"Our leaders have slowly taken away our rights to control our elections as we mindlessly shirked our responsibilities of oversight, assuming that the government would substitute for us." ~ Marilyn Marks in response to judge's dismissal of case to review ballot images...A top UK election official is promoting internet voting, meanwhile citizens and groups from around the world will meet this week in Munich to debate the pros and cons of internet voting among other things...A New Hampshire town has banned any concealed vote counting...A Corporation wants seat in Congress...
All this and more in today's voting news below....
CA: Santa Clara County elections panel has yet to meet -- 15 months after inception *
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_14661895
On the historic day Barack Obama was elected president, dozens of electronic voting machines for the disabled broke down in Santa Clara County. Monitors observed poll workers inappropriately asking voters for ID and failing to assist non-English speakers, as required by law...
CO: A blow to election transparency (Guest Opinion)
http://bit.ly/9VQMqX
In recent years, Aspenites have been overlooking their rights and responsibilities to oversee their local democratic process
CO: Worcester comments miss the mark (LTE)
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/139693
the greater issue is the importance of all citizens in a free society to have the opportunity to question our government.
CT: Testimony: Rescanning On Same Type Scanner Would Gut Post-Election Audit
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2961
FL: Florida: Group sues for Spanish-language ballots
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/west-volusia/2010/03/14/group-sues-for-spanish-ballots.html
HI: School repair fund raided to help pay for Hawaii special election
http://bit.ly/btOylH
HI: Military voting law could affect Hawaii primary
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/03/ap_military_hawaii_primary_031410/
IL: Local officials eye probe of voting machine merger
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/2086498,2_1_AU06_VOTING_S1-100306.article
But for Kane County, which uses competitor Hart InterCivic, the worry is that a new mega-company will drive Kane's vendor out of business.
...
Among the concerns raised in the 22-page complaint is a mention of DuPage County Election Commission Executive Director Robert Saar. Saar is cited as an example of the problematic revolving door between public officials and vendor personnel.
According to the complaint, Saar was receiving royalties for a polling place device while DuPage was doing business with the company that sold the device. Saar helped write the software for "Ask Ed," an election device. He failed to disclose this relationship to the county, the complaint says.
MA: Millville hopes to recover from election mistake
http://bit.ly/bqhPkZ
MD: Campaign stunt launches a corporate 'candidate' for Congress
http://bit.ly/9esnrp
William Klein, a "hired gun" who has been enlisted as Murray Hill's campaign manager, said the firm appears to be the first "corporate person" to run for office and is promising a spirited campaign that "puts people second, or even third."
MD: Murray Hill Incorporated is Running for Congress
Corporations are people too!
http://murrayhillincforcongress.com/
MD: Murray Hill the Corporate Candidate
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/03/your-daily-dose-of-news-12.html
NH: New Hampshire Town Citizens Prohibit Concealed Vote Counting by Computers or Any Other Method http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7744
NY: Owego elections revive hand-counts
Lack of scanner training forces move
http://bit.ly/cXHx9m Once the training is completed, programming will be done by county election board officials
WA: Gregoire inks ballot design improvements (House Bill 2496)
http://bit.ly/cgFXuY
Governor Gregoire has approved legislation aimed at improving ballot design in Washington, making it less likely a voter will miss important issues.
Internet voting watch:
Munich: This Week’s iVoting Battleground
http://www.trustthevote.org/munich-this-week%E2%80%99s-ivoting-battleground
WV: National Guard to Experience the Future of Voting
http://bit.ly/d6PCZy
UK: Voting system rated not fit for purpose (promoting internet voting)
Electoral Commission chair urges whole-weekend voting and polls online in radical redesign for elections http://bit.ly/9QOo56
UK: Online voting would reform Victorian electoral system, watchdog says
http://bit.ly/9AzyM5
ES&S Antitrust
United States, et al. v. Election Systems and Software, Inc.; Proposed Final Judgment and Competitive Impact Statement
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2010/03/15/4672203.htm
Public comment is invited within 60 days of the date of this notice...
A good move against monopoly power
http://bit.ly/dfDYNT (Nebraska paper)
An indication of its poor reputation is that the ES&S was able to purchase the company for only $5 million, even though it reported more than $88 million in revenue in 2008.
Break up ES&S
OUR OPINION: Anti-trust suit should end voting monopoly
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/12/1525584/break-up-ess.html
The message should be clear to interested buyers and Justice officials: Monopolistic control of voting equipment is persona non grata in the USA.
National
Covering the Coverage: Reaction to ACORN 'Pimp' Hoax, Condemnation of NYTimes, Clark Hoyt Continues... http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7745
Will MOVE affect the outcome of primary elections by forcing primaries into August?
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3134
Transparency Camp 2010 (March 27 8:00 am - March 28, 2010 5:00 pm )
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/?p=8679
Two upcoming tech and transparency events in Washington #tcamp2010 #dcweek
March 14, 2010 ..."to share knowledge on how to use new technologies to make our government transparent, accountable and meaningfully accessible to the public. Digitial Capital Week is set for June and is “a 10 day festival in Washington DC focused on technology, innovation and all things digital in our nation’s capital.”
International
Philippines: 50,000 techies hired to help man PCOS machines
http://bit.ly/cnbetp
Thailand: Sea of protesters demand new elections in Thailand
http://bit.ly/9igM3Y
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Antitrust not enough.MD paper ballots on hold. NM SOS mismanaged say former employees
The "Un-Merger" is a step in the right direction. But there's more work to be done. ES&S election monopoly blocked. Still at least 17 ways to steal or botch your next election...Ballot brouhaha in Aspen Colorado....Hans A. von Spakovsky appointed to Fairfax VA election board...
"How can Florida, North Carolina and so many other states already have op scan, but we can't do it here in Maryland?" ~ Gail Ewing of Potomac is a retired at-large Montgomery CO. Council member. The answer is - Linda Lamone. Maryland had the money to buy the optical scanners back in 2006. Then Governor Ehrlich allocated $28.5 million for optical-scanners in March 2006. But State Election Chief Linda Lamone spent the money on Diebold electronic poll books instead, causing nothing but problems for judges when the poll books malfunctioned. Lamone was later censured by the next Governor O' Malley for allowing Diebold to use her picture and endorsement in sales literature featuring the poll books.
"How can Florida, North Carolina and so many other states already have op scan, but we can't do it here in Maryland?" ~ Gail Ewing of Potomac is a retired at-large Montgomery CO. Council member. The answer is - Linda Lamone. Maryland had the money to buy the optical scanners back in 2006. Then Governor Ehrlich allocated $28.5 million for optical-scanners in March 2006. But State Election Chief Linda Lamone spent the money on Diebold electronic poll books instead, causing nothing but problems for judges when the poll books malfunctioned. Lamone was later censured by the next Governor O' Malley for allowing Diebold to use her picture and endorsement in sales literature featuring the poll books.
All this and more in today's voting news below....
AK: Lessmann resigns from election commission
http://thecabin.net/news/local/2010-03-12/lessmann-resigns-election-commission
In a second news release issued by Lessmann on Friday, he calls for the resignation of Faulkner County Clerk Melinda Reynolds, stating that, “He felt (Reynolds’) admission of violation of election laws relative to absence ballots (left him with) no choice,” and that, “Her partisan politics have driven his decisions.”
AZ: Official: Voters Given Wrong Ballot *
http://www.kpho.com/news/22804460/detail.html
CA: Pen And Paper Signatures v. Electronic Signatures
http://bit.ly/ctnUlL
CA: Proposal would divert funding for voter education
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14658959
"...we question whether Oakland should be spending extra money on a separate voter education effort," (League of Women Voters opposing)
CA: Spanjian Exits District 8 Race – Who Benefits?
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=7903#more
But Prozan’s success depends largely on how much District 8 voters use Ranked Choice Voting. It’s easy to see Prozan and Wiener split the “moderate” vote with Mandelman squeaking ahead, but enough voters casting a second-choice vote for the same candidate could upend the conventional wisdom.
CO: Ballot brouhaha
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/139658
Why has the city been so aggressively holding back anonymous May 5 images of ballots?
CO: Letter to Aspen City Council regarding Dismissal of Marks v. Koch and attached letter to editor http://bit.ly/dfv4Mb Harvie Branscomb
CO: Be mindful when voting
http://bit.ly/8YiJNY
If a citizen receives a mail ballot, he or she must use that ballot to vote
IN: Bill to continue vote centers hits snag
Amendment could bring down measure to keep 3-county pilot program going
http://www.pal-item.com/article/20100311/NEWS01/3110305/1008
KY: Kentucky’s Disturbing Disenfranchisement Numbers
http://bit.ly/aQEu18
A new report by the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights finds that nearly one-in-four African Americans has lost the right to vote in Kentucky.
MD: Gail Ewing: Accountable voting put on hold
http://www.gazette.net/stories/03122010/policol175947_32553.php
Op scan advocates such as Rebecca Wilson, co-founder of Save Our Votes, cry foul, saying the state Board of Elections "low-balled the cost of keeping the touch screens and overestimated the costs for op scan" for the governor last fall. They purport that bringing the new system on board actually would cost less than keeping the touch screens...
MI: Court: Voting rolls are public record
http://www.record-eagle.com/statenews/local_story_070072546.html
The Michigan secretary of state's office can't refuse to show individual voting records from the state's 2008 presidential primary to an East Lansing political consultant or anyone else, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.
MS: Senate OKs bill allowing felons to clear records
http://bit.ly/904Xpd
NC: N.C. Supreme Court will hear historic Libertarian ballot access lawsuit
http://bit.ly/aqhTAL
NJ:Council Report: Budget Brouhaha Continues, Elections Move Denied and More
http://bit.ly/9w9Qi8
...The consolidated ballot “would confuse the average voter,” said Borace.
NM: Herrera says Salazar resigned because she denied leave
http://newmexicoindependent.com/49532/herrera-says-salazar-resigned-because-she-denied-leave-request
NM: Former elections employees confirm contentions that office is mismanaged, KUNM reports http://bit.ly/9kq0wn In a report that will air on tonight’s evening news, several former state elections employees tell KUNM’s Jim Williams that allegations made by A.J. Salazar are true. Read the full text of the story,
NY: Owego Brings Paper Ballots Back (hand counted paper ballots)
http://www.wbng.com/news/local/87393852.html
Instead of pulling a lever on a machine, voters in Owego will mark a single X or a single check.
...
Mieczkowski says no one in Tioga County is trained to run programming on new electronic machines.
NY: Officials train on new voting machines
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20100311/NEWS04/303119983
OH: Feds seek further sale of voting-machine systems
http://bit.ly/ajjMYE
For the second time in less than a year, the voting systems used in more than half of Ohio's counties are expected to be sold to a different company.
TX: Eastland recount an unusual one
http://bit.ly/dBNr5m
Since Funderburgh requested a manual recount, the technicians will “data mine” the ballots for the county clerk race and then physically print them out.
VA: Pick of Bush administration official for Fairfax elections board riles Dems
http://bit.ly/9pwjwY ...the Republicans' choice of Hans A. von Spakovsky, a former
assistant attorney general for civil rights and member of the Federal Election Commission under President George W. Bush, has set the stage for political acrimony with Democrats, who say his controversial background will only create more tension in already tight local races.
Internet voting articles
Online ballots cancelled for this year's USG elections
http://www.theticker.org/about/2.8215/online-ballots-cancelled-for-this-year-s-usg-elections-1.2190115
Baruch College NY...This change comes after last year’s controversial student government elections, when presidential candidate Ben Guttmann contested the results, claiming that the winning party, New Baruch Alliance coerced students into voting for them on laptops that they provided.
National
ES&S election monopoly blocked. Still at least 17 ways to steal or botch your next election.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/2/ES-S-election-monopoly-blo-by-Lani-Massey-Brown-100311-404.html
The Times: They are a Antitrust’n, but it is not enough
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2955
Citizenship Checks Denied
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/03/12/citizenship-checks-denied/
'The Times botched the story,' says John Atlas, author, president of National Housing Institute 'The act of defunding ACORN by Congress is a national disgrace'...
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7743
International
Russia heads to polls on Unified Election Day
http://rt.com/Politics/2010-03-12/voting-russia-election-regional.html
The Central Election Committee is also going to try out a system of electronic voting in several electoral stations
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Antitrust and Your Vote.Clay KY vote buying by the mighty.Palm Beach paper ballots save day. ACORN funding ban stricken.
The resignation letter of Former New Mexico State Elections Director A.J. Salazar is now available online. The letter outlines allegations against SoS Herrera and Deputy SoS Don Francisco Trujillo: ethics violations, cronyism, political activity at the office, concerns about chain of custody of voting machines, and retaliation....WHO didn't buy votes in Clay County Kentucky?... Good thing they have paper ballots in Palm Beach FL. This Tuesday: "Memory cartridges affecting five Jupiter precincts as well as precincts in Palm Beach Gardens and Tequesta were corrupted and could not be read."... Canadians are waking up to risks of internet voting.....
All this and more in today's voting news below....
CA: The California Top Two Primary Proposal and Third Parties
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015456.html
CA: Green Party’s San Francisco Supervisor Changes to the Democratic Party
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/03/11/green-partys-san-francisco-supervisor-changes-to-the-democratic-party/
Mirkarimi had been the Green Party’s only county supervisor in California
CO: Commentary on Dismissal of Marks v. Koch - Aspen Election Transparency
http://aspenelectionreview.blogspot.com/2010/03/commentary-on-dismissal-of-marks-v-koch.html
On Wednesday District Court Judge Boyd decided, months into the process of litigation, to dismiss a case brought against the Aspen City Clerk to obtain public access to anonymous digital ballot images from a May 5 first-time in Colorado Instant Runoff Voting municipal election. The dismissal comes two days before an important deposition of the election contractor would have explained the election process on public record and a mere two weeks before the planned trial date.
FL: Late results, fouled cartridges hampered Tuesday's Palm Beach County election tallies * (good thing they had paper ballots) http://bit.ly/b4fSJF
Web site problems, corrupted voting-machine memory cartridges and the late arrival of ballots from Delray Beach delayed the posting of complete election results until just after midnight following Tuesday's municipal elections.
...
The company that hosts the site, Tampa-based SOE Software, said a file uploaded from the supervisor's office at 8:15 p.m. had become corrupted. The file finally uploaded at 9:20 p.m. The supervisor's Web site was subsequently updated four more times by 12:19 a.m. Wednesday, according to SOE Software records.
Memory cartridges affecting five Jupiter precincts as well as precincts in Palm Beach Gardens and Tequesta were corrupted and could not be read. That problem typically happens when poll workers neglect to shut down the voting machines before removing the cartridges.
Bucher's office got the results from those precincts by doing a machine count of the paper ballots, which serve as a backup. The count for Jupiter ended just before midnight.
...
It's not the first time problems have plagued the cartridges. During a special congressional primary in February, seven voting machine memory packs were corrupted, affecting nine precincts.
FL: Jupiter Election Results *
http://coastalflorida.blogspot.com/2010/03/jupiter-election-results.html
Voting machine cartridges did not read properly for several precincts in Jupiter, forcing election workers to resort to a backup method, counting paper ballots with a machine. The glitch delayed final election results for Jupiter...
IL: Getting Stonewalled on Citizenship Questions
Champaign County Clerk
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/03/11/getting-stonewalled-on-citizenship-questions/ ...It’s very simple. If you’re going to suggest that we automatically add people to the voter rolls from government databases, shouldn’t you at least be able to tell the public and policy makers about the ability of those databases to tell us who is a citizen or not?
KY: Former Clay County judge says he bought votes, but not recently *
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/03/11/1178070/former-clay-county-judge-says.html
KY: Clay County judge, judge-executive took part in vote fraud, judge finds *
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/03/11/1176503/clay-county-judge-judge-executive.html
Those Reeves said were involved in election fraud included Circuit Judge Oscar Gayle House; Judge-Executive Carl "Crawdad" Sizemore; Commonwealth's Attorney Gary Gregory; former state Rep. Barbara Colter and current state Rep. Tim Couch, a Hyden Republican who defeated Colter; former Jailer Charles Marcum; former Sheriff Edd Jordan, who is running for re-election; Manchester attorneys Yancey White and Carl Anthony Short; and Roy Morgan, a former magistrate influential in politics...
NC: March 8 video of Gary Bartlett, the Director of the NC State Board of Elections talking about Citizens United impact on North Carolina.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERZQFtAhPSA
NM: Salazar’s resignation letter is now available online
http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2010/03/salazar%E2%80%99s-resignation-letter-is-now-available-online/
"During my tenure in your office it has become abundantly clear to me as to why my predecessors have left the office...."
NM: Rio Grande Sun goes deep into allegations against Herrera
http://bit.ly/9hDqnv
OH: ACORN gives up Ohio business license, won't return
http://bit.ly/ccU15t
OK: Oklahoma Senate gets tough on fraud
UNLAWFUL VOTING GETS FINE, PRISON
http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-senate-gets-tough-on-fraud/article/3445164
SC: Court Ruling Could Boost Third Parties
Fusion Voting Still Alive For Now
http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992912064017974&ShowArticle_ID=11011003101204074
South Carolina is one of only four states that allow multiple political parties to nominate the same candidate for an election. The practice, known as “fusion” voting, strengthens third-party bids
TX: Dallas Voters Suspect Fraud (with absentee ballots)
http://bit.ly/bqWTCK
TX: County clerk asks for recount
http://bit.ly/cTCLLu ...The party is working with Hart InterCivic — the company that tabulated the election votes — to determine when officials can perform the recount. Patterson said it also is not clear yet whether the Hart officials must perform the recount...
TX: Justice Department clears voting plan
http://bit.ly/d9pkRS The City of Boerne...
In a two-paragraph letter dated March 8, Chris Herren, the acting chief of the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice, told City Attorney Mick McKamie the city can proceed with the May elections of council members from districts.
VA: Va. House votes to keep voter records closed
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/03/va-house-votes-keep-voter-records-closed
National
Antitrust and Your Vote
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/opinion/11thu3.html?ref=opinion
The Justice Department’s work should not end with blocking this one sale.
Another ACORN Court Victory; Federal Judge Strikes Down Funding Ban as Unconstitutional
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7736 Judgment Grants ACORN Declaratory, Permanent Injunctive Relief Slams Congress for acting without administrative process or trial..
FAIR Slams NYT's 'Wildly Misleading' ACORN Coverage
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7740
The New York Times "was duped" and "refuses to own up to mistakes in the paper's coverage" of the now-infamous ACORN "pimp" hoax video
Edward Blum on the Irving Case About Counting Non-Citizens in Drawing Districts
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015460.html
National voter registration form now available in five Asian languages
http://www.eac.gov/blog-postings/national-voter-registration-form-now-available-in-five-asian-languages
Internet voting watch
Canada: Markham, Ontario. Questions raised about Markham's e-voting system after dog reportedly added to voter's list
http://bit.ly/dkr7BF
Canada: No guarantees online
http://www.tbnewswatch.com/opinion/84109/No-guarantees-online
...With Internet voting, how does general public have the opportunity to examine the ballots? Where is the guarantee my vote would be kept secret?
...
We should return to hand-counted ballots, not only for the transparency, but also for the lesser cost and the fact the people determine the outcome of the election, not administration.
UK: Internet will influence UK General Election
http://www.techeye.net/internet/internet-will-influence-uk-general-election
...The idea of e-voting was also raised, which a poll today found that more than three quarters of electors – 77 percent - would vote on the internet if they could. The idea was put forward that everyone gets an automatic postal vote. This was dismissed by Wyatt who said that anyone would “put it straight in the bin” as we do with all council correspondence...
However, Sparrow was for the idea of an e-vote saying: “The internet is a necessity. If you don’t have a connection then you will be at a disadvantage.”
UK: Seriously: Keep the general election offline
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-03/11/seriously-keep-the-general-election-offline.aspx
Let's put an end to this sordid behaviour before it gets out of hand, and before a cat registers your vote by walking across a keyboard
UK: Forget the traditional polling booth; voters want the chance to vote online.
http://www.ukauthority.com/Headlines/tabid/36/NewsArticle/tabid/64/Default.aspx?id=2739
But it is hard to know what credence to give the poll as four per cent believed former Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee had the greatest number of Twitter fans, even though he died in 1967 and seven per cent thought a tweet was a small African rodent.
International
Philippines election: Doubts arise over electronic voting machines
http://bit.ly/9AQjhC
New computerized electronic voting machines are meant to prevent fraud in Philippines election in May. But in tests, the voting machines rejected ballots and failed to connect to the cell phone networks to transmit results.
Uganda: Donors warn EC over vote rigging
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/877716/-/wj8vuu/-/
Three of Uganda’s key development partners have warned that the 2011 elections run a risk of being discredited unless the Electoral Commission urgently cleans a cluttered national voters’ register and engages political parties without bias.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to Voting News at this link:
http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
All this and more in today's voting news below....
CA: The California Top Two Primary Proposal and Third Parties
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015456.html
CA: Green Party’s San Francisco Supervisor Changes to the Democratic Party
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/03/11/green-partys-san-francisco-supervisor-changes-to-the-democratic-party/
Mirkarimi had been the Green Party’s only county supervisor in California
CO: Commentary on Dismissal of Marks v. Koch - Aspen Election Transparency
http://aspenelectionreview.blogspot.com/2010/03/commentary-on-dismissal-of-marks-v-koch.html
On Wednesday District Court Judge Boyd decided, months into the process of litigation, to dismiss a case brought against the Aspen City Clerk to obtain public access to anonymous digital ballot images from a May 5 first-time in Colorado Instant Runoff Voting municipal election. The dismissal comes two days before an important deposition of the election contractor would have explained the election process on public record and a mere two weeks before the planned trial date.
FL: Late results, fouled cartridges hampered Tuesday's Palm Beach County election tallies * (good thing they had paper ballots) http://bit.ly/b4fSJF
Web site problems, corrupted voting-machine memory cartridges and the late arrival of ballots from Delray Beach delayed the posting of complete election results until just after midnight following Tuesday's municipal elections.
...
The company that hosts the site, Tampa-based SOE Software, said a file uploaded from the supervisor's office at 8:15 p.m. had become corrupted. The file finally uploaded at 9:20 p.m. The supervisor's Web site was subsequently updated four more times by 12:19 a.m. Wednesday, according to SOE Software records.
Memory cartridges affecting five Jupiter precincts as well as precincts in Palm Beach Gardens and Tequesta were corrupted and could not be read. That problem typically happens when poll workers neglect to shut down the voting machines before removing the cartridges.
Bucher's office got the results from those precincts by doing a machine count of the paper ballots, which serve as a backup. The count for Jupiter ended just before midnight.
...
It's not the first time problems have plagued the cartridges. During a special congressional primary in February, seven voting machine memory packs were corrupted, affecting nine precincts.
FL: Jupiter Election Results *
http://coastalflorida.blogspot.com/2010/03/jupiter-election-results.html
Voting machine cartridges did not read properly for several precincts in Jupiter, forcing election workers to resort to a backup method, counting paper ballots with a machine. The glitch delayed final election results for Jupiter...
IL: Getting Stonewalled on Citizenship Questions
Champaign County Clerk
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/03/11/getting-stonewalled-on-citizenship-questions/ ...It’s very simple. If you’re going to suggest that we automatically add people to the voter rolls from government databases, shouldn’t you at least be able to tell the public and policy makers about the ability of those databases to tell us who is a citizen or not?
KY: Former Clay County judge says he bought votes, but not recently *
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/03/11/1178070/former-clay-county-judge-says.html
KY: Clay County judge, judge-executive took part in vote fraud, judge finds *
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/03/11/1176503/clay-county-judge-judge-executive.html
Those Reeves said were involved in election fraud included Circuit Judge Oscar Gayle House; Judge-Executive Carl "Crawdad" Sizemore; Commonwealth's Attorney Gary Gregory; former state Rep. Barbara Colter and current state Rep. Tim Couch, a Hyden Republican who defeated Colter; former Jailer Charles Marcum; former Sheriff Edd Jordan, who is running for re-election; Manchester attorneys Yancey White and Carl Anthony Short; and Roy Morgan, a former magistrate influential in politics...
NC: March 8 video of Gary Bartlett, the Director of the NC State Board of Elections talking about Citizens United impact on North Carolina.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERZQFtAhPSA
NM: Salazar’s resignation letter is now available online
http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2010/03/salazar%E2%80%99s-resignation-letter-is-now-available-online/
"During my tenure in your office it has become abundantly clear to me as to why my predecessors have left the office...."
NM: Rio Grande Sun goes deep into allegations against Herrera
http://bit.ly/9hDqnv
OH: ACORN gives up Ohio business license, won't return
http://bit.ly/ccU15t
OK: Oklahoma Senate gets tough on fraud
UNLAWFUL VOTING GETS FINE, PRISON
http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-senate-gets-tough-on-fraud/article/3445164
SC: Court Ruling Could Boost Third Parties
Fusion Voting Still Alive For Now
http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992912064017974&ShowArticle_ID=11011003101204074
South Carolina is one of only four states that allow multiple political parties to nominate the same candidate for an election. The practice, known as “fusion” voting, strengthens third-party bids
TX: Dallas Voters Suspect Fraud (with absentee ballots)
http://bit.ly/bqWTCK
TX: County clerk asks for recount
http://bit.ly/cTCLLu ...The party is working with Hart InterCivic — the company that tabulated the election votes — to determine when officials can perform the recount. Patterson said it also is not clear yet whether the Hart officials must perform the recount...
TX: Justice Department clears voting plan
http://bit.ly/d9pkRS The City of Boerne...
In a two-paragraph letter dated March 8, Chris Herren, the acting chief of the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice, told City Attorney Mick McKamie the city can proceed with the May elections of council members from districts.
VA: Va. House votes to keep voter records closed
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/03/va-house-votes-keep-voter-records-closed
National
Antitrust and Your Vote
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/opinion/11thu3.html?ref=opinion
The Justice Department’s work should not end with blocking this one sale.
Another ACORN Court Victory; Federal Judge Strikes Down Funding Ban as Unconstitutional
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7736 Judgment Grants ACORN Declaratory, Permanent Injunctive Relief Slams Congress for acting without administrative process or trial..
FAIR Slams NYT's 'Wildly Misleading' ACORN Coverage
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7740
The New York Times "was duped" and "refuses to own up to mistakes in the paper's coverage" of the now-infamous ACORN "pimp" hoax video
Edward Blum on the Irving Case About Counting Non-Citizens in Drawing Districts
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015460.html
National voter registration form now available in five Asian languages
http://www.eac.gov/blog-postings/national-voter-registration-form-now-available-in-five-asian-languages
Internet voting watch
Canada: Markham, Ontario. Questions raised about Markham's e-voting system after dog reportedly added to voter's list
http://bit.ly/dkr7BF
Canada: No guarantees online
http://www.tbnewswatch.com/opinion/84109/No-guarantees-online
...With Internet voting, how does general public have the opportunity to examine the ballots? Where is the guarantee my vote would be kept secret?
...
We should return to hand-counted ballots, not only for the transparency, but also for the lesser cost and the fact the people determine the outcome of the election, not administration.
UK: Internet will influence UK General Election
http://www.techeye.net/internet/internet-will-influence-uk-general-election
...The idea of e-voting was also raised, which a poll today found that more than three quarters of electors – 77 percent - would vote on the internet if they could. The idea was put forward that everyone gets an automatic postal vote. This was dismissed by Wyatt who said that anyone would “put it straight in the bin” as we do with all council correspondence...
However, Sparrow was for the idea of an e-vote saying: “The internet is a necessity. If you don’t have a connection then you will be at a disadvantage.”
UK: Seriously: Keep the general election offline
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-03/11/seriously-keep-the-general-election-offline.aspx
Let's put an end to this sordid behaviour before it gets out of hand, and before a cat registers your vote by walking across a keyboard
UK: Forget the traditional polling booth; voters want the chance to vote online.
http://www.ukauthority.com/Headlines/tabid/36/NewsArticle/tabid/64/Default.aspx?id=2739
But it is hard to know what credence to give the poll as four per cent believed former Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee had the greatest number of Twitter fans, even though he died in 1967 and seven per cent thought a tweet was a small African rodent.
International
Philippines election: Doubts arise over electronic voting machines
http://bit.ly/9AQjhC
New computerized electronic voting machines are meant to prevent fraud in Philippines election in May. But in tests, the voting machines rejected ballots and failed to connect to the cell phone networks to transmit results.
Uganda: Donors warn EC over vote rigging
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/877716/-/wj8vuu/-/
Three of Uganda’s key development partners have warned that the 2011 elections run a risk of being discredited unless the Electoral Commission urgently cleans a cluttered national voters’ register and engages political parties without bias.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
$4M made on Clay KY vote buying.FL,TX vote glitches. Internet voting race to the bottom
This IS the March 10 voting news. (We started late last night hence 3/9 date on post). Upton Co TX officials believe a software flaw allowed early voted ballots to be double counted.(ES&S is the vendor)... A loss for Aspen voters: A judge dismissed a lawsuit to make the digital images of Aspen's May 2009 IRV election public. You may remember that Humboldt County California makes digital images of their ballots available to the public on the intenret...Clay County KY witnesses testify-bribes, shootings, beatings marred Clay elections, 4$ Million in financial gain... Canada May Join Internet Voting Race To The Bottom...The BC Green Party is calling for internet voting - but experts say internet voting is inherently insecure and takes away the secret ballot... Let’s Not Rush Towards Online Voting
All this and more in today's voting news below....
CA: Electronic Signatures To Be Tested In Court
http://bit.ly/dCaiqj
CO: Judge dismisses Marks' lawsuit over Aspen election
http://bit.ly/dyObMG Judge James Boyd of the Ninth Judicial District Court dismissed the case, citing the Colorado state constitution, which requires the city clerk to keep ballots secret.
CT: Canada May Join Internet Voting Race To The Bottom
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2951
As CTVotersCount readers know we have long opposed internet voting, unless and until a viable mechanism is reviewed and approved by the majority of Computer Scientists, Security Experts and Advocates
FL: Glitch temporarily freezes results on Palm Beach County elections Web site*
http://bit.ly/csvbgC
RIVIERA BEACH — An unexplained computer problem delayed the publishing of election results for more than an hour Tuesday night on the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Web site.
FL: Incumbents win in Jupiter, Tequesta elections * (article does not elaborate)
Glitches in vote counting delay Jupiter results until after midnight.
http://bit.ly/aK6jiP ...Golonka earned 54 percent of the vote, while Burg received 35 percent, in an election marred by a glitch in the voting machine results for seven precincts, which delayed the final tally until after midnight.
GA: Precinct, poll location changes will affect almost 42,000 voters
http://www.theweekly.com/news/2010/March/09/Poll_changes.html
Lawrenceville, Ga., (March 9, 2010) – Gwinnett County will reduce the number of voting precincts from 163 to 155 to save money and operate more efficiently.
GA: Secretary of State Kemp Applauds Georgia House Passage of MOVE Act Legislation
http://www.theweekly.com/news/2010/March/09/MOVE_Act.html
KY: Agents say defendants made $4 million from fraud
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=12117235
FRANKFORT, KY (AP) - Federal agents have testified that a scheme to buy votes in Clay County netted those accused more than $4 million in salaries and contract payments since 2002.
KY: Clay officials accused of reaping $4 million
Steered contracts, jobs, agents say
http://bit.ly/aLADpU ...One charge in the indictment is the money they made was laundered because it resulted from illegal election activity.
KY: Bribes, shootings, beatings marred Clay elections, witnesses testify *
http://bit.ly/bJondR
MN: Consensus leads to voting process fix. Hard work to build bipartisan solutions pays off. http://bit.ly/bmNvYD
TX: Upton officials blame glitch *
Inflated results, silence lead to uproar over controversial totals
http://www.oaoa.com/news/last-44123-ballot-officials.html
Kristin E. Reid, the county’s Democratic chair, said Monday that an apparent glitch in the county’s electronic voting system appears to have tabulated early voting numbers twice, distorting the results.
TX: Dallas County JP accuses victorious rival of mail-in ballot fraud
http://bit.ly/bkoGqM Sepulveda said numerous people told him they did not request a ballot and did not vote but "somehow there were ballots cast in their name."
WI: Five charged in election fraud investigation *
http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?s=12103023&clienttype=printable
International
Here's a vote against Internet balloting
http://bit.ly/a3fN4a
Canada: B.C. Greens call for electronic voting, new referendum on electoral reform
http://bit.ly/aAbdgq
VANCOUVER, B.C. — The B.C. Green party says the province should try electronic voting to help boost voter turnout and take another crack at proportional representation in the legislature.
Canada: Let’s Not Rush Towards Online Voting
http://bit.ly/bRdEjO
What security concerns have to be addressed other than only being able to vote once, password encryption strength, ensuring that evoters haven’t also cast physical ballots, etc?
Singapore: Security is crucial
Letter from Goh Jing Xian Manager (Public Education & Training) Elections Department
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100311-0000089/Security-is-crucial
The Election Department has considered other means of voting such as Internet voting or postal voting for overseas voters. However, these have fundamental challenges of voter authentication, security of the vote and voting secrecy. For these reasons, we have decided not to adopt such voting methods, but to keep to the current polling station-based voting system for overseas voting.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to Voting News at this link:
http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
All this and more in today's voting news below....
CA: Electronic Signatures To Be Tested In Court
http://bit.ly/dCaiqj
CO: Judge dismisses Marks' lawsuit over Aspen election
http://bit.ly/dyObMG Judge James Boyd of the Ninth Judicial District Court dismissed the case, citing the Colorado state constitution, which requires the city clerk to keep ballots secret.
CT: Canada May Join Internet Voting Race To The Bottom
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2951
As CTVotersCount readers know we have long opposed internet voting, unless and until a viable mechanism is reviewed and approved by the majority of Computer Scientists, Security Experts and Advocates
FL: Glitch temporarily freezes results on Palm Beach County elections Web site*
http://bit.ly/csvbgC
RIVIERA BEACH — An unexplained computer problem delayed the publishing of election results for more than an hour Tuesday night on the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Web site.
FL: Incumbents win in Jupiter, Tequesta elections * (article does not elaborate)
Glitches in vote counting delay Jupiter results until after midnight.
http://bit.ly/aK6jiP ...Golonka earned 54 percent of the vote, while Burg received 35 percent, in an election marred by a glitch in the voting machine results for seven precincts, which delayed the final tally until after midnight.
GA: Precinct, poll location changes will affect almost 42,000 voters
http://www.theweekly.com/news/2010/March/09/Poll_changes.html
Lawrenceville, Ga., (March 9, 2010) – Gwinnett County will reduce the number of voting precincts from 163 to 155 to save money and operate more efficiently.
GA: Secretary of State Kemp Applauds Georgia House Passage of MOVE Act Legislation
http://www.theweekly.com/news/2010/March/09/MOVE_Act.html
KY: Agents say defendants made $4 million from fraud
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=12117235
FRANKFORT, KY (AP) - Federal agents have testified that a scheme to buy votes in Clay County netted those accused more than $4 million in salaries and contract payments since 2002.
KY: Clay officials accused of reaping $4 million
Steered contracts, jobs, agents say
http://bit.ly/aLADpU ...One charge in the indictment is the money they made was laundered because it resulted from illegal election activity.
KY: Bribes, shootings, beatings marred Clay elections, witnesses testify *
http://bit.ly/bJondR
MN: Consensus leads to voting process fix. Hard work to build bipartisan solutions pays off. http://bit.ly/bmNvYD
TX: Upton officials blame glitch *
Inflated results, silence lead to uproar over controversial totals
http://www.oaoa.com/news/last-44123-ballot-officials.html
Kristin E. Reid, the county’s Democratic chair, said Monday that an apparent glitch in the county’s electronic voting system appears to have tabulated early voting numbers twice, distorting the results.
TX: Dallas County JP accuses victorious rival of mail-in ballot fraud
http://bit.ly/bkoGqM Sepulveda said numerous people told him they did not request a ballot and did not vote but "somehow there were ballots cast in their name."
WI: Five charged in election fraud investigation *
http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?s=12103023&clienttype=printable
International
Here's a vote against Internet balloting
http://bit.ly/a3fN4a
Canada: B.C. Greens call for electronic voting, new referendum on electoral reform
http://bit.ly/aAbdgq
VANCOUVER, B.C. — The B.C. Green party says the province should try electronic voting to help boost voter turnout and take another crack at proportional representation in the legislature.
Canada: Let’s Not Rush Towards Online Voting
http://bit.ly/bRdEjO
What security concerns have to be addressed other than only being able to vote once, password encryption strength, ensuring that evoters haven’t also cast physical ballots, etc?
Singapore: Security is crucial
Letter from Goh Jing Xian Manager (Public Education & Training) Elections Department
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100311-0000089/Security-is-crucial
The Election Department has considered other means of voting such as Internet voting or postal voting for overseas voters. However, these have fundamental challenges of voter authentication, security of the vote and voting secrecy. For these reasons, we have decided not to adopt such voting methods, but to keep to the current polling station-based voting system for overseas voting.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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.
New Mexico SOS corruption claim-update. Internet voting and validity of elections
Schumer Applauds Justice Department for Requiring ES&S to Sell Off Voting Machine Unit Purchased from Diebold... Another warning about internet voting: "In the zeal to increase voter turnout, the reliance on Internet voting could inadvertently place the validity of the election process at risk." ~ Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law.... The Election Law Journal releases study “Long Lines at Polling Stations? Observations from an Election Day Field Study”...von Spakovsky Attacks DOJ Civil Rights Lawyers...
All this and more in today's voting news below....
CA: California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission: Do it Yourself Gerrymandering!
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2010/03/08/do-it-yourself-gerrymandering/
CT: A Thought Provoking Day at another Recanvass
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2941
...A properly conduced recanvass that results in the losers accepting the result and moving on is an important benefit – even if the election result is changed and the winners and losers change.
MI: Mississippians will have the chance to vote on voter ID
http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=12106045
MT: Bozeman company sues over campaign finance law
http://bit.ly/9WSrQo
A Bozeman company is suing two state offices over a law dating back to 1912 that bans corporate spending in elections.
NM: Former Elections Chief Alleges Corruption in Secretary of State's Office
http://bit.ly/cRNEMl
New Mexico’s top elections official and her deputy have engaged in rampant impropriety at the Secretary of State’s Office during the past year, according to AJ Salazar, who resigned Feb. 26 as the Office’s bureau of elections director.
TX: County rejects veteran's vote *
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/County-rejects-veterans-vote
Williamson County...Man, 90, told signature was not his
Alfred Dula, 90, received a notice in the mail after the March 4 primary election.
TX: Texas Military and Overseas Voters, Return your Ballot for the April 13, 2010 State Run-Off Election Now!
http://www.fvap.gov/global/news/nr6-2010.html
VT: IRV repeal expected to sail through legislature
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12104156
WA: Economics make it hard to keep polls open (opinion)
http://bit.ly/bSoQra
ES&S Merger News
DOJ TO REQUIRE ES&S TO SELL OFF ASSETS FROM DIEBOLD MERGER
CITING ANTI-TRUST CONCERNS (includes maps showing degree of control by vendor)
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7733
Schumer Applauds Justice Department for Requiring ES&S to Sell Off Voting Machine Unit Purchased from Diebold
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2010/03/09/436
"Justice Department Requires Key Divestiture in Election Systems & Software/Premier Election Solutions Merger"
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015428.html
Feds Move to Break Voting-Machine Monopoly
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/ess-sued-in-antitrust-cas/
National
Voting-Machine Flaws and Paper Ballots (LTE in NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/opinion/lweb09vote.html
Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias Reponds to Rove Attacks
http://bit.ly/9dqc2c
Spencer and Markovits, “Long Lines at Polling Stations?”
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3128
Douglas M. Spencer and Zachary S. Markovits just published a study in the current issue of the Election Law Journal, “Long Lines at Polling Stations? Observations from an Election Day Field Study.”
von Spakovsky Attacks DOJ Civil Rights Lawyers, Including Three Well Known to Readers of this Blog: Sam Hirsch, Sam Bagenstos, and Julie Fernandes
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015438.html
2008 Ballot Measure Overview
Interests Spend Lavishly To Influence Voters On Hot-Button Issues
http://www.followthemoney.org/press/ReportView.phtml?r=417
"To Fix the Supreme Court's Citizens United Decision, Copy the Brits"
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015436.html
International
Canada: Geist: Hackers, viruses threaten online voting validity
http://bit.ly/aMUGYN
More recently, the Netherlands used Internet voting as part of its 2006 parliamentary elections. The online option was an alternative for Dutch citizens working or living abroad. Nearly 20,000 valid Internet votes were received at a cost of approximately 90 euros per Internet voter. Two years later, the country implemented a ban on Internet voting.
Why Voting by Internet Is a Bad Idea. by Michael Geist (comments allowed)
http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2010/03/09/InternetVoting/index.html?commentsfilter=0
It seems like a boon to democracy, until you examine the dangers.
Viruses threaten Canadian online voting validity
http://bit.ly/bHH43g
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to Voting News at this link:
http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
All this and more in today's voting news below....
CA: California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission: Do it Yourself Gerrymandering!
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2010/03/08/do-it-yourself-gerrymandering/
CT: A Thought Provoking Day at another Recanvass
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2941
...A properly conduced recanvass that results in the losers accepting the result and moving on is an important benefit – even if the election result is changed and the winners and losers change.
MI: Mississippians will have the chance to vote on voter ID
http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=12106045
MT: Bozeman company sues over campaign finance law
http://bit.ly/9WSrQo
A Bozeman company is suing two state offices over a law dating back to 1912 that bans corporate spending in elections.
NM: Former Elections Chief Alleges Corruption in Secretary of State's Office
http://bit.ly/cRNEMl
New Mexico’s top elections official and her deputy have engaged in rampant impropriety at the Secretary of State’s Office during the past year, according to AJ Salazar, who resigned Feb. 26 as the Office’s bureau of elections director.
TX: County rejects veteran's vote *
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/County-rejects-veterans-vote
Williamson County...Man, 90, told signature was not his
Alfred Dula, 90, received a notice in the mail after the March 4 primary election.
TX: Texas Military and Overseas Voters, Return your Ballot for the April 13, 2010 State Run-Off Election Now!
http://www.fvap.gov/global/news/nr6-2010.html
VT: IRV repeal expected to sail through legislature
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12104156
WA: Economics make it hard to keep polls open (opinion)
http://bit.ly/bSoQra
ES&S Merger News
DOJ TO REQUIRE ES&S TO SELL OFF ASSETS FROM DIEBOLD MERGER
CITING ANTI-TRUST CONCERNS (includes maps showing degree of control by vendor)
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7733
Schumer Applauds Justice Department for Requiring ES&S to Sell Off Voting Machine Unit Purchased from Diebold
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2010/03/09/436
"Justice Department Requires Key Divestiture in Election Systems & Software/Premier Election Solutions Merger"
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015428.html
Feds Move to Break Voting-Machine Monopoly
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/ess-sued-in-antitrust-cas/
National
Voting-Machine Flaws and Paper Ballots (LTE in NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/opinion/lweb09vote.html
Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias Reponds to Rove Attacks
http://bit.ly/9dqc2c
Spencer and Markovits, “Long Lines at Polling Stations?”
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3128
Douglas M. Spencer and Zachary S. Markovits just published a study in the current issue of the Election Law Journal, “Long Lines at Polling Stations? Observations from an Election Day Field Study.”
von Spakovsky Attacks DOJ Civil Rights Lawyers, Including Three Well Known to Readers of this Blog: Sam Hirsch, Sam Bagenstos, and Julie Fernandes
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015438.html
2008 Ballot Measure Overview
Interests Spend Lavishly To Influence Voters On Hot-Button Issues
http://www.followthemoney.org/press/ReportView.phtml?r=417
"To Fix the Supreme Court's Citizens United Decision, Copy the Brits"
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015436.html
International
Canada: Geist: Hackers, viruses threaten online voting validity
http://bit.ly/aMUGYN
More recently, the Netherlands used Internet voting as part of its 2006 parliamentary elections. The online option was an alternative for Dutch citizens working or living abroad. Nearly 20,000 valid Internet votes were received at a cost of approximately 90 euros per Internet voter. Two years later, the country implemented a ban on Internet voting.
Why Voting by Internet Is a Bad Idea. by Michael Geist (comments allowed)
http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2010/03/09/InternetVoting/index.html?commentsfilter=0
It seems like a boon to democracy, until you examine the dangers.
Viruses threaten Canadian online voting validity
http://bit.ly/bHH43g
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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.
Monday, March 8, 2010
DOJ: Voting Firms Cant Merge. Internet Voting Utopianism. Hawaii finds $1.3 M election funds it forgot
"The nation’s two primary electronic voting machine manufacturers cannot merge their operations, the Justice Department announced on Monday"...How did the merger ever get so far so fast? The NY Post reports that critics believe the DOJ didn't give this as much attn because of the anti trust head Christine Varney recusing herself. Varney's former election firm was hired by ES&S.
Hawaii officials "found" the $1.3 M needed to run the special election to fill Neil Abercrombie's seat in a "forgotten account"...
Internet voting utopianism: "This inconvenient truth exposes the lie of Internet voting as being an easy, cost-saving citizen convenience, and so in most cases what I see is Internet voting advocates who are either ignorant of these issues, ignoring these issues, or deliberately trying to spin them" - Richard Akerman writing for PaperVoteCanada....
All this and much more in today's voting news below...
CA: Fisher: Many hats, many contributions
http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_14632307
San Mateo Co. ...Slocum, 62, recently announced that he won't run for re-election...
...
When counties converted to electronic voting after the 2000 hanging-chad fiasco, he pushed for paper records of all votes cast....
CA: More Spanish-speaking voters sought
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14524934
As San Bernardino County's Latino population increases, election officials are going to great lengths to reach out to Spanish-speaking voters.
FL: Despite law, some elections officials want to keep touch-screen voting
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article1077763.ece
It looks like the Legislature is about to grant their wish, much to the frustration of Secretary of State Kurt Browning, the state's chief elections official.
...
"They're whining," Browning said of elections supervisors. "They've known this law has been on the books since 2007, and they will have had five years to comply with this change."
HI: Abercrombie: Money's there to fill vacant seat
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/global/story.asp?s=12097495
But a special election to fill his congressional seat will cost nearly $1-million. Abercrombie says the state already has the money, when the office of elections found $1.3-million in a forgotten account.
IN: Vote centers remain in question at Statehouse
http://www.jconline.com/article/20100306/ELECTION01/100305035
The most contentious part of legislation that affects the future of vote centers may be dropped as negotiations continue into next week.
KS: Kan. House to weigh voting rights, mentally ill
http://www.nebraska.tv/Global/story.asp?S=12088799
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A Kansas House committee is considering a proposed change in the state constitution to protect the voting rights of the mentally ill
OH: ACORN joins Browns on PD Front page (video)
http://bit.ly/b6DjFX
MO: Financial statement details county spending for 2009
http://bit.ly/ciLKp0
Another election expense from the general revenue fund was $8,134 to Sequoia Voting Systems for maintenance of Direct Recording Electronic voting machines and optical scan machines.
NH: New Hampshire House Sets Floor Vote on Ballot Access Bill
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/03/08/new-hampshire-house-sets-floor-vote-on-ballot-access-bill/
NM: Despite voting centers, turnout disappointing
http://bit.ly/ce2ImS
OR: Oregon 4th State to Offer Online Voter Registration
http://bit.ly/cRVM0C
TX: Upton Co. Election Mess Reported to State Officials by Rankin Voters 3/5/10 *
http://www.cbs7kosa.com/news/details.asp?ID=18308
Some Upton County Residents are still wondering what’s going on, three days after the primary election, where 600 extra votes were counted that did not have matching signatures.
TX: Texas primary turnout is highest in 20 years
http://bit.ly/aEr3BU
TX: Herman: The truth about early voting (opinion)
http://bit.ly/djlTNu
Texas elections, it seems, go to the early voters' favorite candidates.
VT: IRV repeal expected to sail through legislature
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12104156
WA: Pierce County mail-in ballot effort dies again
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/03/06/1098221/mail-in-ballot-effort-dies-again.html
Pierce County last in state with polls
WI: Prosecutor says police dragging feet on voter fraud cases
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/noquarter/86776512.html
WV: W.Va. getting attention for election funding bill
http://bit.ly/bkvxDu
National
DOJ: Voting Firms Can’t Merge
http://www.rollcall.com/news/43949-1.html
Diebold deal faces DOJ snag
http://bit.ly/bZMnMb
ES&S is in talks with one of its competitors, Austin, Texas-based Hart InterCivic, about co-owning the voting machines. Hanging over the negotiations is a threat the DOJ will sue to undo the Premier acquisition if ES&S does not reach a deal soon, a source close to the situation said.
DOJ: Voting machine maker must sell some assets
http://bit.ly/9b34Vp
Under a proposed settlement, ES&S would sell voting equipment system assets it bought from Premier Elections Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of Diebold Inc. The proposed settlement, to which both sides have agreed, must be approved by a federal judge before it becomes final
National Academies Press Final Report on Improving State Voter Registration Databases
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12788
Improving State Voter Registration Databases outlines several actions that are needed to help make voter registration databases capable of sharing information within state agencies and across state lines.
Public Meeting EAC will hold a public meeting Thursday, March 11.
http://www.eac.gov/News/meetings/03-11-10-public-meeting
Topics: election operations assessment, update on Wyle Lab re-accreditation. The meeting will be webcast live and an on-demand archived version will be posted within 24-hours.
International
Australia: Victorian Electoral Commission to further roll out electronic voting
http://bit.ly/aPWFzg
Linux-based touch screen kiosks to underpin expansion of electronic voting in Victoria
...
The pilot electronic voting systems are designed by HP and Scytl Secure Electronic Voting.
Canada: urban renewal, greenwashing, technoyouth, and Internet voting utopianism
http://bit.ly/9uNSbR
This is in reaction to the Elections Canada Internet voting event, some of the followup to it, and the ongoing trend for Canadian municipalities to adopt Internet voting (as well as the announcement that the province of Alberta will investigate it as well).
...
Oh look how much we save if we don't provide paper ballots - as long as we ignore the ongoing costs of data centres, legal challenges, and fundamentally undermining trust in our democracy.
...
Internet voting is a lose-lose situation. The easier you make it to vote online, the more convenient, the less complicated, the less encumbered by multiple steps and complexity, the easier you make it for a hacker to steal the election...
Canada: London council to discuss online election voting
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/03/07/13144021.html
Nancy Branscombe wants to bring online voting to London's municipal elections.
The city councillor will raise the notion tomorrow at city council that the next time Londoners head to the polls, they should do it in front of a computer screen as more communities are embracing online voting.
Iraq: Iraqi Elections: Live-Blogging Election Day
http://nyti.ms/cVULJH
2010 Iraqi Elections: Why I Will Vote
http://nyti.ms/cfM6dL
Netherlands: U of GRONINGEN: PHD position Quantum Electronic Voting
http://bit.ly/aQ71jR
Sri Lanka voices: 'Fractured democracy'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8534089.stm
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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.
Hawaii officials "found" the $1.3 M needed to run the special election to fill Neil Abercrombie's seat in a "forgotten account"...
Internet voting utopianism: "This inconvenient truth exposes the lie of Internet voting as being an easy, cost-saving citizen convenience, and so in most cases what I see is Internet voting advocates who are either ignorant of these issues, ignoring these issues, or deliberately trying to spin them" - Richard Akerman writing for PaperVoteCanada....
All this and much more in today's voting news below...
CA: Fisher: Many hats, many contributions
http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_14632307
San Mateo Co. ...Slocum, 62, recently announced that he won't run for re-election...
...
When counties converted to electronic voting after the 2000 hanging-chad fiasco, he pushed for paper records of all votes cast....
CA: More Spanish-speaking voters sought
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14524934
As San Bernardino County's Latino population increases, election officials are going to great lengths to reach out to Spanish-speaking voters.
FL: Despite law, some elections officials want to keep touch-screen voting
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article1077763.ece
It looks like the Legislature is about to grant their wish, much to the frustration of Secretary of State Kurt Browning, the state's chief elections official.
...
"They're whining," Browning said of elections supervisors. "They've known this law has been on the books since 2007, and they will have had five years to comply with this change."
HI: Abercrombie: Money's there to fill vacant seat
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/global/story.asp?s=12097495
But a special election to fill his congressional seat will cost nearly $1-million. Abercrombie says the state already has the money, when the office of elections found $1.3-million in a forgotten account.
IN: Vote centers remain in question at Statehouse
http://www.jconline.com/article/20100306/ELECTION01/100305035
The most contentious part of legislation that affects the future of vote centers may be dropped as negotiations continue into next week.
KS: Kan. House to weigh voting rights, mentally ill
http://www.nebraska.tv/Global/story.asp?S=12088799
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A Kansas House committee is considering a proposed change in the state constitution to protect the voting rights of the mentally ill
OH: ACORN joins Browns on PD Front page (video)
http://bit.ly/b6DjFX
MO: Financial statement details county spending for 2009
http://bit.ly/ciLKp0
Another election expense from the general revenue fund was $8,134 to Sequoia Voting Systems for maintenance of Direct Recording Electronic voting machines and optical scan machines.
NH: New Hampshire House Sets Floor Vote on Ballot Access Bill
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/03/08/new-hampshire-house-sets-floor-vote-on-ballot-access-bill/
NM: Despite voting centers, turnout disappointing
http://bit.ly/ce2ImS
OR: Oregon 4th State to Offer Online Voter Registration
http://bit.ly/cRVM0C
TX: Upton Co. Election Mess Reported to State Officials by Rankin Voters 3/5/10 *
http://www.cbs7kosa.com/news/details.asp?ID=18308
Some Upton County Residents are still wondering what’s going on, three days after the primary election, where 600 extra votes were counted that did not have matching signatures.
TX: Texas primary turnout is highest in 20 years
http://bit.ly/aEr3BU
TX: Herman: The truth about early voting (opinion)
http://bit.ly/djlTNu
Texas elections, it seems, go to the early voters' favorite candidates.
VT: IRV repeal expected to sail through legislature
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12104156
WA: Pierce County mail-in ballot effort dies again
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/03/06/1098221/mail-in-ballot-effort-dies-again.html
Pierce County last in state with polls
WI: Prosecutor says police dragging feet on voter fraud cases
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/noquarter/86776512.html
WV: W.Va. getting attention for election funding bill
http://bit.ly/bkvxDu
National
DOJ: Voting Firms Can’t Merge
http://www.rollcall.com/news/43949-1.html
Diebold deal faces DOJ snag
http://bit.ly/bZMnMb
ES&S is in talks with one of its competitors, Austin, Texas-based Hart InterCivic, about co-owning the voting machines. Hanging over the negotiations is a threat the DOJ will sue to undo the Premier acquisition if ES&S does not reach a deal soon, a source close to the situation said.
DOJ: Voting machine maker must sell some assets
http://bit.ly/9b34Vp
Under a proposed settlement, ES&S would sell voting equipment system assets it bought from Premier Elections Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of Diebold Inc. The proposed settlement, to which both sides have agreed, must be approved by a federal judge before it becomes final
National Academies Press Final Report on Improving State Voter Registration Databases
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12788
Improving State Voter Registration Databases outlines several actions that are needed to help make voter registration databases capable of sharing information within state agencies and across state lines.
Public Meeting EAC will hold a public meeting Thursday, March 11.
http://www.eac.gov/News/meetings/03-11-10-public-meeting
Topics: election operations assessment, update on Wyle Lab re-accreditation. The meeting will be webcast live and an on-demand archived version will be posted within 24-hours.
International
Australia: Victorian Electoral Commission to further roll out electronic voting
http://bit.ly/aPWFzg
Linux-based touch screen kiosks to underpin expansion of electronic voting in Victoria
...
The pilot electronic voting systems are designed by HP and Scytl Secure Electronic Voting.
Canada: urban renewal, greenwashing, technoyouth, and Internet voting utopianism
http://bit.ly/9uNSbR
This is in reaction to the Elections Canada Internet voting event, some of the followup to it, and the ongoing trend for Canadian municipalities to adopt Internet voting (as well as the announcement that the province of Alberta will investigate it as well).
...
Oh look how much we save if we don't provide paper ballots - as long as we ignore the ongoing costs of data centres, legal challenges, and fundamentally undermining trust in our democracy.
...
Internet voting is a lose-lose situation. The easier you make it to vote online, the more convenient, the less complicated, the less encumbered by multiple steps and complexity, the easier you make it for a hacker to steal the election...
Canada: London council to discuss online election voting
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/03/07/13144021.html
Nancy Branscombe wants to bring online voting to London's municipal elections.
The city councillor will raise the notion tomorrow at city council that the next time Londoners head to the polls, they should do it in front of a computer screen as more communities are embracing online voting.
Iraq: Iraqi Elections: Live-Blogging Election Day
http://nyti.ms/cVULJH
2010 Iraqi Elections: Why I Will Vote
http://nyti.ms/cfM6dL
Netherlands: U of GRONINGEN: PHD position Quantum Electronic Voting
http://bit.ly/aQ71jR
Sri Lanka voices: 'Fractured democracy'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8534089.stm
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to Voting News at this link:
http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Ex NM Elections chief blasts SOS. Indiana justice weigh voter ID law. Why internet voting is insecure.
The Muscogee County GA Board of Elections just voted to cut polling places from 48 to 28. "The changes that they're proposing to make will hurt African Americans and Hispanic voters..." says Marcus Hunter, Columbus NAACP...What could go wrong with internet voting? Ask UVA students with last names beginning with S – Z who were unable to vote in the student body election... Court hears that Indiana's voter id law has not feretted out any fraud...Case study by Dr. Barbara Simons on why internet voting is insecure...
Al: Bill would require voters to show valid photo ID
http://www.theplainsman.com/view/full_story/6562207/article-Bill-will-require-voters-to-show-valid-photo-IDs?instance=home_news_lead_story
AZ: 'Missing' ballots might just be undeliverable
http://tinyurl.com/yz39hgt Coconino County...If you haven't received your ballot in the mail for the city primary election or the Flagstaff Unified School District budget override on March 9, now is the time to contact the county elections office to get a new ballot issued -- and possibly update your address.
CA: Dispute Over Ballot Label for Top Two Primary Ballot Measure in CA
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015418.html
FL: ELECTION-LAW CHANGE WOULD REOPEN SPENDING, ADD FULL DISCLOSURE
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-leadership-funds-revived-20100303,0,4610631.story
Tallahassee -- Florida legislative leaders are proposing election-law changes that could unleash even more special-interest spending in state elections but require that the millions of dollars pumped into races be fully disclosed to the public.
GA: How far would you drive to vote?
http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=12087904
Currently, 48 voting locations exist, but the new plan makes that number to 28. This leaves some voters driving longer distances to cast their ballots. Dr. Jeanne Dugas is the chair of the Muscogee County Democratic Party and she says, "I think that the board of elections when they say they're acting in the public's interest, they're not acting in that particular public's interest."
"The changes that they're proposing to make will hurt African Americans and Hispanic voters. Let's be sure about that," says Hunter.
GA: One Georgia Ballot Access Bill Gets a Legislative Hearing
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/03/05/one-georgia-ballot-access-bill-gets-a-legislative-hearing/
IN: Indiana justices lob questions at voter ID law
http://bit.ly/9KSlUe ...Sullivan noted that at least three election cycles had passed since the law's passage. "Has the use of this statute ferreted out any voter fraud?" he asked.
No, Horseman said.
IN: Justices weigh burden of voter ID
http://bit.ly/cfFrcL
IN: Vote center's future in question
http://tinyurl.com/yg9t4yy
MN: Sen. Brown sponsors voter fraud bill
http://www.wlkm.com/?p=11708
Brown’s measures, Senate Bills 692 and 693, establish criminal penalties for any individual or organization attempting to compensate people for voting or refraining from voting, or registering or refraining from registering to vote.
...
Two additional bills Brown sponsored, SBs 690 and 691, would prohibit groups like ACORN conducting voter registration drives from establishing quotas or paying bonuses to employees
NJ: Essex County bans election workers from political activities
http://bit.ly/9HvtyD
NM: Ex-NM elections chief blasts secretary of state
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_14512552
SANTA FE - New Mexico's former elections chief, who resigned last week, alleges Secretary of State Mary Herrera is soliciting funds from firms that contract with her office and has ordered some employees to get signatures on petitions for her re-election campaign
NM: Herrera runs ‘a crooked organization,’ former elections head claims
http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2010/03/herrera-runs-%E2%80%98a-crooked-organization%E2%80%99-former-elections-head-claims/
Salazar, a former deputy district attorney, was quoted by the Journal as saying he “has never worked in such a crooked organization.”
...
The letter, according to the Journal, states that, during Salazar’s time as elections director, “it has become abundantly clear to me as to why my predecessors have left the office.”
NM: SOS refuses to release Salazar’s resignation letter
Foundation for Open Government says the letter is public and should be released
http://newmexicoindependent.com/49144/sos-refuses-to-release-salazar%E2%80%99s-resignation-letter
OH: In Violation of Federal Law, Ohio's 2004 Presidential Election Records
http://www.thelegalblotter.com/in-violation-of-federal-law-ohios-2004-presidential-election-records-a-4
Two-thirds of Ohio counties have destroyed or lost their 2004 presidential ballots and related election records, according to letters from county election officials to the Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner.
TX: U.S. attorney's Dallas office says it's not investigating Judge Jim Foster's vote fraud claims http://bit.ly/deyIF6
TX: In Texas, a Vote That Never Should Have Happened
http://ballotbox.governing.com/2010/03/in-texas-a-vote-that-never-should-have-happened.html
TX: Hidalgo election machine irregularities
http://stxc.blogspot.com/2010/03/hidalgo-election-machine-irregularities.html
VA: Voters encounter ballot access problem *(internet voting)
http://unlvrebelyell.com/2010/03/04/voters-encounter-ballot-access-problem/
Students with last names beginning with S – Z could not use online ballots
Nearly one-fourth of the UNLV student body ran into a problem with their online voting ballots for the CSUN Executive Board elections.
National
Internet Voting
Why Internet Voting is Insecure: a case study Barbara Simons
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/27523903/Internet-Voting
Critics see peril in voting-machine merger
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/05/critics-see-peril-in-voting-machine-merger/
CRS analysts concluded that the merger means ES&S is now a presence in 90 percent of the states, is the sole supplier for at least 20 and has a market share three or more times that of its closest competitor.
NIST and Test Development
http://vote.nist.gov/SystemTesting.htm
NIST is developing a set of public test suites to be used as part of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission's (EAC) Testing and Certification Program authorized under the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
EAC has certified four voting systems to date
http://www.eac.gov/blog-postings/learn-more-about-eacs-voting-system-certification-program
EAC will hold a public meeting on Thursday, March 11.
http://www.eac.gov/News/meetings/03-11-10-public-meeting
Topics: election operations assessment, update on Wyle Lab re-accreditation. The meeting will be webcast live
How the VRA dodged a bullet
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006361.html
U.S. Supreme Court Shows Interest in Felon Voting Case
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/03/05/u-s-supreme-court-shows-interest-in-felon-voting-case/
The issue in Simmons v Galvin is whether the federal Voting Rights Act has any relevance to state laws that prevent ex-felons and felons from registering to vote.
William and Mary Election Law Society Weekly Wrap Up
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2010/03/05/weekly-wrap-up-13/
International
Overseas Voter Foundation Research Newsletter January - February 2010
http://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/ss/link.php?M=177422&N=190&L=190
Iraq Violence Targets Early Voters as Sunday Election Draws Near
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june10/iraq1_03-04.html
Iraq began early voting for its parliamentary elections amid blasts at polling locations that killed at least 17 people and injured more than 30 people
Massive voter fraud reported across Iraq
http://bit.ly/bMSkPn
March 5. 2010 Electoral monitors yesterday estimated that as many as 150,000 security personnel were left off lists for early voting in Iraq, causing chaos at polling stations across the country. Iraqi
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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.
Al: Bill would require voters to show valid photo ID
http://www.theplainsman.com/view/full_story/6562207/article-Bill-will-require-voters-to-show-valid-photo-IDs?instance=home_news_lead_story
AZ: 'Missing' ballots might just be undeliverable
http://tinyurl.com/yz39hgt Coconino County...If you haven't received your ballot in the mail for the city primary election or the Flagstaff Unified School District budget override on March 9, now is the time to contact the county elections office to get a new ballot issued -- and possibly update your address.
CA: Dispute Over Ballot Label for Top Two Primary Ballot Measure in CA
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015418.html
FL: ELECTION-LAW CHANGE WOULD REOPEN SPENDING, ADD FULL DISCLOSURE
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-leadership-funds-revived-20100303,0,4610631.story
Tallahassee -- Florida legislative leaders are proposing election-law changes that could unleash even more special-interest spending in state elections but require that the millions of dollars pumped into races be fully disclosed to the public.
GA: How far would you drive to vote?
http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=12087904
Currently, 48 voting locations exist, but the new plan makes that number to 28. This leaves some voters driving longer distances to cast their ballots. Dr. Jeanne Dugas is the chair of the Muscogee County Democratic Party and she says, "I think that the board of elections when they say they're acting in the public's interest, they're not acting in that particular public's interest."
"The changes that they're proposing to make will hurt African Americans and Hispanic voters. Let's be sure about that," says Hunter.
GA: One Georgia Ballot Access Bill Gets a Legislative Hearing
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/03/05/one-georgia-ballot-access-bill-gets-a-legislative-hearing/
IN: Indiana justices lob questions at voter ID law
http://bit.ly/9KSlUe ...Sullivan noted that at least three election cycles had passed since the law's passage. "Has the use of this statute ferreted out any voter fraud?" he asked.
No, Horseman said.
IN: Justices weigh burden of voter ID
http://bit.ly/cfFrcL
IN: Vote center's future in question
http://tinyurl.com/yg9t4yy
MN: Sen. Brown sponsors voter fraud bill
http://www.wlkm.com/?p=11708
Brown’s measures, Senate Bills 692 and 693, establish criminal penalties for any individual or organization attempting to compensate people for voting or refraining from voting, or registering or refraining from registering to vote.
...
Two additional bills Brown sponsored, SBs 690 and 691, would prohibit groups like ACORN conducting voter registration drives from establishing quotas or paying bonuses to employees
NJ: Essex County bans election workers from political activities
http://bit.ly/9HvtyD
NM: Ex-NM elections chief blasts secretary of state
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_14512552
SANTA FE - New Mexico's former elections chief, who resigned last week, alleges Secretary of State Mary Herrera is soliciting funds from firms that contract with her office and has ordered some employees to get signatures on petitions for her re-election campaign
NM: Herrera runs ‘a crooked organization,’ former elections head claims
http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2010/03/herrera-runs-%E2%80%98a-crooked-organization%E2%80%99-former-elections-head-claims/
Salazar, a former deputy district attorney, was quoted by the Journal as saying he “has never worked in such a crooked organization.”
...
The letter, according to the Journal, states that, during Salazar’s time as elections director, “it has become abundantly clear to me as to why my predecessors have left the office.”
NM: SOS refuses to release Salazar’s resignation letter
Foundation for Open Government says the letter is public and should be released
http://newmexicoindependent.com/49144/sos-refuses-to-release-salazar%E2%80%99s-resignation-letter
OH: In Violation of Federal Law, Ohio's 2004 Presidential Election Records
http://www.thelegalblotter.com/in-violation-of-federal-law-ohios-2004-presidential-election-records-a-4
Two-thirds of Ohio counties have destroyed or lost their 2004 presidential ballots and related election records, according to letters from county election officials to the Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner.
TX: U.S. attorney's Dallas office says it's not investigating Judge Jim Foster's vote fraud claims http://bit.ly/deyIF6
TX: In Texas, a Vote That Never Should Have Happened
http://ballotbox.governing.com/2010/03/in-texas-a-vote-that-never-should-have-happened.html
TX: Hidalgo election machine irregularities
http://stxc.blogspot.com/2010/03/hidalgo-election-machine-irregularities.html
VA: Voters encounter ballot access problem *(internet voting)
http://unlvrebelyell.com/2010/03/04/voters-encounter-ballot-access-problem/
Students with last names beginning with S – Z could not use online ballots
Nearly one-fourth of the UNLV student body ran into a problem with their online voting ballots for the CSUN Executive Board elections.
National
Internet Voting
Why Internet Voting is Insecure: a case study Barbara Simons
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/27523903/Internet-Voting
Critics see peril in voting-machine merger
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/05/critics-see-peril-in-voting-machine-merger/
CRS analysts concluded that the merger means ES&S is now a presence in 90 percent of the states, is the sole supplier for at least 20 and has a market share three or more times that of its closest competitor.
NIST and Test Development
http://vote.nist.gov/SystemTesting.htm
NIST is developing a set of public test suites to be used as part of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission's (EAC) Testing and Certification Program authorized under the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
EAC has certified four voting systems to date
http://www.eac.gov/blog-postings/learn-more-about-eacs-voting-system-certification-program
EAC will hold a public meeting on Thursday, March 11.
http://www.eac.gov/News/meetings/03-11-10-public-meeting
Topics: election operations assessment, update on Wyle Lab re-accreditation. The meeting will be webcast live
How the VRA dodged a bullet
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006361.html
U.S. Supreme Court Shows Interest in Felon Voting Case
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/03/05/u-s-supreme-court-shows-interest-in-felon-voting-case/
The issue in Simmons v Galvin is whether the federal Voting Rights Act has any relevance to state laws that prevent ex-felons and felons from registering to vote.
William and Mary Election Law Society Weekly Wrap Up
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2010/03/05/weekly-wrap-up-13/
International
Overseas Voter Foundation Research Newsletter January - February 2010
http://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/ss/link.php?M=177422&N=190&L=190
Iraq Violence Targets Early Voters as Sunday Election Draws Near
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june10/iraq1_03-04.html
Iraq began early voting for its parliamentary elections amid blasts at polling locations that killed at least 17 people and injured more than 30 people
Massive voter fraud reported across Iraq
http://bit.ly/bMSkPn
March 5. 2010 Electoral monitors yesterday estimated that as many as 150,000 security personnel were left off lists for early voting in Iraq, causing chaos at polling stations across the country. Iraqi
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)