senate Democrats. "We're going to exhaust every resource possible to ensure every vote is counted."
NY: 7th Senate Race to be Certified Saturday Morning
2 Supreme Court rules on disputed absentee, affidavit ballots in race. http://portwashington.patch.com/articles/7th-senate-race-to-be-certified-saturday-morning-
...Judge Ira Warshawsky called for the weekend court date after hearing further arguments in his fourth floor courtroom late Thursday afternoon and evening and issuing rulings on affidavit and absentee ballots which had originally been declared invalid. (Craig Johnson,D vs Jack Martins R)
NY: 200k Votes 'Found' a Month After Election in NYC
WTF?! 200,000 votes?! http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8226 Of course, this is just one of the reasons why we always encourage candidates to not concede on Election Night..
NY: Recount Finds 195,000 Votes Were Missed on Election Night
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/nyregion/03votes.html?_r=1
“It’s absurd and disturbing that one in six votes in New York City went uncounted in the election night returns,” said Dan Cantor, executive director of the Working Families Party.
NY: Report: Barriers to Voting Access at 3 out of 4 NY Polling Sites
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain/article/0/0/17332
96/WAMC.New.York.News/Report.Barriers.to.Voting.Access.at.3.out.of.4.NY.Polling.Sites
http://tinyurl.com/29ywpjr ALBANY, NY (WAMC) - Despite the new electronic voting machines, one advocacy group has found New Yorkers with disabilities continued to have problems casting their ballots in the November election. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
OH: Portage County Raises Concerns about Voting Machine Problems
http://www.ohiofreepress.com/voting/2010/portage-county-tea-party-raises-concerns-about-voting-machine-problems/ Multiple incidents of touchscreen vote flipping
OH: Hamilton Co. vote recounts delayed
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101202/NEWS0108/12030343/Hamilton-Co-vote-recounts-delayed Hunter filed a federal lawsuit contending that many of the 849 provisional ballots that were thrown out should have counted.
On Nov. 22, U. S. District Judge Susan Dlott ruled that the board must investigate the provisional ballots. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld her ruling.
OR: Oregon: State says GOP claim of missing ballots unfounded
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101202/NEWS/12020312
SC: South Carolina: Voter ID, illegal immigration up for debate
http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=13600366
TX: Just 12 votes decided HD 48
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/politics/just-12-votes-decided-hd-48
WV: Morgantown Residents may Vote by Mail (volunteered for pilot)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40449241/ns/local_news-clarksburg_wv/
National
Election Hangover - The real legacy of Bush v. Gore
http://www.slate.com/id/2276710/ The real lesson of the Florida fiasco (not merely Bush v. Gore) is about something else: the undermining of the public's faith in the fairness of American elections. This has triggered an ongoing war over their administration.
...
Before 2000, most people were confident their votes were going to be counted accurately. After 2000, they are much less so.
2010: Updates in AK, MN, and NY
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/03/5573065-2010-updates-in-ak-mn-and-ny
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and
at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from 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
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AL: Jefferson CO, AL: Nell Hunter has retired after servicing 47 years as voter registrar http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006485.html
AL: Illegally placed campaign signs may get the "death penalty" in Huntsville
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/12/illegally_placed_campaign_sign.html
CA: RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Glitch cited for Measure M recount (reporting error)
http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_pension03.4207f6a.html
On election night, a computer problem led to early results not properly showing the number of precincts reporting. Officials have insisted the vote totals were accurate. The problem, along with late-arriving voters, led to delays in posting of results
CO: Fort Collins to consider instant-runoff voting
http://www.ncbr.com/article.asp?id=54882
CT: Democratic Registrar of Voters Talks Ballots, Cross-Endorsement
http://newtown.patch.com/articles/democratic-registrar-of-voters-talks-ballots-cross-endorsement LeReine Frampton wants to clarify how cross-endorsement works.
IL: FPCA Ballot Return Rates (ballots requested by overseas military voters)
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/12/03/fpca-ballot-return-rates/
For this election, we had 213 voters who requested a ballot through email and 583 who requested it through regular mail. We had a 27% return rate for the email ballots and a 40% return rate for mail ballots. For military voters, who seemed to be the primary focus of the law, we had 16 out of 41 email ballots returned (28%) against 93 out of 155 mail ballots returned (38%).
MA: Easton asked to close schools for statewide elections
http://www.enterprisenews.com/topstories/x652139263/Easton-School-Committee-asked-to-close-school-for-statewide-elections
MN: A Note on Reconcilation in Minnesota
http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/comments/index.php?ID=7977
It looks as is if, going forward, "reconciliation" will be the main issue in the still-unresolved gubernatorial election in Minnesota.
MN: Dayton withdraws 'frivolous' challenges
http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111236354.html
MN: Emmer to withdraw some ballot challenges
http://www.startribune.com/politics/blogs/111267109.html But in saying so, he also laid heavy stress on one of the arguments that would likely be used in a court challenge if DFLer Mark Dayton is declared the winner after the recount, a standard known as "reconciliation."
MN: Counties Await Payment For Requested Election Documents
http://www.keyc.com/node/44637 Two weeks ago the County sent letters to both parties requiring a 1,000 dollar down payment.They say the DFL Party has paid...but the Republican Party has not...Kennedy says, "To date we haven't received anything yet."And other counties say they're facing the same problem.
...
Both Nicollet County and Waseca County were threatened with litigation by the Republican Party if documents were not completed in a timely manner.Kennedy says, "Then we were notified that with threatened litigation that if we didn't have that available that they would pursue another means of obtaining that information and or suing the city basically."And now much of the work ready, neither party has arranged to pick up the completed documents in Nicollet County.
MN: Emmer, Minn. GOP weigh risks of election lawsuit
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/nation/emmer-minn-gop-weigh-risks-of-election-lawsuit-1097287.html As a recount in the Minnesota governor's race nears completion with no evidence that it will change the outcome, the Republican candidate and his party face a critical decision: whether to contest the result in court or step aside and let Democrat Mark Dayton take office.
NC: Margin narrows in NC Court of Appeals contest (91 of 100 counties tally in)
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/12/03/841836/margin-narrows-in-nc-court-of.html
State elections director Gary Bartlett said late Friday election officials in 91 counties had completed counting the second round of instant runoff ballots in the race between Judge Cressie Thigpen and Doug McCullough. The other counties were expected to finish Monday.
ND: Burleigh County Sheriff's Department investigates whether men voted twice
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_9a4b2c58-ff0f-11df-9c94-001cc4c03286.html Glatt said the possible irregularity was discovered during an audit. (2 men may have voted early and on election day)
NJ: Court to decide if Manasquan ballots get recount
http://www.app.com/article/20101202/NEWS/12030321/Court-to-decide-if-Manasquan-ballots-get-recount A Superior Court judge will decide today whether ballots in the still undecided Manasquan municipal election should be subject to a second recount.
...
In the motion filed by the Attorney General's Office, Dinan certified that the recount led to a change in the mail-in ballot numbers. Ferrante's count grew from 78 to 79; McCarthy's dropped from 55 to 54. That puzzled her, Dinan said in the motion.
...
"I could not understand how a vote counted by the optical scanner would not be counted by a hand recount," Dinan said in the motion.
NJ: Atlantic City Councilman Marty Small called phone card giveaways wrong
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/atlantic-city_pleasantville_ brigantine/article_006455f0-fe93-11df-a50e-001cc4c03286.html
NJ: Outcome of Gloucester County freeholder race unchanged by recount
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20101203_Outcome_of_Gloucester_
County_freeholder_race_unchanged_by_recount.html http://tinyurl.com/2e5wewg
The outcome of the Gloucester County freeholder race was unchanged by a recount that required checking all paper ballots and voting machines, officials announced Thursday
NV: Lawsuit Filed to Stop Card Drawing to Determine Identity of Next Eureka County, Nevada Clerk http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/03/lawsuit-filed-to-stop-card-drawing-to-determine-identity-of-next-eureka-county-nevada-clerk/
NY: Difficulties with absentee ballots contribute to lower turnout
http://www.bupipedream.com/Articles/Difficulties-with-absentee-ballots-contribute-to-lower-turnout/16759
NY: Senate Democrats lack cash, time
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Senate-Democrats-lack-cash-time-852302.php
"Whatever the cost, we're going to raise the resources necessary to pay it off," said Austin Shafran, a spokesman for Senate Democrats. "We're going to exhaust every resource possible to ensure every vote is counted."
NY: 7th Senate Race to be Certified Saturday Morning
2 Supreme Court rules on disputed absentee, affidavit ballots in race. http://portwashington.patch.com/articles/7th-senate-race-to-be-certified-saturday-morning-
...Judge Ira Warshawsky called for the weekend court date after hearing further arguments in his fourth floor courtroom late Thursday afternoon and evening and issuing rulings on affidavit and absentee ballots which had originally been declared invalid. (Craig Johnson,D vs Jack Martins R)
NY: 200k Votes 'Found' a Month After Election in NYC
WTF?! 200,000 votes?! http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8226 Of course, this is just one of the reasons why we always encourage candidates to not concede on Election Night..
NY: Recount Finds 195,000 Votes Were Missed on Election Night
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/nyregion/03votes.html?_r=1
“It’s absurd and disturbing that one in six votes in New York City went uncounted in the election night returns,” said Dan Cantor, executive director of the Working Families Party.
NY: Report: Barriers to Voting Access at 3 out of 4 NY Polling Sites
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain/article/0/0/17332
96/WAMC.New.York.News/Report.Barriers.to.Voting.Access.at.3.out.of.4.NY.Polling.Sites
http://tinyurl.com/29ywpjr ALBANY, NY (WAMC) - Despite the new electronic voting machines, one advocacy group has found New Yorkers with disabilities continued to have problems casting their ballots in the November election. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
OH: Portage County Raises Concerns about Voting Machine Problems
http://www.ohiofreepress.com/voting/2010/portage-county-tea-party-raises-concerns-about-voting-machine-problems/ Multiple incidents of touchscreen vote flipping
OH: Hamilton Co. vote recounts delayed
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101202/NEWS0108/12030343/Hamilton-Co-vote-recounts-delayed Hunter filed a federal lawsuit contending that many of the 849 provisional ballots that were thrown out should have counted.
On Nov. 22, U. S. District Judge Susan Dlott ruled that the board must investigate the provisional ballots. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld her ruling.
OR: Oregon: State says GOP claim of missing ballots unfounded
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101202/NEWS/12020312
SC: South Carolina: Voter ID, illegal immigration up for debate
http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=13600366
TX: Just 12 votes decided HD 48
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/politics/just-12-votes-decided-hd-48
WV: Morgantown Residents may Vote by Mail (volunteered for pilot)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40449241/ns/local_news-clarksburg_wv/
National
Election Hangover - The real legacy of Bush v. Gore
http://www.slate.com/id/2276710/ The real lesson of the Florida fiasco (not merely Bush v. Gore) is about something else: the undermining of the public's faith in the fairness of American elections. This has triggered an ongoing war over their administration.
...
Before 2000, most people were confident their votes were going to be counted accurately. After 2000, they are much less so.
2010: Updates in AK, MN, and NY
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/03/5573065-2010-updates-in-ak-mn-and-ny
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and
at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
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=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from 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, December 2, 2010
New York City BoE finds 200,000 more votes. Bridgeport CT recount chugs on
Kudos to Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition & CT Post for cosponsoring Bridgeport recount..Losing KY mayor sues,says voting machines set with wrong time...NYC finds 200K machine votes..EAC's Dec 2 mtg is on webcast..Internet voting a good idea? See UK article: "China is waging cyber warfare on Britain..they’re carrying out most cyber attacks remotely, mining information that is stored on servers in the UK, from all over the world – making anything from the national grid to the banking system vulnerable..".. Putin criticizes US elections...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AK: Judge sets expedited schedule for Senate vote-count lawsuit
http://www.adn.com/2010/12/01/1582468/alaska-judge-to-take-up-senate.html
Judge William Carey, in setting arguments for next Wednesday, also urged attorneys to file any legal actions they felt necessary -- such as discovery requests -- as quickly as they could
AK: Alaska Court Lets Lisa Murkowski Intervene in Joe Miller’s Lawsuit Over Vote Count http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/02/alaska-court-lets-lisa-murkowski-intervene-in-joe-millers-lawsuit-over-vote-count/
CA: Humbold County Transparency Project:Some Preliminary Results for November 2010 http://democracycounts.blogspot.com/2010/12/some-preliminary-results-for-november.html I've run the set of Transparency Project scans through the counting software and have preliminary results.
CO: SOS nixes hand count of contested races (Seguache)
http://www.centerpostdispatch.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=1397&page=72 On Monday, canvass board members were forbidden by the Secretary of State’s Office (SOS) to hand-count the contested commissioner and clerk races.
...
Several canvass board members were reluctant to use these totals as a baseline because, on Monday, the machine produced different totals when counting ballots and malfunctioned in other ways.
CT: Day Three: Recount chugs on in Bridgeport (Kudos to CTPOST and CCEAC)
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Day-Three-Recount-chugs-on-in-Bridgeport-852008.php "We had two teams of counters today and we've got three teams of counters coming tomorrow," said Luther Weeks, chairman of the Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition, which is co-sponsoring the recount with the Connecticut Post.
KY: Losing mayor files lawsuit over election results*(Hart Intercivic EScan &Eslate)
http://www.local12.com/news/state/story/Losing-mayor-files-lawsuit-over-election-results/vktntvJLwESKz2snj9EMEw.cspx (Pike County)
ELKHORN CITY, Ky. (AP) — An eastern Kentucky mayor who lost his bid for re-election has filed a lawsuit asking that the results be thrown out and a new election held.
Attorney Steve Owens, who represents Elkhorn City Mayor Billy Powell, told WYMT-TV that voters were allowed to use city ballots without verifying their addresses. The suit also alleges that voting machines were on central time instead of eastern, meaning votes cast during the first hour may not have been counted.
KY: Part of Ky. vote-buying conviction dismissed
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/12/01/1548804/part-of-ky-vote-buying-conviction.html
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves found Wednesday there was insufficient evidence that former Clay County election commissioner Charles Wayne Jones' attempts to get money from a candidate were based on an agreement for him to use his official position to help the candidate.
MN: Hennepin elections chief Rachel Smith shoots back; Canvassing Board to meet Friday http://www.minnpost.com/politicalagenda/2010/12/01/23836/hennepin_
elections_chief_rachel_smith_shoots_back_canvassing_board_to_meet_friday
http://tinyurl.com/2a42gc5 In an interview with MinnPost, Smith said: "I don't work for either party, I work for the citizens of Hennepin County. I am trying to do the best job I can to get through a half-million ballots in the allotted time, and do it as fairly and expeditiously as I can."
MN: Anoka and Hennepin Counties
http://mnrecount.org/2010/12/anoka-and-hennepin-counties.html
there were a total of 50 non-frivolous challenges and 1818 frivolous challenges from the Emmer reps and 14 from Dayton reps
MN: Wadena County votes recounted
http://www.reviewmessenger.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8149:wadena-county-votes-recounted&catid=41:rotator-news At the end of the first day, nearly 45 percent of the ballots had been hand-counted statewide. According to the Secretary of State’s website, 2,587 of the state’s 4,136 precincts completed their recounts on day one...
In Wadena County, it took less than three hours for the county’s 5,474 ballots to be counted by hand. There were eight tables set up, with three table judges and two campaign representatives at each table. The atmosphere was less tense than it was during the 2008 recount for the U.S. Senate race and the process went smoothly, with few challenges being made.
NC: NC counties still counting instant-runoff ballots
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/8717450/
unofficial counts have been completed in 62 of 100 counties. Partial results show incumbent Judge Cressie Thigpen leading Doug McCullough by about 60,000 votes.
NC: Hill wins Superior Court District 12A election after instant runoff votes counted
http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2010/12/01/1052292?sac=Home
Hasty finished first with 6,786 votes, or 36.3 percent. Hill finished second with 6,105 votes, or about 32.6 percent. A third candidate, Stephen Stokes, finished last.
NJ: Voter Fraud Investigation Could Reverse New Jersey Election Result -- Again
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/02/voter-fraud-investigation-could-reverse-new-jersey-election-resu/ The 11 people who were arrested are accused of falsifying absentee ballots by writing in the names of voters without their knowledge, according to The Record newspaper. One woman is also accused of voting twice, under her married name and her maiden name.
NJ: Paterson councilman is arrested in alleged voter fraud sweep (absentee ballots)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/paterson_councilman_is_arreste.html
Councilman Rigo Rodriguez, 38, was arrested by State Police along with his wife and campaign manager, the report said.
...
They allegedly voted using mail-in ballots on behalf of voters who never received their ballots, according to the Attorney General.
NY: A Month After Elections, 200,000 Votes Found
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/a-month-after-elections-200000-votes-found/?hp The preliminary machine tally alone swelled from 1,145,826 on election night to 1,366,881 in the official version.
The largest cache of newly found machine ballots was in Queens — about 80,000, or 31 percent more than were reported on election night.
...
“The unofficial election night returns reported by the press always have huge discrepancies — which is why neither the candidates or the election officials ever rely on them,” said Douglas A. Kellner, co-chairman of the State Board of Elections.
NY: Judge's first ruling bumps Bishop lead to 259 votes
http://www.riverheadlocal.com/local-news-content/1194-judges-first-ruling-bumps-bishop-lead-to-259-votes Absent "objective evidence of fraud," Mayer ruled, the law requires election officials to count the votes. Altschuler's objections to counting the unscanned ballots were centered on "chain-of-custody type issues," Mayer said. Without evidence of fraud, that's simply not enough to justify disenfranchising 161 voters, Mayer ruled.
NY: Hearing Set in New York Case Over How to Tally Votes for Two Parties Who are Running the Same Nominee
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/02/hearing-set-in-new-york-case-over-how-to-tally-votes-for-two-parties-who-are-running-the-same-nominee/
U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff will hold a hearing in Conservative Party of New York and Working Families Party of New York v New York State Board of Elections on Monday, December 6, at 4 p.m.
OH: Rejected ballots to be investigated
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101201/NEWS0108/12020333/1055/NEWS/Rejected-ballots-to-be-investigated It will likely be weeks before Hamilton County knows who was elected Nov. 2 to a juvenile court judgeship - in which the candidates were separated by only 23 votes - because of a federal court ruling Wednesday ordering an investigation into 849 rejected provisional ballots.
Internet Voting Watch
CT: State Judicial Branch's computer system struck by virus
http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/State-Judicial-Branch-s-computer-system-struck-by-853944.php
China is waging cyber warfare on Britain. Even your laptop isn't safe
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/willheaven/100066372/the-west-has-built-a-digital-maginot-line-and-chinese-spies-are-sneaking-past/ “We daren’t even take our laptops into China,” one FTSE100 banking director told Fraser. “They will swipe all the information at the airport.” Even worse, they’re carrying out most cyber attacks remotely, mining information that is stored on servers in the UK, from all over the world – making anything from the national grid to the banking system vulnerable. And each attack almost untraceable.
National
Vladimir Putin Criticizes U.S. for Presidential Elections in Which 2nd Place Finisher in Popular Vote Took the Office http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/02/vladimir-putin-criticizes-u-s-for-presidential-elections-in-which-2nd-place-finisher-in-popular-vote-took-the-office/
EAC held a public meeting and and roundtable discussion today in Washington, DC.
http://www.yorkmedia.com/eac/webcasts.htm
Meeting topics: commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products; election official mentorship project. An on-demand webcast will be available within 24 hours
International
Afghanistan: WikiLeaks cables reveal panic after Afghan presidential elections
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/02/wikileaks-cables-panic-afghan-elections
It quotes three Karzai advisers as admitting they knew fraud had been committed by their side.
...
The cable says the US ambassador, Karl Eikenberry, and other senior officials warned Karzai's opponents to refrain from violence and ensure peace and stability – while also telling Karzai not to interfere in the counting process or undermine the authority of the country's Independent Election Commission.
Canada: Nova Scotia inmates couldn't vote in 2009 provincial election: ombudsman
http://www.canadaeast.com/front/article/1334604
he chief electoral officer responded by saying it was too late to set up polling booths in the province's five jails, which house about 300 inmates.
UK: The Pros and Cons of the Alternative (Instant-Runoff) Vote
http://www.suite101.com/content/the-pros-and-cons-of-the-alternative-instant-runoff-vote-a315772
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and
at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNew s
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from 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
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AK: Judge sets expedited schedule for Senate vote-count lawsuit
http://www.adn.com/2010/12/01/1582468/alaska-judge-to-take-up-senate.html
Judge William Carey, in setting arguments for next Wednesday, also urged attorneys to file any legal actions they felt necessary -- such as discovery requests -- as quickly as they could
AK: Alaska Court Lets Lisa Murkowski Intervene in Joe Miller’s Lawsuit Over Vote Count http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/02/alaska-court-lets-lisa-murkowski-intervene-in-joe-millers-lawsuit-over-vote-count/
CA: Humbold County Transparency Project:Some Preliminary Results for November 2010 http://democracycounts.blogspot.com/2010/12/some-preliminary-results-for-november.html I've run the set of Transparency Project scans through the counting software and have preliminary results.
CO: SOS nixes hand count of contested races (Seguache)
http://www.centerpostdispatch.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=1397&page=72 On Monday, canvass board members were forbidden by the Secretary of State’s Office (SOS) to hand-count the contested commissioner and clerk races.
...
Several canvass board members were reluctant to use these totals as a baseline because, on Monday, the machine produced different totals when counting ballots and malfunctioned in other ways.
CT: Day Three: Recount chugs on in Bridgeport (Kudos to CTPOST and CCEAC)
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Day-Three-Recount-chugs-on-in-Bridgeport-852008.php "We had two teams of counters today and we've got three teams of counters coming tomorrow," said Luther Weeks, chairman of the Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition, which is co-sponsoring the recount with the Connecticut Post.
KY: Losing mayor files lawsuit over election results*(Hart Intercivic EScan &Eslate)
http://www.local12.com/news/state/story/Losing-mayor-files-lawsuit-over-election-results/vktntvJLwESKz2snj9EMEw.cspx (Pike County)
ELKHORN CITY, Ky. (AP) — An eastern Kentucky mayor who lost his bid for re-election has filed a lawsuit asking that the results be thrown out and a new election held.
Attorney Steve Owens, who represents Elkhorn City Mayor Billy Powell, told WYMT-TV that voters were allowed to use city ballots without verifying their addresses. The suit also alleges that voting machines were on central time instead of eastern, meaning votes cast during the first hour may not have been counted.
KY: Part of Ky. vote-buying conviction dismissed
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/12/01/1548804/part-of-ky-vote-buying-conviction.html
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves found Wednesday there was insufficient evidence that former Clay County election commissioner Charles Wayne Jones' attempts to get money from a candidate were based on an agreement for him to use his official position to help the candidate.
MN: Hennepin elections chief Rachel Smith shoots back; Canvassing Board to meet Friday http://www.minnpost.com/politicalagenda/2010/12/01/23836/hennepin_
elections_chief_rachel_smith_shoots_back_canvassing_board_to_meet_friday
http://tinyurl.com/2a42gc5 In an interview with MinnPost, Smith said: "I don't work for either party, I work for the citizens of Hennepin County. I am trying to do the best job I can to get through a half-million ballots in the allotted time, and do it as fairly and expeditiously as I can."
MN: Anoka and Hennepin Counties
http://mnrecount.org/2010/12/anoka-and-hennepin-counties.html
there were a total of 50 non-frivolous challenges and 1818 frivolous challenges from the Emmer reps and 14 from Dayton reps
MN: Wadena County votes recounted
http://www.reviewmessenger.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8149:wadena-county-votes-recounted&catid=41:rotator-news At the end of the first day, nearly 45 percent of the ballots had been hand-counted statewide. According to the Secretary of State’s website, 2,587 of the state’s 4,136 precincts completed their recounts on day one...
In Wadena County, it took less than three hours for the county’s 5,474 ballots to be counted by hand. There were eight tables set up, with three table judges and two campaign representatives at each table. The atmosphere was less tense than it was during the 2008 recount for the U.S. Senate race and the process went smoothly, with few challenges being made.
NC: NC counties still counting instant-runoff ballots
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/8717450/
unofficial counts have been completed in 62 of 100 counties. Partial results show incumbent Judge Cressie Thigpen leading Doug McCullough by about 60,000 votes.
NC: Hill wins Superior Court District 12A election after instant runoff votes counted
http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2010/12/01/1052292?sac=Home
Hasty finished first with 6,786 votes, or 36.3 percent. Hill finished second with 6,105 votes, or about 32.6 percent. A third candidate, Stephen Stokes, finished last.
NJ: Voter Fraud Investigation Could Reverse New Jersey Election Result -- Again
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/02/voter-fraud-investigation-could-reverse-new-jersey-election-resu/ The 11 people who were arrested are accused of falsifying absentee ballots by writing in the names of voters without their knowledge, according to The Record newspaper. One woman is also accused of voting twice, under her married name and her maiden name.
NJ: Paterson councilman is arrested in alleged voter fraud sweep (absentee ballots)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/paterson_councilman_is_arreste.html
Councilman Rigo Rodriguez, 38, was arrested by State Police along with his wife and campaign manager, the report said.
...
They allegedly voted using mail-in ballots on behalf of voters who never received their ballots, according to the Attorney General.
NY: A Month After Elections, 200,000 Votes Found
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/a-month-after-elections-200000-votes-found/?hp The preliminary machine tally alone swelled from 1,145,826 on election night to 1,366,881 in the official version.
The largest cache of newly found machine ballots was in Queens — about 80,000, or 31 percent more than were reported on election night.
...
“The unofficial election night returns reported by the press always have huge discrepancies — which is why neither the candidates or the election officials ever rely on them,” said Douglas A. Kellner, co-chairman of the State Board of Elections.
NY: Judge's first ruling bumps Bishop lead to 259 votes
http://www.riverheadlocal.com/local-news-content/1194-judges-first-ruling-bumps-bishop-lead-to-259-votes Absent "objective evidence of fraud," Mayer ruled, the law requires election officials to count the votes. Altschuler's objections to counting the unscanned ballots were centered on "chain-of-custody type issues," Mayer said. Without evidence of fraud, that's simply not enough to justify disenfranchising 161 voters, Mayer ruled.
NY: Hearing Set in New York Case Over How to Tally Votes for Two Parties Who are Running the Same Nominee
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/02/hearing-set-in-new-york-case-over-how-to-tally-votes-for-two-parties-who-are-running-the-same-nominee/
U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff will hold a hearing in Conservative Party of New York and Working Families Party of New York v New York State Board of Elections on Monday, December 6, at 4 p.m.
OH: Rejected ballots to be investigated
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101201/NEWS0108/12020333/1055/NEWS/Rejected-ballots-to-be-investigated It will likely be weeks before Hamilton County knows who was elected Nov. 2 to a juvenile court judgeship - in which the candidates were separated by only 23 votes - because of a federal court ruling Wednesday ordering an investigation into 849 rejected provisional ballots.
Internet Voting Watch
CT: State Judicial Branch's computer system struck by virus
http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/State-Judicial-Branch-s-computer-system-struck-by-853944.php
China is waging cyber warfare on Britain. Even your laptop isn't safe
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/willheaven/100066372/the-west-has-built-a-digital-maginot-line-and-chinese-spies-are-sneaking-past/ “We daren’t even take our laptops into China,” one FTSE100 banking director told Fraser. “They will swipe all the information at the airport.” Even worse, they’re carrying out most cyber attacks remotely, mining information that is stored on servers in the UK, from all over the world – making anything from the national grid to the banking system vulnerable. And each attack almost untraceable.
National
Vladimir Putin Criticizes U.S. for Presidential Elections in Which 2nd Place Finisher in Popular Vote Took the Office http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/02/vladimir-putin-criticizes-u-s-for-presidential-elections-in-which-2nd-place-finisher-in-popular-vote-took-the-office/
EAC held a public meeting and and roundtable discussion today in Washington, DC.
http://www.yorkmedia.com/eac/webcasts.htm
Meeting topics: commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products; election official mentorship project. An on-demand webcast will be available within 24 hours
International
Afghanistan: WikiLeaks cables reveal panic after Afghan presidential elections
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/02/wikileaks-cables-panic-afghan-elections
It quotes three Karzai advisers as admitting they knew fraud had been committed by their side.
...
The cable says the US ambassador, Karl Eikenberry, and other senior officials warned Karzai's opponents to refrain from violence and ensure peace and stability – while also telling Karzai not to interfere in the counting process or undermine the authority of the country's Independent Election Commission.
Canada: Nova Scotia inmates couldn't vote in 2009 provincial election: ombudsman
http://www.canadaeast.com/front/article/1334604
he chief electoral officer responded by saying it was too late to set up polling booths in the province's five jails, which house about 300 inmates.
UK: The Pros and Cons of the Alternative (Instant-Runoff) Vote
http://www.suite101.com/content/the-pros-and-cons-of-the-alternative-instant-runoff-vote-a315772
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and
at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNew s
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from 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, December 1, 2010
New York 7th SD - give up or count the votes? Internet vote co hiring on Craigslist
Palm Beach County Commissioners dodge touchscreen question..NY Sen DEM spokesman says Craig Jackson won't concede 7th SD yet:"anything less than the counting of every vote is a slap in the face to every voter."...Lucas Co. recount continues after flub.. Audit shows Vt. ballot machines accurate..EAC Commish Gracia Hillman has resigned..Internet Vote company "EveryoneCounts" hiring off of Craigslist...Hackers took down 36 Pakistan govt websites...
All this and more in today's voting news below....
AK: State seeks expedited ruling in Miller lawsuit over write-ins
VOTE SUIT: Alaska risks being deprived of a senator, they say.
http://www.adn.com/2010/11/30/1580321/state-seeks-quick-ruling-in-senate.html
AK: Miller camp combing through Alaska precinct logs
http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/10485657/article-Miller-camp-combing-through-Alaska-precinct-logs-?instance=home_news_window_left_bullets
AZ: No-excuse absentee ballots, voter ID, and slow counts in Arizona
http://www.earlyvoting.net/blog/2010/11/no-excuse-absentee-ballots-voter-id-and-slow-counts-arizona
CA: Stolen Ballots Won't Be Counted (San Francisco)
http://www.baycitizen.org/elections/story/stolen-ballots-wont-be-counted/ Batch of ballots found floating in pond was too small to influence election outcomes, official
CA: Readers sound off on Jean Quan, ranked-choice voting, the Oakland A's, and more.
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/letters-for-november-31/Content?oid=2241521
(For and against)
CO: Saguache vote ruling awaited
Group recounted ambulance district proposal Monday.
http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_a9db5f90-fd15-11df-8305-001cc4c03286.html
board member Lisa Cyriacks said the recount found different tallies among precinct and mail-in ballots.
...
But both Cyriacks and board member Jessica DuBoe said the outcomes did not reverse the leads held by incumbent Commissioner Linda Joseph and incumbent Clerk and Recorder Melinda Myers.
Those races drew scrutiny when election officials flipped election-night totals following a retabulation of the votes Nov. 5.
The move was meant to correct a software error that excluded results from 197 ballots from the election night count.
DC: D.C. board of elections wants to expand early voting
http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/capital-land/2010/11/dc-board-elections-wants-expand-early-voting-1
FL: Palm Beach County may ask state for more time to handle election recounts
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/fl-palm-touch-screen-machines-20101130,0,3610319.story Chairwoman Karen Marcus asked the commission to direct staff to lobby for making touch-screen voting machines legal again. But the commission dodged the controversial issue for now and asked for more information from Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher.
IL: Retab finds a Glitch
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/12/01/retab-finds-a-glitch/
However, for the first time, we had two ballots, in Mahomet 5, which alternately counted as overvotes for three offices, as unreadable, or correctly. After identifying the ballots we continued to run them in a variety of orientations and failed to ever get a consistent outcome.
...
But it does speak to the value of redundant counts of ballots and mandatory recounts in the event of close races.
MN: Recounts are a pain, but let's be grateful we have them here
http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111153564.html?elr=KArks:DCiUec7PaP3E77K_0c::D3aDhUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUec7PaP3i_vPQL7PQLaU
MN: 'Frivolous' challenges? Judge for yourself
http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111150859.html
MN: Slowly: Count, then challenge
http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111091254.html GOP chair said the party's frequent challenges to ballots are simply an attempt to defend its interests.
NJ: Seven are arrested, face voter fraud charges stemming from Paterson election
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/seven_are_arrested_face_voter.html
NY: GOP to Johnson: Do the right thing and give up! (NY 7th SD)
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/12/gop-to-johnson-do-the-right-th.html Senate Democratic spokesman Austin Shafran just issued a response to the GOP. "The margin in Nassau is less than half of one percent and there are still machine problems and vote count irregularities which call into question the accuracy of the count. The GOP's own top election lawyer raised these issues...That is why we believe a full manual recount is the only way to ensure a full, fair, and accurate count of every vote."
NY: Bishop keeps momentum, though GOP suspects fraud
http://northshoresun.timesreview.com/2010/12/3631/altschuler-scores-20-votes-from-military-ballots/ Altschuler (D) scores 20 votes from military ballots
NY: Hand recount of votes to start in freeholder race
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20101201/NEWS01/12010335/Hand-recount-of-votes-to-start-in-freeholder-race
WOODBURY A recheck of voting machines on Tuesday did not change results of the recent freeholder election in Gloucester County. Starting today, election workers will conduct a hand recount of vote-by-mail and provisional ballots.
OH: Lucas Co. recount continues after flub
http://www.toledoonthemove.com/news/story.aspx?id=548148
But after choosing which polling locations to recount on Monday, someone discovered a sheet of locations was left out of the random drawing
OR: Recount requested in close state Senate race
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/11/senate_republicans_say_theyll.html
RI: Rhode Island's election history on display
http://www2.turnto10.com/news/2010/nov/30/3/rhode-islands-election-history-display-ar-309360/
SC: Florence school board candidates protest election precincts
http://www2.scnow.com/news/2010/nov/30/florence-school-board-candidates-protest-election--ar-1152249 / “You changed the voters up — you confused the voters. I don’t know how many maps they had, but we couldn’t seem to get the correct information before the election,” James said
VT: Audit shows Vt. ballot machines accurate
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=13590830 In two of the towns the hand count produced exactly the same results as the tabulator machines. In the other three towns the count was off by only a vote or two.
Internet Vote Watch
Experienced Java Software Engineer - Secure Internet Voting System (San Diego (UTC / La Jolla)) http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/sof/2087439659.html
Cyber warfare: Indian hackers take down 36 govt websites
http://tribune.com.pk/story/84269/cyber-warfare-indian-hackers-take-down-36-govt-websites/ Websites of Pakistan Navy, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the ministries of foreign affairs, education and finance, as well as NADRA and the Council of Islamic Ideology were among some of the key websites hacked, aside from at least 30 other local websites.
National
EAC COMMISSIONER GRACIA HILLMAN HAS RESIGNED
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3663
THE ELECTION SEASON GETS LONGER AND LONGER
http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=21773
Doug Chapin, the founding director of electionline.org, a program of the Pew Center on the States, says we see “a demand for greater accuracy and fewer mistakes—right along with an exactly opposite demand for speedy results.” In other words: We ask our election officials to be accurate AND fast.
Checking In on Those Lingering Midterm Races
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/checking-in-on-those-lingering-midterm-races/ Since our last update, closure (or something close to closure) has come to seven of the nine midterm contests that were unresolved.
International
Haiti: Voting officials count the votes inside a vote center in Petion-Ville
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20101130/img/pwl-voting-officials-count-3-0d66b3910e4c.html (Counting ballots by candlelight)
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