"Who agrees online voting is not secure? Pretty much everyone who isn't trying to make money on it...They dishonor the troops fighting to secure our freedom by failing to adequately secure a precious part of that freedom - their votes - in order to turn a profit." writes Dan McCrae of Florida Voters in "Online Voting: All That Glitters Is Not Gold"...Jeff Rayno on Georgia's paperless voting machines: "Did your vote count? Will it ever?"...Will Gov Patrick assign MA votes to states with touch screens and voter suppression?...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
CA: Bill guaranteeing polling stations becomes law
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=17601 The new law, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2011, allows election officials to subtract permanent mail-in voters from the precinct's 1,000-voter cap. As a result, officials can redraw precincts to accurately reflect the number of in-person voters and provide Election Day polling stations for everyone.
GA: Georgia voters report issues at some polling locations
http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia_elections_news/2010/07/20/georgia-voters-report-issues-at-some-polling-locations/?cxntfid=blogs_georgia_elections_news
Virginia-Highland precinct opened late. Wrong ballots issued at N. Druid Hills Road.
GA: Georgia voters miffed at software glitch
http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia_elections_news/2010/07/20/georgia-voters-miffed-at-software-glitch/?cxntfid=blogs_georgia_elections_news
Fusillo’s name was on the list of voters – only the name didn’t match up with the one on her voter registration card. It matched with the one on her driver’s license.
GA: Rayno: Voters still lack paper trail
http://savannahnow.com/column/2010-07-18/rayno-voters-still-lack-paper-trail
I was at one time fascinated with the prospect of online voting with highly secured networks. But the truth is, we have fabricated one of the most unreliable, untraceable and unaccountable voting methods in the world.
HI: One-third of polling precincts consolidated by state
http://www.khon2.com/news/local/story/One-third-of-polling-precincts-consolidated-by/Tlij5ugUtE6Ai_Zxxwy3XA.cspx Ninety-seven out of 335 polling precincts have been eliminated.
IL: County clerk: Election issues being resolved
http://register-news.com/homepage/x854233672/County-clerk-Election-issues-being-resolved
MT. VERNON — After spending a week in court hearing about mistakes made during the Nov. 4, 2008, general election, Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Connie Simmons said some of the issues have been resolved with legislative changes — and others are a matter of education of election judges, workers and the public
MA: Will Gov Patrick assign MA votes to states with touch screens and voter suppression? http://www.ctvoterscount.org/will-gov-patrick-assign-ma-votes-to-states-with-touch-screens-and-voter-suppression/ We are not in principle against a national popular vote, but as a prerequisite we would require sufficient uniform national voting franchise and integrity laws, enforceable and enforced.
NY: Voting-rights case for disabled students settled
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100719/NEWS01/7190319
ALBANY — The U.S. Department of Justice announced an agreement last week to resolve a longstanding lawsuit against the state and its public universities for not providing voter-registration services for students with disabilities.
NY: New Concerns Raised Over Voting Machine Upgrade (video also)
http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/politics/122348/new-concerns-raised-over-voting-machine-upgrade "The language that’s used is unclear. It doesn’t tell the voter that their vote isn’t going to count. That is never expressed or stated in the statement. And the interface itself is just counterintuitive. If you see a green button with a check mark and something that says ‘Cast,’ to most people that means good, that means my vote is going to count," said Lawrence Norden of the Brennan Center for Justice.
NV: ACORN finances loom over Nevada registration case
http://www.rgj.com/article/20100719/NEWS07/100719014/-1/CARSON/ACORN-finances-loom-over-Nevada-registration-case- LAS VEGAS (AP) — The political advocacy group ACORN is “limping along” near bankruptcy, which could affect a pending voter registration case in Nevada, a lawyer for the group said Monday
TX: SAUSAGE FACTORY OPENING IN TEXAS
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016472.html
Get ready for the new redistricting battle.
TN: Panel denies Eldridge right to vote
Action comes despite taking GOP pledge
http://crossville-chronicle.com/local/x1060806491/Panel-denies-Eldridge-right-to-vote
TN: Second Shelby County resident indicted on voter fraud charges
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jul/19/second-shelby-county-resident-indicted-voter-fraud/ According to officials, Golden and Enochs each cast two votes in the 2006 elections.
TN: Victim found in trunk thought to be Monroe Election official
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/jul/19/victim-found-trunk-thought-be-monroe-election-offi/
VA: Virginia: McDonnell restores rights to 506 eligible felons
http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/state_regional/article/mcdonnell_
restores_rights_to_506_eligible_felons/112045/ http://bit.ly/dpTgb1
VA: J. CHRISTIAN ADAMS ON ALLEGED "CHAOS, DISCRIMINATION, THUGGERY, AND DISHONESTY" AT VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016470.html See here at Adams' "Election Law Center" blog, which he describes as "more red than the ivory tower.
WV: It’s Official: Special Election for Byrd’s Seat
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/its-official-special-election-for-byrds-seat/?ref=politics
Internet Voting Watch
Online Voting: All That Glitters Is Not Gold (Unless You're a Vendor)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-mccrea/online-voting-all-that-gl_b_652725.html
By changing the subject to glitzy (and lucrative) promises of help for groups of voters with real special needs, vendors deflect the hard questions about security. In a disgraceful irony, they put the votes of those they claim to be helping in the greatest jeopardy.
International
India: the loaded dice : part 1
http://iltb.apargupta.com/2010/07/the-loaded-dice-part-1/
It is evident that there is a cloud over the integrity and security of EVM’s. What is compounding this problem of trust is the posture of the ECI when it seeks to make statements to the effect that the machines are “perfect” and “infallible” and at the same time refuses to provide them for the purposes of independent verification.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews
and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link:http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
CalTech - little support for internet voting. Aspen's never ending election integrity war
"Having good elections takes public vigilance, but it shouldn't become a war." Mike LaBonte, election integrity activist...A CalTech study of Voter Opinions about Election Reform indicates: "Internet voting and voting-by-mail do not receive a great deal of support from American voters."...$10,440 in South Carolina vs. $0 in Vermont...8 States with Online Voter Registration
All this and more in today's voting news below...
Editor's note: Voting News' is one year old now. Our first edition went out on July 17, 2009.
If you like voting news, please tell your friends about us and join us at
http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
AL: New Alabama election system to show statewide results online
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/07/new_alabama_election_system_to.html
It is expected to offer voting results, turnout information and possibly precinct-by-precinct data, all online and updated regularly through the night after polls close.
CA: June 8 election problems and solutions (Riverside County)
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100718/OPINION01/7170345/June-8-election-problems-and-solutions See charts
CA: County to purchase better election devices (Riverside County)
County supervisors authorize equipment to avoid future election gaffes
http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/49444/ "Sixty-two percent of ballots cast in this election were by mail. That has a whole lot of implications," Supervisor John Benoit said during a 90-minute hearing on an Executive Office report detailing what went wrong during and after that election.
"It takes seven steps (to process) every single vote-by-mail ballot," said Benoit, who represents desert communities on the five-member board..
CO: The never-ending war (Aspen Colorado)
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100719/LETTER/100719846/1020&parentprofile=1061
Keys were left hanging from a ballot box in City Hall that collected more than 800 early voting ballots, the public software test did not work out, most of the tallying was performed by a private company using uncertified systems, voters' ballot data were collected roughly in the order voted without shuffling to preserve anonymity, corrected tally results were announced after the incorrect ones were certified, etc.
CT: Candidates Qualify For Public Financing For Primary
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=3364 With a couple of close calls near the deadline, it seems that all the statewide office candidates that wanted to participate in the program have met fundraising criteria.
GA: GALEO sues state over new voter registration procedures
http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=230839
"We do not believe Georgia has lived up to its legal obligations to protect and to ensure equitable access to all voters, including minority voters. In addition, we believe these proposed changes demonstrate the need to uphold the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in order to protect access to the polls. GALEO intends to work in a bi-partisan fashion to ensure Georgia can look at best-practices policy alternatives to protect voter access," continued Gonzalez.
FL: Riches, elections and free speech
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/article1109206.ece
The problem for candidates who are not independently wealthy is that the game is somewhat rigged. They are held to strict dollar limits from outside contributors while very rich people have a First Amendment right to freely spend their own money.
LA: Ex-police chief sentenced to service
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/98650419.html Maurer admitted that he caused two of his deputies to provide false information on their voter registration forms indicating that they lived in the voting district when they did not, according to a news release from Letten’s New Orleans office.
MD: Maryland invalidates indepedent voters
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/other-races/109439-maryland-invalidates-indepedent-voters The state of Maryland has invalidated independent voters, forcing them to choose a political party or "unaffiliated" on their voter registration.
Letters went out last week in all of the state's 24 counties to registered voters, informing them that the "independent" party is no longer recognized under Maryland's state election laws.
ME: Our View: Electing mayor outweighs noncitizen voting
A full debate about the change in leadership is more important than other, less vital issues. http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/electing-mayor-outweighs-noncitizen-voting_2010-07-17.html
ME: Non-Citizen Voting in Portland, ME May Be on November Ballot
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2010/07/non-citizen-voting-in-portland-me-may.html
MI: Michigan absentee voters can track ballots online
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100719/METRO/7190389/1361/Michigan-absentee-voters-can-track-ballots-online
MN: Nick Coleman: Felons flipped an election? Unbelievable.http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/98635764.html Many people misunderstand the felon issue, which is being distorted by those who are flogging it for political purposes. A person convicted of a felony is not permanently barred from the voting booth. As soon as he is released from parole or probation, his citizenship rights are fully restored.
NC: Should challengers pay for their runoff elections?
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/07/17/1567459/should-challengers-pay-for-their.html
Now here's an interesting finding that will delight those who like a lot
of elections and those who want to save taxpayers a few bucks: According
to a new poll by Public Policy Polling, N.C. voters want to preserve
runoff elections, but they say taxpayers ought not to pay. Candidates
should underwrite the cost of runoffs.
NC: Public Policy Polling North Carolina Miscellany Poll
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_NC_708.pdf
NC: Pamlico elections board beginning to get help
http://www.newbernsj.com/news/elections-89086-state-board.html
A state elections seminar brought 260 county elections officials to New Bern Thursday and began solving a more local problem for the Pamlico County Board of Elections.
...
Officials from across the state met through noon Friday for a seminar jointly hosted by the N.C. State Board of Elections and the UNC School of Government to look at election history, law and technology.
NC: Elections investigation continues
http://www.newbernsj.com/news/elections-89052-north-board.html
The North Carolina State Board of Elections “is going to look at any unfinished business” in campaign reporting by Gov. Bev Perdue and other 2008 candidates for governor, its director said Friday in New Bern
NM: Ballot secrecy compromised in NM, other states (is that correct? See law)
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=213&sid=2004189
In precincts where only one or a handful of voters participated, it's possible to identify voters and determine who they supported by cross-checking public records _ a roster of voters who cast ballots in a precinct and the precinct-by-precinct results.
NM: 1-12-70. Reporting of vote totals by precinct; voting data maintained by
precinct. http://www.sos.state.nm.us/pdf/ElectionLaws2009.pdf (warning big file)
B. The county clerk shall maintain voting data by precinct that includes the number of voters who voted early in-person, absentee by mail and on election day and the number of voters who voted using each type of voting system. The county clerk shall report this data to the secretary of state within sixty days following the election, and to no other person. The secretary of state shall then combine the data within a precinct to the extent necessary to protect the secrecy of each voter’s ballot in accordance with rules issued by the secretary of state before the data as processed
becomes a public record. History: Laws 2007, ch. 336, § 1.
NY: NY1 Online: New Voting Machine Opponents Sound Off (video)
http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/news_beats/politics/121822/ny1-online--new-voting-machine-opponents-sound-off/ Opponents of the state’s new election machines discuss their concerns in a panel featuring Citizens Union’s Dick Dadey, Councilwoman Gale Brewer, and two of the people suing the Board of Elections, Monifa Bandele from the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Larry Norden of NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice.
TN: In Brief: Woman, 69, held in voter fraud
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jul/16/in-brief-woman-held-in-voter-fraud/
"From what I understand, what happened was she did some early voting and apparently there was a glitch and she didn't think her vote registered. She went to another voting place.
TN: Family calls voter fraud charges against Bartlett woman "ludicrous"
http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=12822060
The DA's office offered no details about why it took four years to indict Enochs or the possible penalties.
...
He said his mother is too upset to talk about the charges and may never vote again.
TN: Half Ballots Often Cast During Early Voting
http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-satellite-locations-story,0,2332051.story
TX: NAACP looks at runoff election (Galveston County)
http://www.galvnews.com/story/163518 David Miller, president of the Galveston chapter of the NAACP, said voters who were registered to vote in District 1 were given District 2 ballots, and some voters were told the polls were closed or the elections already had been won.
WI: Democratic voters in Wis. primary could be trouble
http://www.wsaw.com/news/headlines/98664224.html
Democratic voters in Wisconsin wanting to cause mischief for Republicans have some tantalizing possibilities to cross over and cast ballots in the upcoming primary.
WV: Legislators believe election efforts dead
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/540491.html?nav=5006
WV: "W.VA. LEGISLATURE FAILED TO TAKE ACTION BUT 2010 SENATE RACE STILL LIKELY" http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016464.html
Internet Voting Watch
Voter Opinions about Election Reform: Do They Support Making Voting More
Convenient? (CalTech Survey) http://www.vote.caltech.edu/drupal/node/336 Second, we find that Internet voting and voting-by-mail do not receive a great deal of support from American voters. There was no state where Internet voting was supported by a majority of voters and there were no states that do not already have expanded vote by mail (Washington and Oregon) where expanded vote by mail had majority support.
National
What is prison-based gerrymandering
http://www.prisonpolicy.org/#s1279512000
8 States with Online Voter Registration
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2010/07/8-states-with-online-voter-registration.html
...with a state driver's license or state id to register to vote online. They are Arizona, Washington, Kansas, Oregon, Louisiana, Colorado, Utah and Indiana.
$10,440 in South Carolina vs. $0 in Vermont
http://www.opednews.com/articles/10-440-in-South-Carolina-by-gloria-bilchik-100717-276.html?show=votes ...While some states make it fairly easy to run for federal office, many seem to be making major efforts to limit participation. 2) Much of the decision-making about filing fees and formulas for nominating petitions is left to the official Democratic and Republican parties in each state
International
India: EVM saga to enter Apex Court as the Election Commission mulls closure of EVM “enquiry” http://www.indianevm.com/blogs/?p=329 As the present chief election commissioner Navin Chawla’s term draws to a close, the ECI has once again invited V.V. Rao, petitioner who filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court of India in July, 2009 to demonstrate that the Indian EVMs can be tampered with.
Solomon Islands. Secretary ballot: Bought
http://www.solomonstarnews.com/viewpoint/letters-to-the-editor/7039-secretary-ballot-bought
Dear Editor - The way we vote in Solomon Islands is by secret ballot. This is to prevent bias, intimidation, and bribery.
...
Ballot papers in one of the constituencies on Malaita were bought by the winning candidate.
This is for purposes of punishing and penalizing those who have not voted for that particular MP
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer : Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
All this and more in today's voting news below...
Editor's note: Voting News' is one year old now. Our first edition went out on July 17, 2009.
If you like voting news, please tell your friends about us and join us at
http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
AL: New Alabama election system to show statewide results online
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/07/new_alabama_election_system_to.html
It is expected to offer voting results, turnout information and possibly precinct-by-precinct data, all online and updated regularly through the night after polls close.
CA: June 8 election problems and solutions (Riverside County)
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100718/OPINION01/7170345/June-8-election-problems-and-solutions See charts
CA: County to purchase better election devices (Riverside County)
County supervisors authorize equipment to avoid future election gaffes
http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/49444/ "Sixty-two percent of ballots cast in this election were by mail. That has a whole lot of implications," Supervisor John Benoit said during a 90-minute hearing on an Executive Office report detailing what went wrong during and after that election.
"It takes seven steps (to process) every single vote-by-mail ballot," said Benoit, who represents desert communities on the five-member board..
CO: The never-ending war (Aspen Colorado)
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100719/LETTER/100719846/1020&parentprofile=1061
Keys were left hanging from a ballot box in City Hall that collected more than 800 early voting ballots, the public software test did not work out, most of the tallying was performed by a private company using uncertified systems, voters' ballot data were collected roughly in the order voted without shuffling to preserve anonymity, corrected tally results were announced after the incorrect ones were certified, etc.
CT: Candidates Qualify For Public Financing For Primary
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=3364 With a couple of close calls near the deadline, it seems that all the statewide office candidates that wanted to participate in the program have met fundraising criteria.
GA: GALEO sues state over new voter registration procedures
http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=230839
"We do not believe Georgia has lived up to its legal obligations to protect and to ensure equitable access to all voters, including minority voters. In addition, we believe these proposed changes demonstrate the need to uphold the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in order to protect access to the polls. GALEO intends to work in a bi-partisan fashion to ensure Georgia can look at best-practices policy alternatives to protect voter access," continued Gonzalez.
FL: Riches, elections and free speech
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/article1109206.ece
The problem for candidates who are not independently wealthy is that the game is somewhat rigged. They are held to strict dollar limits from outside contributors while very rich people have a First Amendment right to freely spend their own money.
LA: Ex-police chief sentenced to service
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/98650419.html Maurer admitted that he caused two of his deputies to provide false information on their voter registration forms indicating that they lived in the voting district when they did not, according to a news release from Letten’s New Orleans office.
MD: Maryland invalidates indepedent voters
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/other-races/109439-maryland-invalidates-indepedent-voters The state of Maryland has invalidated independent voters, forcing them to choose a political party or "unaffiliated" on their voter registration.
Letters went out last week in all of the state's 24 counties to registered voters, informing them that the "independent" party is no longer recognized under Maryland's state election laws.
ME: Our View: Electing mayor outweighs noncitizen voting
A full debate about the change in leadership is more important than other, less vital issues. http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/electing-mayor-outweighs-noncitizen-voting_2010-07-17.html
ME: Non-Citizen Voting in Portland, ME May Be on November Ballot
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2010/07/non-citizen-voting-in-portland-me-may.html
MI: Michigan absentee voters can track ballots online
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100719/METRO/7190389/1361/Michigan-absentee-voters-can-track-ballots-online
MN: Nick Coleman: Felons flipped an election? Unbelievable.http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/98635764.html Many people misunderstand the felon issue, which is being distorted by those who are flogging it for political purposes. A person convicted of a felony is not permanently barred from the voting booth. As soon as he is released from parole or probation, his citizenship rights are fully restored.
NC: Should challengers pay for their runoff elections?
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/07/17/1567459/should-challengers-pay-for-their.html
Now here's an interesting finding that will delight those who like a lot
of elections and those who want to save taxpayers a few bucks: According
to a new poll by Public Policy Polling, N.C. voters want to preserve
runoff elections, but they say taxpayers ought not to pay. Candidates
should underwrite the cost of runoffs.
NC: Public Policy Polling North Carolina Miscellany Poll
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_NC_708.pdf
NC: Pamlico elections board beginning to get help
http://www.newbernsj.com/news/elections-89086-state-board.html
A state elections seminar brought 260 county elections officials to New Bern Thursday and began solving a more local problem for the Pamlico County Board of Elections.
...
Officials from across the state met through noon Friday for a seminar jointly hosted by the N.C. State Board of Elections and the UNC School of Government to look at election history, law and technology.
NC: Elections investigation continues
http://www.newbernsj.com/news/elections-89052-north-board.html
The North Carolina State Board of Elections “is going to look at any unfinished business” in campaign reporting by Gov. Bev Perdue and other 2008 candidates for governor, its director said Friday in New Bern
NM: Ballot secrecy compromised in NM, other states (is that correct? See law)
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=213&sid=2004189
In precincts where only one or a handful of voters participated, it's possible to identify voters and determine who they supported by cross-checking public records _ a roster of voters who cast ballots in a precinct and the precinct-by-precinct results.
NM: 1-12-70. Reporting of vote totals by precinct; voting data maintained by
precinct. http://www.sos.state.nm.us/pdf/ElectionLaws2009.pdf (warning big file)
B. The county clerk shall maintain voting data by precinct that includes the number of voters who voted early in-person, absentee by mail and on election day and the number of voters who voted using each type of voting system. The county clerk shall report this data to the secretary of state within sixty days following the election, and to no other person. The secretary of state shall then combine the data within a precinct to the extent necessary to protect the secrecy of each voter’s ballot in accordance with rules issued by the secretary of state before the data as processed
becomes a public record. History: Laws 2007, ch. 336, § 1.
NY: NY1 Online: New Voting Machine Opponents Sound Off (video)
http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/news_beats/politics/121822/ny1-online--new-voting-machine-opponents-sound-off/ Opponents of the state’s new election machines discuss their concerns in a panel featuring Citizens Union’s Dick Dadey, Councilwoman Gale Brewer, and two of the people suing the Board of Elections, Monifa Bandele from the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Larry Norden of NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice.
TN: In Brief: Woman, 69, held in voter fraud
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jul/16/in-brief-woman-held-in-voter-fraud/
"From what I understand, what happened was she did some early voting and apparently there was a glitch and she didn't think her vote registered. She went to another voting place.
TN: Family calls voter fraud charges against Bartlett woman "ludicrous"
http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=12822060
The DA's office offered no details about why it took four years to indict Enochs or the possible penalties.
...
He said his mother is too upset to talk about the charges and may never vote again.
TN: Half Ballots Often Cast During Early Voting
http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-satellite-locations-story,0,2332051.story
TX: NAACP looks at runoff election (Galveston County)
http://www.galvnews.com/story/163518 David Miller, president of the Galveston chapter of the NAACP, said voters who were registered to vote in District 1 were given District 2 ballots, and some voters were told the polls were closed or the elections already had been won.
WI: Democratic voters in Wis. primary could be trouble
http://www.wsaw.com/news/headlines/98664224.html
Democratic voters in Wisconsin wanting to cause mischief for Republicans have some tantalizing possibilities to cross over and cast ballots in the upcoming primary.
WV: Legislators believe election efforts dead
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/540491.html?nav=5006
WV: "W.VA. LEGISLATURE FAILED TO TAKE ACTION BUT 2010 SENATE RACE STILL LIKELY" http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016464.html
Internet Voting Watch
Voter Opinions about Election Reform: Do They Support Making Voting More
Convenient? (CalTech Survey) http://www.vote.caltech.edu/drupal/node/336 Second, we find that Internet voting and voting-by-mail do not receive a great deal of support from American voters. There was no state where Internet voting was supported by a majority of voters and there were no states that do not already have expanded vote by mail (Washington and Oregon) where expanded vote by mail had majority support.
National
What is prison-based gerrymandering
http://www.prisonpolicy.org/#s1279512000
8 States with Online Voter Registration
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2010/07/8-states-with-online-voter-registration.html
...with a state driver's license or state id to register to vote online. They are Arizona, Washington, Kansas, Oregon, Louisiana, Colorado, Utah and Indiana.
$10,440 in South Carolina vs. $0 in Vermont
http://www.opednews.com/articles/10-440-in-South-Carolina-by-gloria-bilchik-100717-276.html?show=votes ...While some states make it fairly easy to run for federal office, many seem to be making major efforts to limit participation. 2) Much of the decision-making about filing fees and formulas for nominating petitions is left to the official Democratic and Republican parties in each state
International
India: EVM saga to enter Apex Court as the Election Commission mulls closure of EVM “enquiry” http://www.indianevm.com/blogs/?p=329 As the present chief election commissioner Navin Chawla’s term draws to a close, the ECI has once again invited V.V. Rao, petitioner who filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court of India in July, 2009 to demonstrate that the Indian EVMs can be tampered with.
Solomon Islands. Secretary ballot: Bought
http://www.solomonstarnews.com/viewpoint/letters-to-the-editor/7039-secretary-ballot-bought
Dear Editor - The way we vote in Solomon Islands is by secret ballot. This is to prevent bias, intimidation, and bribery.
...
Ballot papers in one of the constituencies on Malaita were bought by the winning candidate.
This is for purposes of punishing and penalizing those who have not voted for that particular MP
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer : Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Hackers invade Colorado SOS site. SC Voting machines ‘buggy...exploitable’
Still trust the internet with your votes? Hackers invade Colorado SOS site-"criminals are altering corporate information through the secretary of state's website and using the falsified data to obtain credit and loans."...NY Ballot case now seeks DNA...Paper please: "The citizens of South Carolina deserve better than buggy, unstable and exploitable elections." says Dr.Duncan A Buell...Hearing Set for North Carolina Ballot Access Case...Is your ballot really secret?...Voter Registration in a Digital Age...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AL: Autauga Co: DA finds no multiple voting occurred
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006413.html
there was only one vote cast by the person who was alleged to have voted several times..
CO: Hackers falsifying data on businesses to obtain loans (SOS website)
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15527827 "We created a system in Colorado, which is extraordinarily easy to use, one of the cheapest and one of the most electronic in the country," Buesch er said. "Unfortunately, that opened the doors for the bad guys."
GA: Kemp Announces Expansion of Driver’s License Bar Code Scanner Pilot Project for General Primary http://www.theweekly.com/news/2010/July/14/bar_code.html
The bar code scanners do not change the check-in process in order to vote in an election. Voters must still complete a voter’s certificate at their polling location. As required by Georgia law, poll workers must also check each voter’s photo identification to ensure that it matches the vote
GA: MALDEF and GALEO join lawsuit in order to defend voting rights act
http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/8770584/article-MALDEF-and-GALEO-join-lawsuit-in-order-to-defend-voting-rights-act?instance=home_news_lead_story
Today, the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) filed legal papers opposing an attempt by the State of Georgia to implement new voter registration procedures that discriminate against minority voters. Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) represents GALEO in the legal effort...
IL: Election workers questioned in state's attorney trial
http://register-news.com/local/x961150643/Election-workers-questioned-in-states-attorney-trial
MA: Massachusetts Senate Passes National Popular Vote Bill
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/16/massachusetts-senate-passes-national-popular-vote-bill/ On the evening of July 15, the Massachusetts Senate passed H4156, the National Popular Vote Plan bill for electing the president. The bill had passed the House in June. The bill needs one more procedural vote and then it goes to the Governor’s desk
MA: Winner-take-all bill is OK’d by state Senate
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/16/
winner_take_all_bill_is_okd_by_state_senate/ http://bit.ly/aLB4ey
The state Senate approved a bill last night that would give all 12 of the state’s electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote, one of three key votes the chamber took during a busy night on Beacon Hill.
MN: MCDONALD ON VOTER FRAUD ALLEGATIONS IN MINNESOTA
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016434.html The answer to Rick's question "Did Enough Illegal Felons Vote in Minnesota in 2008 to Tip the Balance to Al Franken?" is no. According to a report produced by Minnesota Majority, to date 10 of 2,921,147 ballots were found to be illegally cast in the 2008 Minnesota general election, for a rate of 0.0003%. Even if all of these illegal ballots included recorded votes cast for Sen. Franken, this is insufficient to alter the outcome of a 225 vote margin.
MN: Olmsted County Attorney investigates allegations of voter fraud
http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=16&a=461402
"We have to verify locally here and look at our records and see that they did vote and in fact that it is that person and not somebody with a very similar name who was an eligible voter," Ostrem said.
NC: N.C. elections investigator says she was held back in Perdue flight probe
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/15/97557/nc-election-investigator-says.html
RALEIGH — The lead investigator at the North Carolina State Board of Elections said Thursday that board chairman Larry Leake ordered her not to interview some witnesses during a probe into 42 undisclosed campaign flights by Gov. Bev Perdue
NC: Hearing Set for North Carolina Ballot Access Case
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/16/hearing-set-for-north-carolina-ballot-access-case/
This is the lawsuit, filed in 2008, that challenges the number of signatures needed for a U.S. House independent candidate in North Carolina. The law requires 4% of the number of registered voters
NC: Watt faces ethics investigation into fundraising
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/16/583648/watt-faces-ethics-investigation.html
NY: Jacon refuses to deal with warrants for DNA collection in voter fraud case
http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/07/16/news/doc4c40525100b44387244138.txt
But individuals familiar with the investigation say Jacon had recently been hand¬ed applications seeking DNA from multiple suspects in con¬nection with alleged fraud in the Sept. 15, 2009 Working Families Party primary. That paperwork would include warrant requests and eviden¬tiary exhibits substantiating claims that collecting the DNA could lead to a criminal indictment,
NY: Village Awaits Federal Review to Release Vote Data
The preliminary report will offer insight and statistical analysis on how Port Chester's voters utilized the new cumulative voting system.
http://portchester.patch.com/articles/village-awaits-federal-review-to-release-vote-data
(appears to be exit poll data, not real vote data)
NY: Keep old reliable voting machines? (LTE)
http://www.lohud.com/article/20100716/OPINION/7160307/Keep-old-reliable-voting-machines-
OK: Adair County man charged with voter fraud
http://newsok.com/adair-county-man-charged-in-voter-fraud/article/3476698
An Adair County man has been charged with forging names on absentee ballots and falsely notarizing absentee ballots.
SC: WHO WILL BE THE FIRST TO FILE A COMPLAINT OVER ALVIN GREENE ACTION FIGURES? http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016435.html
SC: Voting machines ‘buggy, unstable, exploitable’
http://www.thestate.com/2010/07/16/1378910/buell-voting-machines-buggy-unstable.html
Dr. Buell is a computer science professor who has provided advice on electronic voting machines since 2004 to the League of Women Voters of South Carolina and who regularly uses the professional analyses of the iVotronics in class as case studies of how not to write code
TN: Most Henderson Co. vote fraud cases end with acquittal or dismissal of charges
http://www.wreg.com/news/sns-ap-tn--votefraud,0,4938079.story
WA: SecState: Patrol will probe initiative signature fraud
http://blogs.sos.wa.gov/FromOurCorner/index.php/2010/07/secstate-patrol-will-probe-initiative-signature-fraud/ Election officials have completed a review of apparent fraud by a signature-gatherer who submitted 349 names on 20 petition sheets in support of Initiative 1098. The case will be turned over to the Washington State Patrol.
WV: W.Va. lawmakers take up Senate vacancy bill http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x1653456220/W-Va-lawmakers-take-up-Senate-vacancy-bill
WV: Lawmakers debate succession bill
http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=15689 Since Sen. Robert Byrd died two weeks ago, there have been many ideas and interpretations about how and when his seat will be up for election. Lawmakers met at the Capitol Thursday to debate a bill that would put Byrd’s seat on the ballot this November
Internet Voting Watch
Washington Post Local Politics mentions "The case against BOEE's Internet voting trial (Educated Guesswork)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/debonis/2010/07/demorning_debonis_july_16_2010.html
Other voices: Independent Party primary may start new Internet voting trend
http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20100715/EDITORIALS/100719890/1022&ParentProfile=1058
Starting last week, the Independent Party's 55,000 registered members began receiving mailed notices inviting them to cast electronic ballots to choose the party's nominees for the November general election. Voters must cast ballots by July 30.
National
Voting: Is Your Ballot Really Secret?
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/07/16/voting-is-your-ballot-really-secret/
Voter Registration in a Digital Age
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/voter_registration_in_a_digital_age/
Voting News by Joyce McCloy
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News,
please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AL: Autauga Co: DA finds no multiple voting occurred
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006413.html
there was only one vote cast by the person who was alleged to have voted several times..
CO: Hackers falsifying data on businesses to obtain loans (SOS website)
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15527827 "We created a system in Colorado, which is extraordinarily easy to use, one of the cheapest and one of the most electronic in the country," Buesch er said. "Unfortunately, that opened the doors for the bad guys."
GA: Kemp Announces Expansion of Driver’s License Bar Code Scanner Pilot Project for General Primary http://www.theweekly.com/news/2010/July/14/bar_code.html
The bar code scanners do not change the check-in process in order to vote in an election. Voters must still complete a voter’s certificate at their polling location. As required by Georgia law, poll workers must also check each voter’s photo identification to ensure that it matches the vote
GA: MALDEF and GALEO join lawsuit in order to defend voting rights act
http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/8770584/article-MALDEF-and-GALEO-join-lawsuit-in-order-to-defend-voting-rights-act?instance=home_news_lead_story
Today, the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) filed legal papers opposing an attempt by the State of Georgia to implement new voter registration procedures that discriminate against minority voters. Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) represents GALEO in the legal effort...
IL: Election workers questioned in state's attorney trial
http://register-news.com/local/x961150643/Election-workers-questioned-in-states-attorney-trial
MA: Massachusetts Senate Passes National Popular Vote Bill
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/16/massachusetts-senate-passes-national-popular-vote-bill/ On the evening of July 15, the Massachusetts Senate passed H4156, the National Popular Vote Plan bill for electing the president. The bill had passed the House in June. The bill needs one more procedural vote and then it goes to the Governor’s desk
MA: Winner-take-all bill is OK’d by state Senate
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/16/
winner_take_all_bill_is_okd_by_state_senate/ http://bit.ly/aLB4ey
The state Senate approved a bill last night that would give all 12 of the state’s electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote, one of three key votes the chamber took during a busy night on Beacon Hill.
MN: MCDONALD ON VOTER FRAUD ALLEGATIONS IN MINNESOTA
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016434.html The answer to Rick's question "Did Enough Illegal Felons Vote in Minnesota in 2008 to Tip the Balance to Al Franken?" is no. According to a report produced by Minnesota Majority, to date 10 of 2,921,147 ballots were found to be illegally cast in the 2008 Minnesota general election, for a rate of 0.0003%. Even if all of these illegal ballots included recorded votes cast for Sen. Franken, this is insufficient to alter the outcome of a 225 vote margin.
MN: Olmsted County Attorney investigates allegations of voter fraud
http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=16&a=461402
"We have to verify locally here and look at our records and see that they did vote and in fact that it is that person and not somebody with a very similar name who was an eligible voter," Ostrem said.
NC: N.C. elections investigator says she was held back in Perdue flight probe
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/15/97557/nc-election-investigator-says.html
RALEIGH — The lead investigator at the North Carolina State Board of Elections said Thursday that board chairman Larry Leake ordered her not to interview some witnesses during a probe into 42 undisclosed campaign flights by Gov. Bev Perdue
NC: Hearing Set for North Carolina Ballot Access Case
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/16/hearing-set-for-north-carolina-ballot-access-case/
This is the lawsuit, filed in 2008, that challenges the number of signatures needed for a U.S. House independent candidate in North Carolina. The law requires 4% of the number of registered voters
NC: Watt faces ethics investigation into fundraising
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/16/583648/watt-faces-ethics-investigation.html
NY: Jacon refuses to deal with warrants for DNA collection in voter fraud case
http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/07/16/news/doc4c40525100b44387244138.txt
But individuals familiar with the investigation say Jacon had recently been hand¬ed applications seeking DNA from multiple suspects in con¬nection with alleged fraud in the Sept. 15, 2009 Working Families Party primary. That paperwork would include warrant requests and eviden¬tiary exhibits substantiating claims that collecting the DNA could lead to a criminal indictment,
NY: Village Awaits Federal Review to Release Vote Data
The preliminary report will offer insight and statistical analysis on how Port Chester's voters utilized the new cumulative voting system.
http://portchester.patch.com/articles/village-awaits-federal-review-to-release-vote-data
(appears to be exit poll data, not real vote data)
NY: Keep old reliable voting machines? (LTE)
http://www.lohud.com/article/20100716/OPINION/7160307/Keep-old-reliable-voting-machines-
OK: Adair County man charged with voter fraud
http://newsok.com/adair-county-man-charged-in-voter-fraud/article/3476698
An Adair County man has been charged with forging names on absentee ballots and falsely notarizing absentee ballots.
SC: WHO WILL BE THE FIRST TO FILE A COMPLAINT OVER ALVIN GREENE ACTION FIGURES? http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016435.html
SC: Voting machines ‘buggy, unstable, exploitable’
http://www.thestate.com/2010/07/16/1378910/buell-voting-machines-buggy-unstable.html
Dr. Buell is a computer science professor who has provided advice on electronic voting machines since 2004 to the League of Women Voters of South Carolina and who regularly uses the professional analyses of the iVotronics in class as case studies of how not to write code
TN: Most Henderson Co. vote fraud cases end with acquittal or dismissal of charges
http://www.wreg.com/news/sns-ap-tn--votefraud,0,4938079.story
WA: SecState: Patrol will probe initiative signature fraud
http://blogs.sos.wa.gov/FromOurCorner/index.php/2010/07/secstate-patrol-will-probe-initiative-signature-fraud/ Election officials have completed a review of apparent fraud by a signature-gatherer who submitted 349 names on 20 petition sheets in support of Initiative 1098. The case will be turned over to the Washington State Patrol.
WV: W.Va. lawmakers take up Senate vacancy bill http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x1653456220/W-Va-lawmakers-take-up-Senate-vacancy-bill
WV: Lawmakers debate succession bill
http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=15689 Since Sen. Robert Byrd died two weeks ago, there have been many ideas and interpretations about how and when his seat will be up for election. Lawmakers met at the Capitol Thursday to debate a bill that would put Byrd’s seat on the ballot this November
Internet Voting Watch
Washington Post Local Politics mentions "The case against BOEE's Internet voting trial (Educated Guesswork)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/debonis/2010/07/demorning_debonis_july_16_2010.html
Other voices: Independent Party primary may start new Internet voting trend
http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20100715/EDITORIALS/100719890/1022&ParentProfile=1058
Starting last week, the Independent Party's 55,000 registered members began receiving mailed notices inviting them to cast electronic ballots to choose the party's nominees for the November general election. Voters must cast ballots by July 30.
National
Voting: Is Your Ballot Really Secret?
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/07/16/voting-is-your-ballot-really-secret/
Voter Registration in a Digital Age
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/voter_registration_in_a_digital_age/
Voting News by Joyce McCloy
Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
To assist with Daily Voting News,
please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."
Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Cancel the Voting Machines? Lost Voters, Lost Votes. MontCo PA blames voters
In "Cancel the Voting Machines?" The Brian Leher show discusses NY voting machine problems...RivCo CA gets more voting machines, keeps registrar...MontCo PA officials blame voters for lost votes...Huffington Post is running internet vote vendor Scytl's press release as an editorial. The "piece" touts internet voting as getting rid of hanging chads or any other problem. The piece doesn't mention Scytl's involvement in Finland's failed i-voting experiment in 2008....Lost voters, lost votes? In 2008, an estimated 1.9 million voters did not cast a ballot for one simple and solvable reason: they did not know where to go...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AZ: Computer glitch causes errors in Mesa voter information
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/07/14/20100714mesa-voter-information-glitch.html
A glitch in a computer program created inaccurate information in voter registration records at the Maricopa County Recorder's Mesa office in recent weeks.
Yvonne Reed, communications director for the Maricopa County Elections Department, said the problem was traced to a program installed in the Mesa terminals and has been corrected.
CA: REGION: Riverside County to invest in election equipment
SUPERVISORS CONSIDER VOTE COUNTERS FOR EACH POLLING PLACE
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/swcounty/article_f2b4e23b-a22d-5008-85ed-ef17fc0b2ef7.html
CA: Registrar to stay, $650,000 to go
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100714/NEWS0301/7140314/Registrar+
to+stay+++650+000+to+go http://is.gd/dtC4i
CA: District elections blocked by San Mateo supervisors
http://www.examiner.com/x-1891-San-Mateo-Public-Policy-Examiner~y2010m7d13-District-Elections-Blocked-by-San-Mateo-Supervisors ...denying county voters the option to vote on a local ballot measure to change the way in which supervisors are elected..
DC: Moten urges Fenty to veto vote-buying bill
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/07/moten_urges_fenty_to_veto_vote.html
...ally of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) is calling on the mayor to veto a D.C. Council bill approved Tuesday that would make it a local crime to pay someone to vote.
FL: Seminole County amps up voting technology
http://www.seminolechronicle.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2010/07/14/4c3e22269aac2
GA: St. Marys voters to consider majority elections
Plurality decides races now, but a referendum could change all that.
http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2010-07-13/story/st-marys-voters-consider-majority-elections
IL: Illinois Republican Party is Victim of 2009 “Anti-Slating” Law
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/15/illinois-republican-party-is-victim-of-2009-anti-slating-law/
IL: Polling place privacy -- a good idea, long overdue
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2010/07/primary.html
IL: State's attorney election trial begins
http://register-news.com/local/x536262299/States-attorney-election-trial-begins
MT. VERNON — The Jefferson County State’s Attorney election contest trial started on Tuesday, with a parade of witnesses who voted in the Nov. 4, 2008, election being called by former candidate Nicole Villani.
...
During his opening statements on Tuesday, Villani’s attorney, Morris Lane Harvey, claimed there was “such a pervasive practice of irregularities in that precinct from start to finish ... that Mt. Vernon 12 precinct in relation to votes cast on election day, should not be counted at all.”
MD: Baltimore County Man Cited For Election Sign
http://www.wbaltv.com/politics/24250565/detail.html
County Says Campaign Poster 'Too Big'
...
Stouten got creative and cut the big sign down into four pieces -- each under 8 square feet -- and put the sign back up.
MI: Tea Party Appears to Qualify for the Michigan Ballot
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/14/tea-party-appears-to-qualify-for-the-michigan-ballot/
MN: Pawlenty: Investigate felon votes in Senate race
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/98472564.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUqEiaDUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
MN: DID ENOUGH ILLEGAL FELONS VOTE IN MINNESOTA IN 2008 TO TIP THE BALANCE TO AL FRANKEN? http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016422.html
MN: Doc, Elvis or Santa: When is a nickname OK on ballot?
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/98470854.html
NC: Local company unveils mobile voting site
http://www.enctoday.com/news/voting-89005-nbsj-mobile-carolina.html
Developed by Dunn Office Solutions – Print Elect of New Bern, the all-American looking 38-foot Winnebago has an interior designed to hold elections officials and as many as 15 voting machines and voters.
NY: Cancel the Voting Machines? (The Brian Lehrer Show Podcast)
http://beta.wnyc.org/shows/bl/2010/jul/14/cancel-voting-machines/
Wendy Weiser, counsel in The Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, and Monifa Bandele, senior programs & outreach manager at The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, discuss a recent lawsuit which attempts to block the use of voting machines in New York, claiming they lead to the cancellation of tens of thousands of votes.
NY: NEW VOTING SYSTEM BRINGS NEW COSTS TO COUNTY
http://www.ccscoop.com/news/10july/11-voting/voting.html
OH: Could It Be The Wave Of The Future? (2% voter turnout)
http://www.whiotv.com/politics/24262050/detail.html
It was the very first use of the voting center concept in the state. A new law allowed its use in the special election that featured three Democrats in the race for Congress.
...
A few voiced complaints of having to drive farther to cast their ballot.
The vote turnout was less than two percent in Montgomery County.
Turnout was even lighter in the one county that had all of its precincts open throughout the day.
OK: Felony charges filed against Adair County man in voter fraud case
http://oklahoma.watchdog.org/928/felony-charges-filed-against-adair-county-man-in-voter-fraud-case/ Cates, 73, of Westville, Okla. had four counts brought against him July 13th in the District Court of the 15th Judicial District of Oklahoma: two were for false affidavit in voting registration and two for false notarization of absentee ballot.
OR: ‘Fusion voting’ links D’s and R’s with I’s on ballots
Oregon’s Independent Party voting might mean endorsements for candidates
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=127908156463941400
PA: Voter issues target of study (voting machines not user friendly)
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer/the_intelligencer_
news_details/article/27/2010/july/09/voter-issues-target-of-study.html
http://is.gd/dtC5G The Montco election board plans to take steps to be sure voters hit the "cast vote" button on election machines before leaving the booth.
Montgomery County will create several new election initiatives designed to cut down on discrepancies between the number of voters tallied on its electronic voting machines and the number hand-recorded at the polling places.
SC: Florence County Council OKs $1 million bid to build elections facility
http://www2.scnow.com/scp/news/local/pee_dee/article/florence_county_
council_oks_1_million_bid_to_build_elections_facility/224339/ http://is.gd/dtCcs
Florence County Council has approved a nearly $1 million bid for construction of the new Florence County Voter Registration and Elections Commission building.
TX: Mail-in voter fraud subject of election administrators’ forum
http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2010/07/mailin-voter-fraud-subject-of-election-administrators/1279054846.story Voters and officials discouraged by the free reign held by vote harvesters, or politiqueras, have mostly given up asking Austin for help.
UT: Bernard sues over election results
http://www.sunews.net/article.cfm?articleID=609 The petitioner (Bernard), alleges that illegal votes were received and legal votes were rejected in the election sufficient to change the result of the election; ...that a correct tally will change the result of the election;
WA: WA election officials investigate initiative fraud
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_initiative_fraud.html
State Elections Director Nick Handy says it appears to be "an isolated problem" of one signature-gatherer submitting 20 petitions with possibly falsified signatures.
WV: Special judge appointed for election contest; Absentee applicants hauled voters, held signs http://www.lincolnjournalinc.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=5390&wpage=1&skeyword=
&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=
&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2186&hn=
lincolnjournalinc&he=.com http://is.gd/dtCdX
Internet Voting Watch
Huffington Post: Digital Democracy: Scytl, MySociety Secure Funding
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheila-shayon/digital-democracy-scytl-m_b_646034.html
Finnish E-Voting Results Annulled By The Supreme Administrative Court
22 April, 2009 http://www.edri.org/edri-gram/number7.8/evoting-annuled-finland
[2% of results missing. Scytl was involved.
Finnish EVoting CoE Comparison
http://www.effi.org/system/files?file=FinnishEVotingCoEComparison_Effi_20080801.pdf
Scytl website http://www.scytl.com/categoria_ing_10.htm
National
Lost Voters, Lost Votes
http://www.votinginfoproject.org/blog/index.cfm/2010/7/15/Lost-Voters-Lost-Votes
The New Organizing Institute (NOI) – a project partner and key member of the Voting Information Project team -- has recently released an important white paper analyzing the shamefully high number of voters who don't vote solely because they cannot find their polling place location.
...because of redistricting following the 2010 Census, the 2012 presidential election could make finding polling places even more difficult for voters:
DEPT. OF UNDERSTATEMENT
WaPo: "It's turning into the year of setbacks for campaign finance regulations."
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016424.html
Pew Center Commends Uniform Law Commission for Military and Overseas Voters Act
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2010/07/15/717
2008 voter-intimidation case against New Black Panthers a political bombshell
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/14/AR2010071405880.html
International
Indonesia: E-voting needs special precautions, judge says
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/15/evoting-needs-special-precautions-judge-says.html
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net =============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AZ: Computer glitch causes errors in Mesa voter information
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/07/14/20100714mesa-voter-information-glitch.html
A glitch in a computer program created inaccurate information in voter registration records at the Maricopa County Recorder's Mesa office in recent weeks.
Yvonne Reed, communications director for the Maricopa County Elections Department, said the problem was traced to a program installed in the Mesa terminals and has been corrected.
CA: REGION: Riverside County to invest in election equipment
SUPERVISORS CONSIDER VOTE COUNTERS FOR EACH POLLING PLACE
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/swcounty/article_f2b4e23b-a22d-5008-85ed-ef17fc0b2ef7.html
CA: Registrar to stay, $650,000 to go
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100714/NEWS0301/7140314/Registrar+
to+stay+++650+000+to+go http://is.gd/dtC4i
CA: District elections blocked by San Mateo supervisors
http://www.examiner.com/x-1891-San-Mateo-Public-Policy-Examiner~y2010m7d13-District-Elections-Blocked-by-San-Mateo-Supervisors ...denying county voters the option to vote on a local ballot measure to change the way in which supervisors are elected..
DC: Moten urges Fenty to veto vote-buying bill
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/07/moten_urges_fenty_to_veto_vote.html
...ally of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) is calling on the mayor to veto a D.C. Council bill approved Tuesday that would make it a local crime to pay someone to vote.
FL: Seminole County amps up voting technology
http://www.seminolechronicle.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2010/07/14/4c3e22269aac2
GA: St. Marys voters to consider majority elections
Plurality decides races now, but a referendum could change all that.
http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2010-07-13/story/st-marys-voters-consider-majority-elections
IL: Illinois Republican Party is Victim of 2009 “Anti-Slating” Law
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/15/illinois-republican-party-is-victim-of-2009-anti-slating-law/
IL: Polling place privacy -- a good idea, long overdue
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2010/07/primary.html
IL: State's attorney election trial begins
http://register-news.com/local/x536262299/States-attorney-election-trial-begins
MT. VERNON — The Jefferson County State’s Attorney election contest trial started on Tuesday, with a parade of witnesses who voted in the Nov. 4, 2008, election being called by former candidate Nicole Villani.
...
During his opening statements on Tuesday, Villani’s attorney, Morris Lane Harvey, claimed there was “such a pervasive practice of irregularities in that precinct from start to finish ... that Mt. Vernon 12 precinct in relation to votes cast on election day, should not be counted at all.”
MD: Baltimore County Man Cited For Election Sign
http://www.wbaltv.com/politics/24250565/detail.html
County Says Campaign Poster 'Too Big'
...
Stouten got creative and cut the big sign down into four pieces -- each under 8 square feet -- and put the sign back up.
MI: Tea Party Appears to Qualify for the Michigan Ballot
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/14/tea-party-appears-to-qualify-for-the-michigan-ballot/
MN: Pawlenty: Investigate felon votes in Senate race
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/98472564.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUqEiaDUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
MN: DID ENOUGH ILLEGAL FELONS VOTE IN MINNESOTA IN 2008 TO TIP THE BALANCE TO AL FRANKEN? http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016422.html
MN: Doc, Elvis or Santa: When is a nickname OK on ballot?
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/98470854.html
NC: Local company unveils mobile voting site
http://www.enctoday.com/news/voting-89005-nbsj-mobile-carolina.html
Developed by Dunn Office Solutions – Print Elect of New Bern, the all-American looking 38-foot Winnebago has an interior designed to hold elections officials and as many as 15 voting machines and voters.
NY: Cancel the Voting Machines? (The Brian Lehrer Show Podcast)
http://beta.wnyc.org/shows/bl/2010/jul/14/cancel-voting-machines/
Wendy Weiser, counsel in The Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, and Monifa Bandele, senior programs & outreach manager at The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, discuss a recent lawsuit which attempts to block the use of voting machines in New York, claiming they lead to the cancellation of tens of thousands of votes.
NY: NEW VOTING SYSTEM BRINGS NEW COSTS TO COUNTY
http://www.ccscoop.com/news/10july/11-voting/voting.html
OH: Could It Be The Wave Of The Future? (2% voter turnout)
http://www.whiotv.com/politics/24262050/detail.html
It was the very first use of the voting center concept in the state. A new law allowed its use in the special election that featured three Democrats in the race for Congress.
...
A few voiced complaints of having to drive farther to cast their ballot.
The vote turnout was less than two percent in Montgomery County.
Turnout was even lighter in the one county that had all of its precincts open throughout the day.
OK: Felony charges filed against Adair County man in voter fraud case
http://oklahoma.watchdog.org/928/felony-charges-filed-against-adair-county-man-in-voter-fraud-case/ Cates, 73, of Westville, Okla. had four counts brought against him July 13th in the District Court of the 15th Judicial District of Oklahoma: two were for false affidavit in voting registration and two for false notarization of absentee ballot.
OR: ‘Fusion voting’ links D’s and R’s with I’s on ballots
Oregon’s Independent Party voting might mean endorsements for candidates
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=127908156463941400
PA: Voter issues target of study (voting machines not user friendly)
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer/the_intelligencer_
news_details/article/27/2010/july/09/voter-issues-target-of-study.html
http://is.gd/dtC5G The Montco election board plans to take steps to be sure voters hit the "cast vote" button on election machines before leaving the booth.
Montgomery County will create several new election initiatives designed to cut down on discrepancies between the number of voters tallied on its electronic voting machines and the number hand-recorded at the polling places.
SC: Florence County Council OKs $1 million bid to build elections facility
http://www2.scnow.com/scp/news/local/pee_dee/article/florence_county_
council_oks_1_million_bid_to_build_elections_facility/224339/ http://is.gd/dtCcs
Florence County Council has approved a nearly $1 million bid for construction of the new Florence County Voter Registration and Elections Commission building.
TX: Mail-in voter fraud subject of election administrators’ forum
http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2010/07/mailin-voter-fraud-subject-of-election-administrators/1279054846.story Voters and officials discouraged by the free reign held by vote harvesters, or politiqueras, have mostly given up asking Austin for help.
UT: Bernard sues over election results
http://www.sunews.net/article.cfm?articleID=609 The petitioner (Bernard), alleges that illegal votes were received and legal votes were rejected in the election sufficient to change the result of the election; ...that a correct tally will change the result of the election;
WA: WA election officials investigate initiative fraud
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_initiative_fraud.html
State Elections Director Nick Handy says it appears to be "an isolated problem" of one signature-gatherer submitting 20 petitions with possibly falsified signatures.
WV: Special judge appointed for election contest; Absentee applicants hauled voters, held signs http://www.lincolnjournalinc.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=5390&wpage=1&skeyword=
&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=
&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2186&hn=
lincolnjournalinc&he=.com http://is.gd/dtCdX
Internet Voting Watch
Huffington Post: Digital Democracy: Scytl, MySociety Secure Funding
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheila-shayon/digital-democracy-scytl-m_b_646034.html
Finnish E-Voting Results Annulled By The Supreme Administrative Court
22 April, 2009 http://www.edri.org/edri-gram/number7.8/evoting-annuled-finland
[2% of results missing. Scytl was involved.
Finnish EVoting CoE Comparison
http://www.effi.org/system/files?file=FinnishEVotingCoEComparison_Effi_20080801.pdf
Scytl website http://www.scytl.com/categoria_ing_10.htm
National
Lost Voters, Lost Votes
http://www.votinginfoproject.org/blog/index.cfm/2010/7/15/Lost-Voters-Lost-Votes
The New Organizing Institute (NOI) – a project partner and key member of the Voting Information Project team -- has recently released an important white paper analyzing the shamefully high number of voters who don't vote solely because they cannot find their polling place location.
...because of redistricting following the 2010 Census, the 2012 presidential election could make finding polling places even more difficult for voters:
DEPT. OF UNDERSTATEMENT
WaPo: "It's turning into the year of setbacks for campaign finance regulations."
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016424.html
Pew Center Commends Uniform Law Commission for Military and Overseas Voters Act
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2010/07/15/717
2008 voter-intimidation case against New Black Panthers a political bombshell
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/14/AR2010071405880.html
International
Indonesia: E-voting needs special precautions, judge says
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/15/evoting-needs-special-precautions-judge-says.html
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net =============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Vote or Vice? Internet voting $1.5 B industry. AZ Election evidence disappears
News reports say that internet voting is a $1.5 Billion industry. You didn't think it was being promoted for the good of voters, did you? Computer scientists say that internet elections are inherently insecure and ballots are non secret...Evidence Discovered Missing from Allegedly 'Fixed' AZ Election..Tulare County CA discovers 2,500 ballots not counted...Letter to editor: "New York's elections are being Floridized."...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
Editor note: yesterday we attirbuted the story "Ballot error" to Connecticut, but the state is Vermont instead. We apologize and thank readers for notifying us.
AL: Alabama: editorial warns GOP about crossover voting (or closing the barn door after ...) http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006412.html
The Huntsville Times editorializes: Be careful what you ask for. It may not be what you really want.
AL: New election night reporting system to be tested during primary runoff election
http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=12791803
MONTGOMERY, AL - A new election night reporting system would be tested during the primary runoff election Tuesday. The test program will take place in four counties: Jefferson, Madison, Mobile, and Montgomery.
AZ: EXCLUSIVE: Evidence Discovered Missing from Allegedly 'Fixed' AZ Election; MUCH MORE* http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7946
Out of 368 precincts, 112 poll tapes are completely missing. Moreover, 102 of the "yellow sheets" --- certified precinct reports, signed by poll workers, detailing corresponding summary information, such as numbers of ballots received, cast and spoiled, as helpful for important auditing functions at the precinct level --- are missing as well.
Furthermore, of the poll tape records that are not missing, 50 of them do not match the results as recorded in the final canvas of the election,
CA: Tulare County discovers 2,500 ballots not counted *
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/13/2005111/tulare-county-discovers-2500-ballots.html?storylink=mirelated
Wallis says the problem was discovered during a recount in a supervisor's race when election officials discovered 395 additional votes compared to the first tally. They soon learned the problem extended across the county.
CA: Election-night error resulted in 10 percent of absentee ballots not being tabulated; no races affected by since-rectified problem, elections officials say
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20100712/NEWS01/100712017/1002/Election-night+error+resulted+in+10+percent+of+absentee+ballots+not+being+tabulated++no+races+affected+by+since-rectified+problem++elections+officials+say http://is.gd/dr6gO
(Tulare County)... the vote-by-mail ballots involved were counted but not uploaded to the Election Office ballot-tabulation program.
CA: Assemblywoman asks for recount of state Senate ballots
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100713/NEWS0301/7130311/1006/news01/
Assemblywoman+asks+for+recount+of+state+Senate+ballots http://is.gd/dskIf
(Riverside County) Assemblywoman Mary Salas late Monday asked for a recount in the primary race for state Senate, two days after the results showed she lost by 22 votes.
CA: County supervisors approve election report, keep registrar
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100713/NEWS03/100713015/County-supervisors-approve-election-report-keep-registrar- (Riverside County)
The internal county review discussed today blamed “poor” communication with voters and a reduced budget for most of the problems.
CT: They Can Keep The Money
http://newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/they_can_keep_the_--_for_now/id_27691 (Updated) A federal court panel ruling Tuesday limited the ability of publicly financed candidates to keep up with the spending of millionaires who finance their own campaigns. But two candidates most immediately affected by that ruling—Dan Malloy and Michael Fedele—can keep an extra $2 million they got for the upcoming gubernatorial primaries.
FL: No More Free Postage For Absentee Ballots
http://wokv.com/localnews/2010/07/no-more-free-postage-for-absen.html
Jacksonville taxpayers aren't footing the bill this year for absentee voters. For the first time in a long time, you'll have to buy your own 44 cent stamp to send your absentee ballot in.
Duval County was the only district in Florida to offer prepaid postage but that's being scrapped because of tough budget times
GA: With court approval, state continues to verify voters
http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/with-court-approval-state-569972.html
Thousands of Georgians were recently told they need to provide proof of citizenship before their votes can be counted in next Tuesday’s primaries.
...
More than 4,200 were flagged by Georgia’s voter verification process, which is under legal attack and continues to await approval by the U.S. Justice Department or the federal courts. A recent court order allows the secretary of state’s office to continue the process, even though some of the people being flagged are citizens and eligible to vote.
IA: Iowa: Less than 1 percent of Iowa primary voters were same-day registrants
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/07/12/less-than-1-percent-of-iowa-primary-voters-were-same-day-registrants/
IL: Illinois Governor Alters an Election Law Bill to Convert Illinois Open Primary Into a Secret Open Primary
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/13/illinois-governor-alters-an-election-law-bill-to-convert-illinois-open-primary-into-a-secret-open-primary/
IN: Recount for District 4 council seat goes into late-night hours* (ES&S Optech Eagle with iVotronic for disabled)
http://newsandtribune.com/local/x829289545/Recount-for-District-4-council-seat-goes-into-late-night-hours CLARK COUNTY — A recount in the Clark County Council District 4 race was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Monday, but delays pushed the recount late into the night
...
The issue with the voting machines occurred when a tape used to count the number of votes ran out before it was completed on the night of the election. The machine delayed some voting results, but was brought back to the county building and the count was finished.
KY: Sixth Circuit Strikes Down Two Judicial Elections Canons, and Expresses Doubts about a Third One http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016418.html
The Sixth Circuit in Carey v. Wolnitzek has struck down Kentucky's ban on judicial candidates publicly announcing their party affiliations and its ban on the personal solicitation of campaign contributions.
MN: Ramsey County / 30 people charged with election fraud
http://www.twincities.com/politics/ci_15501475?nclick_check=1
in Hennepin County, Deputy County Attorney Pat Diamond said authorities are investigating 216 allegations flagged by Minnesota Majority but have yet to charge anyone from that list.
Carruthers said more than a third of their list was immediately dismissed, and another 135 have been investigated without resulting in charges
NY: N.Y.'s elections being Floridized (LTE)
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=950057&category=LETTER
The plaintiffs are right; New York's elections are being Floridized. But their complaint is the tip of the iceberg.
OR: Breaking News: Ballot snafu worries county officials *
http://tillamookheadlightherald.com/news/article_eeb104b7-2e0c-5322-bca3-97f787fd3546.html
TILLAMOOK - An oversight compiling language for county Ballot Measure 29-99 has county officials worried that voters won't recognize it as request for a bond measure to finance replacement of the county fairgrounds grandstand and bleachers.
VT: Ballot snag short-circuits early voting
http://www.timesargus.com/article/20100713/NEWS01/7130344
MONTPELIER – Early voting in Vermont's hotly contested 2010 primary kicked off Monday, but some communities turned people away due to a lack of ballots.
VT: Election ballot error* (We ran this under CT yesterday in error)
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12793289
Montpelier, Vermont. Primary election ballots sent to cities and towns around Chittenden County had to be destroyed and replaced due to a printer's error.
Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says the problem was the Democratic ballot was printed on a larger piece of paper than the Republican or Progressive ballots. The ballots were replaced in time to meet Monday's early voting deadline.
VT: Deputy Secretary of State Bill Dalton On The Early Voting System
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/88451/
Voting for the 2010 Primary election begins today. That's because Vermont's early voting system is now up and running.
The Legislature made some changes to the state's election laws this winter and one of the changes allows voters to cast their ballots 45 days before an election.
WV: Election expenses concern officials
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/540157.html
"I hope this additional financial expense is not born by the counties, because elections are not cheap and we have not built it into our budget for this year,"
Internet Voting Watch
Online Voting Company Scytl Raises $9.2 Million
http://www.pehub.com/76943/online-voting-company-scytl-raises-92-million/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+pehub/news/all+(PEHub+News)
http://is.gd/dr6Q1 Analysts believe that the public sector market for electronic voting systems is worth approximately $1.5 billion.
National
Election Officials Consider Upgrades to Registration System
http://www.brennancenter.org/blog/archives/election_officials_upgrades
Many states have already reaped the benefits of modernization, reducing costs and improving their voter registration systems.
What Won't Brown Do for You?
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016419.html Soon after Democrats and reform groups put all their DISCLOSE eggs in the Scott Brown basket, Brown came out firmly and strongly against it.
International
Nigeria: New INEC commissioners doubt use of e-voting
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5593627-147/new_inec_commissioners_doubt_use_of.csp
Abdulkadri Oniyang and Amina Zakari, the two newest national commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have expressed doubts over the use of electronic voting in the 2011 election.
UK: How Facebook Increased General Election Voter Registration
http://www.onlinesocialmedia.net/20100713/how-facebook-increased-general-election-voter-registration/
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews
and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
All this and more in today's voting news below...
Editor note: yesterday we attirbuted the story "Ballot error" to Connecticut, but the state is Vermont instead. We apologize and thank readers for notifying us.
AL: Alabama: editorial warns GOP about crossover voting (or closing the barn door after ...) http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006412.html
The Huntsville Times editorializes: Be careful what you ask for. It may not be what you really want.
AL: New election night reporting system to be tested during primary runoff election
http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=12791803
MONTGOMERY, AL - A new election night reporting system would be tested during the primary runoff election Tuesday. The test program will take place in four counties: Jefferson, Madison, Mobile, and Montgomery.
AZ: EXCLUSIVE: Evidence Discovered Missing from Allegedly 'Fixed' AZ Election; MUCH MORE* http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7946
Out of 368 precincts, 112 poll tapes are completely missing. Moreover, 102 of the "yellow sheets" --- certified precinct reports, signed by poll workers, detailing corresponding summary information, such as numbers of ballots received, cast and spoiled, as helpful for important auditing functions at the precinct level --- are missing as well.
Furthermore, of the poll tape records that are not missing, 50 of them do not match the results as recorded in the final canvas of the election,
CA: Tulare County discovers 2,500 ballots not counted *
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/13/2005111/tulare-county-discovers-2500-ballots.html?storylink=mirelated
Wallis says the problem was discovered during a recount in a supervisor's race when election officials discovered 395 additional votes compared to the first tally. They soon learned the problem extended across the county.
CA: Election-night error resulted in 10 percent of absentee ballots not being tabulated; no races affected by since-rectified problem, elections officials say
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20100712/NEWS01/100712017/1002/Election-night+error+resulted+in+10+percent+of+absentee+ballots+not+being+tabulated++no+races+affected+by+since-rectified+problem++elections+officials+say http://is.gd/dr6gO
(Tulare County)... the vote-by-mail ballots involved were counted but not uploaded to the Election Office ballot-tabulation program.
CA: Assemblywoman asks for recount of state Senate ballots
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100713/NEWS0301/7130311/1006/news01/
Assemblywoman+asks+for+recount+of+state+Senate+ballots http://is.gd/dskIf
(Riverside County) Assemblywoman Mary Salas late Monday asked for a recount in the primary race for state Senate, two days after the results showed she lost by 22 votes.
CA: County supervisors approve election report, keep registrar
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100713/NEWS03/100713015/County-supervisors-approve-election-report-keep-registrar- (Riverside County)
The internal county review discussed today blamed “poor” communication with voters and a reduced budget for most of the problems.
CT: They Can Keep The Money
http://newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/they_can_keep_the_--_for_now/id_27691 (Updated) A federal court panel ruling Tuesday limited the ability of publicly financed candidates to keep up with the spending of millionaires who finance their own campaigns. But two candidates most immediately affected by that ruling—Dan Malloy and Michael Fedele—can keep an extra $2 million they got for the upcoming gubernatorial primaries.
FL: No More Free Postage For Absentee Ballots
http://wokv.com/localnews/2010/07/no-more-free-postage-for-absen.html
Jacksonville taxpayers aren't footing the bill this year for absentee voters. For the first time in a long time, you'll have to buy your own 44 cent stamp to send your absentee ballot in.
Duval County was the only district in Florida to offer prepaid postage but that's being scrapped because of tough budget times
GA: With court approval, state continues to verify voters
http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/with-court-approval-state-569972.html
Thousands of Georgians were recently told they need to provide proof of citizenship before their votes can be counted in next Tuesday’s primaries.
...
More than 4,200 were flagged by Georgia’s voter verification process, which is under legal attack and continues to await approval by the U.S. Justice Department or the federal courts. A recent court order allows the secretary of state’s office to continue the process, even though some of the people being flagged are citizens and eligible to vote.
IA: Iowa: Less than 1 percent of Iowa primary voters were same-day registrants
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/07/12/less-than-1-percent-of-iowa-primary-voters-were-same-day-registrants/
IL: Illinois Governor Alters an Election Law Bill to Convert Illinois Open Primary Into a Secret Open Primary
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/13/illinois-governor-alters-an-election-law-bill-to-convert-illinois-open-primary-into-a-secret-open-primary/
IN: Recount for District 4 council seat goes into late-night hours* (ES&S Optech Eagle with iVotronic for disabled)
http://newsandtribune.com/local/x829289545/Recount-for-District-4-council-seat-goes-into-late-night-hours CLARK COUNTY — A recount in the Clark County Council District 4 race was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Monday, but delays pushed the recount late into the night
...
The issue with the voting machines occurred when a tape used to count the number of votes ran out before it was completed on the night of the election. The machine delayed some voting results, but was brought back to the county building and the count was finished.
KY: Sixth Circuit Strikes Down Two Judicial Elections Canons, and Expresses Doubts about a Third One http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016418.html
The Sixth Circuit in Carey v. Wolnitzek has struck down Kentucky's ban on judicial candidates publicly announcing their party affiliations and its ban on the personal solicitation of campaign contributions.
MN: Ramsey County / 30 people charged with election fraud
http://www.twincities.com/politics/ci_15501475?nclick_check=1
in Hennepin County, Deputy County Attorney Pat Diamond said authorities are investigating 216 allegations flagged by Minnesota Majority but have yet to charge anyone from that list.
Carruthers said more than a third of their list was immediately dismissed, and another 135 have been investigated without resulting in charges
NY: N.Y.'s elections being Floridized (LTE)
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=950057&category=LETTER
The plaintiffs are right; New York's elections are being Floridized. But their complaint is the tip of the iceberg.
OR: Breaking News: Ballot snafu worries county officials *
http://tillamookheadlightherald.com/news/article_eeb104b7-2e0c-5322-bca3-97f787fd3546.html
TILLAMOOK - An oversight compiling language for county Ballot Measure 29-99 has county officials worried that voters won't recognize it as request for a bond measure to finance replacement of the county fairgrounds grandstand and bleachers.
VT: Ballot snag short-circuits early voting
http://www.timesargus.com/article/20100713/NEWS01/7130344
MONTPELIER – Early voting in Vermont's hotly contested 2010 primary kicked off Monday, but some communities turned people away due to a lack of ballots.
VT: Election ballot error* (We ran this under CT yesterday in error)
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12793289
Montpelier, Vermont. Primary election ballots sent to cities and towns around Chittenden County had to be destroyed and replaced due to a printer's error.
Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says the problem was the Democratic ballot was printed on a larger piece of paper than the Republican or Progressive ballots. The ballots were replaced in time to meet Monday's early voting deadline.
VT: Deputy Secretary of State Bill Dalton On The Early Voting System
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/88451/
Voting for the 2010 Primary election begins today. That's because Vermont's early voting system is now up and running.
The Legislature made some changes to the state's election laws this winter and one of the changes allows voters to cast their ballots 45 days before an election.
WV: Election expenses concern officials
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/540157.html
"I hope this additional financial expense is not born by the counties, because elections are not cheap and we have not built it into our budget for this year,"
Internet Voting Watch
Online Voting Company Scytl Raises $9.2 Million
http://www.pehub.com/76943/online-voting-company-scytl-raises-92-million/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+pehub/news/all+(PEHub+News)
http://is.gd/dr6Q1 Analysts believe that the public sector market for electronic voting systems is worth approximately $1.5 billion.
National
Election Officials Consider Upgrades to Registration System
http://www.brennancenter.org/blog/archives/election_officials_upgrades
Many states have already reaped the benefits of modernization, reducing costs and improving their voter registration systems.
What Won't Brown Do for You?
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016419.html Soon after Democrats and reform groups put all their DISCLOSE eggs in the Scott Brown basket, Brown came out firmly and strongly against it.
International
Nigeria: New INEC commissioners doubt use of e-voting
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5593627-147/new_inec_commissioners_doubt_use_of.csp
Abdulkadri Oniyang and Amina Zakari, the two newest national commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have expressed doubts over the use of electronic voting in the 2011 election.
UK: How Facebook Increased General Election Voter Registration
http://www.onlinesocialmedia.net/20100713/how-facebook-increased-general-election-voter-registration/
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews
and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Montgomery PA voters thwarted by Sequoia machines. Why CT Finance Ruling matters.
Must read: Old style ballot box facing electronic poll threat. "The most effective fraud is done by changing results after the count is done--how much easier is that going to be to do undetected when there is no paper trail to trip you up?" ~ Silvana Puizana,electoral expert..Richard Winger of Ballot Access News says "2nd Circuit Reverses U.S. District Court, Says Constitution Permits Massive Discrimination Against Minor Parties and Independent Candidates in Public Funding." The ruling is a " major campaign finance decision with important national implications." says Rick Hasen of ElectionLawBlog...
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AL: Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Alabama
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/justice-department-to-monitor-elections-in-alabama-98250769.html
WASHINGTON, July 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor the primary runoff elections on July 13, 2010, in Barbour, Lee and Russell Counties, Ala., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
CA: ACORN Worker Sues O'Keefe
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7940
CT: Two Courts Rule For And Against Citizens Election Program
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=3359 Its a mixed bag, disappointing in my view.
It makes no sense that giving supplemental grants to one candidate limits the free speech of an opponent, or that erecting higher standards for third party candidates serves a vibrant democracy.
CT: 2nd Circuit Reverses U.S. District Court, Says Constitution Permits Massive Discrimination Against Minor Parties and Independent Candidates in Public Funding
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/13/2nd-circuit-reverses-u-s-district-court-says-constitution-permits-massive-discrimination-against-minor-parties-and-independent-candidates-in-public-funding/
CT: SECOND CIRCUIT PANEL ISSUES TWO IMPORTANT DECISIONS ON CONNECTICUT CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016413.html In a major campaign finance decision with important national implications, a Second Circuit panel in Green Party of Connecticut v. Garfield agreed with a federal district court that the "trigger provision" of Connecticut's campaign finance law (giving additional funding when a participating candidate faces a self-financed opponent or large independent spending against the candidate) is unconstitutional.
CT: Second Circuit Campaign Finance Rulings
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/green_party_of_
connecticut_v_jeffrey_garfield_et_al/ http://is.gd/dr1px
Today, the Second Circuit upheld the majority of Connecticut's campaign finance reform system - including its groundbreaking public financing program - against a sweeping constitutional challenge.
CT: Connecticut public financing opinion announced
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/2010/07/13/connecticut-public-financing-court-opinion-announced/ Today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit overturned the subsidies that Connecticut provides to publicly funded candidates for state office so they can match the campaign spending of their privately funded opponents.
GA: Vaccinations offered at early voting (ouch!)
http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/news/headlines/98287894.html
“Vote and Vaccination” program offered by the Rockdale County Board of Health.
NY: EDITORIAL: Let's get voting right in New York ($ for full article)
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial-let-s-get-voting-right-in-new-york-1.2099927
The comfortable era of lever voting machines is likely to end in New York in September. So we'll have to get used to marking paper ballots and stuffing them into scanners that will read and count our votes - except when they won't.
OR: A vote by mail glitch
http://www.ridenbaugh.com/index.php/2010/07/12/a-vote-by-mail-glitch/
Most people probably won’t encounter this, but it’s worth considering as we think about the long-range future of vote-by-mail, which is probably growing, and of the U.S. Post Service, which has been slowly spiraling downward.
PA: Election Board Response to ERN Study on Vote Discrepancies: "We're Happy"
http://www.electionreformnetwork.us/node/235 After 14 years with the Sequoia machines, too many voters are still confused and poll workers still make blunders. Either we're just stupid in Montco or the machines aren't designed well to work with humans. Will our county officials investigate to get to the root of the problems? Sorry, they're just too happy.
PA: A Report on Staffing Levels at the Polls for the 2008 General Election
http://www.electionreformnetwork.us/node/236 ...69 districts or 17 percent were understaffed. Of the 44 districts with staffing records with disparities between the numbered poll list and the machine count of at least nine voters, 11 or 25 percent were understaffed (see Chart below).
VT: Early primary voting will impact race for governor (video avail)
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12787826
Early voting for the August 24th primary starts today. It's the earliest Vermonters have been able to vote and the change could have a big impact on the outcome...
WV: Manchin: Senate appointment should come by Sunday
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/108241-manchin-senate-appointment-should-come-by-sunday
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) said Monday he expects to name an interim replacement for the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) by Sunday.
Internet Voting Watch
Where We Stand – on D.C. and Elsewhere
http://www.trustthevote.org/where-we-stand-%e2%80%93-on-d-c-and-elsewhere
Where do the OSDV Foundation and TrustTheVote Project stand on Internet voting?
How does this square with OSDV’s role in the D.C. Pilot?
Independents Begin Online Vote Thursday (commercial internet vote company pr)
http://www.everyonecounts.com/index.php/news/85/95/Independents-Begin-Online-Vote-Thursday
The Independent Party of Oregon is launching the first statewide nominating election to be conducted entirely on the Internet.
National
States Move to Modernize Voter Registration
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/voter_registration_in_a_digital_age/
The Brennan Center for Justice today releases the first in-depth survey of two key voter registration modernization reforms at the state level
Citizens United and the Myth of a Conservative Corporate America
http://ideologicalcartography.com/2010/07/12/citizens-united-and-the-myth-of-a-conservative-corporate-america/
International
Old style ballot box facing electronic poll threat
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h-uLDBNnMhUaK4DeoaADwJ1R6aYw
"I've seen too much fraud and corruption done with impunity to wish to make it even easier for them to do it in the future -- with a virtual promise of being undetectable."
Australia: ROCK ENROL, HAVE YOU ENROLLED TO VOTE YET? (video aimed at young voters uses action or video game style outreach in video)
http://www.grindonline.com.au/2010/07/rock-enrol-have-you-enrolled-to-vote-yet/
Welcome to Adulthood! You can drink, you can get a credit card, and most importantly, you can vote for who represents you in the Federal Parliament!
India: Jumbo boxes for AP elections
http://expressbuzz.com/states/andhrapradesh/jumbo-boxes-for-ap-elections/188990.html
WARANGAL: For the first time in its history, the Warangal West Assembly constituency will have jumbo ballot boxes to accommodate newspaper-size ballot papers in the upcoming bypolls. With over 93 candidates in the fray, the Election Commission was forced to do away with electronic voting machines while district officials faced trouble in allotting election symbols to independent candidates, numbering above 85.
India: TRS ‘papers’ poll with candidates to defeat EVMs
http://expressbuzz.com/states/andhrapradesh/trs-%E2%80%98papers%E2%80%99-poll-with-candidates-to-defeat-evms/188951.html
NEW DELHI: The TRS strategy to outmanoeuvre Electronic Voting Machines has sounded alarm bells in the Central Election Commission
...
The TRS has blamed the ruling Congress for manipulating EVMs to emerge victorious in the past elections.
India: Ballot papers in five Andhra by-polls, EVMs in other seven
http://sify.com/news/ballot-papers-in-five-andhra-by-polls-evms-in-other-seven-news-national-khmuabjjfah.html
Nigeria: 2011: Federal Govt considers electronic voting to curb rigging
http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/5462.html
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AL: Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Alabama
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/justice-department-to-monitor-elections-in-alabama-98250769.html
WASHINGTON, July 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor the primary runoff elections on July 13, 2010, in Barbour, Lee and Russell Counties, Ala., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
CA: ACORN Worker Sues O'Keefe
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7940
CT: Two Courts Rule For And Against Citizens Election Program
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=3359 Its a mixed bag, disappointing in my view.
It makes no sense that giving supplemental grants to one candidate limits the free speech of an opponent, or that erecting higher standards for third party candidates serves a vibrant democracy.
CT: 2nd Circuit Reverses U.S. District Court, Says Constitution Permits Massive Discrimination Against Minor Parties and Independent Candidates in Public Funding
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/07/13/2nd-circuit-reverses-u-s-district-court-says-constitution-permits-massive-discrimination-against-minor-parties-and-independent-candidates-in-public-funding/
CT: SECOND CIRCUIT PANEL ISSUES TWO IMPORTANT DECISIONS ON CONNECTICUT CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016413.html In a major campaign finance decision with important national implications, a Second Circuit panel in Green Party of Connecticut v. Garfield agreed with a federal district court that the "trigger provision" of Connecticut's campaign finance law (giving additional funding when a participating candidate faces a self-financed opponent or large independent spending against the candidate) is unconstitutional.
CT: Second Circuit Campaign Finance Rulings
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/green_party_of_
connecticut_v_jeffrey_garfield_et_al/ http://is.gd/dr1px
Today, the Second Circuit upheld the majority of Connecticut's campaign finance reform system - including its groundbreaking public financing program - against a sweeping constitutional challenge.
CT: Connecticut public financing opinion announced
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/2010/07/13/connecticut-public-financing-court-opinion-announced/ Today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit overturned the subsidies that Connecticut provides to publicly funded candidates for state office so they can match the campaign spending of their privately funded opponents.
GA: Vaccinations offered at early voting (ouch!)
http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/news/headlines/98287894.html
“Vote and Vaccination” program offered by the Rockdale County Board of Health.
NY: EDITORIAL: Let's get voting right in New York ($ for full article)
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial-let-s-get-voting-right-in-new-york-1.2099927
The comfortable era of lever voting machines is likely to end in New York in September. So we'll have to get used to marking paper ballots and stuffing them into scanners that will read and count our votes - except when they won't.
OR: A vote by mail glitch
http://www.ridenbaugh.com/index.php/2010/07/12/a-vote-by-mail-glitch/
Most people probably won’t encounter this, but it’s worth considering as we think about the long-range future of vote-by-mail, which is probably growing, and of the U.S. Post Service, which has been slowly spiraling downward.
PA: Election Board Response to ERN Study on Vote Discrepancies: "We're Happy"
http://www.electionreformnetwork.us/node/235 After 14 years with the Sequoia machines, too many voters are still confused and poll workers still make blunders. Either we're just stupid in Montco or the machines aren't designed well to work with humans. Will our county officials investigate to get to the root of the problems? Sorry, they're just too happy.
PA: A Report on Staffing Levels at the Polls for the 2008 General Election
http://www.electionreformnetwork.us/node/236 ...69 districts or 17 percent were understaffed. Of the 44 districts with staffing records with disparities between the numbered poll list and the machine count of at least nine voters, 11 or 25 percent were understaffed (see Chart below).
VT: Early primary voting will impact race for governor (video avail)
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12787826
Early voting for the August 24th primary starts today. It's the earliest Vermonters have been able to vote and the change could have a big impact on the outcome...
VT: Election ballot error
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=12793289
Montpelier, Vermont. Primary election ballots sent to cities and towns around Chittenden County had to be destroyed and replaced due to a printer's error.
Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says the problem was the Democratic ballot was printed on a larger piece of paper than the Republican or Progressive ballots. The ballots were replaced in time to meet Monday's early voting deadline.
WV: Manchin: Senate appointment should come by Sunday
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/108241-manchin-senate-appointment-should-come-by-sunday
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) said Monday he expects to name an interim replacement for the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) by Sunday.
Internet Voting Watch
Where We Stand – on D.C. and Elsewhere
http://www.trustthevote.org/where-we-stand-%e2%80%93-on-d-c-and-elsewhere
Where do the OSDV Foundation and TrustTheVote Project stand on Internet voting?
How does this square with OSDV’s role in the D.C. Pilot?
Independents Begin Online Vote Thursday (commercial internet vote company pr)
http://www.everyonecounts.com/index.php/news/85/95/Independents-Begin-Online-Vote-Thursday
The Independent Party of Oregon is launching the first statewide nominating election to be conducted entirely on the Internet.
National
States Move to Modernize Voter Registration
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/voter_registration_in_a_digital_age/
The Brennan Center for Justice today releases the first in-depth survey of two key voter registration modernization reforms at the state level
Citizens United and the Myth of a Conservative Corporate America
http://ideologicalcartography.com/2010/07/12/citizens-united-and-the-myth-of-a-conservative-corporate-america/
International
Old style ballot box facing electronic poll threat
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h-uLDBNnMhUaK4DeoaADwJ1R6aYw
"I've seen too much fraud and corruption done with impunity to wish to make it even easier for them to do it in the future -- with a virtual promise of being undetectable."
Australia: ROCK ENROL, HAVE YOU ENROLLED TO VOTE YET? (video aimed at young voters uses action or video game style outreach in video)
http://www.grindonline.com.au/2010/07/rock-enrol-have-you-enrolled-to-vote-yet/
Welcome to Adulthood! You can drink, you can get a credit card, and most importantly, you can vote for who represents you in the Federal Parliament!
India: Jumbo boxes for AP elections
http://expressbuzz.com/states/andhrapradesh/jumbo-boxes-for-ap-elections/188990.html
WARANGAL: For the first time in its history, the Warangal West Assembly constituency will have jumbo ballot boxes to accommodate newspaper-size ballot papers in the upcoming bypolls. With over 93 candidates in the fray, the Election Commission was forced to do away with electronic voting machines while district officials faced trouble in allotting election symbols to independent candidates, numbering above 85.
India: TRS ‘papers’ poll with candidates to defeat EVMs
http://expressbuzz.com/states/andhrapradesh/trs-%E2%80%98papers%E2%80%99-poll-with-candidates-to-defeat-evms/188951.html
NEW DELHI: The TRS strategy to outmanoeuvre Electronic Voting Machines has sounded alarm bells in the Central Election Commission
...
The TRS has blamed the ruling Congress for manipulating EVMs to emerge victorious in the past elections.
India: Ballot papers in five Andhra by-polls, EVMs in other seven
http://sify.com/news/ballot-papers-in-five-andhra-by-polls-evms-in-other-seven-news-national-khmuabjjfah.html
Nigeria: 2011: Federal Govt considers electronic voting to curb rigging
http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/5462.html
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Ohio Vote Center Pilots slash polling places. Ireland e-voting mistake still costs
Didn't we learn anything from the Garland Co Arkansas fiasco, where polling placesw were cut from 42 to 2? Ohio didn't: Montgomery, Clinton & Highland counties will drastically cut polling places and use vote centers instead.Montgomery Co. will go from 159 polling places to 4 vote centers. For people who can't easily get off work, or have transportation issues - voting just got harder. If something goes wrong, more voters and votes are impacted all at once. More on India's rebellion against electronic voting...Ireland-No end in sight for €50m e-voting saga..
AL: So that all can vote
http://www.dailyhome.com/view/full_story/8723426/article-So-that-all-can-vote?instance=home_lead_story According to Talladega County Probate Judge Billy Atkinson, blind voters in every precinct have the option of using an AutoMARK voting machine, which replaced Braille voting machines about four years ago.
...
“The Braille voting machines weighed around 2,000 pounds each and were difficult to set up,” Atkinson said. “Things moved very slowly, and we had to get AIDB to print..
AL: Cast your vote with a clear conscience
http://blog.al.com/tscarritt/2010/07/cast_your_vote_with_a_clear_co.html
To vote or not to vote: That is the question; Whether 'tis nobler in the runoff to suffer the outrageous choices that other voters might make, or to cross over into the opposing party's primary and help select its nominee
CA: Disputed Riverside Co. ballots counted
http://www.pe.com/politics/gang/stories/PE_News_Local_votecount11.127bfeeef.html
CA: Election probe findings are ‘stunning'
Report: Not enough ballot counters hired; registrar's resignation not sought
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100709/NEWS0301/7090323/
006/NEWS01/Election+probe+findings+are+%E2%80%98
stunning+ http://is.gd/dpHIp
The Riverside County registrar's office hired fewer people to count ballots than in previous elections and had “poor communication” with voters about the results, an internal review of the June 8 election found
...
Dunmore has also been criticized for not notifying the public sooner that 106,000 vote-by-mail and provisional ballots were not included in the election night tally.
The status of those votes — more than 40 percent of the total cast — was not publicized until after 5 p.m. the next day. It had many candidates believing they were victors before the final tally was determined.
CA: Candidates to receive refund from county over sample ballot glitch
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/news/ci_15474426?source=rss
The Mendocino County Elections Office is giving money back to the June Primary election candidates after errors appeared on the sample ballots mailed to voters, according to Registrar of Voters Sue Ranochak.
CA: How a bill becomes a law in California
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/2010/07/11/how-a-bill-becomes-a-law-in-california/
One newspaper’s take on how many bills become laws in California includes significant lobbyist involvement
CT: Bysiewicz: New Report Shows Connecticut Voter Turnout Increase 7th Highest
in the Nation http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/thereddingpilot/news/localnews/64075-bysiewicz-new-report-shows-connecticut-voter-turnout-increase-7th-highest-in-the-nation-in-2008-.html
FL: Emphasis on absentee ballots adds uncertainty
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/11/1725027/emphasis-on-absentee-ballots-adds.html
The unprecedented growth of mail-in voting lends further suspense to a year already testing many of Florida's political traditions.
IL: General Assembly passes legislation to create more cohesive party tickets
http://www.examiner.com/x-51155-Chicago-Government-Examiner~y2010m7d11-General-Assembly-passes-legislation-to-create-more-cohesive-party-tickets
...requires candidates of the same party to be nominated together for governor and lieutenant governor during the primary elections.
MI: Court of Appeals expected to hear Barrow election appeal soon
http://is.gd/dpHJF
The Wayne County Board of Canvassers found last December that 51 percent, or 59,135 ballots in last November’s election were “irregular,” according to Barrow’s motion.
MN: Corporations sue to allow campaign contributions
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/98080899.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUoaK7D_V_eDc87DUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs
Not content with running their own ads supporting candidates, businesses want judicial approval to contribute directly to campaigns and political parties.
NY: Brennan Center Sues NY Over Seasoning in Poisonous Brew
http://electiontransparencycoalition.org/2010/07/12/brennan-center-sues-ny-over-seasoning-in-poisonous-brew/
OH: Special election to test centralized voting
Tuesday’s polling could be a precursor to how we vote in the future.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/election/special-election-to-test-centralized-voting-806985.html
Montgomery County will have four voting centers instead of the usual 159.
Voters in Clinton and Highland counties also will use centralized voting.
Remember this?
Polling Place Fiasco in Garland County, AR Patrick Henry Press News
http://patrickhenrypress.info/node/215888
SC: SC Officials Clear Greene in Senate Primary Filing Fee Investigation Without Bank Records Subpoena http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7938
Funds for $10k fee came from military pay, tax refunds, according to state's top law enforcement agency..
TX: Election administration is daunting, never ends (Bexar County)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/election_administrationis_
aunting_never_ends_98139464.html?showFullArticle=y http://is.gd/dpHKM
WV: "SPECIAL ELECTION CLEARED TO FILL BYRD'S SEAT"
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016388.html
WV: City applies for vote-by-mail pilot: Mayor Byrne hopes program will increase election turnout http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=10503307
Morgantown wants to be one of five cities in the state where residents can mail in their ballots during municipal elections
Internet Vote Watch
Internet Voting Called Unfair, Not Observable, and Not Transparent
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=3348 While states prepare to risk military and overseas votes on Internet, email and FAX, the National Association of Manufacturers calls it unsafe for union elections. Their concern is union members being intimidated in remote, unobserved locations. They are correct.
National
"Citizens United and the Myth of a Conservative Corporate America"
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016406.html
This is fascinating. I'll be interested to hear what others think of these data and this methodology.
The Supreme Court and Corporate Free Speech
http://www.voteraction.org/news-article/2010/the-supreme-court-and-corporate-free-speech
Halliburton Continues to Flood Lawmakers With Contributions After Oil Spill
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/07/halliburton-continues-to-flood-lawm.html
Upcoming webinars on voter participation
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2010/07/upcoming-webinars-on-voter.html
Voter Registration for Nonprofits
Date and Time: Thursday July 22 2:00pm - 3:00pm Eastern Time
Call For Submissions: EVT/WOTE 2010 Rump Session
http://www.educatedguesswork.org/2010/07/call_for_submissions_evtwote_2.html
International
India: TRS trick forces EC to use ballot papers in Andhra Pradesh by-polls
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/104882/India/trs-trick-forces-ec-to-use-ballot-papers-in-andhra-pradesh-bypolls.html
The EC has no other option but to set aside the EVMs and switch over to the ballot papers because the TRS fielded more than 64 dummy candidates-more than an EVM can support-in each of the 11 constituencies it is contesting.
India: Ballot papers back for T-byelections
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Ballot-papers-back-for-T-byelections/articleshow/6149764.cms
India: Election Commission forced to use paper ballots in Telangana bypolls: EVMs would be gone soon nationally
http://www.indianevm.com/blogs/?p=313 The TRS shock delivered to the Election Commission is a desperate political action to thwart ECI’s plans to thrust unreliable, tamper prone EVMs over the political parties. Its pep talk that “all is well with the EVMs” has no takers and many insiders in the Nirvachan Sadan and the officialdom in the states also have developed some healthy doubts about EVMs.
Ireland: No end in sight for €50m e-voting saga
http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/no-end-in-sight-for-50m-evoting-saga-50429.html
The cost to the exchequer of storing the controversial e-voting machines will total €3.4 million by the end of this year.
Yet a government taskforce, established a year ago to find away of disposing of the €50million machines which were bought six years ago, is still stumped by how to get rid of them.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy. Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
All this and more in today's voting news below...
AL: So that all can vote
http://www.dailyhome.com/view/full_story/8723426/article-So-that-all-can-vote?instance=home_lead_story According to Talladega County Probate Judge Billy Atkinson, blind voters in every precinct have the option of using an AutoMARK voting machine, which replaced Braille voting machines about four years ago.
...
“The Braille voting machines weighed around 2,000 pounds each and were difficult to set up,” Atkinson said. “Things moved very slowly, and we had to get AIDB to print..
AL: Cast your vote with a clear conscience
http://blog.al.com/tscarritt/2010/07/cast_your_vote_with_a_clear_co.html
To vote or not to vote: That is the question; Whether 'tis nobler in the runoff to suffer the outrageous choices that other voters might make, or to cross over into the opposing party's primary and help select its nominee
CA: Disputed Riverside Co. ballots counted
http://www.pe.com/politics/gang/stories/PE_News_Local_votecount11.127bfeeef.html
CA: Election probe findings are ‘stunning'
Report: Not enough ballot counters hired; registrar's resignation not sought
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100709/NEWS0301/7090323/
006/NEWS01/Election+probe+findings+are+%E2%80%98
stunning+ http://is.gd/dpHIp
The Riverside County registrar's office hired fewer people to count ballots than in previous elections and had “poor communication” with voters about the results, an internal review of the June 8 election found
...
Dunmore has also been criticized for not notifying the public sooner that 106,000 vote-by-mail and provisional ballots were not included in the election night tally.
The status of those votes — more than 40 percent of the total cast — was not publicized until after 5 p.m. the next day. It had many candidates believing they were victors before the final tally was determined.
CA: Candidates to receive refund from county over sample ballot glitch
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/news/ci_15474426?source=rss
The Mendocino County Elections Office is giving money back to the June Primary election candidates after errors appeared on the sample ballots mailed to voters, according to Registrar of Voters Sue Ranochak.
CA: How a bill becomes a law in California
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/2010/07/11/how-a-bill-becomes-a-law-in-california/
One newspaper’s take on how many bills become laws in California includes significant lobbyist involvement
CT: Bysiewicz: New Report Shows Connecticut Voter Turnout Increase 7th Highest
in the Nation http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/thereddingpilot/news/localnews/64075-bysiewicz-new-report-shows-connecticut-voter-turnout-increase-7th-highest-in-the-nation-in-2008-.html
FL: Emphasis on absentee ballots adds uncertainty
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/11/1725027/emphasis-on-absentee-ballots-adds.html
The unprecedented growth of mail-in voting lends further suspense to a year already testing many of Florida's political traditions.
IL: General Assembly passes legislation to create more cohesive party tickets
http://www.examiner.com/x-51155-Chicago-Government-Examiner~y2010m7d11-General-Assembly-passes-legislation-to-create-more-cohesive-party-tickets
...requires candidates of the same party to be nominated together for governor and lieutenant governor during the primary elections.
MI: Court of Appeals expected to hear Barrow election appeal soon
http://is.gd/dpHJF
The Wayne County Board of Canvassers found last December that 51 percent, or 59,135 ballots in last November’s election were “irregular,” according to Barrow’s motion.
MN: Corporations sue to allow campaign contributions
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/98080899.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUoaK7D_V_eDc87DUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs
Not content with running their own ads supporting candidates, businesses want judicial approval to contribute directly to campaigns and political parties.
NY: Brennan Center Sues NY Over Seasoning in Poisonous Brew
http://electiontransparencycoalition.org/2010/07/12/brennan-center-sues-ny-over-seasoning-in-poisonous-brew/
OH: Special election to test centralized voting
Tuesday’s polling could be a precursor to how we vote in the future.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/election/special-election-to-test-centralized-voting-806985.html
Montgomery County will have four voting centers instead of the usual 159.
Voters in Clinton and Highland counties also will use centralized voting.
Remember this?
Polling Place Fiasco in Garland County, AR Patrick Henry Press News
http://patrickhenrypress.info/node/215888
SC: SC Officials Clear Greene in Senate Primary Filing Fee Investigation Without Bank Records Subpoena http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7938
Funds for $10k fee came from military pay, tax refunds, according to state's top law enforcement agency..
TX: Election administration is daunting, never ends (Bexar County)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/election_administrationis_
aunting_never_ends_98139464.html?showFullArticle=y http://is.gd/dpHKM
WV: "SPECIAL ELECTION CLEARED TO FILL BYRD'S SEAT"
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016388.html
WV: City applies for vote-by-mail pilot: Mayor Byrne hopes program will increase election turnout http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=10503307
Morgantown wants to be one of five cities in the state where residents can mail in their ballots during municipal elections
Internet Vote Watch
Internet Voting Called Unfair, Not Observable, and Not Transparent
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=3348 While states prepare to risk military and overseas votes on Internet, email and FAX, the National Association of Manufacturers calls it unsafe for union elections. Their concern is union members being intimidated in remote, unobserved locations. They are correct.
National
"Citizens United and the Myth of a Conservative Corporate America"
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016406.html
This is fascinating. I'll be interested to hear what others think of these data and this methodology.
The Supreme Court and Corporate Free Speech
http://www.voteraction.org/news-article/2010/the-supreme-court-and-corporate-free-speech
Halliburton Continues to Flood Lawmakers With Contributions After Oil Spill
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/07/halliburton-continues-to-flood-lawm.html
Upcoming webinars on voter participation
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2010/07/upcoming-webinars-on-voter.html
Voter Registration for Nonprofits
Date and Time: Thursday July 22 2:00pm - 3:00pm Eastern Time
Call For Submissions: EVT/WOTE 2010 Rump Session
http://www.educatedguesswork.org/2010/07/call_for_submissions_evtwote_2.html
International
India: TRS trick forces EC to use ballot papers in Andhra Pradesh by-polls
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/104882/India/trs-trick-forces-ec-to-use-ballot-papers-in-andhra-pradesh-bypolls.html
The EC has no other option but to set aside the EVMs and switch over to the ballot papers because the TRS fielded more than 64 dummy candidates-more than an EVM can support-in each of the 11 constituencies it is contesting.
India: Ballot papers back for T-byelections
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Ballot-papers-back-for-T-byelections/articleshow/6149764.cms
India: Election Commission forced to use paper ballots in Telangana bypolls: EVMs would be gone soon nationally
http://www.indianevm.com/blogs/?p=313 The TRS shock delivered to the Election Commission is a desperate political action to thwart ECI’s plans to thrust unreliable, tamper prone EVMs over the political parties. Its pep talk that “all is well with the EVMs” has no takers and many insiders in the Nirvachan Sadan and the officialdom in the states also have developed some healthy doubts about EVMs.
Ireland: No end in sight for €50m e-voting saga
http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/no-end-in-sight-for-50m-evoting-saga-50429.html
The cost to the exchequer of storing the controversial e-voting machines will total €3.4 million by the end of this year.
Yet a government taskforce, established a year ago to find away of disposing of the €50million machines which were bought six years ago, is still stumped by how to get rid of them.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy. Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to us at votingnews@earthlink.net
=============================================
"The Voting News is a free service made possible in part by support from Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law."Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn
Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)