TN Election fiasco. Internet voting? 'Pleash just help me inshert..key in the lock'

Election fiascos pile up in Tennessee, hint at more to come in November...Cali AG Brown sets up voter fraud hotline in Bell CA...Broward Co FL mulls $22M facility but $0 for ada voting equipt...Georgia voter registration rules oppressive...Cuyahoga OH CC told to print bilingual ballots or be sued...Can this be true? Media reports Carroll Cnty MD will use paper ballots nxt election...“What are best practices for internet voting?” to me sounds like “Pleash jush help me inshert the key in the lock, (hic), and I’ll be on my way…” ~Prof. Ron Rivest (MIT)presentation at NIST's UOCAVA workshop...Debate over India EVMS boils over in Washington...

All this and more in today's voting news below...

Editor Note - voting news for Aug 9 & 10

AR: County Changing Vote Tally
http://www.swtimes.com/news/article_796a3866-a169-11df-b6b7-001cc4c002e0.html
The Sebastian County Election Commission voted Thursday to change the way it counts votes, giving the voting public a precinct-by-precinct look at election results.

Calif. probe spotlights absentee ballot abuse
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/09/4851054-calif-probe-spotlights-absentee-ballot-abuse- Do absentee ballots increase the potential for vote fraud and corruption?
A case that might help shed light on that question is now unfolding in California’s Bell city, a low-income Latino municipality of 37,000 where fewer than 400 people voted in a 2005 election that opened the way for city officials to arrange huge increases in their own compensation.
Former city manager Robert Rizzo was paid more than $1.5 million a year in salary and benefits.
...
The case resembles one in 2003 in East Chicago, Indiana, where widespread fraud using absentee ballots led to several convictions.

CA: AG Brown sets up voter fraud hotline in Bell
http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/08/09/hotline-brown/

CO: D.A. ducks out of oversight role
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100810/LETTER/100819998/1020&ParentProfile=1061
The real score brought to you by your D.A. is a significant loss for all citizens. The Beeson memo tells us shocking news: Various seemingly applicable laws and election rules comfortingly mentioned in the Aspen code are seen by our authorities as unenforceable.

CT: Connecticut Senate Overrides Veto of Public Funding Bill; House Vote Set for
Friday Aug 13 http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/09/connecticut-senate-overrides-veto-of-public-funding-bill-house-vote-set-for-friday-august-13/

CT: Blumenthal Finds Improper Use Of Bysiewicz Office Database; Probe Concludes With Report, Referral To Chief Prosecutor
http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/08/blumenthal-finds-improper-use.html

FL: Aug. 10. Broward Commission Meeting. Important Issues and Public Hearing
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electionreform/message/13816
the $22 million allocated for the new Supervisor of Elections Facility with no public hearings...SOE gets new facility and county claims it has no funds for ADA Ballot Marking devices

FL: If County Commission provides bucks, Broward could get more early voting in November http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/08/if_county_commission_provides.html
Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes said she’d like to add two early voting sites for the November elections – but can only do so if the County Commission comes up with about $130,000 to pay for them.

FL: Sticky absentee ballot issue is fixed in Brevard
Absentee ballot postage question is cleared up
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100809/NEWS05/8090312/1006/
NEWS01/Sticky+absentee+ballot+issue+is+fixed+in+Brevard http://tinyurl.com/3x87mnr
"Subsequent mailings have a sticker inside, telling them that it's 61 cents," Scott said.

FL: Some early voters find ballot confusing
http://www.dailycommercial.com/localnews/story/080610earlyvoting "We lay the ballot out according to the Florida statute and we never identify the incumbent."

GA: The Truth About Karen Handel and Voting Machines (video)
http://politicalvine.com/politicalrumors/governor-race/the-truth-about-karen-handel-and-voting-machines/

GA: Georgia voter registration rules called too difficult
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/aug/07/georgia-voter-registration-rules-called-too-diffic/
“Nobody makes it more difficult to register to vote than we do,” said Ken Ellinger, a professor of political science at Dalton State College. “We say we want (voters) to participate, but I’m not sure we really do because, if we did, we’d make it easier.”

IL: U.S. Senator Roland Burris Challenges U.S. District Court Decision on Who Should be on Ballot in Special U.S. Senate Election
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/09/u-s-senator-roland-burris-challenges-u-s-district-court-decision-on-who-should-be-on-ballot-in-special-u-s-senate-election/

MD: 2010 ELECTION CENTRAL: Carroll County Commissioners
http://www.explorecarroll.com/news/4581/Carroll-County-Commissioners-Election-Primary-Candidates/
The primary election will be held Tuesday, Sept. 14...
...
The 2010 elections will see the return of paper ballots and optical scanning machines, combining of county voting precincts and early voting. Electronic voting booths will still be available for those with disabilities.

MI: What to expect when you cast your ballot
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/08/09/polls-what-to-expect/

MN: Lots of Absentee Ballots in Minnesota
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016664.html
Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie reports 26,211 absentee ballots so far for Tuesday's primary, the most in 20 years

MN: Voting absentee? Better have a witness address*
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/99671194.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUncacyi8cyaiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs
Statewide, at least 10 percent of absentee ballots cast in advance of the Aug. 10 primary were rejected on first pass. Some counties neared a 20 percent initial rejection rate.

NC: ON PAPER (staff editorial)
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/08/10/621703/on-paper.html Does North Carolina need a new system of printing ballots? The votes aren't all in yet, and the current system may need only tweaking, rather than another fresh start.

NC: Ballot printer denies having an unfair edge
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/08/10/621917/ballot-printer-denies-having-an.html

NC: North Carolina Legislature Eliminates Discriminatory Public Funding Law
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/05/north-carolina-legislature-eliminates-discriminatory-public-funding-law/ Ballot Access News has just learned that on July 17, 2010, the North Carolina Governor signed SB 1177. It eliminates a law that said a qualified political party could not be listed on the state income tax form unless it has registration of at least 1% of the state total.

NC: Editorial: One in, two still to go
http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/08/09/article/editorial_one_in_two_still_to_go
For elections to fill a judicial vacancy when there’s no time to hold a primary, a 2006 state law creates “instant runoff voting” in case there are more than two candidates and none receives a majority of the vote. Under this scheme, voters are asked to rank their top three choices in order of preference, and a second round of counting determines the winner.

...It would be better if the law allowed the governor to appoint a replacement to serve until the next election, when candidates then could run on a normal schedule. That’s what would happen if this vacancy occurred after Sept. 3.

NJ: Judge hears testimony to determine if Elizabeth election had invalid results
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/elizabeth_council_candidates_c.html
ELIZABETH — Two Elizabeth council candidates who claim voting irregularities cost them victories in June’s Democratic primary want a Superior Court judge to invalidate the election results

NY: A Vote For Big Changes At The NYC Board Of Elections?
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/08/a-vote-for-big-changes-at-the.html

...the board facing a $19 million shortfall and primary elections coming in September with the use of new electronic voting machines that are as-yet untested in any city election.

NY: Essex County Board of Elections goes full time
http://pressrepublican.com/0100_news/x91128675/Essex-County-Board-of-Elections-goes-full-time
Essex County's two election commissioners are going full time to keep from being swamped by the new requirements of electronic voting.

OH: Cuyahoga County Board of Elections told to print bilingual ballots or be sued
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/08/cuyahoga_county_board_of_elect_5.html
He did not know if the Justice Department's demand came on the heels of complaints from disenfranchised voters, but said the representatives offered anecdotal evidence of people discouraged from votin

OR: Kate Brown to Post Office: Don't kill Saturday delivery
http://bojack.org/2010/08/kate_brown_to_post_office_dont.html
She says it will hurt Oregon's vote-by-mail election system. Her testimony, dated yesterday, is also an interesting brief on the merits of vote-by-mail generally.

OR: SOS testimony on Saturday Deliver and Vote by Mail
http://www.prc.gov/Docs/69/69484/Brown2.pdf

PA: Pennsylvania Green Party Statewide Petition Challenged
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/09/pennsylvania-green-party-statewide-petition-challenged/

TN: Commission requests 'independent' review of Aug. 5 Shelby election *
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/aug/09/commission-requests-independent-review-aug-5-shelb/ The Shelby County Election Commission on Monday asked Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Bill Gibbons to "refer an independent agency to review the Aug. 5 election."

And Shelby County Democratic Party chairman Van Turner said attorneys for the commission have reached an agreement to allow plaintiffs in a lawsuit to inspect voting equipment prior to final certification of the elections.
...
The commission said the problem occurred because a database of early voters for the May primaries was incorrectly loaded into electronic polling books, rather than the database of early voters from the Aug. 5 election. Therefore, some voters were told the computers showed that they had already voted.

TN: Voting glitch affects as many as 5,000 (Shelby)
May election information entered into electronic polling books instead of July
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/aug/05/shelby-county-election-commission-says-early-votin/

TN: Maury County officials don't know what caused vote tally problem, say count is accurate * http://www.whnt.com/news/sns-ap-tn--votingproblem,0,5359127.story
The Daily Herald reports that shortly after the polls closed a precinct update caused the vote totals for several county and state candidates to drop. The problem was first spotted by a Daily Herald reporte

TN: Crossover voting law muddies primary waters
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100805/NEWS0201/8050337/Crossover-voting-law-muddies-primary-waters Tennessee's party primaries are open to all comers, creating openings for opposition-party maneuvering that could skew results and scramble the state's political landscape.

TX: Vote Centers: Expert's report and public hearing today
http://www.baumbach.org/b2evolution/blogs/index.php/2010/08/09/
vote_centers_expert_s_report_and_public_ http://tinyurl.com/37jyuak
At the Commissioners court meeting today, the court will hear Dr. Robert Stein of Rice University present his report on the use of Vote Center in the November, 2009 election.
...
Collin County's use of a much larger number of 'super precincts' could help mitigate much of the issues that would wreak havoc (and have done so) in a more traditional Vote Center... that is IF the voters can find a parking place, and IF the VoteSafe software performs as promised.

TX: SOS: County Elections showed no sign of irregularities
http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/08/07/conroe_courier/news/blackbox080810.txt
A claim that Montgomery County election officials run “an illegally sloppy operation” was not substantiated by a review conducted by the Texas Secretary of State’s Office

UT: Postage-stamp politics: GOP looking for a lead
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50061359-76/mail-vote-county-wright.html.csp
Salt Lake County Republican Party Chairman Thomas Wright smiles, skims several vote-by-mail applications from the top to show the signatures and says he’ll be back in a week with several thousand more just like them.

VA: Roanoke seeks 'bailout' from Voting Rights Act
www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/256275
The Roanoke Electoral Board wants to move some of its precincts, but the Voting Rights Act makes that costly.
...
Brenda Hale, president of the NAACP's Roanoke branch, said she sees both pros and cons of the proposal but wants to make sure the public gets a chance to weigh in.

Internet Vote Watch

Canada: BETTER BALLOTS Wednesday August 11 • Metro Hall
http://councilofcanadianstoronto.blogspot.com/2010/08/weekly-updates-august-8-2010.html
...We'll be directing people to existing campaigns such as VoteToronto, Fair Vote and iVote Toronto where they already exist, and we'll be creating new groups for options like term limits, lower voting age, online voting, ranked ballots (instant runoff), weekend voting, etc. where they don’t already exist.

Wikileaks Fiasco Exposes Gaping Holes in Cyber Domain
http://defensetech.org/2010/08/09/wikileaks-fiasco-exposes-gaping-holes-in-cyber-domain/
Is the Wikileaks fiasco the first defeat for the United States in the cyber warfare domain? Exploring this question shows just how little we have planned for, created doctrine for, and are ready, able and willing to respond to threats to the United States in the cyber domain.

US National Institute of Standards and Technology’s workshop in Washington DC on however overseas citizens should vote.

Prof. Ron Rivest (MIT):
http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/ST/UOCAVA/2010/Presentations/RIVEST_2010-08-05-uocava.pdf
Remote voting is trade-off between franchise and risk
The risks of “internet voting” more than negate any possible benefits from an increase in franchise

FVAP Views on Solutions & Challenges
NIST-EAC-FVAP Workshop on UOCAVA Voting Systems August 6th, 2010
http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/ST/UOCAVA/2010/Presentations/CAREY_FVAP_Presentation_to_NIST-EAC-FVAP.pdf
“Recommendations for future electronic voting projects include:
working up to a large scale system starting with a small number of states or limiting
capabilities;

MD: New System Lets Md. Absentee Voters Print Out Their Ballots, Even Overseas http://baltimore.citybizlist.com/YourCityBizNews/detail.aspx?id=88552
[blank ballots only at this time]

UK: Cyberwar and other global risks
http://dooooooom.blogspot.com/2010/07/cyberwar-and-other-global-risks.html
The Defence Secretary has told Parliament he will need to switch resources from conventional military tasks to tackling cyber threat
[presentation on cyber crime, cyber war, cyber fraud by Dr. Ian Brown of Cambridge U]


National

Voting Technology Research Gets In-Depth
http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6770
As election systems technology in America is getting more advanced, is the real world catching up to the laboratory?

Shvartsman believes the problems with voting machines in general have occurred because vendors released flawed products prematurely. “We do not believe that they knew this stuff was not good, and they released it,” Shvartsman said. “I think they simply underestimated how tricky it is to get it done right and how important it is to perform really in-depth analysis and testing.”

Upcoming Primaries: Last Chance to Vote States
https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/Primary-Deadlines
Wyoming August 17, Washington August 17 , Arizona August 24 , Vermont August 24
Florida August 24 , Alaska August 24
Did you request your ballot? Did you get it? It is not too late if you act RIGHT NOW.

Enforcing the Motor-Voter Law
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2010/08/enforcing-motor-voter-law.html
Although many potential voters can be reached through DMV offices, agencies that administer food stamps, welfare, Medicaid, disability assistance and child health programs are able to target historically underrepresented populations, such as low-income individuals, people with disabilities, minority populations, and new military recruits. Unfortunately, enforcement among public assistance offices (until recently) has been lax.

International

Election funding transparency: Australia has a lot to learn
http://inside.org.au/on-election-transparency-australia-has-a-lot-to-learn/
Australia votes in a fortnight but we won’t find out who made large election donations to the parties until early 2012.

India: Hot debate over Electronic Voting Machines
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article562910.ece
This week the debate on whether electronic voting machines (EVMs) in India are tamper-proof, reached boiling point in far-away Washington, as a representative of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and an American university professor clashed publicly over contradictory claims regarding the machines.
...
Mr. Halderman, who said that he and his colleagues had worked with Mr. Prasad to demonstrate the vulnerability of EVMs to tampering, pleaded with Mr. Shukla to call off efforts by the ECI to have the Indian police question Mr. Prasad.

Ireland: When will Gormley end electronic voting machine fiasco?
http://finegael.org/news/a/3620/article/ Fine Gael Deputy Environment Spokesperson, Deputy Terence Flanagan, has said the Government is still paying to store defunct electronic voting machines despite assurances from Environment Minister, John Gormley, 15 months ago that the machines would be scrapped.

UK: Prisoners' Voting Rights in the UK
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016662.html The Guardian has this story on a UK Ministry of Justice report regarding the implementation -- and non-implementation -- of European Court of Human Rights judgments, focusing on one finding that the blanket disfranchisement of prisoners violated their human rights.

UK: Human rights: from Europe to the UK
http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2010/aug/09/european-court-of-human-rights
Government report highlights vexed issue of implementation of European human rights judgments in domestic law




Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.

TN e-poll book blocks 3,000 voters. Rivest-Risks of Internet Voting negate benefits

"I'm sorry you can't vote," .Up to 3,000 Shelby Co Tennessee voters were turned away and some were offered provisional ballots...A Victory in Florida For Tighter Cyber Security?...The US is going to help Nigeria conduct its presidential election in 2011...The Oregonian wants the SoS to be "open" to internet voting...What do experts say? "The risks of 'internet voting' more than negate any possible benefits from an increase in franchise." ~Ronald L. Rivest, Viterbi Professor of EECS, MIT..

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

Editors note - this news is the Friday edition, but we began compiling it late Thursday night, and we forgot to change the date on the posting. We apologize for the confusion.

Voting News is adding two blogs to our blog roll, Florida Voters Coalition and Overseas Vote Foundation.

CA: Residents in troubled SoCal city allege vote fraud * (absentee ballot)
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15689668
Some residents of Bell say city officials asked them to fill out absentee ballots which city council members said they would submit on the voters' behalf, according to a Los Angeles Times report published Thursday.

CO: Colorado Independents Can Still Vote in Primary Election
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kunc/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1685348/Regional/]
Colorado.Independents.Can.Still.Vote.in.Primary.Election http://tinyurl.com/3a9dnc4 Dumm says the law allows unaffiliated voters to sign up with a party, even on primary election day, cast a ballot - and then switch back to their independent status.

CT: Connecticut’s got reform?
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/2010/08/06/connecticuts-got-reform/ After a few federal court cases, Connecticut moved quickly to amend its state campaign finance law. Over a veto, the Senate passed new legislation and a report is here.

FL: A Victory in Florida For Tighter Cyber Security?
http://floridavoterscoalition.blogspot.com/2010/08/victory-in-florida-for-tighter-cyber.html In an email yesterday to Florida Voters, Department of State Communications Director, Jennifer Krell Davis wrote:

“The Department does not intend to expand the use of electronic transmission of voted ballots.”

FL: Florida: Weak Election Audits Only, Thank You.
http://www.suewilsonreports.com/2010/08/florida-weak-election-audits-only-thank.html
In Sarasota, Florida today, a four year long battle over real election accountability has come to a bitter end.
...
SAFE President Kindra Muntz says only the battleground for safer Florida voting has changed, and that the group will now focus on changing state law to provide for more rigorous voting audits for all of Florida

TN: Election Commission Investigating Voting Glitch*
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/080610-election-commission-investigating-voting-glitch ..."I'm sorry you can't vote,"
...
the Election Commission will conduct their own investigation into the problem. If they aren't able to get to the bottom of it, they will ask outside investigators to come in and take a look at the problem.

TN: Computer Glitch Causes Problems At The Polls*
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Computer-Glitch-Causes-Problems-At-The-Polls/kZlDCfTt6ka265U94R11Yw.cspx
MEMPHIS, TN— A computer glitch caused problems for as many as 3,000 Shelby County voters when the polls opened election day.

According to Election Commissioner, Bill Giannini electronic equipment used to check voters had the wrong information loaded into them. Instead of showing early voters for this election, poll workers were given early voting lists from the May primary.

TN: Tennessee Computer Glitch Prevents Thousands From Voting*
http://www.i4u.com/article37165.html
Election Commissioner Bill Giannini said that as many as 3,000 voters were taken to voting machines only to find that poll workers inadvertently used electronic cards from May's primary election.

An error would then pop up saying the individual had already voted in the August 5 election. Voters were allowed to submit a provisional ballot but many didn't want to go through the hassle.

TN: Democratic Leaders Call for Federal Investigation of Thursday's Election*
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/tennessee/080610-democratic-leaders-call-for-federal-investigation-of-thursday's-election
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Chair for the Shelby County Democratic Party is calling for a federal probe into Thursday's voting glitch.

The glitch was discovered at some polling locations early Thursday. The mistake made it look like some voters had cast their ballots when they hadn't. While some voters were turned away from the polls at first, they were later asked to return and cast their votes.
...
The Election Commission said less than 500 provisional ballots were cast because of the problem.

TN: Electronic Glitch Jeopardizes Completion of Countywide Voting*
http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2010/08/05/electronic-glitch-jeopardizes-completion-of-countywide-voting
During the opening of polls at 7:00 a.m., it was discovered that voters who may have voted EARLY in the May primary but had not Early Voted for the Augbust election were recognized by EPB’s (Electronic Poll Books) as having already voting in this election.

Internet Voting Watch

Thoughts on UOCAVA Voting
Ronald L. Rivest, Viterbi Professor of EECS, MIT, Cambridge, MA
UOCAVA Workshop 2010-08-06
http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/ST/UOCAVA/2010/Presentations/RIVEST_2010-08-05-uocava.pdf
How should soldiers and overseas citizens best exercise their right to vote?

Overseas Voters from 9 U.S. States May Use Scytl’s Online Solution
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100805005881&newsLang=en

[Scytl involved in Finnish election, see "Finnish Court Dismisses E-Voting Result"
http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/04/11/1924213 ]

FL: A Victory in Florida For Tighter Cyber Security?
http://floridavoterscoalition.blogspot.com/2010/08/victory-in-florida-for-tighter-cyber.html In an email yesterday to Florida Voters, Department of State Communications Director, Jennifer Krell Davis wrote:

“The Department does not intend to expand the use of electronic transmission of voted ballots.”

OR: E-voting? Not ready yet (The Oregonian Editorial Board)
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/08/e-voting_not_ready_yet.html
There are still legitimate security concerns with any e-voting system. We continue to maintain that no election jurisdiction, including the Oregon secretary of state's office, should allow online voting until such systems allow for a paper audit trail that includes a digitally signed receipt of each vote.
...
Secretary of State Kate Brown rightly fears that e-voting could be susceptible to computer hacking and fraud. Yet she and other elections officials should remain open to the possibility as other countries and states experiment with online voting.

National

Upcoming Primaries: Last Chance to Vote States
https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/blog/36
Overseas Vote Foundation. Connecticut August 10, Minnesota August 10, Colorado August 10, Wyoming August 17 Washington August 17

Ex-lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti charged with campaign-finance fraud
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/05/AR2010080504416.html
The developments mark the latest chapter in the saga of PMA, whose success in securing funding for often-obscure defense contractors spawned the criminal probe and a recently completed House ethics inquiry. PMA's clients gained more than $200 million in federal earmarks from a roster of lawmakers,

Indicted PMA Group Boss Paul Magliocchetti Spread Wealth to Dozens of Politicians
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/08/indicted-pma-group-boss-paul-maglio.html
Paul Magliocchetti, the former head of now-defunct lobbying shop PMA Group, was indicted Thursday in federal court on charges he made hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions.

International

Clinton Pledges US Backing for Nigerian Electoral Process, VOA (2010)
http://aceproject.org/regions-en/countries-and-territories/NG/news/clinton-pledges-us-backing-for-nigerian-electoral?set_language=en
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that the administration is prepared to assist Nigeria in holding the presidential election in 2011


Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNewsSubscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net =============================================

"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.

SC Voting machine lawsuit heads to court. Target 'sorry' political donations offend

NC taxpayers overcharged for election ballots?...Some problems with Michigan polls but state has paper ballots...South Carolina Federal voting machine case clears first hurdle...The Federal Voting Assistance Program has opened a 24X7 call center to assist overseas military voters...Target President and CEO “genuinely sorry” that their political donations offend...

All this and more in today's voting news below...


AZ: Sheriff Arpaio Political Ad Under Investigation
County Attorney: Ad Violates State Law
http://www.kpho.com/news/24503664/detail.html

CA: LA city councilman indicted on felony voter fraud
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15676906?nclick_check=1
A Los Angeles city councilman and his wife were indicted on a total of 24 felony counts stemming from allegations he lived outside his district, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

CT: CT Elections Enforcement Commission rules free social media must have campaign expense disclaimer http://www.deliberatect.com/node/355

CT: New link to check your CT Voter Registration
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/new-link-to-check-your-ct-voter-registration/

IL: Former political workers sentenced for vote fraud *
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-08-04/news/ct-met-vote-fraud-sentence-0805-20100804_1_eapen-and-ramos-anish-eapen-absentee-ballots
Two former political workers for Ald. Bernard Stone, 50th, were each sentenced to nearly a year in Cook County Jail on Wednesday for attempting to manipulate absentee ballots in Stone's hotly contested 2007 election.

KS: County commission results delayed *
http://www.dodgeglobe.com/news/local/x1137371715/County-commission-results-delayed
Unofficial results from the Ford County Commission race were not available by press time Tuesday, due to a glitch at the Ford County Clerk's office.
Ford County Clerk Sharon Seibel said her staff had to enter one voting card into the system by hand, so full results would not be available until today.

MI: One vote separates 1st District competitors
Recount likely in Republican race to beat Gary McDowell
http://www.freep.com/article/20100804/NEWS15/100804020/1435/1-vote-separates-1st-District-competitors
According to the Michigan Secretary of State’s Web site, political newcomer and Tea Party candidate Dr. Dan Benishek of Crystal Falls led state Sen. Jason Allen of Alanson by a single vote, 27,091-to-27,090. The Associated Press’ tally had the difference only a little larger – Benishek led by 12 votes out of some 71,000 cast.

MI: Allen accepts 1 vote shortfall; recount looms
http://record-eagle.com/latest/x1243785828/Allen-accepts-1-vote-shortfall-recount-looms
TRAVERSE CITY — State Sen. Jason Allen of Alanson withdrew his claim of victory and accepted an unofficial, single-vote margin that awarded the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District to Crystal Falls physician Dan Benishek.

MI: Genesee County elections officials say they issued wrong voting results on election night *
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/08/genesee_county_elections_offic.html
GENESEE COUNTY -- County elections officials say they released incorrect voting results after Tuesday's primary election, never realizing they left out absentee ballots until early this morning.

"There's no excuse. We should know how to run our own reports," county Elections Supervisor Doreen D. Fulcher told the county Board of Canvassers today.

MI: Learning curve with new e-pollbook system causes some delays in tallying votes*
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/08/learning_curve_with_new_e-poll.html
...She said some workers issued a paper ballot and forgot to hit "proceed" in the e-pollbook, causing voters' ballots to be misnumbered, which meant workers had to go back and inspect the voter applications.
...
Kent County Clerk Mary Hollinrake said processing absentee and regular ballots also caused a problem. When absentee ballots were entered into the database, she said, they would override the regular ballots already there, causing county workers to backtrack.

MI: Voting machine links: The quirks of using AutoMARK *
http://www.annarbor.com/vielmetti/voting-machine-links-automark/
Once the machine recognizes the ballot, I have not had problems. The problems generally arise before the ballot is marked, where the AutoMARK system spits out the ballot as unrecognized. Most of the problems arise when the ballot stub is not detached. (Some states do not have a ballot stub, some do)

MN: Letter - Proud of recount process
http://www.echopress.com/event/article/id/77081/group/Opinion/
At this point, Norm Coleman is silent about the election; no public official is willing to own the allegation that there was widespread voter fraud.
...
Minnesota Majority opposed legislation, SF 763 and HF 1053, in 2009, that would help detect and prevent felons from voting.

MN: Minnesota Forward: Target President and CEO “genuinely sorry”
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/2010/08/05/minnesota-forward-target-president-and-ceo-genuinely-sorry/
Steinhafel also said Target would set up a review process for future political donations after the company’s first one created a growing political firestorm.

NC: NC taxpayers overcharged for election ballots?
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=7594874
Wake County uses Commercial Printing in Raleigh and gets its ballots for about half of that. An internal e-mail from Franklin County estimates $0.42 per ballot from Printelect, while an invoice from Wake County averages $0.13.

OK: Hearing set for today over voting problem claims in Tulsa-area primary
http://newsok.com/hearing-set-for-today-over-voting-problem-claims-in-tulsa-area-primary/article/3482239

SC: Federal voting machine case clears first hurdle
http://www.scpronet.com/wordpress/2010/08/04/federal-voting-machine-case-clears-first-hurdle/
On July 28, Federal Judge Cameron Currie ruled that the SC Election Commission had until Aug. 20 to defend itself against a complaint that the voting machines in South Carolina do not meet federal requirements for record keeping.

SC: Voting machine lawsuit headed to court, Election Commission to respond (AUDIO)
http://www.southcarolinaradionetwork.com/2010/08/04/voting-machine-lawsuit-headed-to-court-election-commission-to-respond-audio/ “I believe that the Election Commission doesn’t want a full system audit for fear that it would conclude, like a recent audit in Iowa did, that these machines should be scrapped,” Bursey says.

Internet Voting Watch

STATE ELECTION OFFICIALS: RECOUNTABLE PROCESS A MUST FOR OVERSEAS VOTERS
http://www.ceimn.org/Elections_oversees_military_UOCAVA_NASS_MOVE_voting_recountable

National

FVAP ANSWERS QUESTIONS 24 /7
http://www.fvap.gov/global/news/nr21-2010.html
AGENCY LAUNCHES CALL CENTER AND CHAT OPTION FOR REAL-TIME AVAILABILITY

International

India: New strategy to switch from electronic voting to paper ballots
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/india/new-strategy-to-switch-from-electronic-voting-to-paper-ballots-1.664007
The strategy is to put up more candidates for the Bihar legislative assembly elections in each of the 243 constituencies than the machines can cope with.

Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNewsSubscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net

=============================================

"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vnDisclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.

ATMs AND Voting Machines are hackable. Obama admin on the military vote

Bob Fitrakis asks "Why is it, on this anniversary of Bill Moss’ passing, that we can readily accept people are hacking into ATM machines, but ignore the fact that people are also hacking Diebold, ES&S and other electronic voting machines and stealing more than money."...$20 votes in Perry Co KY vote buying scheme...Obama admin pushes back hard on charge that it's not protecting military voters. Letter explains waiver process is built into MOVE act and the Department of Defense in consultation with DOJ determines whether to grant waivers...

All this and more in today's voting news below...

CA: Fresno woman arraigned on voter fraud
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/03/2028064/fresno-woman-arraigned-on-voter.html
Election officials said Holland forged signatures in an attempt to reduce entry fees for Fresno City Council Member Cynthia Sterling in Sterling's race for county supervisor and for Fresno police officer Oliver Baines, who is running for Sterling’s seat.

CA: State panel calls for online political ad rules
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/02/MNDQ1ENN37.DTL
California should regulate online political ads the same way it does television, radio or print communications - by requiring candidates and campaigns to tell voters who paid for them, officials with the state's campaign watchdog agency ...

CA: WHY IT MIGHT BE RATIONAL FOR JUDGE WALKER TO STAY HIS OWN RULING IN THE PROP. 8 CASE http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016619.html

CO: Buescher: GOP criticism on MOVE Act military voting ignores reality
http://coloradoindependent.com/58686/buescher-gop-criticism-on-move-act-military-voting-ignores-reality
Secretary of State Bernie Buescher Monday night told the Colorado Independent he was way ahead of his Republican critics on what needed to happen in Colorado to comply with a new federal law dictating the speed of mailing overseas ballots to members of the military, but lawmakers dragged their feet because of election-year politics.
...
Buescher said both his supporters and critics could have proposed legislation during the last session to comply with the MOVE Act but the political will was missing because of ramifications for campaigns already in progress.

CT: Conn. governor vetoes bill to fix campaign law
http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2010/08/02/conn_governor_vetoes_bill_to_fix_campaign_law/

HARTFORD, Conn.—Gov. M. Jodi followed through Monday with her promise to veto a bill that attempts to fix Connecticut's campaign finance law after a federal appeals court founds parts of it unconstitutional.

FL: Detour on election audits
With local measure apparently dead, seek a change in state law
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100803/OPINION/8031026/2198/OPINI
Instead of fighting for stronger ballot auditing in Sarasota County, push for it statewide. That would provide the consistency and uniformity the courts say is legally required.

FL: Show up Thursday, August 5th, 2 PM--Stand by the people of Sarasota
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electionreform/message/13797
...Thursday, August 5th, please attend the special meeting of the Sarasota County Commissioners at 2 PM in the Commission Chambers at 1660 Ringling Blvd, Sarasota. That's when they will make their final decision on whether to appeal the negative ruling of the judge in the 12th Judicial Circuit on the status of our county charter amendment for paper ballots and mandatory audits of election equipment, or whether they will support the will of the voters of Sarasota County in another way.

GA: Georgia Military and Overseas Voters, Submit Your Ballot for the August 10, 2010 General Primary Runoff! http://www.fvap.gov/global/news/nr20-2010.html

GA: Voter Fraud Alleged in Brooks County
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/99140784.html
Brooks County residents are concerned there may be irregularities with the outcome of several local races. And now the GBI has launched a probe into these allegations.
...
"The issue is the absentee ballots," said Claude Butler, the County Commissioner for District Three, who lost to Willie Cody by 247 votes. Pre-absentee count, he was in the lead by 111 votes. "They have gone rampant here in our county...

GA: Bottoms resigns as probate judge
http://www.thenortheastgeorgian.com/articles/2010/08/03/news/breaking_news/01breakingnews.txt
Bottoms, who was involved in logic and accuracy testing on electronic voting machines Tuesday, said she would provide to The Northeast Georgian on Wednesday full details of her reasons for resigning for inclusion in Friday's edition.

IL: 146 Illegal Votes Identified in November 2008 (Champaign County)
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/08/04/146-illegal-votes-identified-in-november-2008/

KY: 4 indicted on vote buying in eastern KY
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?s=12889273&clienttype=printable
HAZARD, KY (AP) - Four eastern Kentucky men have been indicted on vote buying charges for paying people to vote in the May primary in Perry County.

One of the men, Pearl Combs Jr., was arrested on election day in May on a charge of voter fraud after a voter told authorities he was paid $20 to vote for certain candidates.

MI: Did your voting machine in Lansing (MI) work today? *
http://thelansingblog.com/2010/08/03/did-your-voting-machine-in-lansing-mi-work-today/ ... After we voted, we took our ballot to the machine where the voter inserts the paper with his choices to be counted. It would not pull the ballot into the machine. It wouldn’t function at all.

Voters behind us left their ballots on a nearby table to be inserted by workers later. There was maybe five or six when we finally left. The poll worker took our ballots and inserted them in an auxiliary bin behind the machine. And she said it would be scanned later as its watched by workers who are from both political workers.

MI: Election Day: August 2010 *
http://annarborchronicle.com/2010/08/03/election-day-august-2010/
Ann Arbor. 9:30 a.m. Ward 1, Precinct 3: Community High School (401 N. Division):
...
The clerk staff reports several humidity-related issues citywide with voting machines. The humidity makes the paper ballots “puff up.”

MI: Modem problems in voting machines to delay Washtenaw County results *
http://www.annarbor.com/news/modem-problems-in-voting-machines-to-delay-results/
The modems used for Washtenaw County's voting machines aren't working, county election officials said just after 9 p.m.
That means clerks in the county's various townships, cities and villages will have to physically drive the results in. That occurs anyway, but the county is normally able to get the results faster from the modem and put them up on its website.

MI: More Michigan polling places use electronic pollbooks
http://www.freep.com/article/20100803/NEWS15/100803067/More-Michigan-polling-places-use-electronic-pollbooks

NY: New York Passes Two Landmark Democracy Reforms
http://www.brennancenter.org/blog/archives/new_york_passes_two_landmark_democracy_reforms/...requiring

that people in prison be allocated to their home communities for redistricting purposes; and requiring criminal justice agencies to provide voting rights information to people who are again eligible to vote after a felony conviction.

VA: Va. registrars study mobile voter unit
http://www2.newsvirginian.com/wnv/news/state_regional/article/va._registrars_study_mobile_voter_unit/58532/

WA: R-71 petition challenge heading back to court
http://blogs.sos.wa.gov/FromOurCorner/index.php/2010/08/r-71-petition-challenge-heading-back-to-court/ Protect Marriage Washington, gay-marriage opponents who forced a public vote on the state’s new domestic partnership law last November, are heading back to court to try to ban public release of the 138,000 names of people who signed Referendum 71 petitions.

Internet Vote Watch

Aug 9-10 in DC: EVT/WOTE ’10
http://digest.electionguide.org/2010/08/03/aug-9-10-in-dc-evtwote-10/
The Electronic Voting Technology Workshop/Workshop on Trustworthy Elections conference (EVT/WOTE ’10), will be held in Washington, DC from August 9-10. Topics will range from optical scan technology to potential vulnerabilities in internet-based voting systems.

MD: State of Maryland Will Deliver Absentee Ballots to Voters by Internet
http://media-newswire.com/release_1123583.html (blank ballots to overseas voters)
Beginning with the upcoming gubernatorial primary election in September, voters in Maryland will have a new convenient method of voting available to them.

The On Demand Ballot System, developed by the Center for American Politics and Citizenship( CAPC ) in partnership with the Maryland State Board of Elections, is a revolutionary system that will allow voters to print their official absentee ballot and mailing label from the internet.

National

Obama admin pushes back hard on right's charge that it's not protecting military voters http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/08/obama_admin_pushes_back_hard_o.html
Now DOJ has responded to Cornyn with a letter of its own. And it lays out the reasons why this latest attack is bogus:
* The DOJ letter points out that the waiver process is built into the MOVE law. It notes that states have the right to request a waiver if they are unable for whatever reason to meet the requirement, and that it's the responsibility of the Department of Defense, in consultation with DOJ, to determine whether to grant those waivers.

Adams: I Never Said Holder Is Disenfranchising Troops On Purpose
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/adams_i_never_said_admin_is_disenfranchising_troop.php

Moss versus machines (Bob Fitrakis)
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_6184.shtml
It is fitting on the fifth anniversary of the death of Bill Moss, lead plaintiff in the legendary Moss v. Bush 2004 lawsuit in Ohio, that the Associated Press is admitting the easy hackability of Diebold machines.

“A hacker has discovered a way to force ATMs to disgorge their cash by hijacking the computers inside them,” reads the AP lead.
...
The similarities between hacking a Diebold ATM and a Diebold/Premier election machine are startling. For example, the hacker, Barnaby Jack, director of Security Testing for Seattle based IOActive, Inc., stated, “Every ATM I’ve looked at, I’ve been able to find a flaw in. It’s a scary thing.”

Trick or treat: Rock the Vote launches voter registration drive
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/08/rock-the-vote-young-voters-/1

The group will focus its efforts on the 18-to-29-years olds who have become eligible to vote or moved since the 2008 election, Smith said. Young people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and Colorado -- all with high-profile elections and Rock the Vote state coordinators -- will be targeted.

An End Run on the Electoral College
http://www.miller-mccune.com/politics/an-end-run-on-the-electoral-college-20276/


International

Australia: Blind man fights for secret ballot (video and transcripts)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/08/03/2972633.htm
A vision-impaired man in South Australian is calling for changes so he can cast a secret ballot.

Ivory Coast: Impunity, Lack of Election, Hang Over Ivory Coast Independence Day
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Impunity-Lack-of-Election-Hang-Over-Ivory-Coast-Independence-Day-99868314.html As Ivory Coast prepares to celebrate 50 years of independence on August 7, impunity, a lack of elections, and the constant threat of political violence hangs over the divided country.

Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/

Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews

and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews

Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews

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=============================================

"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn



Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.

1 in 10 MN mail ballots rejected. DOJ on MOVE Act Waivers, military vote

The Dept of Justice responds to Sen Coryn on MOVE ACT Waivers." The President of the Overseas Vote Foundation responds to Fox news report on MOVE act...Faith in Technology: Drilling, Driving, and Voting...Mechanics of Atlantic City NJ absentee ballot fraud revealed in investigative report. Defendant admits:"I just have the people bring the ballot to me, and I fill them out...Another Year, Another Crisis At The NYC Board Of Elections...CTvoter on "Faith in Technology: Drilling, Driving, and Voting"...How Secure are Military IT Systems?

All this and more in today's voting news below...

AL: black voters file Section 5 case over Gov. Riley cancelling their votes
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006419.html
The Tuscaloosa News reports: Local politicians in Greene and Macon counties have joined to file a federal lawsuit claiming that Gov. Bob Riley's bingo raids are perpetuating racial injustice by thwarting the intent of black voters.

CA: WERE VOTERS BEING STUPID IN MISUNDERSTANDING THE EFFECT OF A "NO" VOTE ON PROP 8?
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016602.html

CO: Waiver for Sending Overseas Military Ballots Sought
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kunc/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1683331/Regional/Waiver.for.Sending.Overseas.Military.Ballots.Sought "Because Colorado has such a late primary in August, there's no way for the county clerks to be able to solidify who's on the general election ballot, print out the thousands of ballots they have to do, and then mail them out 45 days before the election."
...
To prevent future problems, Secretary Buescher is working to revise the state's election calendar, which could involve moving the primary.

FL: Sebastian Inlet District wants answer on elections
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100730/NEWS01/7300327/1006/Sebastian+Inlet+District+wants+answer+on+elections
The Sebastian Inlet District asked the Florida Secretary of State and the Attorney General to weigh in on whether its elections should be in August or November.

IL: Special election could cause headaches in Illinois
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x312166202/Special-election-could-create-headaches
Voter confusion would mount and costs would skyrocket if the special election for Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat requires a separate ballot from the general election, local election officials say

ME: Noncitizen Voting Proposal Still Alive In Portland
http://wbztv.com/wireapnewsme/Backers.of.proposal.2.1835731.html

MN: Voting absentee? Better have a witness address*
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/99671194.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUncacyi8cyaiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs
Statewide, at least 10 percent of absentee ballots cast in advance of the Aug. 10 primary were rejected on first pass. Some counties neared a 20 percent initial rejection rate.
...
If any of the envelopes don't include the proper information, such as the voters' address, their signature, the name of their witness or their witnesses' address, the ballots will be rejected, and the voters will be sent a replacement. Closer to the election, officials will call or e-mail the voters to let them know to try again

MN: TARGET'S POLITICAL GIVING IS NOT NEW
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016599.html

MN: "TARGET FACES BACKLASH FOR SUPPORTING TOM EMMER IN POST-CITIZENS UNITED WORLD"
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016589.html TPM offers this report. See also Human Rights Campaign Slams Target And Best Buy For Supporting Anti-Gay Tom Emmer.

NJ: SECOND SUSPECT PLEADS GUILTY TO ATLANTIC CITY VOTER FRAUD*
http://www.nbc40.net/view_story.php?id=14086
In pleading guilty to the charge in the indictment, Storr admitted that, in 2009, he instructed a man associated with the Small campaign regarding how to commit absentee ballot fraud by obtaining voters' signatures on ballot forms, voting the ballots himself, and sending them to the Board of Elections...Storr admitted that, in 2008, while working for the Evans campaign, he tampered with absentee ballots by either voting the ballots himself or telling voters how to vote them, then sending the ballots to the Board of Elections.

NJ: Linwood man pleads guilty to voter fraud in failed 2009 Marty Small mayoral campaign in Atlantic City * http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_f2fcb4ea-9e78-11df-8bd9-001cc4c03286.html "I just have the people bring the ballot to me, and I fill them out," Storr told Colon, the report states. "I just did it myself, that way I knew."
Colon told the two men that most of the Hispanic voters are older and are unaware of who the candidates are.
"Just get the ballot and have them sign it," Storr replied.

NV: Secretary of state candidate faces misdemeanor battery charges
http://www.lvrj.com/news/secretary-of-state-candidate-faces-misdemeanor-battery-charge-99668439.html?ref=439

NY: Another Year, Another Crisis At The Board Of Elections
No director, no budget, no clear plan for rollout of new machines in September
http://www.cityhallnews.com/newyork/article-1433-another-year-another-crisis-at-the-board-of-elections.html (New York City)

PA: Another Threat to Public Scrutiny of the Election Process
http://coalitionforvotingintegrity.blogspot.com/2010/08/another-threat-to-public-scrutiny-of.html The Elimination of Polling Places through Adoption of No-Excuse Absentee Ballots—the First Step to All Mail-In Voting

TN: Judge named chairman of state Election Commission
http://www.c-dh.net/articles/2010/08/02/top_stories/02dubois.txt
DuBois, a local attorney, Columbia’s city judge and former state representative, took over in May as chairman of the state Election Commission. The body is responsible for appointing five-member election commissions in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties and monitoring their performance.

TN: Tenn. sets early voting record
http://www.volunteertv.com/news/headlines/99787054.html?ref=054
Election Day is still three days away, but more of you than ever in Tennessee's history have cast your early August vote.

Internet Vote Watch

Workshop on UOCAVA Remote Voting Systems
http://vote.caltech.edu/drupal/http%3A/%252Fwww.nist.gov/itl/csd/ct/uocava_workshop_aug2010.cfm
Start: 08/06/2010 Purpose: The Election Assistance Commission (EAC), Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) of the Department of Defense, and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are sponsoring a workshop to explore the technical issues associated with remote electronic absentee voting systems for military and overseas voters.

Cyber Attacks on Business – A National Security Threat?
http://zikkir.net/tech/159672

How Secure are Military IT Systems?
http://newsroom.pricerunner.co.uk/1854/articles/technology-articles/how-secure-are-military-it-systems/ According to Mr. Coleman, a computer security specialist at Technoylitcs and consultant to National Intelligence and US Strategic Command, “What is so interesting from a strategic standpoint is that in the cyberarena, China is playing chess while we’re playing checkers"

National

Faith in Technology: Drilling, Driving, and Voting
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/faith-in-technology-drilling-driving-and-voting/
In fact, like oil and automobiles, the problem with voting is not the technology. The problem is believing that technology itself is the source of the problems, the only necessary component of a solution, and fervent faith that the proposed next technology is the solution.

Department of Justice Letter to Sen Coryn regarding Move Act Enforcement
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/Cornyn%20ltr%207.30.10.pdf
"As of this writing, no waiver request decisions have been issued for
the November 2010 general election...The Department is fully prepared to file suit against states that do not come into compliance,to be eligible for a waiver, states must submit a waiver application in accordance with the MOVE Act requirements..."

OVERSEAS VOTE FOUNDATION PRESIDENT RESPONDS TO FOX NEWS REPORT ON MOVE ACT
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016582.html In recognition of states' mammoth tasks to quickly implement this important new federal legislation, I ask commentators: please don't undermine the MOVE Act and insult the states on whom we count to implement it for the benefit of overseas civilian and military voters until you check the facts and get more than one point of view.

Overseas Vote Foundation
https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/
Overseas voters can get help in registering and getting ballots at OVF

Cornyn presses Attorney General Holder to protect the voting rights of U.S. Troopers
http://www.wilsoncountynews.com/article.php?id=29238&n=commentaries-cornyn-presses-attorney-general-holder-to-protect-the-voting-rights-of-us-troopers
“For far too long in this country, we have failed to adequately protect the right of our troops and their families to participate in our democratic process. The MOVE Act was supposed to end this sad history. The right to participate in democratic elections is fundamental to the American experience.”

Get Ready for Political Supergroups
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/08/get-ready-for-super-pacs/60803/
As in super PACs, or political action committees, potentially massive political groups that will raise and spend unlimited amounts of money in support of candidates.

Popular vote initiative draws critics
Fairness questioned in Electoral College bill
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/08/02/popular_vote_initiative_draws_critics/

IS READING A LEGAL BLOG IN ONE'S FIELD NOW PART OF THE DUE DILIGENCE OF LAWYERS?
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016575.html
(answer is yes, Rich Hasen's blog is cited in a court ruling)

Can Voter ID Laws Be Administered in a Race-Neutral Manner? Evidence from the City of Boston in 2008 http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1625041
We suggest that it may not be feasible to administer voter ID laws in a race-neutral manner in the current United States, and we explore the theoretical and legal consequences of such a conclusion.

International

India: Bihar polls to see return of paper ballots
http://www.indianevm.com/blogs/?p=356
The successful “Telangana experiment” has caught the imagination of the political parties. A number of political parties are now contemplating similar action to dump EVMs. After all, all that a party needs to do is to ensure that there are more than 64 candidates in the fray to prevent use of EVMs in polls.

UK: MPs accuse coalition of 'bulldozing alternative vote' through Parliament
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1299718/MPs-accuse-coalition-bulldozing-alternative-vote-Parliament.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

UK: MPs 'denied enough time to study electoral reform bill'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/02/mps-denied-enough-time-to-study-electoral-reform-bill
Newly created political and constitutional reform committee complains that it was only given two days to study proposals for referendum on alternative vote

Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.

On Dept of Justice, Military Vote rumors . Sarasota SoE Dent's anti-audit 'timeline'

This week McCreary CO KY considers switching to paper ballot optical scanners...Washington SOS explains "The story behind our military voting waiver request" and r/e FOX News story 'DOJ Accused of Stalling on MOVE Act for Voters in Military.' - "Elections officials say it isn’t accurately portraying the Department of Justice or the Federal Voting Assistance Program officials on this issue."...This year marks the 45th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act...

All this and more in today's voting news below...

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DC: Some concern over scope of cutting-edge changes in the District voting process
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/01/AR2010080103340.html
Voters are now allowed to vote early without excuse, either in person or by mail; they can register to vote as late as Election Day; and they will use new equipment to cast their ballots.

FL: Kathy Dent, Sarasota SOE, anti-audit timeline (Chart)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electionreform/attachments/folder/1763064411/item/1865279602/view

FL: League of Women Voters outlines three ways to vote
http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/518287.html?nav=5011
for the Aug. 24 Florida primary

FL: Florida County Commissioners to Face Big Decisions at Redistricting Time
http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2010/08/02/fl-countie/
Rural counties in Florida are eagerly awaiting the release of the 2010 Census data so they can begin the process of redrawing County Commissioner districts. But when county commissioners download the data early next year, they may be in for an unfortunate surprise. 140,000 Florida residents have been counted in the wrong place

IN: Avon election results will stand, judge says
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20107290405 Avon A Hendricks County judge has ruled that results for two Avon Town Council races in the May 4 primary will stand.
...
"Amazing," a stunned Allan Yackey, Cox and Kozinski's attorney, said shortly after hearing the ruling. "The evidence we produced showed that 18 or 19 ballots had been misdistributed. The county even conceded four errors."

KY: County considers new voting machines
eScans would create paper trail; ease software compatibility
http://mccrearyrecord.com/homepage/x2105968817/County-considers-new-voting-machines
McCreary County Clerk Eric Haynes arranged for a presentation to county officials following the July 13 fiscal court meeting of an eScan machine that would decrease election officials’ reliance on electronics.
...
According to Harp, if a ballot is not properly marked for scanning, the eScan “kicks it out” and the voter has another opportunity. Each precinct would need just one machine as voters mark their ballots behind privacy screens, only using the machine to drop the ballot once completed.

KS: Candidate finds it difficult to cast vote for himself
http://www.gardneredge.com/news/2010/07/30/3162-candidate-finds-it-difficult-to-cast-vote-for-himself John Toplikar, an Olathe candidate for the Johnson County Commission Chair, found voting for himself was more difficult than the thought.
...
When Toplikar pressed the screen for his name, it would register a vote for incumbent Annabeth Surbaugh. He deleted the vote and tried again, but with the same results.

MI: Fast facts about Michigan's primary election
http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/08/fast_facts_about_michigans_pri.html
Michigan's primary election is on Tuesday, Aug. 3. Here's some helpful information:

MO: Dead? Your vote won't count in Missouri
http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1653345.html
The votes of Missouri residents who cast their votes early by absentee ballot, but who die before Election Day, aren't counted, said Saline County Clerk Ken Bryant

"Missouri is one of only a few states" that don't allow ballots of the deceased to be processed, Bryant said.

NC: Let’s celebrate the Voting Rights Act of 1965
http://times-news.com/opinion/x1778830938/Let-s-celebrate-the-Voting-Rights-Act-of-1965 The Voting Rights Act, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on Aug. 6, 1965, was a result of the continued and egregious denials of the voting rights of African American citizens and other minorities across our nation.

OH: Traficant supporters file appeal
http://www.wfmj.com/Global/story.asp?S=12892068 TRUMBULL COUNTY...Traficant's plans to run for Congress in the 17th district as an independent hit a snag earlier this month when several of the signatures he submitted were disqualified.

PA: Disabilities can be overcome when it comes to casting ballot
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_693047.html
O'Hanlon said the state needs to describe more clearly which agencies are regulated by the voter registration act.

PA: Tea Party Submits Statewide Petition in Pennsylvania
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/02/tea-party-submits-statewide-petition-in-pennsylvania/

WA: The story behind our military voting waiver request
http://blogs.sos.wa.gov/FromOurCorner/index.php/2010/08/the-story-behind-our-military-voting-waiver-request/ To make a long story short, the 45-day timeframe doesn’t comply with Washington’s statutory deadlines for candidate filing, printing ballots, mailing and receiving ballots, or certifying the Primary or General Elections.

Internet Voting Watch

Black Hat 2010: Researcher Jack uses design, authentication flaws to force ATMs to spit out cash http://www.scmagazineus.com/black-hat-2010-researcher-jack-uses-design-authentication-flaws-to-force-atms-to-spit-out-cash/article/175803/
"Every ATM I've looked at I've found the game-over vulnerability that lets me get cash out of the machine,"
(Video here free cash! via barnaby jack http://www.twitvid.com/TGMDW )

National

Congressional Bill to Make Changes in Presidential Public Funding
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/02/congressional-bill-to-make-changes-in-presidential-public-funding/ On July 30, U.S. House member David Price introduced HB 6061, to make changes in the presidential public funding program. Primary season matching funds would become considerably more difficult to obtain.

International

Ireland: Costly voting machines still in storage in Portlaoise
http://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/Costly-voting-machines.6442735.jp TAXPAYER'S money is still being spent storing doomed electronic voting machines in Portlaoise.

UK: All three parties will now disregard their manifestos on the AV referendum
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100049118/all-three-parties-will-now-disregard-their-manifestos-on-the-av-referendum/ The only party which went into the last election offering a referendum on AV was Labour – which now says it will vote against the legislation. In other words, all three main parties are now proposing to do the opposite of what they pledged only three months ago

Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link:http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.

Beware Absentee Ballots. Judge nixes Sarasota audits. OR online primary hype

Absentee ballot fraud & corruption inquiries in Bell CA., Bladen Co NC, & Troy NY...Atty Bill Risner seeks to depose Iron Mountain over Pima Co AZ election materials...A judge overrules Sarasota voters on election audits that would make sure the tallying machines work correctly...Facts v hype in "The So-Called Online Internet Primary in Oregon" ...Election snafu trips up Columbia voter..Citizens United ruling may WV Coal Industry elect friendly judges... BlackHat, Defcon Conferences...

All this and more in today's voting news below...

Editor's note: Kansas, Michigan and Missouri voters go to the polls Tuesday to vote in primaries for governor, Senate and the House. Please email news reports or blogs on election problems to us at votingnews (at) earthlink.net Thanks!

AL: Alabama's judicial campaign finance law unenforced for 15 years
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006418.html The Birmingham News reports: A 15-year-old state law meant to discourage big­-dollar donations to judicial cam­paigns has never been enforced, and each of the three branches of government in Montgomery blames another for the failure.

AZ: More Details Emerge About Missing RTA Poll Tapes
http://weeklyintercept.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-details-emerge-about-missing-poll.html ...A whistleblower has come forward with a sworn affidavit testifying that Bryan Crane told him privately while at the Boondocks Lounge that he had “fixed” the RTA election under direction from his bosses...

AZ: Atty Bill Risner Motion for Deposition of Iron Mountain Company
http://www.fatallyflawedthemovie.com/media/MotionforDepoIronMountain.pdf

AZ: Missing Poll Tapes
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2010/07/18/missing-poll-tapes
...the Sept. 14, 2008 discovery that despite a court order for release of unaltered election data to the Pima County Democratic Party, the designated Democratic Party's database containing the hard drive had gone missing from the Pima County vault. It was only upon Bill Risner's visit to the County Clerk's office that the box of hard drives reappeared: in the hands of John Moffat, who had only a garbled explanation for why he was illegally in possession of the hard drives.

CA: L.A. County D.A. expands probe into Bell government* (absentee ballot)
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/28/local/la-me-bell-elections-20100728
Investigators are looking into allegations of voter fraud and conflicts of interest, as well as the $100,000 salaries paid to four council members. The D.A. says several elections are targeted.
...
Sources with knowledge of the investigation said that among the subjects that prosecutors are looking at is the use of absentee ballots during the March 2009 City Council election...

CO: Kathleen Curry Will Sue Against Discriminatory Campaign Contribution Limits
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/01/kathleen-curry-will-sue-against-discriminatory-campaign-contribution-limits/ Candidates for the State House may receive contributions of $400 if they are running as members of a party. But if they are independent candidates, no one may contribute more than $200.

FL: Sarasota voting machine audit called off
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100730/BREAKING/100739983/2416/NEWS
But a judge this week ruled that state election laws trump the county charter requirement, the latest turn in a back-and-forth legal battle that went all the way to the Florida Supreme Court.
...
The president of Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections, which has fought for four years to uphold the county charter, urged county officials to appeal the latest decision.

“They should stand up for our charter, they should stand up for the will of the voters,” SAFE president Kindra Muntz said.

GA: Rodents force voter office to move
http://www.coastalcourier.com/news/article/23437/
Liberty County Board of Elections and Voter Registration Office

IA: Beware Absentee Ballots
http://iowavoters.org/2010/08/01/beware-absentee-ballots/
The Iowa Democratic Party lives and dies by its absentee ballot campaign. Iowans had best take notice of the latest absentee ballot investigation in New York.'

MO: Man Pleads Guilty Of Voting Twice In 2008 Presidential Election
Faces 5 Years in prison and or $10,000 in Fines
http://www.kplr11.com/news/ktvi-st-louis-man-votes-twice-election-073010,0,7142459.story St. Louis, MO (KTVI-FOX2Now.com) - A St. Louis man has pleaded guilty to voting in two different states during the 2008 election.

NC: ONLY ON 3: Bladen County voter fraud accusations investigated
http://www.wwaytv3.com/only_3_6_bladen_county_being_investigated_voter_fraud/07/2010
Randall Corbett is a long haul trucker from Bladen County, but he spends most of his time on the road. Corbett says a detective with the Sheriff's Office contacted his family because there was a problem with his absentee ballot.
...
The problem is Corbett says he never voted at all. "I didn't apply for or request an absentee ballot," he said.

Corbett says he told Sheriff's Capt. Herman Dunn about the situation, and that Dunn said not to do anything because he would take care of the problem.

NY: Saliva Samples wanted from 9 Troy Democrats
http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/wanted-1276672-albany-democrats.html

NY: Troy councilmen, officials named in voter fraud case* (absentee ballot fraud)
http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/07/29/news/doc4c51b3842d7f3606735697.txt
One of the suspects, Democratic committeeman and former Troy Housing Authority employee Anthony DeFiglio, said it was “common knowledge” in the Sept. 15, 2009 Working Families Party primary election and other prior that voters would never see absentee ballots that were cast in their name, according to court documents not made available to The Record until Thursday.

SC: Election snafu trips up Columbia voter *
http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2010/07/30/top_stories/04snafu.txt
Sampson was listed in the wrong voting precinct and was given the wrong ballot for county seats.
...
...election officials have to make their “best guestimate” on where a street is located, and Auburn Lane is on the line separating the two voting districts.

TN: Two Memphis men indicted in 2006 voter fraud
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jul/30/two-memphis-men-indicted-2006-voter-fraud/

WV: Citizens, or corporations, united?
Election funding decision could have major impact on W.Va. races
http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/201007310443
Roger Nicholson, senior vice president for the International Coal Group, sent e-mails to other mining executives last month, suggesting they might want to take advantage of the decision that allows companies to directly fund independent political committees created to support or defeat a candidate.
...
This year, ICG and Massey are backing Elliott "Spike" Maynard, a former West Virginia Supreme Court justice who lost his seat in the 2008 Democratic primary, in his race against Rahall.

Maynard, who switched his party registration in Mingo County to Republican earlier this year, lost his 2008 campaign after photographs surfaced showing him vacationing with Massey CEO Don Blankenship on the French Riviera.

Internet Voting Watch

The So-Called Online Internet Primary in Oregon
http://votingmatters.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/the-so-called-online-internet-primary-in-oregon/ Right now there’s a lot of hype, hoopla and hyperventilating about the nominating process of one of Oregon’s minor parties, the “Independent Party.” Party leaders called it a “primary” and the media has followed suit. ...
It is important to note that the online voting procedure used by the Independent Party to select it’s nominees is not in conformance with Oregon elections law regarding primary elections

Workshop on UOCAVA Remote Voting Systems
http://vote.caltech.edu/drupal/http%3A/252Fwww.nist.gov/itl/csd/ct/uocava_workshop_aug2010.cfm Start: 08/06/2010 Purpose: The Election Assistance Commission (EAC), Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) of the Department of Defense, and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are sponsoring a workshop to explore the technical issues associated with remote electronic absentee voting systems for military and overseas voters.

A tale of two conferences: Black Hat and Defcon photo gallery
http://venturebeat.com/2010/08/01/a-tale-of-two-conferences-black-hat-and-defcon-photo-gallery/
Attendees are warned to stay off the wireless networks or risk being put on the Wall of Sheep, a projected image on a wall that shows usernames and partial passwords of those who have been “powned,” or hacked.
...
Dan Kaminsky, who discovered a fundamental flaw in the internet’s address system in 2008, was entrusted as one of seven people who has a key to reboot the internet in case of a catastrophe


National

First quarter lobbying reports: Millions spent to influence Congress
http://www.fixcongressfirst.org/blog/entry/first-quarter-lobbying-reports-millions-spent-to-influence-congress/

The Proof is in the Numbers: Surge in Low-Income VR Applications follows Successful NVRA Lawsuits http://www.projectvote.org/blog/?p=747

International

Philippines: Voters disenfranchised, harassed the BEIs – SWS (voters names not on rolls)
http://newsbreak.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8004&Itemid=88889051 MANILA, Philippines--More poll workers in the 2010 elections said that voters were not able to vote because they could not find their names in the list of voters, according to a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The Philippines’ e-election miracle
http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2010/jul/30/philippines-e-election-miracle/ But in the end, the 2010 general election was, in comparison to previous Filipino elections, fairly uneventful. Technical issues were resolved in time, and the Philippines survived its quickest, most orderly and peaceful (six people died in election-day violence, a low number historically) election ever.

Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net =============================================

The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn

Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.