Florida Atty Gen investigates voting-machine company merger: ``Florida counties are negotiating their contracts now to prepare for the 2010 elections,'' McCrea said. ``They can suffer the potential damages for dealing with a monopoly now. So intervention needs to happen now.''~ Dan McCrea, president of the Florida Voters Foundation...Hawaii may be able to use HAVA funds to pay for special elections....Maryland Governor being pressured to delay switch to paper ballot voting systems...Comment to a Tennessee newspaper: "You get a receipt when you buy a burger and fries; isn't your vote more valuable than that? Or are the people of Tennessee really content to drop their vote into a black hole and assume that there's absolute certainty that it will be counted?". The voting news might look slightly different today as we adjust the format slightly.
All this and more in today's voting news....
FL: Voting-machine firms' merger sparks Florida anti-trust probe
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/80830.html
...Under Florida's 1980 anti-trust law, McCollum could persuade a court to levy fines against ES&S or prevent the company from operating in the state...
FL: Voting-machine merger investigated
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/1385770.html
Dec 17, 2009 - Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is conducting an anti-trust investigation of a voting-machine company merger that would create a near-monopoly over the levers of democracy in Florida and much of the United States
HI: Federal money may fund election
http://twi.cc/CPAq
HI: Salvage the special election
http://www.starbulletin.com/editorials/20091216_Salvage_the_special_election.html
Dec 16, 2009 ...Cronin said one way to deal with the problem is to conduct an election by ballots to be mailed in or dropped off at central locations to reduce costs. That system was used successfully in April to conduct a special election in Windward Oahu to replace the late Barbara Marshall on the City Council.
IL: Injunction Denied
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2009/12/17/injunction-denied/
Champaign County Clerk- Judge Jones today agreed to a lot of our arguments, but in the end, disagreed with the argument that our office would suffer irreparable harm should we go forward with the election with the undervote provision in place.
MA: The debate voters deserve: Coakley vs. Brown
http://twi.cc/tAxK
MD: O'Malley: Questions Raised About Voting Scanners
http://wjz.com/local/voting.scanners.paper.2.1374714.html
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Gov. Martin O'Malley says more and more people are asking about the wisdom of changing to a new voting system with optical scans of paper ballots for upcoming elections....
MT: Voters voice concern over plan to shutter Missoula polling places
http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_38a0ff68-eacb-11de-a145-001cc4c002e0.html
Dec 17, 2009 - Dozens of voters turned out Wednesday afternoon, most of them opposing the proposed closure of several polling places - including at the Missoula County Courthouse and on the University of Montana campus - saying the plan would hurt the democratic process...
ND: Ramsey County votes to go to one polling place, fewer precincts
http://www.devilslakejournal.com/news/x967377813/Ramsey-County-votes-to-go-to-one-polling-place-fewer-precincts
Dec 16, 2009. “We expect more and more people will be participating in the Vote by Mail Program,” said County Auditor Elizabeth Fischer at the regular Ramsey County Commission meeting held Tuesday evening.
NY: Election Officials Hold Voting Machine Test Run (video available)
http://ny1.com/7-brooklyn-news-content/top_stories/110601/election-officials-hold-voting-machine-test-run
TN: What They Said
http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/what-they-said/Content?oid=1867114
Comments from memphisflyer.com by Flyer Readers (about e-voting)
TN: Protection Racket
http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/protection-racket/Content?oid=1867143
by Flyer Staff. We predicted the next step, and, lo and behold, there it was last week in Hargett's assertion — a fallback one, as it were — that "this has always been about the cost to the various counties" and that "the real question is if there are other costs required of the counties..." This was followed by this ominous declaration by Hargett: "I understand that the Senate is going to go back in January and take the necessary steps to protect the taxpayers throughout the state."
This "protection," of course, will take the form of postponing, amending, or revoking the TVCA.
National
electionlineWeekly--December 17, 2009 Newsletter
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/report_detail.aspx?id=56525
Director's Note: Wait...This was an OFF-YEAR?
Federal Government to Build Overseas Voting System
http://www.trustthevote.org/federal-government-to-build-overseas-voting-system
Dec 16th, 2009 There is some very interesting news today out of the U.S. government organization, the Federal Voting Assistance Program, which provides voting assistance to military and overseas voters. FVAP announced their intent to embark on a path to the creation of software tools to help voters abroad with obtaining ballots, specifically:
Pew Study Calculates the Real Cost of Voter Registration
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2009/12/17/267
Conducted with the assistance of Oregon state and local election officials, “The Real Cost of Voter Registration” is the first comprehensive analysis of its kind and provides a model for other states to estimate their expenses and establish a basis for evaluating efforts to modernize.
Federal Government Won’t Appeal Emily’s List Campaign Finance Decision
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/17/federal-government-wont-appeal-emilys-list-campaign-finance-decision/
New Book on the VRA and Language Minorities
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006338.html
James Tucker's new book, The Battle over Bilingual Ballots: Language Minorities and Political Access Under the Voting Rights Act has been published by Ashgate
International
Canadians support online voting: poll
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2009/12/17/ekos-poll.html
In the poll, released exclusively to CBC: Power & Politics, Canadians were asked if Elections Canada offered a safe way of voting on the internet, how likely is it that they would use it.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
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=============================================
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Donate online at this link:
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Madison Co KY gets paper ballots, Hawaii ponders mail-in special election, IL no secret ballot? Voting News wants to hear from you
Too broke to hold elections? Hawaii considers vote by mail for upcoming special election. New Mexico's Secretary of State says will have to borrow money to hold upcoming primary...More concern in Illinois about special state law that requires undervote notification- the machines make an audible noise if a voter leaves certain contests blank....Madison KY switches back to paper ballot voting systems...NY approves voting machines, requires vendors to bring them into full compliance....Security Heavyweights predict 2010 threats.....
We would like to hear from you. Do you have questions, concerns, or complaints about the voting news? Do you like the voting news like it is? Did we miss an important article? How can voting news help you more? If you would like to tell us how you feel, please email us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com. Also, if you like voting news, please tell a friend or donate .
Well, here's today's voting news.....
CA: Supervisors end contract with voting vendor
12/15/2009 As Los Angeles County seeks to replace a voting system that has been subject to sharp criticism from state officials, the Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to terminate a contract with one of the system's main vendors.
...
Logan's office has been seeking input on what kind of new voting system the public would like in the county. For more information, log onto http://www.lavote.net/Voter/VSAP
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14003230
FL: Federal Voting Assistance Program News
Florida Voters, Submit Your Ballot Request NOW for the February 2, 2009 Special Primary!
http://www.fvap.gov/global/news/nr21-2009.html
HI: Hawaii Ponders All-Mail Ballot Election in Next Special Congressional Election
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/16/hawaii-ponders-all-mail-ballot-election-in-next-special-congressional-election/
IL: Illinois State Board of Elections “No Right To Secret Ballot”
Champaign County Clerk, IL
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2009/12/16/illinois-state-board-of-elections-%e2%80%9cno-right-to-secret-ballot%e2%80%9d/
KY: County preparing for paper ballot voting
Madison County...This year, a paper ballot voting system will be used, which is the same process that was used before electronic voting machines became mainstream.
“We’ve gone back to voting the way we did 25 years ago,” said Madison Judge/Executive Kent Clark.
http://www.richmondregister.com/localnews/local_story_350075220.html
NM: Secretary of state: Election funding is lacking
12/16/2009 FARMINGTON — Secretary of State Mary Herrera complained Tuesday of a lack of funding for the primary election, but insisted she and her staff were trying to make progress amid budget cuts from the legislature.
...
She also complained that the department has $814,000 to hold the primary election in June, but needs almost $4 million total. She said the state must borrow the rest of the money to hold the primary.
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_14006966
NY: FYI - Bo Lipari writes: "Here’s a paper I did on it some years ago which describes the two specific sections of HAVA which preclude retaining lever machines."
http://www.nyvv.org/newdoc/2009/LeverMachinesAndHAVA020909.pdf
NYS Certifies Non-Compliant Voting Machines
Commentary Written by Howard Stanislevic
15 December 2009 Editor's Note: The NYS Board Of Elections certified both the Dominion ImageCast and the ES&S Electronic voting systems at 1:10 p.m. today (Dec. 15th, 2009) .. noting in the process that the machines were still "non-compliant." The state passed an additional resolution requiring the operations department to work with the two vendors to bring the machines into full compliance.
http://www.gouverneurtimes.com/frontpage-news/9221-nys-to-certify-electronic-voting-machine-today.html
NY: Ballot Scanners Switched Votes/New York SBoE Certifies Ballot Scanners
http://re-mediaetc.blogspot.com/2009/12/ballot-scanners-switched-votesnew-york.html
NY: New York votes, and creates jobs
December 15, 2009 ...One of the companies apparently has a lot of NY ties, at least in terms of the components made and jobs maintained in the Empire State...
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/20859/new-york-votes-and-creates-jobs/
VA: Op Ed: Take Jim Crow Out of the Virginia Constitution: Restore Voting Rights for All
December 16, 2009 After the 15th Amendment was passed, giving blacks the constitutional right to vote, Southern states enacted Jim Crow laws, designed to keep blacks from actually voting.
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2009/12/16/op-ed-take-jim-crow-out-of-the-virginia-constitution-restore-voting-rights-for-all/
VA: City council reinstates registrar's pay
Radford moves $2,500 back to Tracy Howard's salary and will ask the attorney general for an opinion.
RADFORD -- In what Councilman Bruce Brown called "a bandage," city council chose Monday not to cut Registrar Tracy Howard's salary -- for now.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/229849
WI: Election Administration
Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on the conduct of U.S. elections
The election administration project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison seeks to understand and improve the conduct of U.S. elections at all levels.
http://electionadmin.wisc.edu/index.html
WI: WisPolitics: Panel urges modernization of Wisconsin voters laws, restoration of felon's voting rights
12/16/2009 Speakers at a voter education summit Tuesday urged a series of changes in Wisconsin law to make it easier to register and vote, while advocating for restoring the voting rights of felons once they’re released from prison instead of after they complete their sentences.
http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=179801
National
MOVE Act and 2010 primary dates
The new Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, which stipulates a 45-day deadline for states to send general election ballots to military and overseas voters, has many states scrambling to either push back their 2010 primary date or receive a compliance waiver in order to avoid violating the Act.
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2009/12/move-act-and-2010-primary-dates.html
Evaluation & Certification of (Internet) Voting Systems (Report)
11.26.2009. Center for Advanced Security Research Darmstadt
http://www.coe.int/t/dgap/democracy/Source/EVoting/E-voting%202009/E-voting%20workshop/Volkamer_presentation.pdf
Security heavyweights predict 2010 threats
On: 16 Dec 2009 ...Unique predictions include a potential cryptographic algorithm break, botnet turf wars, attacks on voting mechanisms for elections and reality shows, a major utility breach in the U.S. and hijacked computers held for ransom.
http://www.itworldcanada.com/news/security-heavyweights-predict-2010-threats/139601
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"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:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
We would like to hear from you. Do you have questions, concerns, or complaints about the voting news? Do you like the voting news like it is? Did we miss an important article? How can voting news help you more? If you would like to tell us how you feel, please email us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com. Also, if you like voting news, please tell a friend or donate .
Well, here's today's voting news.....
CA: Supervisors end contract with voting vendor
12/15/2009 As Los Angeles County seeks to replace a voting system that has been subject to sharp criticism from state officials, the Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to terminate a contract with one of the system's main vendors.
...
Logan's office has been seeking input on what kind of new voting system the public would like in the county. For more information, log onto http://www.lavote.net/Voter/VSAP
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14003230
FL: Federal Voting Assistance Program News
Florida Voters, Submit Your Ballot Request NOW for the February 2, 2009 Special Primary!
http://www.fvap.gov/global/news/nr21-2009.html
HI: Hawaii Ponders All-Mail Ballot Election in Next Special Congressional Election
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/16/hawaii-ponders-all-mail-ballot-election-in-next-special-congressional-election/
IL: Illinois State Board of Elections “No Right To Secret Ballot”
Champaign County Clerk, IL
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2009/12/16/illinois-state-board-of-elections-%e2%80%9cno-right-to-secret-ballot%e2%80%9d/
KY: County preparing for paper ballot voting
Madison County...This year, a paper ballot voting system will be used, which is the same process that was used before electronic voting machines became mainstream.
“We’ve gone back to voting the way we did 25 years ago,” said Madison Judge/Executive Kent Clark.
http://www.richmondregister.com/localnews/local_story_350075220.html
NM: Secretary of state: Election funding is lacking
12/16/2009 FARMINGTON — Secretary of State Mary Herrera complained Tuesday of a lack of funding for the primary election, but insisted she and her staff were trying to make progress amid budget cuts from the legislature.
...
She also complained that the department has $814,000 to hold the primary election in June, but needs almost $4 million total. She said the state must borrow the rest of the money to hold the primary.
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_14006966
NY: FYI - Bo Lipari writes: "Here’s a paper I did on it some years ago which describes the two specific sections of HAVA which preclude retaining lever machines."
http://www.nyvv.org/newdoc/2009/LeverMachinesAndHAVA020909.pdf
NYS Certifies Non-Compliant Voting Machines
Commentary Written by Howard Stanislevic
15 December 2009 Editor's Note: The NYS Board Of Elections certified both the Dominion ImageCast and the ES&S Electronic voting systems at 1:10 p.m. today (Dec. 15th, 2009) .. noting in the process that the machines were still "non-compliant." The state passed an additional resolution requiring the operations department to work with the two vendors to bring the machines into full compliance.
http://www.gouverneurtimes.com/frontpage-news/9221-nys-to-certify-electronic-voting-machine-today.html
NY: Ballot Scanners Switched Votes/New York SBoE Certifies Ballot Scanners
http://re-mediaetc.blogspot.com/2009/12/ballot-scanners-switched-votesnew-york.html
NY: New York votes, and creates jobs
December 15, 2009 ...One of the companies apparently has a lot of NY ties, at least in terms of the components made and jobs maintained in the Empire State...
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/20859/new-york-votes-and-creates-jobs/
VA: Op Ed: Take Jim Crow Out of the Virginia Constitution: Restore Voting Rights for All
December 16, 2009 After the 15th Amendment was passed, giving blacks the constitutional right to vote, Southern states enacted Jim Crow laws, designed to keep blacks from actually voting.
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2009/12/16/op-ed-take-jim-crow-out-of-the-virginia-constitution-restore-voting-rights-for-all/
VA: City council reinstates registrar's pay
Radford moves $2,500 back to Tracy Howard's salary and will ask the attorney general for an opinion.
RADFORD -- In what Councilman Bruce Brown called "a bandage," city council chose Monday not to cut Registrar Tracy Howard's salary -- for now.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/229849
WI: Election Administration
Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on the conduct of U.S. elections
The election administration project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison seeks to understand and improve the conduct of U.S. elections at all levels.
http://electionadmin.wisc.edu/index.html
WI: WisPolitics: Panel urges modernization of Wisconsin voters laws, restoration of felon's voting rights
12/16/2009 Speakers at a voter education summit Tuesday urged a series of changes in Wisconsin law to make it easier to register and vote, while advocating for restoring the voting rights of felons once they’re released from prison instead of after they complete their sentences.
http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=179801
National
MOVE Act and 2010 primary dates
The new Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, which stipulates a 45-day deadline for states to send general election ballots to military and overseas voters, has many states scrambling to either push back their 2010 primary date or receive a compliance waiver in order to avoid violating the Act.
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2009/12/move-act-and-2010-primary-dates.html
Evaluation & Certification of (Internet) Voting Systems (Report)
11.26.2009. Center for Advanced Security Research Darmstadt
http://www.coe.int/t/dgap/democracy/Source/EVoting/E-voting%202009/E-voting%20workshop/Volkamer_presentation.pdf
Security heavyweights predict 2010 threats
On: 16 Dec 2009 ...Unique predictions include a potential cryptographic algorithm break, botnet turf wars, attacks on voting mechanisms for elections and reality shows, a major utility breach in the U.S. and hijacked computers held for ransom.
http://www.itworldcanada.com/news/security-heavyweights-predict-2010-threats/139601
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"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:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
NY certifies voting machines, OH touchscreen flaws, Aspen election lampooned, I-voting squibs
Lampooned: Aspen's chronic election problems via YouTube video. The portrayal of the ballot box just outside the mayor’s office during "early early" voting was outrageous yet true...
Calibration issues with Montgomery County Ohio Diebold touchscreens but the vendor will "fix" them for free...No machines, no money, no state election director: .Hawaii can't afford a special election...NH's electronic voting panel issuing report after meeting with Finnish e-voting expert Harri Hursti today... NY Board of Elections certified new voting machines,flaws and all in time to avoid federal intervention..Want Fair and Accurate Elections in Tennessee? Call Your Senator Today...Internet voting continues to metastasize in Canada...
AL: Cedar Bluff election results (finally) in
CEDAR BLUFF — It took over 16 months to seat them, but the Cedar Bluff Town Council finally has three new members...
http://www.postpaper.com/cbelection09.htm
CO: ASPEN ELECTION NOT OUT OF CONTROL (Satire - on YouTube)
Produced by betterbadnews December 14, 2009
...In Colorado early voting is taken very seriously. A ballot box set up near the mayors office gives voters something to do while waiting for their appointment with the boss.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1F5Jlzs6a8&videos=IyVyyTQY27Q
CO: Who decides what the people may know?
Aspen....What is the city hiding, and why?
...
Aspen has chronic, unseen but undeniable election integrity problems.
...
Election integrity, the fundamental building block of our society, is waved off as unimportant detail in Aspen....
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20091215/LETTER/912149987/1020&ParentProfile=1058
CT: Miles Rapoport: Demos Leader and former CT Secretary of the State
December 15, 2009 http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2689
HI: Election chief says special vote would be difficult
Dec 11, 2009 The state Office of Elections has not made a decision on how, or even if, a special election would be held once U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie decides to vacate his seat in Congress.
Abercrombie says he will announce Sunday his intent to step down to concentrate on his run at the governorship in 2010.
"That is a possibility," Cronin said at a press conference today. "It would be a matter of discussing among all the election officials the question of the capacity of the Office of Election to administer an election when we're already experiencing significantly reduced staffing, virtually no funding to get us to June 30, 2010, and no voting machines."
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/bulletin/79107482.html
IL: Board nixes funding for voting machine upgrades
December 13, 2009 JERSEYVILLE — The Jersey County Board hopes to send a message to state legislators by refusing to fund changes in voting equipment that will be required by a new "under-voting" law.
...
Jersey County Clerk Steve Pohlman asked the board for $4,000 from the general fund to pay for reprogramming of election computers so that the equipment can immediately report when a voter fails to fill in a space on the ballot.
http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/upgrades-34133-board-voting.html
IL: Policitican accused of buying votes with $2 bills says 'that's just crazy'
EAST ST. LOUIS -- Politician Will McGaughy says he's been mailing envelopes to voters in his precinct at Christmastime for 30 years, wishing them holiday cheer and including a crisp $2 bill as a "keepsake."
...
But what makes this year different said Dancy is what McGaughy conceded is his first combined Christmas and candidacy message. It was mailed to more than 500 voters.
http://www.bnd.com/372/story/1049012.html
NC: Jim Crow and Civil Rights in North Carolina
http://www.literacynews.com/2009/12/jim-crow-and-civil-rights-in-north-carolina/
NH: NH's electronic voting panel issuing report
December 15, 2009 CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A special New Hampshire committee studying electronic voting systems is issuing its final report.
Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan (SCAN'-lan) said Harri Hursti (HUR'-stee), 1 of the world's leading experts on voting systems, will discuss voting systems in America.
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=11678097
NY: NY certifies new voting machines for 2010 election *
Dec 15, 2009 ALBANY, N.Y. The New York Board of Elections has certified new voting machines, in time for next fall's elections and to avoid federal intervention.
The board unanimously approved the machines by Canadian-based Dominion and Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software Tuesday, although they have some minor technical problems.
The board isn't elaborating, but officials say the problems will be resolved before 2010 elections...
http://www.examiner.com/a-2373625~NY_certifies_new_voting_machines_for_2010_election.html
NY: $50M vote on elex machines
December 14, 2009 ...The board is replacing the decades-old lever machines to comply with federal regulations and has narrowed its final choice to two machines: the ImageCast, by Canadian company Dominion, and the DS200, by Election Systems & Software of Nebraska.
The competing pollsters will go through public demonstrations this week, followed by a Dec. 29 public hearing, with a final decision expected on Jan. 5.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/vote_on_elex_machines_UnscQXWEhfu0EbI1sr9mAI
NY: Optical scan voting machines to be tested by Staten Island voters
December 14, 2009.
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/optical_scan_voting_machines_t.html
(article incorrectly claims HAVA requires levers to be replaced)
OH: Problems with Montgomery County voting machines to be fixed for free *(Premier/ES&S touchscreens
DAYTON — Problems with Montgomery County’s electronic voting machines will be fixed for free once the state certifies new software, according to Steve Harsman, director of the Montgomery County Board of Elections.
Harsman told the board on Tuesday, Dec. 15, that there are continued problems with calibration of the touch screen, an issue discovered in 2006. Additional calibration and testing procedures were put in place to catch problems.
Harsman said about 137 voting machines were outside of tolerance standards and had to be pulled from use prior to last November’s election.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/election/problems-with-montgomery-county-voting-machines-to-be-fixed-for-free-449643.html
OH: Elections board chief to resign, will seek state rep post
December 15th, 2009 SHEFFIELD TWP. — Lorain County Board of Elections Director Jose Candelario will leave his job in January to run for state Rep. Joe Koziura’s seat in the Legislature.
http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2009/12/15/elections-board-chief-to-resign-will-seek-state-rep-post/
TN: Want Fair and Accurate Elections in Tennessee? Call Your Senator Today.
Mary Mancini on December 15, 2009 In January, the debate over fair and accurate elections in Tennessee will continue in the General Assembly.
“But wait,” you ask, “didn’t we win the battle to replace the 100% unverifiable touch-screen electronic voting machines with paper ballots that can be monitored, audited, and recounted back in 2008?”The answer to that question “yes.” BUT
http://www.openpen.org/?p=2220
TN: Budget amendments approved for county
Several budget amendments were approved by the Cumberland County Budget Committee during its December meeting Tuesday evening including $5,631 for the county's election commission.
The amendment is for past due invoices from 2008 from MicroVote for a software maintenance plan on county voting machines for $5,500 and for 50 rolls of paper for voting machines in the amount of $131.03.
Cumberland County Administrator of Elections Sharon York appeared before the committee and said she had gotten a letter as a reminder that the commission had three past due invoices totaling more than $11,000.
http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/local/local_story_344161945.html
International
Canada. Online voting
Ontario should resist
December 14, 2009 At a time when voter apathy is rampant, it makes sense to allow Ontario's snowbirds and military personnel to vote by mail in provincial elections.
...
Peter Woolstencroft, a political scientist at the University of Waterloo, told a Toronto reporter that "many citizens are just deeply disaffected by electoral politics and politics generally. Changing the way in which you cast your vote is not going to address that."
It could, however, adversely affect the outcome of an election. Because of that, Bentley must say no.
http://www.windsorstar.com/Online+voting/2337280/story.html
Canada. Online voting may be recommended to Victoria
Denise Wong (mailto:dwong@radio.astral.com )
Mon, 2009-12-14 City Council and civic staff are now mulling over ways they might like to change the local election act.
After a dismal 11 percent voter turnout in the recent city by-election, Mayor Sharon Shepherd has been renewing her push for the allowance of online voting for municipal elections. But City Clerk Stephen Fleming re-affirms it's not currently a legal procedure.
...
Fleming also says the online voting procedure would be pricey, should they decide to implement it in the future. He says they'd be charged based on the number of eligible voters in the city - not the actual number of votes cast.
"There is a cost per eligible voter, which by 2011 in Kelowna will be fairly high."
http://www.am1150.ca/news/565/1038520
Canada. Internet Voting Coming to Belleville
December 15th, 2009. Belleville voters can go to the web and click-on their favourite candidate when election time comes up next year. Last night, City Council decided to make “internet voting” an option for voters when the polls open in the October election. Mayor Neil Ellis says turnout at the polls is more than 50-percent but hopes this will improve it especially for young people. A staff report indicates the price tag for the internet voting will be 39-thousand-800 dollars.
http://www.mix97.com/news/2009/12/internet-voting-coming-to-belleville/
Korea. Koreans Abroad to Vote in Primary
Absentee voters living abroad will be allowed to participate in the selection of the presidential candidate of the governing Grand National Party (GNP), senior party officials said Monday.
"In accordance with the passage of a bill that grants suffrage to Korean nationals residing overseas, the GNP decided Sunday to include them in the electoral roll of the party's presidential primary," Rep. Jeong Tae-keun of the GNP said
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/12/116_57252.html
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
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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."
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Calibration issues with Montgomery County Ohio Diebold touchscreens but the vendor will "fix" them for free...No machines, no money, no state election director: .Hawaii can't afford a special election...NH's electronic voting panel issuing report after meeting with Finnish e-voting expert Harri Hursti today... NY Board of Elections certified new voting machines,flaws and all in time to avoid federal intervention..Want Fair and Accurate Elections in Tennessee? Call Your Senator Today...Internet voting continues to metastasize in Canada...
AL: Cedar Bluff election results (finally) in
CEDAR BLUFF — It took over 16 months to seat them, but the Cedar Bluff Town Council finally has three new members...
http://www.postpaper.com/cbelection09.htm
CO: ASPEN ELECTION NOT OUT OF CONTROL (Satire - on YouTube)
Produced by betterbadnews December 14, 2009
...In Colorado early voting is taken very seriously. A ballot box set up near the mayors office gives voters something to do while waiting for their appointment with the boss.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1F5Jlzs6a8&videos=IyVyyTQY27Q
CO: Who decides what the people may know?
Aspen....What is the city hiding, and why?
...
Aspen has chronic, unseen but undeniable election integrity problems.
...
Election integrity, the fundamental building block of our society, is waved off as unimportant detail in Aspen....
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20091215/LETTER/912149987/1020&ParentProfile=1058
CT: Miles Rapoport: Demos Leader and former CT Secretary of the State
December 15, 2009 http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2689
HI: Election chief says special vote would be difficult
Dec 11, 2009 The state Office of Elections has not made a decision on how, or even if, a special election would be held once U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie decides to vacate his seat in Congress.
Abercrombie says he will announce Sunday his intent to step down to concentrate on his run at the governorship in 2010.
"That is a possibility," Cronin said at a press conference today. "It would be a matter of discussing among all the election officials the question of the capacity of the Office of Election to administer an election when we're already experiencing significantly reduced staffing, virtually no funding to get us to June 30, 2010, and no voting machines."
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/bulletin/79107482.html
IL: Board nixes funding for voting machine upgrades
December 13, 2009 JERSEYVILLE — The Jersey County Board hopes to send a message to state legislators by refusing to fund changes in voting equipment that will be required by a new "under-voting" law.
...
Jersey County Clerk Steve Pohlman asked the board for $4,000 from the general fund to pay for reprogramming of election computers so that the equipment can immediately report when a voter fails to fill in a space on the ballot.
http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/upgrades-34133-board-voting.html
IL: Policitican accused of buying votes with $2 bills says 'that's just crazy'
EAST ST. LOUIS -- Politician Will McGaughy says he's been mailing envelopes to voters in his precinct at Christmastime for 30 years, wishing them holiday cheer and including a crisp $2 bill as a "keepsake."
...
But what makes this year different said Dancy is what McGaughy conceded is his first combined Christmas and candidacy message. It was mailed to more than 500 voters.
http://www.bnd.com/372/story/1049012.html
NC: Jim Crow and Civil Rights in North Carolina
http://www.literacynews.com/2009/12/jim-crow-and-civil-rights-in-north-carolina/
NH: NH's electronic voting panel issuing report
December 15, 2009 CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A special New Hampshire committee studying electronic voting systems is issuing its final report.
Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan (SCAN'-lan) said Harri Hursti (HUR'-stee), 1 of the world's leading experts on voting systems, will discuss voting systems in America.
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=11678097
NY: NY certifies new voting machines for 2010 election *
Dec 15, 2009 ALBANY, N.Y. The New York Board of Elections has certified new voting machines, in time for next fall's elections and to avoid federal intervention.
The board unanimously approved the machines by Canadian-based Dominion and Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software Tuesday, although they have some minor technical problems.
The board isn't elaborating, but officials say the problems will be resolved before 2010 elections...
http://www.examiner.com/a-2373625~NY_certifies_new_voting_machines_for_2010_election.html
NY: $50M vote on elex machines
December 14, 2009 ...The board is replacing the decades-old lever machines to comply with federal regulations and has narrowed its final choice to two machines: the ImageCast, by Canadian company Dominion, and the DS200, by Election Systems & Software of Nebraska.
The competing pollsters will go through public demonstrations this week, followed by a Dec. 29 public hearing, with a final decision expected on Jan. 5.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/vote_on_elex_machines_UnscQXWEhfu0EbI1sr9mAI
NY: Optical scan voting machines to be tested by Staten Island voters
December 14, 2009.
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/optical_scan_voting_machines_t.html
(article incorrectly claims HAVA requires levers to be replaced)
OH: Problems with Montgomery County voting machines to be fixed for free *(Premier/ES&S touchscreens
DAYTON — Problems with Montgomery County’s electronic voting machines will be fixed for free once the state certifies new software, according to Steve Harsman, director of the Montgomery County Board of Elections.
Harsman told the board on Tuesday, Dec. 15, that there are continued problems with calibration of the touch screen, an issue discovered in 2006. Additional calibration and testing procedures were put in place to catch problems.
Harsman said about 137 voting machines were outside of tolerance standards and had to be pulled from use prior to last November’s election.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/election/problems-with-montgomery-county-voting-machines-to-be-fixed-for-free-449643.html
OH: Elections board chief to resign, will seek state rep post
December 15th, 2009 SHEFFIELD TWP. — Lorain County Board of Elections Director Jose Candelario will leave his job in January to run for state Rep. Joe Koziura’s seat in the Legislature.
http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2009/12/15/elections-board-chief-to-resign-will-seek-state-rep-post/
TN: Want Fair and Accurate Elections in Tennessee? Call Your Senator Today.
Mary Mancini on December 15, 2009 In January, the debate over fair and accurate elections in Tennessee will continue in the General Assembly.
“But wait,” you ask, “didn’t we win the battle to replace the 100% unverifiable touch-screen electronic voting machines with paper ballots that can be monitored, audited, and recounted back in 2008?”The answer to that question “yes.” BUT
http://www.openpen.org/?p=2220
TN: Budget amendments approved for county
Several budget amendments were approved by the Cumberland County Budget Committee during its December meeting Tuesday evening including $5,631 for the county's election commission.
The amendment is for past due invoices from 2008 from MicroVote for a software maintenance plan on county voting machines for $5,500 and for 50 rolls of paper for voting machines in the amount of $131.03.
Cumberland County Administrator of Elections Sharon York appeared before the committee and said she had gotten a letter as a reminder that the commission had three past due invoices totaling more than $11,000.
http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/local/local_story_344161945.html
International
Canada. Online voting
Ontario should resist
December 14, 2009 At a time when voter apathy is rampant, it makes sense to allow Ontario's snowbirds and military personnel to vote by mail in provincial elections.
...
Peter Woolstencroft, a political scientist at the University of Waterloo, told a Toronto reporter that "many citizens are just deeply disaffected by electoral politics and politics generally. Changing the way in which you cast your vote is not going to address that."
It could, however, adversely affect the outcome of an election. Because of that, Bentley must say no.
http://www.windsorstar.com/Online+voting/2337280/story.html
Canada. Online voting may be recommended to Victoria
Denise Wong (mailto:dwong@radio.astral.com )
Mon, 2009-12-14 City Council and civic staff are now mulling over ways they might like to change the local election act.
After a dismal 11 percent voter turnout in the recent city by-election, Mayor Sharon Shepherd has been renewing her push for the allowance of online voting for municipal elections. But City Clerk Stephen Fleming re-affirms it's not currently a legal procedure.
...
Fleming also says the online voting procedure would be pricey, should they decide to implement it in the future. He says they'd be charged based on the number of eligible voters in the city - not the actual number of votes cast.
"There is a cost per eligible voter, which by 2011 in Kelowna will be fairly high."
http://www.am1150.ca/news/565/1038520
Canada. Internet Voting Coming to Belleville
December 15th, 2009. Belleville voters can go to the web and click-on their favourite candidate when election time comes up next year. Last night, City Council decided to make “internet voting” an option for voters when the polls open in the October election. Mayor Neil Ellis says turnout at the polls is more than 50-percent but hopes this will improve it especially for young people. A staff report indicates the price tag for the internet voting will be 39-thousand-800 dollars.
http://www.mix97.com/news/2009/12/internet-voting-coming-to-belleville/
Korea. Koreans Abroad to Vote in Primary
Absentee voters living abroad will be allowed to participate in the selection of the presidential candidate of the governing Grand National Party (GNP), senior party officials said Monday.
"In accordance with the passage of a bill that grants suffrage to Korean nationals residing overseas, the GNP decided Sunday to include them in the electoral roll of the party's presidential primary," Rep. Jeong Tae-keun of the GNP said
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/12/116_57252.html
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"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:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
Monday, December 14, 2009
National Expert warns FCC of internet voting dangers, Vendor put on EAC advisory panel, Tennessee stall n crawl
In answer to the question “With existing technology, is it possible to enable and ensure safe and secure voting online today?”, Verified Voting responded, “in a word, no.” It is likely that no one in the country has studied the subject of internet voting more intensely than David Jefferson, senior scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Jefferson warns: "Even if an Internet election is apparently 'successful', the results are absolutely unauditable in any meaningful sense of the word....You may hear claims that many elections and election pilots have been conducted in the past without the loss or misrecording of a single vote. This claim is false on several levels." Internet voting seems even more insane as the Guardian UK reports that "Russia and US in secret talks to fight net crime"...
Hawaii Oh No: Hawaii's election dept faces new budget woes - the state will have to come up with $2 million to run a special election to replace U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who is leaving congress to run for governor. Add this to the fact that Hawaii's election dept is woefully under funded, is in the process of creating new election rules, is considering cutting half of its polling places and does not have a voting system in place...Randolph County Indiana's 2 year struggle to get SOS to reimburse costs of voting machines that should be paid by HAVA funds...
The End of Innocence -- NY State Board of Elections Says Ballot Scanners Switched Votes in 2009 General Election...Local Groups Urge VA Gov Kaine to Restore Voting Rights... Tennessee continues 'stall 'n' crawl' tactics...
BradBlog reports: "Disgraceful: Discredited E-Voting Vendor VP Appointed to U.S. EAC Advisory Panel"
All this and more in today's voting news below....
CT: Secretary of the State Candidate Criticizes Exploratory Committees
December 12. "In our view exploratory committees represent a loophole in the current public financing law. Candidates can collect and spend huge sums in the name of exploring runs for office."
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2671
FL: The Advancement Project warns of problems with upcoming elections
A report released Thursday by the Advancement Project calls for changes in poll hours and voter registrations rules.
TALLAHASSEE -- Even though Election Day last year went relatively smoothly across Florida, a civil rights advocacy group that focuses on elections warned that stricter voter registration laws could prevent thousands of eligible voters from joining the rolls in upcoming elections.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/story/1376506.html
HI: Abercrombie will quit Congress to focus on Hawaii governor race
Quitting Congress to prepare for likely battle with mayor
...Abercrombie's decision throws a curve into the 2010 elections and triggers a special election to fill the remaining months of his two-year term.
...
The unexpected vacancy could lead the state Office of Elections to try to come up with as much as $2 million to pay for a special election and scramble to find a voting system because legal challenges have left the state with no voting machines.
http://twi.cc/HDjv
IN: County Council OKs voting reimbursement
Randolph County Council Tuesday approved County Clerk Claudia Thornburg's submission of an application for the county to be reimbursed $194,048 for the purchase of its current voting machines. The application will be submitted to Secretary of State Todd Rokita's office.
...
Thornburg has led a concerted effort to be sure the county was reimbursed for the new voting machines. Over a nearly 2-year period she has exchanged letters and phone calls with the Secretary of State's office and has made six trips to Indianapolis.
http://www.winchesternewsgazette.com/articles/2009/12/12/news/news1.txt
MA: Mayor wants to move elections to the fall
December, 10, 2009 MILLERTON — Has Election Day ever passed you by, only to make you realize you’ve forgotten all about your planned trip to the polls? Surely that’s more likely to happen in the springtime, during village elections, when one’s mind is far from thinking of such things. That’s one of the many reasons Millerton Mayor John Scutieri is determined to have village elections moved from the third Tuesday in March to the first Tuesday in November.
http://www.tcextra.com/news/publish/millertonnews/Mayor_wants_to_
move_elections_to_the_fall/1148500.shtml
or use this url http://twi.cc/kQyP
MO: Brad Appearing at Q&A Following Screening of 'Murder, Spies & Voting Lies' in St. Louis Tuesday.
I'll be appearing for a Q&A in St. Louis on Tuesday (12/15 @ 7:30pm), after a screening of Patty Sharaf's award-winning documentary, Murder, Spies & Voting Lies: The Clint Curtis Story featuring both myself, and our reporting here at The BRAD BLOG on the Republican computer programmer turned vote-rigging whistleblower.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7573
MT: Forward Montana, UM students fume over proposal to shutter 13 voting locations
University of Montana students and a local voter advocacy group are up in arms over Missoula County’s recent announcement that it may close the campus and courthouse polling places.
The proposal, they say, unfairly targets young voters.
http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_3293bc36-e7ac-11de-af27-001cc4c002e0.html
NY: The End of Innocence -- NY State Board of Elections Says Ballot Scanners Switched Votes in 2009 General Election *
The Help America Vote Act does not require computerized vote counting. But earlier this year in U. S. District Court, the New York State Board of Elections (SBoE) and the U. S. Department of Justice agreed that the Board would certify a new optical scan computerized voting system by December 15, 2009. As that date approaches, the Board is displaying a dismissive attitude toward the risks and problems encountered with the systems they say they will certify.
http://e-voter.blogspot.com/2009/12/end-of-innocence-ny-state-board-of_14.html
NY: Schumer urges NYSBOE to implement federal election management guidelines
Dec 14, 2009 - As New York State makes the conversion from lever voter machines to a new, optical scan machine system, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer wrote to the Board of Elections urging them to review and implement federal election management guidelines to ensure privacy for voters.
http://www.empirestatenews.net/News/20091214-2.html
OH: Elections board wins case against county
December 12, 2009 Visiting Judge Judith Cross has ruled in favor of the Ashland County Board of Elections in its lawsuit against the Ashland County Commissioners.
The Summit County judge ordered commissioners to increase the board's 2009 appropriations by $25,684. Also, Cross ordered that any and all attorney expenses for the board of elections be paid by the county commissioners and not be charged against the board of election's appropriations.
http://www.times-gazette.com/news/article/4728382
NY: The End of Innocence -- NY State Board of Elections Says Ballot Scanners Switched Votes in 2009 General Election *
The Help America Vote Act does not require computerized vote counting. But earlier this year in U. S. District Court, the New York State Board of Elections (SBoE) and the U. S. Department of Justice agreed that the Board would certify a new optical scan computerized voting system by December 15, 2009. As that date approaches, the Board is displaying a dismissive attitude toward the risks and problems encountered with the systems they say they will certify.
http://e-voter.blogspot.com/2009/12/end-of-innocence-ny-state-board-of_14.html
TN: State continues 'stall 'n' crawl' tactics
...Hargett continues his “stall ’n’ crawl” until the January session, when they’ve pledged to either delay or overturn the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act — regardless that they voted for it before they were against it. Gov. Phil Bredesen seems to be our last hope in breaking what Mr. Williams accurately calls a “logjam” of political procrastination.
http://twi.cc/uubD
VA: Local Groups Urge Kaine to Restore Voting Rights
Governor Kaine has already restored the voting rights of more former felons than any governor in Virginia's history.
http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-felon-voting-rights121209,0,1994868.story
National
FCC Comments re Internet Voting
Voting Matters Blog. Yesterday was the deadline to submit comments to the FCC regarding the use of the internet for voting as well as other broadband issues.
...
A mere handful of these comments to the FCC seem to have focused on the civic participation aspect of the broadband, particularly internet voting and these can be divided into two groups — election integrity activists on one side and private companies hoping to make a profit from internet voting on the other.
...
The sales pitch of these companies sounds remarkably like that offered by purveyors of DRE voting machines when they touted the features, advantages and benefits of doing away with all those “messy” paper ballots and going paperless – it was the wave of the future, they said then...
http://votingmatters.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/fcc-comments-re-internet-voting/
Verified Voting Comments to FCC on Internet Voting
Sunday, December 13, 2009 FCC Internet Voting Comments
On December 10, 2010 the FCC issued a request for comments [link] “on how broadband can help to bring democratic processes—including elections, public hearings and town hall meetings—into the digital age, thereby encouraging and facilitating citizen opportunities to engage and participate in their democracy.”
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2009/12/13/250
Verified Voting's Comments on NBP Public Notice #20
December 10th, 2009
Comments—NBP Public Notice #20. GN Docket Nos. 09-47, 09-51, and 09-137
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020352491
David Jefferson’s Comments to the FCC on Internet Voting
Monday, December 14, 2009...Some people argue that the barriers to voting faced by our overseas military are so high that they justify, or require, online voting as the only reasonable solution. While it is true that those barriers are indeed unconscionably high, it is not true that there are no other good solutions besides Internet voting. We can go a long way toward reducing those barriers by carefully implementing Internet-based voter registration systems, and but using the Internet to distribute blank ballots electronically. But we really must draw the line at permitting the electronic return of voted ballots. That is the stage of the voting process at which all of the critical security dangers are concentrated, and there is no good solution at this time, nor is there likely to be in the foreseeable future...
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2009/12/14/254
Here is NC Coalition for Verified Voting filing to FCC
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?z=s4doa&id=6015502188
Russia and US in secret talks to fight net crime
13 December 2009...The potential for online warfare has become a hot topic after a string of major incidents in recent years
...
With a rising tide of strikes by hackers on major institutions – including banks, businesses, government agencies and the military – diplomats are attempting to forge an international consensus on how to deal with cybersecurity problems.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/dec/13/russia-us-internet-security-cyberwarfare
"Hear that giant sucking sound?"
That's all of your time being sucked away as you delight in using Dave's Redistricting App
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006336.html
Redistricting the Nation
http://www.redistrictingthenation.com/default.aspx
Disgraceful: Discredited E-Voting Vendor VP Appointed to U.S. EAC Advisory Panel
Federal body tasked with overseeing U.S. certification of e-voting systems appoints scammer Edwin Smith, VP of e-voting companies Sequoia, Dominion, Hart-Intercivic...
Smith is the guy who, after years of paying a crackpot contractor named Mike Gibbons to do this and that for Sequoia with loads of federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) tax-payer cash, assigned him to do an "independent" analysis of Sequoia's touch-screen machines after they failed in NJ's 2008 Super Tuesday election. That was just after Smith had sent a letter threatening two Princeton computer scientists with legal action "to stop any infringement of our intellectual properties, including any non-compliant analysis", if they performed the actually independent analysis of the machines as they were tasked by NJ election officials to do.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7575
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"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:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
Hawaii Oh No: Hawaii's election dept faces new budget woes - the state will have to come up with $2 million to run a special election to replace U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who is leaving congress to run for governor. Add this to the fact that Hawaii's election dept is woefully under funded, is in the process of creating new election rules, is considering cutting half of its polling places and does not have a voting system in place...Randolph County Indiana's 2 year struggle to get SOS to reimburse costs of voting machines that should be paid by HAVA funds...
The End of Innocence -- NY State Board of Elections Says Ballot Scanners Switched Votes in 2009 General Election...Local Groups Urge VA Gov Kaine to Restore Voting Rights... Tennessee continues 'stall 'n' crawl' tactics...
BradBlog reports: "Disgraceful: Discredited E-Voting Vendor VP Appointed to U.S. EAC Advisory Panel"
All this and more in today's voting news below....
CT: Secretary of the State Candidate Criticizes Exploratory Committees
December 12. "In our view exploratory committees represent a loophole in the current public financing law. Candidates can collect and spend huge sums in the name of exploring runs for office."
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2671
FL: The Advancement Project warns of problems with upcoming elections
A report released Thursday by the Advancement Project calls for changes in poll hours and voter registrations rules.
TALLAHASSEE -- Even though Election Day last year went relatively smoothly across Florida, a civil rights advocacy group that focuses on elections warned that stricter voter registration laws could prevent thousands of eligible voters from joining the rolls in upcoming elections.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/story/1376506.html
HI: Abercrombie will quit Congress to focus on Hawaii governor race
Quitting Congress to prepare for likely battle with mayor
...Abercrombie's decision throws a curve into the 2010 elections and triggers a special election to fill the remaining months of his two-year term.
...
The unexpected vacancy could lead the state Office of Elections to try to come up with as much as $2 million to pay for a special election and scramble to find a voting system because legal challenges have left the state with no voting machines.
http://twi.cc/HDjv
IN: County Council OKs voting reimbursement
Randolph County Council Tuesday approved County Clerk Claudia Thornburg's submission of an application for the county to be reimbursed $194,048 for the purchase of its current voting machines. The application will be submitted to Secretary of State Todd Rokita's office.
...
Thornburg has led a concerted effort to be sure the county was reimbursed for the new voting machines. Over a nearly 2-year period she has exchanged letters and phone calls with the Secretary of State's office and has made six trips to Indianapolis.
http://www.winchesternewsgazette.com/articles/2009/12/12/news/news1.txt
MA: Mayor wants to move elections to the fall
December, 10, 2009 MILLERTON — Has Election Day ever passed you by, only to make you realize you’ve forgotten all about your planned trip to the polls? Surely that’s more likely to happen in the springtime, during village elections, when one’s mind is far from thinking of such things. That’s one of the many reasons Millerton Mayor John Scutieri is determined to have village elections moved from the third Tuesday in March to the first Tuesday in November.
http://www.tcextra.com/news/publish/millertonnews/Mayor_wants_to_
move_elections_to_the_fall/1148500.shtml
or use this url http://twi.cc/kQyP
MO: Brad Appearing at Q&A Following Screening of 'Murder, Spies & Voting Lies' in St. Louis Tuesday.
I'll be appearing for a Q&A in St. Louis on Tuesday (12/15 @ 7:30pm), after a screening of Patty Sharaf's award-winning documentary, Murder, Spies & Voting Lies: The Clint Curtis Story featuring both myself, and our reporting here at The BRAD BLOG on the Republican computer programmer turned vote-rigging whistleblower.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7573
MT: Forward Montana, UM students fume over proposal to shutter 13 voting locations
University of Montana students and a local voter advocacy group are up in arms over Missoula County’s recent announcement that it may close the campus and courthouse polling places.
The proposal, they say, unfairly targets young voters.
http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_3293bc36-e7ac-11de-af27-001cc4c002e0.html
NY: The End of Innocence -- NY State Board of Elections Says Ballot Scanners Switched Votes in 2009 General Election *
The Help America Vote Act does not require computerized vote counting. But earlier this year in U. S. District Court, the New York State Board of Elections (SBoE) and the U. S. Department of Justice agreed that the Board would certify a new optical scan computerized voting system by December 15, 2009. As that date approaches, the Board is displaying a dismissive attitude toward the risks and problems encountered with the systems they say they will certify.
http://e-voter.blogspot.com/2009/12/end-of-innocence-ny-state-board-of_14.html
NY: Schumer urges NYSBOE to implement federal election management guidelines
Dec 14, 2009 - As New York State makes the conversion from lever voter machines to a new, optical scan machine system, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer wrote to the Board of Elections urging them to review and implement federal election management guidelines to ensure privacy for voters.
http://www.empirestatenews.net/News/20091214-2.html
OH: Elections board wins case against county
December 12, 2009 Visiting Judge Judith Cross has ruled in favor of the Ashland County Board of Elections in its lawsuit against the Ashland County Commissioners.
The Summit County judge ordered commissioners to increase the board's 2009 appropriations by $25,684. Also, Cross ordered that any and all attorney expenses for the board of elections be paid by the county commissioners and not be charged against the board of election's appropriations.
http://www.times-gazette.com/news/article/4728382
NY: The End of Innocence -- NY State Board of Elections Says Ballot Scanners Switched Votes in 2009 General Election *
The Help America Vote Act does not require computerized vote counting. But earlier this year in U. S. District Court, the New York State Board of Elections (SBoE) and the U. S. Department of Justice agreed that the Board would certify a new optical scan computerized voting system by December 15, 2009. As that date approaches, the Board is displaying a dismissive attitude toward the risks and problems encountered with the systems they say they will certify.
http://e-voter.blogspot.com/2009/12/end-of-innocence-ny-state-board-of_14.html
TN: State continues 'stall 'n' crawl' tactics
...Hargett continues his “stall ’n’ crawl” until the January session, when they’ve pledged to either delay or overturn the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act — regardless that they voted for it before they were against it. Gov. Phil Bredesen seems to be our last hope in breaking what Mr. Williams accurately calls a “logjam” of political procrastination.
http://twi.cc/uubD
VA: Local Groups Urge Kaine to Restore Voting Rights
Governor Kaine has already restored the voting rights of more former felons than any governor in Virginia's history.
http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-felon-voting-rights121209,0,1994868.story
National
FCC Comments re Internet Voting
Voting Matters Blog. Yesterday was the deadline to submit comments to the FCC regarding the use of the internet for voting as well as other broadband issues.
...
A mere handful of these comments to the FCC seem to have focused on the civic participation aspect of the broadband, particularly internet voting and these can be divided into two groups — election integrity activists on one side and private companies hoping to make a profit from internet voting on the other.
...
The sales pitch of these companies sounds remarkably like that offered by purveyors of DRE voting machines when they touted the features, advantages and benefits of doing away with all those “messy” paper ballots and going paperless – it was the wave of the future, they said then...
http://votingmatters.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/fcc-comments-re-internet-voting/
Verified Voting Comments to FCC on Internet Voting
Sunday, December 13, 2009 FCC Internet Voting Comments
On December 10, 2010 the FCC issued a request for comments [link] “on how broadband can help to bring democratic processes—including elections, public hearings and town hall meetings—into the digital age, thereby encouraging and facilitating citizen opportunities to engage and participate in their democracy.”
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2009/12/13/250
Verified Voting's Comments on NBP Public Notice #20
December 10th, 2009
Comments—NBP Public Notice #20. GN Docket Nos. 09-47, 09-51, and 09-137
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020352491
David Jefferson’s Comments to the FCC on Internet Voting
Monday, December 14, 2009...Some people argue that the barriers to voting faced by our overseas military are so high that they justify, or require, online voting as the only reasonable solution. While it is true that those barriers are indeed unconscionably high, it is not true that there are no other good solutions besides Internet voting. We can go a long way toward reducing those barriers by carefully implementing Internet-based voter registration systems, and but using the Internet to distribute blank ballots electronically. But we really must draw the line at permitting the electronic return of voted ballots. That is the stage of the voting process at which all of the critical security dangers are concentrated, and there is no good solution at this time, nor is there likely to be in the foreseeable future...
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2009/12/14/254
Here is NC Coalition for Verified Voting filing to FCC
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?z=s4doa&id=6015502188
Russia and US in secret talks to fight net crime
13 December 2009...The potential for online warfare has become a hot topic after a string of major incidents in recent years
...
With a rising tide of strikes by hackers on major institutions – including banks, businesses, government agencies and the military – diplomats are attempting to forge an international consensus on how to deal with cybersecurity problems.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/dec/13/russia-us-internet-security-cyberwarfare
"Hear that giant sucking sound?"
That's all of your time being sucked away as you delight in using Dave's Redistricting App
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006336.html
Redistricting the Nation
http://www.redistrictingthenation.com/default.aspx
Disgraceful: Discredited E-Voting Vendor VP Appointed to U.S. EAC Advisory Panel
Federal body tasked with overseeing U.S. certification of e-voting systems appoints scammer Edwin Smith, VP of e-voting companies Sequoia, Dominion, Hart-Intercivic...
Smith is the guy who, after years of paying a crackpot contractor named Mike Gibbons to do this and that for Sequoia with loads of federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) tax-payer cash, assigned him to do an "independent" analysis of Sequoia's touch-screen machines after they failed in NJ's 2008 Super Tuesday election. That was just after Smith had sent a letter threatening two Princeton computer scientists with legal action "to stop any infringement of our intellectual properties, including any non-compliant analysis", if they performed the actually independent analysis of the machines as they were tasked by NJ election officials to do.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7575
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"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:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
Friday, December 11, 2009
A NO vote on certifying NY's voting machines,TX polling place burglary, UT troops internet voting guinea pigs?
Still think internet voting is a great idea? The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has set up a bi-partisan taskforce on cybersecurity to evaluate potential online threats and provide recommendations for action to the US intelligence community....Although the US is struggling to prevent online threats, there's a 50 state whack-a-mole agenda to promote internet voting/non secret ballots to our overseas troops. Next to drink the kool-aid: A Utah govt commission recommends Internet voting for military...Yesterday was the deadline to comment to the FCC about internet voting....
No decision on Citizens United for at least a month...Romania court orders recount of 138,000 void votes, Romanian spy chief questioned over election fraud...
The new voting systems do not meet New York's standards for voting systems, says voting machine expert/activist Bo Lipari. Bo blogs today about being the only "no" vote on a NY citizens committee that makes recommendations on voting systems: "...the findings show that as of today, while the two voting systems have managed to meet most of the New York’s requirements, they have not yet met all of them, including some which to me, as a technologist, are important." Meanwhile, Brad Friedman writes has a guest column at the Gouverneur Times titled "Officials Were Warned"...
Congratulations to Douglas W. Jones, associate professor of computer science at University of Iowa for his appointment to the EAC’s Technical Guidelines Development Committee...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
CA: Longtime Vernon mayor, scion of ruling family, convicted of voter fraud *
December 4, 2009 A former mayor of Vernon and his wife were convicted today of voter fraud and conspiracy, capping a three-year legal saga that ended the family’s long grip on the tiny industrial city in southeast Los Angeles County.
Prosecutors accused Leonis and Dominica Malburg of engaging in an elaborate sham in which they pretended to reside in Vernon while they actually lived in a large home in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Max Huntsman.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/longtime-vernon-mayor-scion-of-ruling-family-convicted-of-voter-fraud.html
FL: Pasco County supervisor of elections recruiting volunteer poll workers
Thursday, December 10, 2009. Pasco Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley is looking for volunteers who like to work with people and serve the community as poll workers. These volunteers help with the voting process in precincts across Pasco County on election days.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/pasco-county-supervisor-of-elections-recruiting-volunteer-poll-workers/1057733
IL: State Certification Has Election Officials Up Against a Wall
Champaign County Clerk I’ve written a couple times about the MOVE Act, a recently passed federal law that mandates among other items that election officials mail ballots to military and overseas voters at least 45 days in advance of the election.
...
We’ve basically have a day to create, proof, and get the ballots out in time to meet the new federal standard. While the new law doesn’t apply to this particular election, it does highlight the practical difficulties that election officials will face in upcoming elections.
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2009/12/11/state-certification-has-election-officials-up-against-a-wall/
IL: Unfunded mandate protested
Dec. 10, 2009 The Iroquois County Board on Tuesday approved a resolution recommended by board member John Dowling to protest "another unfunded mandate" from the state -- this one the required equipping of voting machines with computer chips to let voters know they "under-voted."
The chips would cost the county $6,000, County Clerk Lisa Fancher reported.
http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=449059
IL: Illinois Green Party Candidate Defeats Challenge to His Ballot Spot
December 11th, 2009 On December 11, Dan Kairis defeated a challenge to his petition to get on the Green Party primary ballot.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/11/illinois-green-party-candidate-defeats-challenge-to-his-ballot-spot/
MI: Lawmakers Consider Online Voter Registration (podcast available)
Rina Miller (2009-12-10) ANN ARBOR, MI (Michigan Radio) - Michigan residents could register to vote online under two measures being considered in Lansing.
http://bit.ly/8ejju2
NC: Election reform groups join Libertarian challenge to NC's ballot access laws
December 8 The suit, begun in September 2005, asserts the state’s election laws deny citizens their rights to free association, free elections, equal protection of the law and the ability to vote for candidates of their choice.
Taken as a whole, the statutory regulation of political parties denies Libertarians as well as unaffiliated voters the right to association and expression of their political philosophy, Libertarians claim. The Green Party joined the suit shortly after it was filed.
http://www.examiner.com/x-31749-Raleigh-Libertarian-Examiner~y2009m12d8-Election-reform-groups-join-Libertarian-challenge-to-NCs-ballot-access-laws
NC: NC Coalition for Verified Voting comment to FCC on Internet Voting
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?z=s4doa&id=6015502188
NY: My Vote on NY Voting Machine Certification
December 11 2009 During the week of December 7, 2009, the New York State Citizen Election Modernization Advisory Committee met and reviewed certification test data results from the state’s testing program, and to vote on recommending approval of the two voting systems to the four Commissioners of the State Board of Elections. The Commissioners will vote on final certification at their December 15, 2009 meeting. On December 10, 2009, the Advisory Committee approved recommendation by a vote of 10 For and 1 Against. I was the only vote opposing the recommendation.
http://www.bolipari.com/boblog/2009/12/my-vote-on-ny-voting-machine-certification/
NY: Exclusive: Officials Were Warned
Written by Brad Friedman Friday, 11 December 2009 (Special to the Gouverneur Times)
...
Two months later, in June, the LWVNYS was joined by the election integrity group New Yorkers for Verified Voting (NYVV) and the public advocacy organization New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) to issue a press release [PDF] about the groups' joint concerns about the pilot project. The release highlighted a report from NYVV's Bo Lipari who represented the League on the state's Citizen Election Modernization Advisory Committee.
Lipari, as quoted from his report in the press release, warned the pilot program, as then planned, "gives insufficient regard to the scale of the project, the need for independent verification of results, the potential for problems arising, or a plan for how to learn from and apply the result. .."
http://bit.ly/8iftoz
NY: Exclusive: Kellner: Stop Electronic Voting (comment section says Kellner comments taken out of context. We expect to hear more about NY over the next few days or weeks)
Written by Nathan Barker Friday, 11 December 2009
NEW YORK CITY - New York State Elections Board Co-Chair Doug Kellner testifed to the NY Senate last month that the state should "Stop talking about trying to go to electronic voting."
http://bit.ly/8vcsQK
TX: Polling place burglary raises specter of fraud
By DAN S. WALLACH HOUSTON CHRONICLE Dec. 10, 2009
The burglary at one of Houston's early voting locations (“Computers stolen
at early polling location; Ballot board to check electronic voting machines
for tampering,” Page B2, Tuesday) raises the specter of election fraud. Some
computers were stolen, and as far as we know, the voting machines stored at
Hester House were untouched. But if the burglars wanted to tamper with the
election outcome, what could they have accomplished?...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6764400.html
UT: Governor's Commission on Strengthening Utah's Democracy recommendations
...Easy electronic voting for overseas military.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705350512/Governors-Commission-on-Strengthening-Utahs-Democracy-recommendations.html
National
No U.S. Supreme Court Opinions for Another Month
December 11th, 2009 The U.S. Supreme Court clerk has revealed that the Court will not issue any full opinions until January 11, 2010.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/11/no-u-s-supreme-court-opinions-for-another-month/
Cybersecurity task force established
10 December 2009. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has set up a bi-partisan taskforce on cybersecurity to evaluate potential online threats and provide recommendations for action to the US intelligence community.
http://www.infosecurity-us.com/view/5836/cybersecurity-task-force-established/
Expert calls for cyberspace "Monroe doctrine"
A mixture of private sector and congressional witnesses slammed the US for a lack of cohesion in its cyber security stance this week, calling for better leadership in the defense of the country's "cyber turf".
http://www.infosecurity-us.com/view/646/expert-calls-for-cyberspace-monroe-doctrine/
Groups say states violating voter registration law
December 10, 2009 States across the country are violating part of the federal “motor voter” law requiring voter registration help for low-income residents, according to a coalition of advocacy groups trying to force change through the courts.
http://politics.remedy.org.ua/e8c3c8af/
New technical and scientific experts appointed to EAC's Technical Guidelines Development Committee
EAC announces the appointment of four new technical and scientific experts to its Technical Guidelines Development Committee, which is charged under the Help America Vote Act with assisting EAC in developing federal voluntary voting system guidelines that are used to test and certify voting systems
http://www.eac.gov/blog-postings/new-technical-and-scientific-experts-appointed-to-eac2019s-technical-guidelines-development-committee
International
Romanian spy chief questioned over election fraud
...The opposition Social Democrats allege that Marcel Opris provided a software to the Liberal Democrats _ who support President Traian Basescu _ that enabled them access to voting figures data.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1129406&lang=eng_news
Romania court orders recount of void votes (BBC)
...The opposition Social Democrat party had challenged the result of vote, alleging widespread rigging.
The court said 138,000 void ballots would be counted - well above the narrow margin of 70,000 which gave President Traian Basescu victory.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8408041.stm
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"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:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
No decision on Citizens United for at least a month...Romania court orders recount of 138,000 void votes, Romanian spy chief questioned over election fraud...
The new voting systems do not meet New York's standards for voting systems, says voting machine expert/activist Bo Lipari. Bo blogs today about being the only "no" vote on a NY citizens committee that makes recommendations on voting systems: "...the findings show that as of today, while the two voting systems have managed to meet most of the New York’s requirements, they have not yet met all of them, including some which to me, as a technologist, are important." Meanwhile, Brad Friedman writes has a guest column at the Gouverneur Times titled "Officials Were Warned"...
Congratulations to Douglas W. Jones, associate professor of computer science at University of Iowa for his appointment to the EAC’s Technical Guidelines Development Committee...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
CA: Longtime Vernon mayor, scion of ruling family, convicted of voter fraud *
December 4, 2009 A former mayor of Vernon and his wife were convicted today of voter fraud and conspiracy, capping a three-year legal saga that ended the family’s long grip on the tiny industrial city in southeast Los Angeles County.
Prosecutors accused Leonis and Dominica Malburg of engaging in an elaborate sham in which they pretended to reside in Vernon while they actually lived in a large home in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Max Huntsman.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/longtime-vernon-mayor-scion-of-ruling-family-convicted-of-voter-fraud.html
FL: Pasco County supervisor of elections recruiting volunteer poll workers
Thursday, December 10, 2009. Pasco Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley is looking for volunteers who like to work with people and serve the community as poll workers. These volunteers help with the voting process in precincts across Pasco County on election days.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/pasco-county-supervisor-of-elections-recruiting-volunteer-poll-workers/1057733
IL: State Certification Has Election Officials Up Against a Wall
Champaign County Clerk I’ve written a couple times about the MOVE Act, a recently passed federal law that mandates among other items that election officials mail ballots to military and overseas voters at least 45 days in advance of the election.
...
We’ve basically have a day to create, proof, and get the ballots out in time to meet the new federal standard. While the new law doesn’t apply to this particular election, it does highlight the practical difficulties that election officials will face in upcoming elections.
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2009/12/11/state-certification-has-election-officials-up-against-a-wall/
IL: Unfunded mandate protested
Dec. 10, 2009 The Iroquois County Board on Tuesday approved a resolution recommended by board member John Dowling to protest "another unfunded mandate" from the state -- this one the required equipping of voting machines with computer chips to let voters know they "under-voted."
The chips would cost the county $6,000, County Clerk Lisa Fancher reported.
http://daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=449059
IL: Illinois Green Party Candidate Defeats Challenge to His Ballot Spot
December 11th, 2009 On December 11, Dan Kairis defeated a challenge to his petition to get on the Green Party primary ballot.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/11/illinois-green-party-candidate-defeats-challenge-to-his-ballot-spot/
MI: Lawmakers Consider Online Voter Registration (podcast available)
Rina Miller (2009-12-10) ANN ARBOR, MI (Michigan Radio) - Michigan residents could register to vote online under two measures being considered in Lansing.
http://bit.ly/8ejju2
NC: Election reform groups join Libertarian challenge to NC's ballot access laws
December 8 The suit, begun in September 2005, asserts the state’s election laws deny citizens their rights to free association, free elections, equal protection of the law and the ability to vote for candidates of their choice.
Taken as a whole, the statutory regulation of political parties denies Libertarians as well as unaffiliated voters the right to association and expression of their political philosophy, Libertarians claim. The Green Party joined the suit shortly after it was filed.
http://www.examiner.com/x-31749-Raleigh-Libertarian-Examiner~y2009m12d8-Election-reform-groups-join-Libertarian-challenge-to-NCs-ballot-access-laws
NC: NC Coalition for Verified Voting comment to FCC on Internet Voting
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?z=s4doa&id=6015502188
NY: My Vote on NY Voting Machine Certification
December 11 2009 During the week of December 7, 2009, the New York State Citizen Election Modernization Advisory Committee met and reviewed certification test data results from the state’s testing program, and to vote on recommending approval of the two voting systems to the four Commissioners of the State Board of Elections. The Commissioners will vote on final certification at their December 15, 2009 meeting. On December 10, 2009, the Advisory Committee approved recommendation by a vote of 10 For and 1 Against. I was the only vote opposing the recommendation.
http://www.bolipari.com/boblog/2009/12/my-vote-on-ny-voting-machine-certification/
NY: Exclusive: Officials Were Warned
Written by Brad Friedman Friday, 11 December 2009 (Special to the Gouverneur Times)
...
Two months later, in June, the LWVNYS was joined by the election integrity group New Yorkers for Verified Voting (NYVV) and the public advocacy organization New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) to issue a press release [PDF] about the groups' joint concerns about the pilot project. The release highlighted a report from NYVV's Bo Lipari who represented the League on the state's Citizen Election Modernization Advisory Committee.
Lipari, as quoted from his report in the press release, warned the pilot program, as then planned, "gives insufficient regard to the scale of the project, the need for independent verification of results, the potential for problems arising, or a plan for how to learn from and apply the result. .."
http://bit.ly/8iftoz
NY: Exclusive: Kellner: Stop Electronic Voting (comment section says Kellner comments taken out of context. We expect to hear more about NY over the next few days or weeks)
Written by Nathan Barker Friday, 11 December 2009
NEW YORK CITY - New York State Elections Board Co-Chair Doug Kellner testifed to the NY Senate last month that the state should "Stop talking about trying to go to electronic voting."
http://bit.ly/8vcsQK
TX: Polling place burglary raises specter of fraud
By DAN S. WALLACH HOUSTON CHRONICLE Dec. 10, 2009
The burglary at one of Houston's early voting locations (“Computers stolen
at early polling location; Ballot board to check electronic voting machines
for tampering,” Page B2, Tuesday) raises the specter of election fraud. Some
computers were stolen, and as far as we know, the voting machines stored at
Hester House were untouched. But if the burglars wanted to tamper with the
election outcome, what could they have accomplished?...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6764400.html
UT: Governor's Commission on Strengthening Utah's Democracy recommendations
...Easy electronic voting for overseas military.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705350512/Governors-Commission-on-Strengthening-Utahs-Democracy-recommendations.html
National
No U.S. Supreme Court Opinions for Another Month
December 11th, 2009 The U.S. Supreme Court clerk has revealed that the Court will not issue any full opinions until January 11, 2010.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/11/no-u-s-supreme-court-opinions-for-another-month/
Cybersecurity task force established
10 December 2009. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has set up a bi-partisan taskforce on cybersecurity to evaluate potential online threats and provide recommendations for action to the US intelligence community.
http://www.infosecurity-us.com/view/5836/cybersecurity-task-force-established/
Expert calls for cyberspace "Monroe doctrine"
A mixture of private sector and congressional witnesses slammed the US for a lack of cohesion in its cyber security stance this week, calling for better leadership in the defense of the country's "cyber turf".
http://www.infosecurity-us.com/view/646/expert-calls-for-cyberspace-monroe-doctrine/
Groups say states violating voter registration law
December 10, 2009 States across the country are violating part of the federal “motor voter” law requiring voter registration help for low-income residents, according to a coalition of advocacy groups trying to force change through the courts.
http://politics.remedy.org.ua/e8c3c8af/
New technical and scientific experts appointed to EAC's Technical Guidelines Development Committee
EAC announces the appointment of four new technical and scientific experts to its Technical Guidelines Development Committee, which is charged under the Help America Vote Act with assisting EAC in developing federal voluntary voting system guidelines that are used to test and certify voting systems
http://www.eac.gov/blog-postings/new-technical-and-scientific-experts-appointed-to-eac2019s-technical-guidelines-development-committee
International
Romanian spy chief questioned over election fraud
...The opposition Social Democrats allege that Marcel Opris provided a software to the Liberal Democrats _ who support President Traian Basescu _ that enabled them access to voting figures data.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1129406&lang=eng_news
Romania court orders recount of void votes (BBC)
...The opposition Social Democrat party had challenged the result of vote, alleging widespread rigging.
The court said 138,000 void ballots would be counted - well above the narrow margin of 70,000 which gave President Traian Basescu victory.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8408041.stm
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"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:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Next Hawaii election a slow-moving train wreck? MOVE to expedite troop ballots free, Election Center ponders e-voting
The Election Center, a group that promoted the use of paperless voting, will meet Jan 7 & 8 to discuss voter reg, provisional ballots, and "the continued push to eliminate or restrict use of DREs" (The Election Center is a group that advises election officials while accepting donations from voting vendors)...Voter Action letter to Senate Rules committee about ES&S's purchase of Diebold: "With this acquisition, ES&S has even less of an incentive to respond to the growing demand for improved accountability and product reliability."...
...Did you know that the MOVE act guarantees free expedited mail service to return troops' ballots?...Hawaii Uh-OH: "This (upcoming election) is a slow-moving train wreck and we're still far enough away that we can get everything off the track," says attorney Lance Collins. The state's elections department is grossly underfunded, considering cutting polling places in half, and is in process of making new election rules: Bob Babson hopes rules will ban sending any election results via the Internet or telephone lines...Learn more about Tennessee's proposed voting machines...
All this and more in today's voting news below.....
CA: Voter ID intiative backers get green light in California
Dec 10, 2009 - Backers of an initiative that would require voters to produce identification at the polls were given approval to begin gathering signatures Tuesday by Secretary of State Debra Bowen.
http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_13959475
CA: Council votes to delay decision on ranked-choice voting
12/09/2009
SAN LEANDRO — The City Council has delayed a decision on whether to use ranked-choice voting in its 2010 elections until Oakland decides if it will hold a similar ranked-choice election next year — giving San Leandro more time to explore ways to mitigate the costs of such an election.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_13955369
GA: Oops: Group charging voting fraud admits mistake
“I acknowledge we had a huge misunderstanding about the data we were working with,” said Erica Long, co-chair of Citizens for Fair Atlanta Elections. "I would not have raised the issue with the Secretary of State if I did not believe it was correct."
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/oops-group-charging-voting-234563.html
HI: State proposes major revision of election rules
Dec 10, 2009 ...Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza decided that the state needs to hold a public hearing to come up with administrative rules governing electronic voting before new voting machines can be used in next year's elections.
...
Written testimony can be e-mailed to elections@hawaii.gov or faxed to 453-6006. Written testimony will be accepted for the next two days.
"This (upcoming election) is a slow-moving train wreck and we're still far enough away that we can get everything off the track," Collins said.
...
Bob Babson, the lead plaintiff in the Maui lawsuit, said he is opposed to sending any election results via the Internet or telephone lines.
"It's not secure," Babson said. "They could easily just put it on a jet and fly it over."
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/hawaiinews/20091210_
state_proposes_major_revision_of_election_rules.html
or use this url http://bit.ly/6tvKZz
Il: County to follow law on voting issue (machine notify voters of undervote in certain contests)
Iroquois County Clerk Lisa Fancher said she wants voters prepared for a new change in the election equipment.
December 10, 2009 Iroquois County will "follow the law" in the upcoming election.
Chips have been installed in voting machines which will let voters know when they have undervoted in a contest. The chips will update the county's election equipment in regards to a 2007 law which has not been enforced, until now
http://newsbug.info/articles/2009/12/10/watseka_times_republic/local_news/doc4b202ce7b36ad689080754.txt
KS: New law makes it easier for troops overseas to vote
Under the legislation, troops stationed overseas must be able to register or obtain ballots for federal elections by e-mail or fax.
Service members also are guaranteed free expedited mail service to return those ballots, and states must maintain Web sites where troops can check that their ballots were received
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/story/1616851.html
NC: Exit poll Hendersonville instant runoff voting shows mixed results
http://bit.ly/7E9zq9
OH: Ohio Senate Passes Bill to Provide for Registration Into Political Parties on Voter Registration Form
December 10th, 2009... The Senate bill provides that the voter registration form would ask voters if they wish to join a political party.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/10/ohio-senate-passes-bill-to-provide-for-registration-into-political-parties-on-voter-registration-form/
PA: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Again Refuses to Hear Nader Appeal Over $80,000 Fees From 2004
December 10th, 2009 ...On December 9, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court again refused to hear Ralph Nader’s request for a rehearing in the matter of whether he must pay approximately $80,000 in court costs stemming from the 2004 challenge to his petitions.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/10/pennsylvania-supreme-court-again-refuses-to-hear-nader-appeal-over-80000-fees-from-2004/
TN: Tennessee Secretary of State Says Up-to-Date Voting Machines Available for TVCA But Costs Still Prohibitive
Dec 9, 2009 ...“I think we’ve got a 2005-quality machine
...Hargett would go on to identify the apparatus in question as one about to be marketed by Unisyn Voting Solutions, a California-based company
http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2009/12/09/tennessee-secretary-of-state-says-up-to-date-machines-available-for-tvca-but-costs-still-prohibitive
about the voting machines: Unisyn. OpenElect Voting System
OpenElect Voting System. Digital-scan voting products and election management services deliver exceptional value, enhanced security and assure voter confidence.
Advantages of the Unisyn OpenElect® Voting System. 2005 VVSG Certified. Unisyn will be the first to meet the United States Election Assistance Commission's 2005 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines. Secure Linux Platform. Our digital scan voting products are the only ones built on a streamlined and hardened Linux and Java base. Transparency. As part of a jurisdiction's procurement process, we will provide our source code for independent review
http://www.unisynvoting.com/
TN: Court rules 23 people voted illegally in Oakland election, orders new vote *
Ferguson and his attorney, Chris Patterson, were able to prove that 23 people who voted should not have because they live outside the city limits. The town has about 4,500 residents.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/dec/09/court-rules-23-people-voted-illegally-oakland-elec/
TN: What Unites Tennesseans: The Bi-Partisan, Fiscally Responsible, Paper Ballot Edition.
December 10, 2009
http://www.liberadio.com/2009/12/10/what-unites-tennesseans-the-bi-partisan-fiscally-responsible-paper-ballot-edition/
TX: Recent patent infringement cases filed in the Eastern District of Texas
12/10/2009
Franklin Inventions LLC vs. Election Systems & Software Inc., et al
The plaintiff Franklin Inventions claims to own the rights to several patents for Computer Enhanced Voting System Including Voter Verifiable, Custom Printed Ballots Imprinted to the Specifications of Each Voter.
...
The allegedly infringing products include ES&S iVotronic and iVotronic Real Time Audit Log, Hart e-Slate and Disabled Access Unit e-Slate and Verifiable Ballot Option, Premier AccuVote-TSX and AccuView Printer Module, Sequoia Edge2Plus and AVC Edge...
http://www.setexasrecord.com/news/223588-recent-patent-infringement-cases-filed-in-the-eastern-district-of-texas
WI: Green Bay to help maintain voting machines (OpTech Eagle Optical Scanners)
Election officials throughout Brown County have forged a new partnership to ensure more than 150 voting machines work properly when the polls open.
The arrangement became necessary when contractor ES&S Inc. announced it no longer would provide routine maintenance on the aging Eagle-brand voting machines used here.
...
Green Bay's election staff has been maintaining its own machinery for years, and the city offered to serve neighboring communities for $32 per machine per election.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091209/GPG0101/912090625/Green-Bay-to-help-maintain-voting-machines-in-county
National
Voter Action Letter to Senate Rules Commitee
Dec 9 2009
Regarding Antitrust Concerns Raised by the ES&S Acquisition of Diebold's Premier
http://www.voteraction.org/news-article/2009/voter-action-letter-senate-rules-commitee
Election Center
JEOLC Meeting January 7 & 8, 2010 Fairfax on Embassy Row, 2100 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, D.C. Potential Amendments to the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and additional legislation...The discussion this year will be about both voter registration and elections administration. Early indications of items Congress may consider are federal voter registration and government responsibility for VR; federal requirement for Election Day Registration; federal requirements on how to administer voter information mismatches in VR; uniform definition of how provisional ballots are to be administered; federal requirements on ballot design and layout; potential legislation for restrictions on challenging eligibility of voters; and the continued push to eliminate or restrict use of DREs; potential requirements to make absentee mail balloting to any voter; and a whole host of other ideas.
http://www.electioncenter.org/events/JEOLC%20Meeting%201-%202010.pdf
The Fair Elections Now Act
Legislation that would reform public financing of congressional elections was recently introduced in the House and Senate.
...
Under this legislation, funds would be allocated equally to House candidates and based on population of the states in Senate elections. According to Sen. Durbin, the legislation would allow candidates to focus on the issues instead of spending "every waking moment begging for money."...
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2009/12/fair-elections-now-act.html
International
Canada: 2010 budget could be finalized Dec. 14 (internet voting non secret ballot)
Dec 10, 2009 Ontario...In previous drafts, the cost of the election, including taking on new phone and Internet voting, was listed as $45,000. However, following a report by clerk/director of corporate services, Cahl Pominville, at Monday's Committee of the Whole, that figure is now slightly higher, sitting at $49,650.
http://www.emckemptville.ca/20091210/news/2010+budget+could+be+finalized+Dec.+14
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"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:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
...Did you know that the MOVE act guarantees free expedited mail service to return troops' ballots?...Hawaii Uh-OH: "This (upcoming election) is a slow-moving train wreck and we're still far enough away that we can get everything off the track," says attorney Lance Collins. The state's elections department is grossly underfunded, considering cutting polling places in half, and is in process of making new election rules: Bob Babson hopes rules will ban sending any election results via the Internet or telephone lines...Learn more about Tennessee's proposed voting machines...
All this and more in today's voting news below.....
CA: Voter ID intiative backers get green light in California
Dec 10, 2009 - Backers of an initiative that would require voters to produce identification at the polls were given approval to begin gathering signatures Tuesday by Secretary of State Debra Bowen.
http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_13959475
CA: Council votes to delay decision on ranked-choice voting
12/09/2009
SAN LEANDRO — The City Council has delayed a decision on whether to use ranked-choice voting in its 2010 elections until Oakland decides if it will hold a similar ranked-choice election next year — giving San Leandro more time to explore ways to mitigate the costs of such an election.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_13955369
GA: Oops: Group charging voting fraud admits mistake
“I acknowledge we had a huge misunderstanding about the data we were working with,” said Erica Long, co-chair of Citizens for Fair Atlanta Elections. "I would not have raised the issue with the Secretary of State if I did not believe it was correct."
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/oops-group-charging-voting-234563.html
HI: State proposes major revision of election rules
Dec 10, 2009 ...Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza decided that the state needs to hold a public hearing to come up with administrative rules governing electronic voting before new voting machines can be used in next year's elections.
...
Written testimony can be e-mailed to elections@hawaii.gov or faxed to 453-6006. Written testimony will be accepted for the next two days.
"This (upcoming election) is a slow-moving train wreck and we're still far enough away that we can get everything off the track," Collins said.
...
Bob Babson, the lead plaintiff in the Maui lawsuit, said he is opposed to sending any election results via the Internet or telephone lines.
"It's not secure," Babson said. "They could easily just put it on a jet and fly it over."
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/hawaiinews/20091210_
state_proposes_major_revision_of_election_rules.html
or use this url http://bit.ly/6tvKZz
Il: County to follow law on voting issue (machine notify voters of undervote in certain contests)
Iroquois County Clerk Lisa Fancher said she wants voters prepared for a new change in the election equipment.
December 10, 2009 Iroquois County will "follow the law" in the upcoming election.
Chips have been installed in voting machines which will let voters know when they have undervoted in a contest. The chips will update the county's election equipment in regards to a 2007 law which has not been enforced, until now
http://newsbug.info/articles/2009/12/10/watseka_times_republic/local_news/doc4b202ce7b36ad689080754.txt
KS: New law makes it easier for troops overseas to vote
Under the legislation, troops stationed overseas must be able to register or obtain ballots for federal elections by e-mail or fax.
Service members also are guaranteed free expedited mail service to return those ballots, and states must maintain Web sites where troops can check that their ballots were received
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/story/1616851.html
NC: Exit poll Hendersonville instant runoff voting shows mixed results
http://bit.ly/7E9zq9
OH: Ohio Senate Passes Bill to Provide for Registration Into Political Parties on Voter Registration Form
December 10th, 2009... The Senate bill provides that the voter registration form would ask voters if they wish to join a political party.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/10/ohio-senate-passes-bill-to-provide-for-registration-into-political-parties-on-voter-registration-form/
PA: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Again Refuses to Hear Nader Appeal Over $80,000 Fees From 2004
December 10th, 2009 ...On December 9, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court again refused to hear Ralph Nader’s request for a rehearing in the matter of whether he must pay approximately $80,000 in court costs stemming from the 2004 challenge to his petitions.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/10/pennsylvania-supreme-court-again-refuses-to-hear-nader-appeal-over-80000-fees-from-2004/
TN: Tennessee Secretary of State Says Up-to-Date Voting Machines Available for TVCA But Costs Still Prohibitive
Dec 9, 2009 ...“I think we’ve got a 2005-quality machine
...Hargett would go on to identify the apparatus in question as one about to be marketed by Unisyn Voting Solutions, a California-based company
http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2009/12/09/tennessee-secretary-of-state-says-up-to-date-machines-available-for-tvca-but-costs-still-prohibitive
about the voting machines: Unisyn. OpenElect Voting System
OpenElect Voting System. Digital-scan voting products and election management services deliver exceptional value, enhanced security and assure voter confidence.
Advantages of the Unisyn OpenElect® Voting System. 2005 VVSG Certified. Unisyn will be the first to meet the United States Election Assistance Commission's 2005 Voluntary Voting System Guidelines. Secure Linux Platform. Our digital scan voting products are the only ones built on a streamlined and hardened Linux and Java base. Transparency. As part of a jurisdiction's procurement process, we will provide our source code for independent review
http://www.unisynvoting.com/
TN: Court rules 23 people voted illegally in Oakland election, orders new vote *
Ferguson and his attorney, Chris Patterson, were able to prove that 23 people who voted should not have because they live outside the city limits. The town has about 4,500 residents.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/dec/09/court-rules-23-people-voted-illegally-oakland-elec/
TN: What Unites Tennesseans: The Bi-Partisan, Fiscally Responsible, Paper Ballot Edition.
December 10, 2009
http://www.liberadio.com/2009/12/10/what-unites-tennesseans-the-bi-partisan-fiscally-responsible-paper-ballot-edition/
TX: Recent patent infringement cases filed in the Eastern District of Texas
12/10/2009
Franklin Inventions LLC vs. Election Systems & Software Inc., et al
The plaintiff Franklin Inventions claims to own the rights to several patents for Computer Enhanced Voting System Including Voter Verifiable, Custom Printed Ballots Imprinted to the Specifications of Each Voter.
...
The allegedly infringing products include ES&S iVotronic and iVotronic Real Time Audit Log, Hart e-Slate and Disabled Access Unit e-Slate and Verifiable Ballot Option, Premier AccuVote-TSX and AccuView Printer Module, Sequoia Edge2Plus and AVC Edge...
http://www.setexasrecord.com/news/223588-recent-patent-infringement-cases-filed-in-the-eastern-district-of-texas
WI: Green Bay to help maintain voting machines (OpTech Eagle Optical Scanners)
Election officials throughout Brown County have forged a new partnership to ensure more than 150 voting machines work properly when the polls open.
The arrangement became necessary when contractor ES&S Inc. announced it no longer would provide routine maintenance on the aging Eagle-brand voting machines used here.
...
Green Bay's election staff has been maintaining its own machinery for years, and the city offered to serve neighboring communities for $32 per machine per election.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091209/GPG0101/912090625/Green-Bay-to-help-maintain-voting-machines-in-county
National
Voter Action Letter to Senate Rules Commitee
Dec 9 2009
Regarding Antitrust Concerns Raised by the ES&S Acquisition of Diebold's Premier
http://www.voteraction.org/news-article/2009/voter-action-letter-senate-rules-commitee
Election Center
JEOLC Meeting January 7 & 8, 2010 Fairfax on Embassy Row, 2100 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, D.C. Potential Amendments to the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and additional legislation...The discussion this year will be about both voter registration and elections administration. Early indications of items Congress may consider are federal voter registration and government responsibility for VR; federal requirement for Election Day Registration; federal requirements on how to administer voter information mismatches in VR; uniform definition of how provisional ballots are to be administered; federal requirements on ballot design and layout; potential legislation for restrictions on challenging eligibility of voters; and the continued push to eliminate or restrict use of DREs; potential requirements to make absentee mail balloting to any voter; and a whole host of other ideas.
http://www.electioncenter.org/events/JEOLC%20Meeting%201-%202010.pdf
The Fair Elections Now Act
Legislation that would reform public financing of congressional elections was recently introduced in the House and Senate.
...
Under this legislation, funds would be allocated equally to House candidates and based on population of the states in Senate elections. According to Sen. Durbin, the legislation would allow candidates to focus on the issues instead of spending "every waking moment begging for money."...
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2009/12/fair-elections-now-act.html
International
Canada: 2010 budget could be finalized Dec. 14 (internet voting non secret ballot)
Dec 10, 2009 Ontario...In previous drafts, the cost of the election, including taking on new phone and Internet voting, was listed as $45,000. However, following a report by clerk/director of corporate services, Cahl Pominville, at Monday's Committee of the Whole, that figure is now slightly higher, sitting at $49,650.
http://www.emckemptville.ca/20091210/news/2010+budget+could+be+finalized+Dec.+14
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"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:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Unisyn voting machines for Tennessee? Secret ballot retreats in Canada
We apologize, there was no voting news sent out yesterday due to blogging burnout. We'll make it up to you.
"What happens when inmates control the asylum?" - A look at redistricting reform by William and Mary Election Law Society...NVRA Analysis by American Constitution Party is flawed, says Champaign County Clerk... "Claymates" can rest easy now: No voter fraud charges to be leveled against Clay Aiken in North Carolina...Georgia's State Board of Elections will consider rule requiring voters to prove citizenship....Some members of the Warren County (NY) Board of Supervisors may join voting machine lawsuit....
Tennessee SOS Trey Hargett's approach to implementing the new voting machine law shows the downfall of electing your election officials rather than hiring them. There's a huge learning curve and the office is administrative and requires years of experience. Hargett seems to be unaware that HAVA funds can be used not just to buy voting machines but to implement them....
...Sheesh. What next, no elections? Washington County Texas commissioners abolished the Washington County elections administrator job, meanwhile Putnam County Tennessee custs voting places cut from 44 to 25....
....Utah Commission Recommends Automatic and Portable Voter Registration... The secret ballot retreats in Canada little by little as Internet voting continues to spread in municipalities...Oh no, Ghana Inches Towards Electronic Voting System...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
CO: Election outcome may face challenge
Dec 8th, 2009 ANTONITO — No matter what Antonito voters may have decided casting their ballots in the recall election Tuesday, the outcome may be up for challenge because at least two board of trustee members feel that the legal notice of the time and location of the election was not properly advertised.
http://www.alamosanews.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=75&story_id=15051
GA: Roswell mayoral results hold up in recount
Fulton County election officials completed their recount of the mayoral race in Roswell this morning, and were set to do a recount of ballots in the Atlanta runoff
http://www.ajc.com/news/north-fulton/roswell-mayoral-results-hold-232698.html
GA: Voting rule on proof of citizenship up for adoption
One proposes a need to prove citizenship to be a registered voter.
Dec. 9, 2009 ATLANTA - A controversial rule requiring voters prove their citizenship comes up for adoption Thursday by the State Elections Board.
The rule will apply to people registering to vote after Jan. 1, or as soon at the U.S. Department of Justice determines whether it is an unfair burden to minority voters. Many critics of the proposed rule plan to speak out against it during public hearings before the board decides, arguing that it is indeed a burden to African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics...
http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-12-09/story/voting_rule_on_proof_of_citizenship_up_for_adoption
MA: Wellington ballot wording causes problems
Mon Dec 07, 2009 Belmont, Mass. - Officials are working to straighten out confusion over the wording of the ballot question authorizing a Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion for construction of the new Wellington School that has held up the project on the state level.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/belmont/news/education/x1964352937/Wellington-ballot-wording-causes-problems
NC: Wake Elections Board Will Not Refer Allegations Of Clay Aiken Voter Fraud To State Board
Dec. 9 RALEIGH, N.C. - The chairwoman of the Wake County Board of Elections said Wednesday that she will not refer allegations of voter fraud against singer Clay Aiken to the state board. She called it a "moot issue" and voter education issue.
http://twi.cc/0kEq
NC: Clay Aiken to change his voter registration
RALEIGH Pop singer Clay Aiken announced Tuesday that he plans to change his voter registration but still speak out against the new Wake County school board's plans to eliminate the current diversity policy.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/118/story/1103035.html
NJ: N.J. Attorney General issues subpoenas for Essex election employee records in voter fraud probe
December 08, 2009 TRENTON -- The state Attorney General’s Office issued subpoenas for the employee records of 20 or more Essex County election workers just days after last week’s indictments in an ongoing voter fraud investigation, an official said today.
The subpoenas -- for records documenting vacation, sick time and the like -- were delivered Friday to the county’s human resources department, Essex County counsel James R. Paganelli said...
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/nj_attorney_general_issues_sub.html
NY:
12/10/09: CEMAC meeting
Important! Come to the: Citizens' Election Modernization Advisory
Committee Meeting Thursday, December 10, noon NYS Board of Elections
40 Steuben Street Albany
http://lever-voting-machines.blogspot.com/2009/12/121009-cemac-meeting.html
NY: County leaders may join voting machine lawsuit
Dec 9, 2009. A number of members of the Warren County Board of Supervisors plan to be plaintiffs in a lawsuit that will challenge the legality of the state's decision to force counties to use new electronic voting machines.
...
it does not appear the county itself will be part of the action.
...
"It's just outrageous," Monroe said. "It's a worse system than what we currently have."
http://www.poststar.com/news/local/article_04096a3a-e510-11de-8f96-001cc4c002e0.html
TN: Tennessee Secretary of State Says Up-to-Date Voting Machines Available for TVCA But Costs Still Prohibitive
Dec 9, 2009 ...The good news first: “I think we’ve got a 2005-quality machine
...Hargett would go on to identify the apparatus in question as one about to be marketed by Unisyn Voting Solutions, a California-based company
...
“I understand that the Senate is going to go back in January and take the necessary steps to protect the taxpayers, throughout the state,” Hargett said
http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2009/12/09/tennessee-secretary-of-state-says-up-to-date-machines-available-for-tvca-but-costs-still-prohibitive
Voting places cut from 44 to 25
Dec 08, 2009 PUTNAM COUNTY -- Putnam County election commissioners formally voted Monday morning to consolidate several voting precincts, dropping the number of polling places in the county from 44 to 25.
http://www.herald-citizen.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=6F6A6849-19B9-E2E2-67D0EC57420283E9
TX: County cuts positions to tighten budget
December 8, Washington County commissioners today abolished the Washington County elections administrator.
http://www.brenhambanner.com/articles/2009/12/08/news/news02.txt
UT: Utah Commission Recommends Automatic and Portable Voter Registration
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014893.html
National
NVRA Analysis Flawed
Champaign County Clerk. There is so much swirling in the legislative air regarding election administration reform that it’s hard to keep up. I’m doing my best.
...
Where the paper goes terribly awry is with its analysis of list maintenance procedures. While purporting to be an analysis of the NVRA 15 years on, the paper basically ignores HAVA and the advances that have been made in the last 5 years on the HAVA requirement for a statewide voter registration database.
...
As a policy blue print for improving the NVRA, the ACS report is lacking. More disappointing, the actual arguments that it brings to the discussion are sometimes misleading, inaccurate, or incomplete.
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2009/12/09/nvra-analysis-flawed/
Redistricting Reform #3
So what happens when we allow partisan redistricting? The short answer is “bad things.” Here’s the longer answer:
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2009/12/09/redistricting-reform-3/
ACORN report says group needs reforms
December 8, 2009 (CNN) -- Community organizing group ACORN needs wide-ranging reforms after an embezzlement scandal, but broke no laws when conservative activists posing as a prostitute and a pimp approached members in a videotaped "sting," an attorney's report concludes.
...
It urged the group, which has branched out into a variety of fields, to return to its "core competency" of community organizing; to replace its affiliate-dominated governing board with one made up mostly of independent members; to beef up its internal controls and accounting staff; and to hire an independent inspector general.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/08/acorn.report/
"Gavin: 'Staggering' Number of Lobbyists Are Failing to Report Political Contributions"
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014892.html
International
Canada. North Grenville to feature internet and phone voting in 2010 election
December 09, 2009
http://www.yourkemptville.com/article/19491
London e-counting: Boris doesn't want to know
Jason Kitcat, 08 December 2009...The question now becomes, how do we hold the Greater London Authority’s Chief Executive to account about election arrangements if the directly elected Mayor won’t?
http://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/2009/Boris-doesnt-want-to-know
Ghana Inches Towards Electronic Voting System
http://news.peacefmonline.com/social/200912/33878.php
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to receive the Voting News by email by visiting this link:
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=VotingNews&loc=en_US
email comments, questions us at ncvoter (at) gmail.com
=============================================
"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:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/199/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=5295
"What happens when inmates control the asylum?" - A look at redistricting reform by William and Mary Election Law Society...NVRA Analysis by American Constitution Party is flawed, says Champaign County Clerk... "Claymates" can rest easy now: No voter fraud charges to be leveled against Clay Aiken in North Carolina...Georgia's State Board of Elections will consider rule requiring voters to prove citizenship....Some members of the Warren County (NY) Board of Supervisors may join voting machine lawsuit....
Tennessee SOS Trey Hargett's approach to implementing the new voting machine law shows the downfall of electing your election officials rather than hiring them. There's a huge learning curve and the office is administrative and requires years of experience. Hargett seems to be unaware that HAVA funds can be used not just to buy voting machines but to implement them....
...Sheesh. What next, no elections? Washington County Texas commissioners abolished the Washington County elections administrator job, meanwhile Putnam County Tennessee custs voting places cut from 44 to 25....
....Utah Commission Recommends Automatic and Portable Voter Registration... The secret ballot retreats in Canada little by little as Internet voting continues to spread in municipalities...Oh no, Ghana Inches Towards Electronic Voting System...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
CO: Election outcome may face challenge
Dec 8th, 2009 ANTONITO — No matter what Antonito voters may have decided casting their ballots in the recall election Tuesday, the outcome may be up for challenge because at least two board of trustee members feel that the legal notice of the time and location of the election was not properly advertised.
http://www.alamosanews.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=75&story_id=15051
GA: Roswell mayoral results hold up in recount
Fulton County election officials completed their recount of the mayoral race in Roswell this morning, and were set to do a recount of ballots in the Atlanta runoff
http://www.ajc.com/news/north-fulton/roswell-mayoral-results-hold-232698.html
GA: Voting rule on proof of citizenship up for adoption
One proposes a need to prove citizenship to be a registered voter.
Dec. 9, 2009 ATLANTA - A controversial rule requiring voters prove their citizenship comes up for adoption Thursday by the State Elections Board.
The rule will apply to people registering to vote after Jan. 1, or as soon at the U.S. Department of Justice determines whether it is an unfair burden to minority voters. Many critics of the proposed rule plan to speak out against it during public hearings before the board decides, arguing that it is indeed a burden to African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics...
http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-12-09/story/voting_rule_on_proof_of_citizenship_up_for_adoption
MA: Wellington ballot wording causes problems
Mon Dec 07, 2009 Belmont, Mass. - Officials are working to straighten out confusion over the wording of the ballot question authorizing a Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion for construction of the new Wellington School that has held up the project on the state level.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/belmont/news/education/x1964352937/Wellington-ballot-wording-causes-problems
NC: Wake Elections Board Will Not Refer Allegations Of Clay Aiken Voter Fraud To State Board
Dec. 9 RALEIGH, N.C. - The chairwoman of the Wake County Board of Elections said Wednesday that she will not refer allegations of voter fraud against singer Clay Aiken to the state board. She called it a "moot issue" and voter education issue.
http://twi.cc/0kEq
NC: Clay Aiken to change his voter registration
RALEIGH Pop singer Clay Aiken announced Tuesday that he plans to change his voter registration but still speak out against the new Wake County school board's plans to eliminate the current diversity policy.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/118/story/1103035.html
NJ: N.J. Attorney General issues subpoenas for Essex election employee records in voter fraud probe
December 08, 2009 TRENTON -- The state Attorney General’s Office issued subpoenas for the employee records of 20 or more Essex County election workers just days after last week’s indictments in an ongoing voter fraud investigation, an official said today.
The subpoenas -- for records documenting vacation, sick time and the like -- were delivered Friday to the county’s human resources department, Essex County counsel James R. Paganelli said...
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/nj_attorney_general_issues_sub.html
NY:
12/10/09: CEMAC meeting
Important! Come to the: Citizens' Election Modernization Advisory
Committee Meeting Thursday, December 10, noon NYS Board of Elections
40 Steuben Street Albany
http://lever-voting-machines.blogspot.com/2009/12/121009-cemac-meeting.html
NY: County leaders may join voting machine lawsuit
Dec 9, 2009. A number of members of the Warren County Board of Supervisors plan to be plaintiffs in a lawsuit that will challenge the legality of the state's decision to force counties to use new electronic voting machines.
...
it does not appear the county itself will be part of the action.
...
"It's just outrageous," Monroe said. "It's a worse system than what we currently have."
http://www.poststar.com/news/local/article_04096a3a-e510-11de-8f96-001cc4c002e0.html
TN: Tennessee Secretary of State Says Up-to-Date Voting Machines Available for TVCA But Costs Still Prohibitive
Dec 9, 2009 ...The good news first: “I think we’ve got a 2005-quality machine
...Hargett would go on to identify the apparatus in question as one about to be marketed by Unisyn Voting Solutions, a California-based company
...
“I understand that the Senate is going to go back in January and take the necessary steps to protect the taxpayers, throughout the state,” Hargett said
http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2009/12/09/tennessee-secretary-of-state-says-up-to-date-machines-available-for-tvca-but-costs-still-prohibitive
Voting places cut from 44 to 25
Dec 08, 2009 PUTNAM COUNTY -- Putnam County election commissioners formally voted Monday morning to consolidate several voting precincts, dropping the number of polling places in the county from 44 to 25.
http://www.herald-citizen.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=6F6A6849-19B9-E2E2-67D0EC57420283E9
TX: County cuts positions to tighten budget
December 8, Washington County commissioners today abolished the Washington County elections administrator.
http://www.brenhambanner.com/articles/2009/12/08/news/news02.txt
UT: Utah Commission Recommends Automatic and Portable Voter Registration
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014893.html
National
NVRA Analysis Flawed
Champaign County Clerk. There is so much swirling in the legislative air regarding election administration reform that it’s hard to keep up. I’m doing my best.
...
Where the paper goes terribly awry is with its analysis of list maintenance procedures. While purporting to be an analysis of the NVRA 15 years on, the paper basically ignores HAVA and the advances that have been made in the last 5 years on the HAVA requirement for a statewide voter registration database.
...
As a policy blue print for improving the NVRA, the ACS report is lacking. More disappointing, the actual arguments that it brings to the discussion are sometimes misleading, inaccurate, or incomplete.
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2009/12/09/nvra-analysis-flawed/
Redistricting Reform #3
So what happens when we allow partisan redistricting? The short answer is “bad things.” Here’s the longer answer:
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2009/12/09/redistricting-reform-3/
ACORN report says group needs reforms
December 8, 2009 (CNN) -- Community organizing group ACORN needs wide-ranging reforms after an embezzlement scandal, but broke no laws when conservative activists posing as a prostitute and a pimp approached members in a videotaped "sting," an attorney's report concludes.
...
It urged the group, which has branched out into a variety of fields, to return to its "core competency" of community organizing; to replace its affiliate-dominated governing board with one made up mostly of independent members; to beef up its internal controls and accounting staff; and to hire an independent inspector general.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/08/acorn.report/
"Gavin: 'Staggering' Number of Lobbyists Are Failing to Report Political Contributions"
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014892.html
International
Canada. North Grenville to feature internet and phone voting in 2010 election
December 09, 2009
http://www.yourkemptville.com/article/19491
London e-counting: Boris doesn't want to know
Jason Kitcat, 08 December 2009...The question now becomes, how do we hold the Greater London Authority’s Chief Executive to account about election arrangements if the directly elected Mayor won’t?
http://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/2009/Boris-doesnt-want-to-know
Ghana Inches Towards Electronic Voting System
http://news.peacefmonline.com/social/200912/33878.php
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
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