CA: Bill would let Californians register online to vote - San Jose Mercury News
Californians would be able to register online to vote under a bill introduced Wednesday by state Sen. Leland Yee. Some states already offer online registration but California has put it off, awaiting implementation of a "VoteCal" statewide online database system now delayed at least until 2015. Yee, D-San Francisco, instead wants to allow online registration through county registrars' offices: Citizens would input their voter information online and the registrar's office would use the voter's signature from the Department of Motor Vehicles to verify authenticity. Yee says county elections officers believe this would save money and eliminate administrative errors from mistyping the data entry from a paper registration; after Arizona implemented online voter registration, he said, some counties saw their costs decrease from 83 cents per registration to 3 cents per registration. Read More
HI: Instant Runoff Voting in Hawaii Gains Traction - Honolulu Civil Beat
A measure that would bring instant runoff voting to Hawaii and prevent a candidate from winning a state or local election with less than a majority of votes is making progress in the Legislature. The House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed House Bill 638 on Tuesday. It now heads to the House Finance Committee. Read More
ME: Bill would require voters to show ID at polls | The Morning Sentinel
Republicans are lining up to support a bill that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls. With the support of GOP Gov. Paul LePage, and more than 120 Republican lawmakers listed as co-sponsors, the legislation is poised to become one of the big partisan fights of the session. Supporters say Maine needs to take action to prevent voter fraud and assure the legitimacy of those who are elected. Opponents -- including the League of Women Voters of Maine, the Maine chapter of the AARP, the Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Disabilities Rights Center -- say the bill provides a costly solution to a problem that doesn't exist in Maine and would disenfranchise many people. Read More
MO: Senate approves photo ID requirement for voting - St. Louis Today
Senate approved a measure today that would require photo identification to vote, in a move supporters lauded as a step toward addressing problems of voter fraud in the state. Meanwhile, opponents of the legislation worried that the measure would create unfair obstacles to voting for those without photo identification. The final vote of 26-7 was cast along party lines, with Republicans favoring the bill. The measure will now move to the House, where a sizable Republican majority could bode well for the legislation. If the legislation passes both houses, it will go into effect only if a constitutional amendment is approved by state voters. Opposition to the bill stemmed from concerns that it could limit voting rights among eligible voters. Democrats said that senior citizens or people with disabilities, among others, could be aversely affected. Read More
NM: Voter ID bill unlikely to pass - Las Cruces Sun-News
A bill requiring most voters to show photo identification appears doomed, the sponsor said Tuesday. "I am afraid it is," state Rep. Dianne Hamilton, R-Silver City, said after an emotion-charged committee hearing on her proposal. Dozens of ordinary people from around the state drove to the Capitol to commend Hamilton's bill. They say they need photo identification to check out a library book, rent a movie or cash a check, so a voter should be held to that same standard. But county clerks, members of the League of Women Voters, and Democrats on the House Voters and Elections Committee opposed Hamilton's bill. They called it unfair, saying it would create two different "classes" of voters. Hamilton's bill would require those who vote in person to show photo identification. But absentee voters and tribal members would be exempted from the photo ID law. Read More
NY: State legislature says equal rights too expensive - New York Disability | Examiner.com
The New York State legislature has essentially said equal rights for people with disabilities is too expensive, at least when it comes to protecting their right to vote. On February 14 the state assembly and senate approved a bill allowing inaccessible lever-machines for voting in village elections, doing so with no public input and no input from the disability community, the very community that will find its ability to vote badly wounded as a result. The hope is newly elected Governor Andrew Cuomo will veto the bill. If it is signed into law, the Center for Independence for the Disabled (CIDNY) in NYC paints a chilling and accurate picture: “The current legislation does not address the need to notify the public and most particularly voters who cannot use the lever machines that the accessible machines will not be available to them during local elections. Given that some voters with disabilities will be forced to use an absentee ballot that they must register for ahead of time, there is the potential that those not aware of the change will be disenfranchised on election days.” Read More
NC: Opponents speak out against voter ID bill :: WRAL.com
A group of Democratic lawmakers and local college students spoke out Wednesday against a bill in the General Assembly that would require photo identification at the polls. House Bill 430 was introduced in 2009 but is among the priorities in this legislative session of Republican lawmakers who argue that the requirement would help reduce the chance of fraud. It’s expected to be reintroduced next week. Opponents, however, call it an unfunded mandate for a solution to a problem that is “statistically insignificant” and a requirement that would lead to disenfranchisement of the state’s college students, senior citizens and low-income residents. Read More
SC: 1,127 votes in Richland not counted in November - Local / Metro - TheState.com
An analysis of computer records showed 1,127 ballots cast by Richland County voters in November accidentally were not counted, according to the League of Women Voters of South Carolina, which is targeting the state’s electronic voting machines for the trash heap. The analysis, done with software created by a University of South Carolina computer-science professor, found errors at 11 of the county’s 126 precincts. Votes were missing at two — the Bluff precinct, south of Columbia; and Ward 21, in north Columbia. Mike Cinnamon, Richland County’s longtime director of elections, said he would not comment until after a 5:30 p.m. meeting today of the county election commission. Duncan Buell, a USC professor and member of the League of Women Voters who donated his services, said the audit uncovered mistakes by pollworkers. His work does not address the underlying debate about the reliability of the state’s iVotronic touch-screen machines, in use for six years. Read More
WV: Ireland’s Electronic Voting Machines: Bad News for Some Voters | Huntington News
GOP Governor’s candidate Betty Ireland made news repeatedly during her four years as Secretary of State for her insistence that West Virginia needed to move forward with electronic voting machines. Whether Ireland saw it as a legitimate improvement on the state’s traditional voting methods or a chance to look like a leader who kept current with the times, Ireland was determined to bring in those machines. Ireland got her way, and touch-screen electronic voting machines became her choice. Election Systems and Software started putting in machines across West Virginia. Read More
International
Kenya: Claims of Vote Buying As Polls Open - allAfrica.com
Voting in the Kirinyaga Central by-election kicked off early Wednesday amid accusations of vote buying. PNU and Narc-Kenya candidates and their supporters traded accusations of paying voters to cast their ballot in their favour or boycott the exercise altogether in the hope that it will enhance their chances of winning. At one point, there were reports that one of the candidates' agents had been arrested as they bribed voters in Kaitheri, St Joseph's, Kirinyaga technical and Njegas polling centres. Read More
Uganda to Deploy Security Forces at All Polling Stations; Remains on Alert - Bloomberg
Uganda is deploying security forces across the East African nation and at each of the 23,968 voting stations for tomorrow’s presidential and parliamentary elections, the police said. “Anyone who tries to mess up around the polling stations will be arrested,” Inspector General of Police Major General Kale Kayihura told journalists today in Kampala, the capital. A terror alert remains active because of reports that al-Shabaab, the Somali militia with links to al-Qaeda, is preparing attacks during the vote, he said. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, the leader of the National Resistance Movement who has been in power for 25 years, is facing his toughest challenge from Kizza Besigye, head of Forum for Democratic Change and his former personal doctor. Six other candidates are seeking to become president. Read More
UK: Referendum on voting reform to divide coalition | Reuters
The British government will hold a referendum in May on changing the way its legislators are elected, a vote which will divide the two parties in the ruling coalition and could undermine the alliance. The Conservatives, the largest party, want to maintain the present system where members of parliament win seats in straight regional or district electoral races, and will campaign against the proposed change. They agreed to hold the referendum to lure their junior partner, the Lib Dems, into a coalition with them after last May's parliamentary election, although it falls short of Lib Dem's ultimate goal of a full proportional system that would be more favourable to smaller parties. Britons will be asked if they want to move to an Alternative Vote (AV) framework where voters choose candidates in order of preference in the referendum to be held on May 5. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Voter ID in NM, Military Voting Deiscussed on Capitol Hill
CA: Debra Bowen enters race to succeed congresswoman Jane Harman - latimes.com
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen on Tuesday jumped into the race to succeed retiring Rep. Jane Harman of Venice, setting up what is expected to be a lively contest between two prominent Democratic women for the largely coastal congressional district. "This was not an easy decision," said Bowen, who in November was elected to a second four-year term as the state's top elections official. "I spent the past week discussing a potential run with my family and close friends, and thinking how I can best serve the public," she said in a statement announcing her candidacy. Read More
CO: IRV on the Ballot in Colorado and the UK - FairVote.org
Instant runoff voting (IRV, also known as "alternative vote", "ranked choice voting" and "preferential voting") is designed to accommodate increased voter choice and uphold majority rule. It simulates a "same day runoff", essentially, between the two strongest candidates, with the winner being the one who is ranked ahead of the other on more ballots. Used for decades to elect top offices in Australia (see a fun Aussie video about it here), Ireland and many private organizations, IRV has surged in use around the world in the past decade, including victories in ballot measures in the United States on every November election day since 2004. That support is grounded in voters' growing dissatisfaction with choices being limited to two and, in the words of a recent report by an influential international think tank, a plurality voting system that fails as "the worst of both possible worlds." Read More
CT: Election reforms proposed | Yale Daily News
After widespread ballot shortages in last November’s election tossed the result of the gubernatorial race up in the air for days, new Secretary of the State Denise Merrill is pushing for major reforms to the way Connecticut runs its elections. In a press conference Monday in Hartford, Merrill proposed four pieces of legislation that would help prevent another Election Day fiasco — one major proposal that would require municipalities to report to Merrill’s office the number of ballots they had ordered in advance of election day and another that would open the door for more absentee voting. The proposals received bipartisan support from legislators Monday, but met opposition from the committee responsible for enforcing elections in Connecticut towns. Read More
FL: 17,601 Jacksonville Voters Must Renew Absentee Ballot Requests - WJXT Jacksonville
A change in Florida Election Laws means thousands of absentee voters in Duval County will no longer receive their absentee ballots until they make a new request to the supervisor of elections office.According to elections officials, 17,601 voters who requested an absentee ballot after May 28 and before Nov. 3, 2010, must make a new request to receive an absentee ballot for the March 22 first election and the May 17 general election. Read More
IN: Software firm may reap vote center perks | jconline.com | Journal and Courier
A company at Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette stands to benefit from recent passage of the vote center bill by the legislature. The bill gives all Indiana counties the option of moving forward on creating vote centers that could increase turnout and save money by allowing people to cast ballots at designated locations rather than a single site. "We're moving forward as well," said Mikel Berger, a software developer with DelMar Information Technologies LLC, which has developed Electronic Poll Book -- a software program that is used by Tippecanoe County vote centers. Read More
IN: Grand jury probing vote by Secretary of State White | The Indianapolis Star
Grand jury proceedings against Secretary of State Charlie White entered their second day today in a Hamilton County courtroom today. White, the top election official in the state, is accused of intentionally voting in the wrong precinct during the May 2010 primary, a potential felony. If convicted of a felony, White would have to give up the position that he won by a wide margin over Democrat Vop Osili in November's election. Read More
LA: State lawmaker announces secretary of state bid - KIFY.com
A state lawmaker from New Orleans says he is running for secretary of state in the fall election. Rep. Walker Hines, 27, announced his intentions Wednesday. He's the second announced candidate in the race to be Louisiana's top elections official. In office since 2008, Hines switched parties in November, becoming a Republican. He says his primary focus as secretary of state would be to improve Louisiana's business climate, and he's calling his candidacy an option for voters to move past "recycled politicians" who will only preserve the status quo. Read More
ME: Maine Secretary of State Seeks Expanded Powers
Maine's new Secretary of State, Charles Summers, is asking the Legislature to grant him new expanded powers designed to help small businesses that feel stymied by state regulations. Summers testified before the newly-formed Joint Select Committee on Regulatory Fairness and Reform yesterday, and asked the panel to grant him the power to temporarily stop enforcement actions against Maine businesses. Summers had come to testify in support of LD 1, the LePage administration's controversial plan, with the stated goal of improving Maine's business climate. Summers, a former Republican congressional candidate who served as Northeast regional administrator for the Small Business Adminstration under George W. Bush, told the commiteee that he believes the Sectretary of State's office should be included in efforts to make the regulatory process more workable for small business. Read More
MD: Some counties seek more early voting centers - gazette.net
Frederick County has the eighth-most registered voters in Maryland, but in the days leading up to last year's primary and general elections, very few residents took advantage of early voting, which was being offered for the first time in the state. The problem, officials said, is that state law allows the county to have only one early voting center, which was in the city of Frederick, making it inconvenient for voters who lived in rural parts of the county to cast their ballots early. Read More
NM: Voter ID billed doomed? - Alamogordo Daily News
A bill requiring most voters to show photo identification appears doomed, the sponsor said Tuesday. "I am afraid it is," state Rep. Dianne Hamilton, R-Silver City, said after an emotionally charged committee hearing on her proposal. Dozens of ordinary people from around the state drove to the Capitol to commend Hamilton's bill. They say they need photo identification to check out a library book, rent a movie or cash a check, so a voter should be held to that same standard. But county clerks, members of the League of Women Voters, and Democrats on the House Voters and Elections Committee opposed Hamilton's bill. Read More
National
Absentee voting issues still irk troops - Navy Times
About one-third of overseas troops who wanted to vote in 2010 couldn’t, according to testimony at a House hearing Tuesday. For tens of thousands of other overseas service members, absentee voting improved, thanks to a 2009 law requiring that absentee ballots be mailed 45 days before an election, Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department, told the House Administration Committee. But more than a dozen states and territories had trouble mailing absentee ballots to service members after holding late primaries. Overseas troops who said they never voted in last year’s election cited difficulties receiving or returning their absentee ballots, according to a review by the Overseas Vote Foundation. The problem was worse in 2008, when about half of overseas troops reported problems, according to the panel’s chairman, Rep. Daniel Lungren, R-Calif. Read More
International
Ireland: Plans for voting reform on knife edge - The Irish Times
Plans to hold a May referendum on voting reform, which must get parliamentary approval this week, hang on a knife edge because of continuing disagreements between the Conservative/ Liberal Democrat coalition and Labour. Last night MPs in the House of Commons were facing the prospect of an all-night debate on the legislation, which proposes the introduction of the alternative vote system, a reduction in the number of MPs and the creation of more constituencies of equal size. During a marathon debate in the House of Lords, the government failed to block a number of amendments put down by Labour, including a demand that the referendum result would not be valid unless there was a 40 per cent voter turnout. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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.
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen on Tuesday jumped into the race to succeed retiring Rep. Jane Harman of Venice, setting up what is expected to be a lively contest between two prominent Democratic women for the largely coastal congressional district. "This was not an easy decision," said Bowen, who in November was elected to a second four-year term as the state's top elections official. "I spent the past week discussing a potential run with my family and close friends, and thinking how I can best serve the public," she said in a statement announcing her candidacy. Read More
CO: IRV on the Ballot in Colorado and the UK - FairVote.org
Instant runoff voting (IRV, also known as "alternative vote", "ranked choice voting" and "preferential voting") is designed to accommodate increased voter choice and uphold majority rule. It simulates a "same day runoff", essentially, between the two strongest candidates, with the winner being the one who is ranked ahead of the other on more ballots. Used for decades to elect top offices in Australia (see a fun Aussie video about it here), Ireland and many private organizations, IRV has surged in use around the world in the past decade, including victories in ballot measures in the United States on every November election day since 2004. That support is grounded in voters' growing dissatisfaction with choices being limited to two and, in the words of a recent report by an influential international think tank, a plurality voting system that fails as "the worst of both possible worlds." Read More
CT: Election reforms proposed | Yale Daily News
After widespread ballot shortages in last November’s election tossed the result of the gubernatorial race up in the air for days, new Secretary of the State Denise Merrill is pushing for major reforms to the way Connecticut runs its elections. In a press conference Monday in Hartford, Merrill proposed four pieces of legislation that would help prevent another Election Day fiasco — one major proposal that would require municipalities to report to Merrill’s office the number of ballots they had ordered in advance of election day and another that would open the door for more absentee voting. The proposals received bipartisan support from legislators Monday, but met opposition from the committee responsible for enforcing elections in Connecticut towns. Read More
FL: 17,601 Jacksonville Voters Must Renew Absentee Ballot Requests - WJXT Jacksonville
A change in Florida Election Laws means thousands of absentee voters in Duval County will no longer receive their absentee ballots until they make a new request to the supervisor of elections office.According to elections officials, 17,601 voters who requested an absentee ballot after May 28 and before Nov. 3, 2010, must make a new request to receive an absentee ballot for the March 22 first election and the May 17 general election. Read More
IN: Software firm may reap vote center perks | jconline.com | Journal and Courier
A company at Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette stands to benefit from recent passage of the vote center bill by the legislature. The bill gives all Indiana counties the option of moving forward on creating vote centers that could increase turnout and save money by allowing people to cast ballots at designated locations rather than a single site. "We're moving forward as well," said Mikel Berger, a software developer with DelMar Information Technologies LLC, which has developed Electronic Poll Book -- a software program that is used by Tippecanoe County vote centers. Read More
IN: Grand jury probing vote by Secretary of State White | The Indianapolis Star
Grand jury proceedings against Secretary of State Charlie White entered their second day today in a Hamilton County courtroom today. White, the top election official in the state, is accused of intentionally voting in the wrong precinct during the May 2010 primary, a potential felony. If convicted of a felony, White would have to give up the position that he won by a wide margin over Democrat Vop Osili in November's election. Read More
LA: State lawmaker announces secretary of state bid - KIFY.com
A state lawmaker from New Orleans says he is running for secretary of state in the fall election. Rep. Walker Hines, 27, announced his intentions Wednesday. He's the second announced candidate in the race to be Louisiana's top elections official. In office since 2008, Hines switched parties in November, becoming a Republican. He says his primary focus as secretary of state would be to improve Louisiana's business climate, and he's calling his candidacy an option for voters to move past "recycled politicians" who will only preserve the status quo. Read More
ME: Maine Secretary of State Seeks Expanded Powers
Maine's new Secretary of State, Charles Summers, is asking the Legislature to grant him new expanded powers designed to help small businesses that feel stymied by state regulations. Summers testified before the newly-formed Joint Select Committee on Regulatory Fairness and Reform yesterday, and asked the panel to grant him the power to temporarily stop enforcement actions against Maine businesses. Summers had come to testify in support of LD 1, the LePage administration's controversial plan, with the stated goal of improving Maine's business climate. Summers, a former Republican congressional candidate who served as Northeast regional administrator for the Small Business Adminstration under George W. Bush, told the commiteee that he believes the Sectretary of State's office should be included in efforts to make the regulatory process more workable for small business. Read More
MD: Some counties seek more early voting centers - gazette.net
Frederick County has the eighth-most registered voters in Maryland, but in the days leading up to last year's primary and general elections, very few residents took advantage of early voting, which was being offered for the first time in the state. The problem, officials said, is that state law allows the county to have only one early voting center, which was in the city of Frederick, making it inconvenient for voters who lived in rural parts of the county to cast their ballots early. Read More
NM: Voter ID billed doomed? - Alamogordo Daily News
A bill requiring most voters to show photo identification appears doomed, the sponsor said Tuesday. "I am afraid it is," state Rep. Dianne Hamilton, R-Silver City, said after an emotionally charged committee hearing on her proposal. Dozens of ordinary people from around the state drove to the Capitol to commend Hamilton's bill. They say they need photo identification to check out a library book, rent a movie or cash a check, so a voter should be held to that same standard. But county clerks, members of the League of Women Voters, and Democrats on the House Voters and Elections Committee opposed Hamilton's bill. Read More
National
Absentee voting issues still irk troops - Navy Times
About one-third of overseas troops who wanted to vote in 2010 couldn’t, according to testimony at a House hearing Tuesday. For tens of thousands of other overseas service members, absentee voting improved, thanks to a 2009 law requiring that absentee ballots be mailed 45 days before an election, Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department, told the House Administration Committee. But more than a dozen states and territories had trouble mailing absentee ballots to service members after holding late primaries. Overseas troops who said they never voted in last year’s election cited difficulties receiving or returning their absentee ballots, according to a review by the Overseas Vote Foundation. The problem was worse in 2008, when about half of overseas troops reported problems, according to the panel’s chairman, Rep. Daniel Lungren, R-Calif. Read More
International
Ireland: Plans for voting reform on knife edge - The Irish Times
Plans to hold a May referendum on voting reform, which must get parliamentary approval this week, hang on a knife edge because of continuing disagreements between the Conservative/ Liberal Democrat coalition and Labour. Last night MPs in the House of Commons were facing the prospect of an all-night debate on the legislation, which proposes the introduction of the alternative vote system, a reduction in the number of MPs and the creation of more constituencies of equal size. During a marathon debate in the House of Lords, the government failed to block a number of amendments put down by Labour, including a demand that the referendum result would not be valid unless there was a 40 per cent voter turnout. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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, February 15, 2011
Food for Votes Debate in SD, Mail-only balloting possible for county - SignOnSanDiego.com
CA: Mail-only balloting possible for county - SignOnSanDiego.com
Elections in San Diego County could be conducted entirely by mail under legislation introduced Monday by state Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego. All-mail balloting would save local governments millions of dollars and increase voter participation, according to the senator. The legislation, SB 304, would create a five-year pilot program. At the conclusion of the program, the county would be required to issue a report to the Legislature and the Secretary of State’s Office on costs and voter turnout. The law, if approved, would apply to local, state and federal races on San Diego County ballots. Individual jurisdictions, such as cities, would have the option of using the system. Read More
CO: Council, mayor to decide changes to Aspen election code | AspenTimes.com
A public hearing is scheduled near the end of Monday's Aspen City Council meeting on an ordinance that amends the city's Municipal Election Code, including the official repeal of instant runoff voting, also known as IRV. The meeting at City Hall starts at 5 p.m., and it is expected to be the last regular meeting for Councilman Dwayne Romero, who is stepping down to become Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper's director of economic development. In November, city voters repealed IRV, a system that generated controversy following the May 2009 city council and mayoral elections. The ordinance before councilmen today will finalize its repeal, officially striking the system from the election code. Read More
SC: Voting machines at issue: James Island PSD board debates critical statement | The Post and Courier
Consideration of a proposed resolution urging replacement of the computerized voting machines now used statewide was put off for at least two weeks after a debate among James Island Public Service commissioners. Commissioner Eugene Platt asked the commission to become the first elected panel in the state to go on record expressing what he said is a lack of voter confidence in the "electronic touch type" machines. His guest at the Monday night commission meeting was Charleston County Councilman Victor Rawl, who last June very surprisingly lost a two-candidate Democratic Party primary contest for a U.S. Senate seat nomination. Read More
SD: Changes Proposed For Food For Votes Law - KELOLAND.com
South Dakota lawmakers are taking aim at voter bribery. A bill in Pierre would make it illegal to feed voters and then take them to vote absentee at a local polling place. It's an issue that came up during last year's hotly-contested U.S. House race when there was a lot of confusion over how far campaigns were pushing the law. "Sometimes in campaigns, candidates and campaigns and their staff they get so focused on trying to get one more vote, or ten more votes, or 100 more votes that sometimes they'll push the law a little too far and so that's what we're really trying to get accomplished with Senate Bill 88," South Dakota Senator Bob Gray of Pierre said. Republicans criticized then Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin for holding early voting rallies on South Dakota reservations during her last campaign. Food was offered at the rallies and then volunteers drove voters to their polling places to vote absentee. The Attorney General and the South Dakota U.S. Attorney both ruled nothing illegal happened. Read More
TN: Photo ID Requirement Passes State Senate - Nashville Public Radio
Tennesseans would have to produce photo identification to vote under a bill passed Monday night by the state Senate. Murfreesboro Senator Bill Ketron swatted down a half-dozen amendments that would have made it easier for old people or poor people without photo identification to vote. Ketron says a few people will encounter slight inconvenience, but that is necessary to maintain the value of the vote cast by legitimate citizens. Read More
WA: King Conservation District election using online vote : The Sammamish Review
The little-noticed election for a King Conservation District board seat kicked off Feb. 15 and, for the first time, district voters in Sammamish and elsewhere can cast ballots online. The monthlong election is for a supervisor seat on the board of the conservation district — the agency responsible for promoting sustainable use of natural resources, and providing information and technical assistance to landowners. The electorate must choose among Kent farmer Bruce Elliott, Redmond real estate agent Teri Herrera, Duvall farmer Eric Nelson, Duvall environmental consultant Steven Neugebauer and Sammamish retiree Preston Prudente for the open seat. Read More
International
India: Gadkari sets up high-level panel on election reforms: Central Chronicle - Madhya Pradesh's News Portal
The BJP today set up a high-level committee on Election Reforms to study comprehensively the election related issues to help the party effectively formulate its stand on all subjects, including the effect of black money on the elections, criminalisation of politics, efficacy of electronic voting machines and reservation for women. The Committee constituted by BJP President Nitin Gadkari will work under the guidance of top party leaders, including BJP Parliamentary Party Chairman L K Advani, and will have party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi as its Convenor. The panel will also deliberate on issues like the delimitation of constituencies in terms of socio-economic factors and geography so that the party could take a practically feasible and politically correct stand on contentious issues confronting the biggest democracy of the world. Read More
India: Electronic Voting Machine checking to be over by month-end - The Times of India
The verification of electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the forthcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu will be over by the month-end, said chief electoral officer Praveen Kumar on Monday. "The checking of EVMs is completed in ten districts including Madurai, Dharmapuri and Tuticorin. Currently, the verification of EVMs is in progress in other districts. The whole process will be completed by this month-end." he said. According to sources from the CEO at least one lakh EVMs were verified and moved to the strong room so far. "Out of the total verification, about 2% defective EVMs were sent back to the BHEL," it said, adding that the verification of EVMs in Chennai would begin on February 19. Read More
Philippines: Comelec exec charged over 'dagdag-bawas' | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Tuesday filed an electoral sabotage case against their former South Cotabato Provincial Election Supervisor (PES) Lilian Radam, the first in the country’s election history. “This morning we filed… the Comelec instituted 11 criminal actions against Ms. Lilian Radam for electoral sabotage, the first in the electoral history of the Comelec. The first charge that is being made imposes a penalty of life imprisonment,” Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said in an interview. The case against Radam, who went on absence without official leave (AWOL) a long time ago, had something to do with allegations of her role in the “dagdag-bawas” (vote-shaving/padding) in the province during the 2007 senatorial elections. Read More
UK: Votes for prisoners and European control | UK news | Guardian Weekly
Prisoners are, by definition, among the most governed people in the country. Every waking and sleeping moment is regulated and directed by the authorities, the judiciary, and ultimately the government. Yet they are not allowed to vote in national and European elections. Quite right, too, says Middle England. They have broken the law, so they have no right to help make the law. Wrong, says the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which ruled years ago that the blanket ban on prisoners voting, imposed in 1870, was an infringement of their rights. Now the House of Commons has voted overwhelmingly against the court, and in favour of retaining the ban. Or has it? The vote was certainly emphatic: 234 to 22. But more than half of MPs abstained, or couldn't be bothered. And the motion came from the backbenches, which means it is not binding on the government, which has until August to comply with the court (and thus uphold our treaty obligations) by lifting the ban. Defying the Strasbourg judges could be costly: there are more than 2,500 outstanding claims for compensation for the lack of voting rights, and the potential bill could run to £70m ($112m). Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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.
Elections in San Diego County could be conducted entirely by mail under legislation introduced Monday by state Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego. All-mail balloting would save local governments millions of dollars and increase voter participation, according to the senator. The legislation, SB 304, would create a five-year pilot program. At the conclusion of the program, the county would be required to issue a report to the Legislature and the Secretary of State’s Office on costs and voter turnout. The law, if approved, would apply to local, state and federal races on San Diego County ballots. Individual jurisdictions, such as cities, would have the option of using the system. Read More
CO: Council, mayor to decide changes to Aspen election code | AspenTimes.com
A public hearing is scheduled near the end of Monday's Aspen City Council meeting on an ordinance that amends the city's Municipal Election Code, including the official repeal of instant runoff voting, also known as IRV. The meeting at City Hall starts at 5 p.m., and it is expected to be the last regular meeting for Councilman Dwayne Romero, who is stepping down to become Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper's director of economic development. In November, city voters repealed IRV, a system that generated controversy following the May 2009 city council and mayoral elections. The ordinance before councilmen today will finalize its repeal, officially striking the system from the election code. Read More
SC: Voting machines at issue: James Island PSD board debates critical statement | The Post and Courier
Consideration of a proposed resolution urging replacement of the computerized voting machines now used statewide was put off for at least two weeks after a debate among James Island Public Service commissioners. Commissioner Eugene Platt asked the commission to become the first elected panel in the state to go on record expressing what he said is a lack of voter confidence in the "electronic touch type" machines. His guest at the Monday night commission meeting was Charleston County Councilman Victor Rawl, who last June very surprisingly lost a two-candidate Democratic Party primary contest for a U.S. Senate seat nomination. Read More
SD: Changes Proposed For Food For Votes Law - KELOLAND.com
South Dakota lawmakers are taking aim at voter bribery. A bill in Pierre would make it illegal to feed voters and then take them to vote absentee at a local polling place. It's an issue that came up during last year's hotly-contested U.S. House race when there was a lot of confusion over how far campaigns were pushing the law. "Sometimes in campaigns, candidates and campaigns and their staff they get so focused on trying to get one more vote, or ten more votes, or 100 more votes that sometimes they'll push the law a little too far and so that's what we're really trying to get accomplished with Senate Bill 88," South Dakota Senator Bob Gray of Pierre said. Republicans criticized then Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin for holding early voting rallies on South Dakota reservations during her last campaign. Food was offered at the rallies and then volunteers drove voters to their polling places to vote absentee. The Attorney General and the South Dakota U.S. Attorney both ruled nothing illegal happened. Read More
TN: Photo ID Requirement Passes State Senate - Nashville Public Radio
Tennesseans would have to produce photo identification to vote under a bill passed Monday night by the state Senate. Murfreesboro Senator Bill Ketron swatted down a half-dozen amendments that would have made it easier for old people or poor people without photo identification to vote. Ketron says a few people will encounter slight inconvenience, but that is necessary to maintain the value of the vote cast by legitimate citizens. Read More
WA: King Conservation District election using online vote : The Sammamish Review
The little-noticed election for a King Conservation District board seat kicked off Feb. 15 and, for the first time, district voters in Sammamish and elsewhere can cast ballots online. The monthlong election is for a supervisor seat on the board of the conservation district — the agency responsible for promoting sustainable use of natural resources, and providing information and technical assistance to landowners. The electorate must choose among Kent farmer Bruce Elliott, Redmond real estate agent Teri Herrera, Duvall farmer Eric Nelson, Duvall environmental consultant Steven Neugebauer and Sammamish retiree Preston Prudente for the open seat. Read More
International
India: Gadkari sets up high-level panel on election reforms: Central Chronicle - Madhya Pradesh's News Portal
The BJP today set up a high-level committee on Election Reforms to study comprehensively the election related issues to help the party effectively formulate its stand on all subjects, including the effect of black money on the elections, criminalisation of politics, efficacy of electronic voting machines and reservation for women. The Committee constituted by BJP President Nitin Gadkari will work under the guidance of top party leaders, including BJP Parliamentary Party Chairman L K Advani, and will have party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi as its Convenor. The panel will also deliberate on issues like the delimitation of constituencies in terms of socio-economic factors and geography so that the party could take a practically feasible and politically correct stand on contentious issues confronting the biggest democracy of the world. Read More
India: Electronic Voting Machine checking to be over by month-end - The Times of India
The verification of electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the forthcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu will be over by the month-end, said chief electoral officer Praveen Kumar on Monday. "The checking of EVMs is completed in ten districts including Madurai, Dharmapuri and Tuticorin. Currently, the verification of EVMs is in progress in other districts. The whole process will be completed by this month-end." he said. According to sources from the CEO at least one lakh EVMs were verified and moved to the strong room so far. "Out of the total verification, about 2% defective EVMs were sent back to the BHEL," it said, adding that the verification of EVMs in Chennai would begin on February 19. Read More
Philippines: Comelec exec charged over 'dagdag-bawas' | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Tuesday filed an electoral sabotage case against their former South Cotabato Provincial Election Supervisor (PES) Lilian Radam, the first in the country’s election history. “This morning we filed… the Comelec instituted 11 criminal actions against Ms. Lilian Radam for electoral sabotage, the first in the electoral history of the Comelec. The first charge that is being made imposes a penalty of life imprisonment,” Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said in an interview. The case against Radam, who went on absence without official leave (AWOL) a long time ago, had something to do with allegations of her role in the “dagdag-bawas” (vote-shaving/padding) in the province during the 2007 senatorial elections. Read More
UK: Votes for prisoners and European control | UK news | Guardian Weekly
Prisoners are, by definition, among the most governed people in the country. Every waking and sleeping moment is regulated and directed by the authorities, the judiciary, and ultimately the government. Yet they are not allowed to vote in national and European elections. Quite right, too, says Middle England. They have broken the law, so they have no right to help make the law. Wrong, says the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which ruled years ago that the blanket ban on prisoners voting, imposed in 1870, was an infringement of their rights. Now the House of Commons has voted overwhelmingly against the court, and in favour of retaining the ban. Or has it? The vote was certainly emphatic: 234 to 22. But more than half of MPs abstained, or couldn't be bothered. And the motion came from the backbenches, which means it is not binding on the government, which has until August to comply with the court (and thus uphold our treaty obligations) by lifting the ban. Defying the Strasbourg judges could be costly: there are more than 2,500 outstanding claims for compensation for the lack of voting rights, and the potential bill could run to £70m ($112m). Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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, February 14, 2011
IA election officials oppose photo ID bill; US House lawmakers eye EAC termination; India on the path to VVPAT
Iowa's professional association of county election officials (according to the Des Moines Register, its membership is about 60% Republican and 40% Democratic) has voted to register in opposition to photo ID legislation. In Texas, a state legislative race in which the vast majority of ballots were cast on unrecountable machines nears resolution; an official recount changed the margin from 16 to 12 votes, and a legislative investigation of absentee and voter-eligibility issues changed that margin again to 4 votes. We cannot know what an effective recount of all ballots would have shown. India's Election Commission appears committed to implementing voter-verifiable paper audit trails, though it is uncertain if implementation will occur before May elections in the state of Tamil Nadu.
All this and more in today's Voting News below.
AL: Election Center director Granger resigns, will take federal court job | montgomeryadvertiser.com | Montgomery Advertiser
A Montgomery official who has headed the county's emerging election center since its inception has accepted a job with the federal court system, but his absence is not expected to affect the two upcoming city elections. Read More
AK: Write-in bill passes state Senate
The Senate has unanimously passed a bill that would give voters the benefit of the doubt when they write in a candidate's name on a ballot. Read More
CA: League of Women Voters marks 91st anniversary - Times-Standard Online
The League of Women Voters will celebrate its 91st birthday on Monday. Founded in 1920 by leaders in the women's suffrage movement, the organization has become synonymous with elections and voting, citizen engagement and civility. Read More
CA: SAN DIEGO: State senator pushes for all-mail elections
Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, introduced legislation in the state Senate on Tuesday to allow San Diego County to hold all-mail elections.
Under the proposed legislation, every municipality in the state would be required to report to the Secretary of the State’s office how many ballots they purchase for upcoming elections, and certify that they have taken into account factors such as tight races that may augment voter turnout. In rare cases the Secretary would be authorized to direct a municipality to order more ballots if an insufficient number was purchased. Every town would also be required to have an emergency plan to address issues such as power outages and ballot shortages on Election Day. Secretary Merrill is also proposing lawmakers pass an amendment to the Connecticut Constitution that would open the door to early voting options such as “no-excuse” absentee ballots or regional early voting centers. Read More
IL: Disabled can request help with voter registration » Local News » The Commercial-News, Danville, IL
Vermilion County residents who, due to a disability, are unable to appear in person to register to vote should contact the county clerk’s voter registration hotline at 554-1915 for assistance. The department can arrange for in-home registration services, Vermilion County Clerk Lynn Foster said. Read More
IA: Iowa county elections officials oppose bill to require photo ID to vote | Des Moines Register Staff Blogs
The Des Moines Register learned Monday that the state association of auditors, which is comprised of 60 percent Republican election chiefs and 40 percent Democrats, has decided to register in opposition to the bill the Republican-controlled Iowa House passed late last month.
Terre Haute mayor Duke Bennett called on Vigo County to adopt a new election procedure some hope would cut the costs of voting. Read More
KS: Area election officers favor Kobach bill - Dodge City, KS - Dodge City Daily Globe
Ford County voters are prepared to show a photo ID when they go to the polls, and they are shocked to learn they don’t have to, said Ford County Clerk Sharon Seibel. Read More
KS: Voter ID bill on hold in committee - KSN TV, Kansas News and Weather
The committee on elections was scheduled to vote on the bill Friday, but postponed it after some members wanted to add amendments. Rep. Miller sits on the committee. She hopes amendments will loosen the bill up. Read More
MD: Requiring photo identification at the polls serves only to disenfranchise legitimate voters - baltimoresun.com
No act of government is more essential to a democracy than the running of clean and honest elections. Voters have a right to expect their ballots to be counted accurately and for officials to take all reasonable and necessary steps to prevent fraud. Read More
MN: Editorial: Use tech tools to improve elections | StarTribune.com
Recent years have seen a few dozen prosecutions of felons who voted before they achieved restoration of their civil rights.
Justice Dept. pushes states on voting rights - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times
The 2010 elections may be over, but Justice Department officials are reviewing what needs to be done to further ensure military and overseas voters’ rights are not violated, Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez told a summit convened to address absentee voting issues. Read More
MS: Yall Politics | Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS) Introduces Bill to Terminate EAC
International
Brazil: Diebold 4Q Swings To 4Q Loss On Asset Write-Downs - WSJ.com
The company, which has a large presence with cash-strapped regional and community banks via its security and services businesses, recently received a big order from Brazil for its voting machines. Diebold was briefly in the election technology business in the U.S., but sold its money-losing Premier Election Solutions unit in 2009. Read More
India: EVM checking to be over by month-end - The Times of India
The verification of electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the forthcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu will be over by the month-end, said chief electoral officer Praveen Kumar on Monday. Read More
India: EC recommends increase in poll expenditure limit - The Times of India
Quraishi also said the Election Commission was planning to introduce an automatic system of providing acknowledgement to voters. A printer would be attached to the electronic voting machine (EVM) and once a person casts his vote, the printer will generate a slip, he said. However, Quraishi did not commit as to whether it would be implemented in the forthcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, slated for May. Read More
India; news.outlookindia.com | Need to Ban Opinion Polls: Quraishi
Speaking to reporters later, he said the Election Commission was yet to receive the report from its Technical Expert Committee on ways to improve the Electronic Voting Machines system and on provision of voter verifiable paper audit trail system in EVMs. Read More
Pakistan: Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan - ECP invites 15 political parties for demo on electronic voting machines
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has invited 15 mainstream political parties for a demonstration of electronic voting machines and giving them a briefing on different issues related to the ECP on February 22. Read More
Philippines: Will PCOS fraud evidence be destroyed? The never ending peace talks - FROM A DISTANCE By Carmen N. Pedrosa | The Philippine Star >> News >> Opinion
Those who think that the citizens’ protests of the May 10 automated elections are giving up the ship are sadly mistaken. The more officialdom and media stonewall their legitimate requests the more they are pushed to fight for it. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNewsSubscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
Please send article suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org.
=============================================The Voting News is a free service made possible by the Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vnDisclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
All this and more in today's Voting News below.
AL: Election Center director Granger resigns, will take federal court job | montgomeryadvertiser.com | Montgomery Advertiser
A Montgomery official who has headed the county's emerging election center since its inception has accepted a job with the federal court system, but his absence is not expected to affect the two upcoming city elections. Read More
AK: Write-in bill passes state Senate
The Senate has unanimously passed a bill that would give voters the benefit of the doubt when they write in a candidate's name on a ballot. Read More
CA: League of Women Voters marks 91st anniversary - Times-Standard Online
The League of Women Voters will celebrate its 91st birthday on Monday. Founded in 1920 by leaders in the women's suffrage movement, the organization has become synonymous with elections and voting, citizen engagement and civility. Read More
CA: SAN DIEGO: State senator pushes for all-mail elections
Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, introduced legislation in the state Senate on Tuesday to allow San Diego County to hold all-mail elections.
The bill, if passed, would create a five-year pilot program for all-mail voting that applies to local, state and federal races. Local jurisdictions would have the option to use the all-mail system. Read More
CA: Fresno County clerk says votes in danger - Top Stories - fresnobee.com
There are 300 things that need to be done to run an election, from printing ballots and staffing polls to verifying mail ballots and tallying votes -- and more.
But because of budget cuts, Fresno County's elections chief Victor Salazar warns, not all of these tasks will get done. As a result, he says, one or more of five upcoming elections will fail. Read More
CA: Record Gazette > Archives > News > Ex-elections official returns as registrar
A former chief deputy registrar in Riverside County who now holds the top elections post in San Bernardino County has been named registrar in Riverside County. Read More
CA: Ranked Choice Voting - The Oakland Community Speaks - City Council Meeting
Oakland, CA used Ranked Choice Voting for the very first time in Nov. 2010.
In a meeting to discuss RCV, members of the community shared their experiences with members of the City Council on how confusing it was for voters. View Video
Under the proposed legislation, every municipality in the state would be required to report to the Secretary of the State’s office how many ballots they purchase for upcoming elections, and certify that they have taken into account factors such as tight races that may augment voter turnout. In rare cases the Secretary would be authorized to direct a municipality to order more ballots if an insufficient number was purchased. Every town would also be required to have an emergency plan to address issues such as power outages and ballot shortages on Election Day. Secretary Merrill is also proposing lawmakers pass an amendment to the Connecticut Constitution that would open the door to early voting options such as “no-excuse” absentee ballots or regional early voting centers. Read More
IL: Disabled can request help with voter registration » Local News » The Commercial-News, Danville, IL
Vermilion County residents who, due to a disability, are unable to appear in person to register to vote should contact the county clerk’s voter registration hotline at 554-1915 for assistance. The department can arrange for in-home registration services, Vermilion County Clerk Lynn Foster said. Read More
IA: Iowa county elections officials oppose bill to require photo ID to vote | Des Moines Register Staff Blogs
The Des Moines Register learned Monday that the state association of auditors, which is comprised of 60 percent Republican election chiefs and 40 percent Democrats, has decided to register in opposition to the bill the Republican-controlled Iowa House passed late last month.
That’s a blow to a proposal favored by the state’s newly-elected elections chief, Republican Matt Schultz, and the new governor, Republican Terry Branstad. Read More
Terre Haute mayor Duke Bennett called on Vigo County to adopt a new election procedure some hope would cut the costs of voting. Read More
KS: Area election officers favor Kobach bill - Dodge City, KS - Dodge City Daily Globe
Ford County voters are prepared to show a photo ID when they go to the polls, and they are shocked to learn they don’t have to, said Ford County Clerk Sharon Seibel. Read More
KS: Voter ID bill on hold in committee - KSN TV, Kansas News and Weather
The committee on elections was scheduled to vote on the bill Friday, but postponed it after some members wanted to add amendments. Rep. Miller sits on the committee. She hopes amendments will loosen the bill up. Read More
MD: Requiring photo identification at the polls serves only to disenfranchise legitimate voters - baltimoresun.com
No act of government is more essential to a democracy than the running of clean and honest elections. Voters have a right to expect their ballots to be counted accurately and for officials to take all reasonable and necessary steps to prevent fraud. Read More
MN: Editorial: Use tech tools to improve elections | StarTribune.com
Recent years have seen a few dozen prosecutions of felons who voted before they achieved restoration of their civil rights.
But detecting that misdeed with the swipe of a "smart" driver's license would require attaching corrections and election data to that license in a way that does not happen today, and would be costly and complicated to achieve. Read More
MN: Your turn: Voter ID bill would deny many a vote | sctimes.com | St Cloud Times
Researchers there concluded that a photo ID requirement would negatively affect the voting rights of fully one-quarter of all state seniors. Read More
NY: Lever machines may return for village electionsYou may have not seen the last of those old, lever-style voting machines.
Villages across New York will be able to use the old models in next month’s elections, if a bill passed Monday by the State Legislature becomes law. Read More
NC: NHC elections director resigns | StarNewsOnline.com
In her Feb. 11 letter of resignation to the board, she called her four and half years at the county “rewarding” and thanked the board and her staff being dedicated to “conducting quality elections.” Read More
ND: Democracy requires engaged voters
Requiring counties to set up a polling place in every community with a population of 200 or more ensures a certain convenience for North Dakota voters, especially if the state Legislature foots the bill. Read More
ND: Forum editorial: ND polling place bill oversteps | INFORUM | Fargo, ND
The bill would order 54 more polling places to be opened. That would mean relatively small places would have to find five poll workers for each site, or 270 people. Read More
TN: Senate Committee to Review Burks Election - Nashville Public Radio
Burks is a Democrat from Monterey, in Putnam County. She was elected as a write-in candidate in 1998 after her husband, Sen. Tommy Burks, was murdered by his Republican opponent.
She faced no serious Republican opposition until last year, when she defeated Gary Steakley by just 183 votes.
Shortly afterward, the Tennessee Republican Party asked the state Election Commission to investigate “several reports” of voting irregularities. Partisan poll watchers found that security seals had been broken on the back of five voting machines. The committee will look at whether any actual tampering took place. Read More
TN: Voter ID bill undercuts seniors' right to vote in particular | The Tennessean | tennessean.com
Sen. Bill Ketron, the sponsor of this bill, claims that requiring photo identification to vote will ensure against identity theft and voter fraud. Yet, Sen. Ketron and his colleagues fought vehemently last year to delay paper ballots and the implementation of new, already-funded voting systems that would have drastically increased vote security. Read More
TX: Election Law: More on the Texas House Election Contest
Following up on this post, see this report [corrected link] of the Special Master (more documents here). It looks like this case raises questions about whether votes should be disqualified for election worker error (like the 6th Circuit case) and reliance on the Democracy Canon. Dig in!
TX: Initial Report Gives HD 48 to Rep. Howard by 4 Votes | KUT News for Austin, Texas
A state lawmaker tasked with investigating an election challenge in a Travis County House District says Donna Howard (D-Austin) is the winner by 4 votes over her GOP challenger Dan Neil. Howard won re-election to the Texas House on Election Day by 16 votes. Read More
WI: Editorial: Give voters more options for ID proof | sheboyganpress.com | Sheboygan PressIn all probability, voter ID will become law in Wisconsin. But before it does, state lawmakers should make changes in the bill they are now considering. Read More
WI: Voting a right, not a privilege - JSOnline
The bill would have a clear negative impact on Milwaukee County and the city of Milwaukee. Our large numbers of students, people without driver's licenses, seniors and low-income adults will be negatively affected by the law, essentially disenfranchising thousands of voters, suppressing the vote and lessening the overall impact and power of our vote. Read More
Justice Dept. pushes states on voting rights - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times
The 2010 elections may be over, but Justice Department officials are reviewing what needs to be done to further ensure military and overseas voters’ rights are not violated, Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez told a summit convened to address absentee voting issues. Read More
MS: Yall Politics | Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS) Introduces Bill to Terminate EAC
Today, Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Elections Chairman Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., introduced legislation to eliminate the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and save taxpayers approximately $14 million dollars a year. Read More
Election Law Blog: Read the Harper-Lungren-Rokita Bill to Abolish the EAC
Internet Voting WatchThe little-noticed election for a King Conservation District board seat kicks off Tuesday and, for the first time, district voters in Issaquah and elsewhere can cast ballots online. Read More
International
Brazil: Diebold 4Q Swings To 4Q Loss On Asset Write-Downs - WSJ.com
The company, which has a large presence with cash-strapped regional and community banks via its security and services businesses, recently received a big order from Brazil for its voting machines. Diebold was briefly in the election technology business in the U.S., but sold its money-losing Premier Election Solutions unit in 2009. Read More
India: EVM checking to be over by month-end - The Times of India
The verification of electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the forthcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu will be over by the month-end, said chief electoral officer Praveen Kumar on Monday. Read More
India: EC recommends increase in poll expenditure limit - The Times of India
Quraishi also said the Election Commission was planning to introduce an automatic system of providing acknowledgement to voters. A printer would be attached to the electronic voting machine (EVM) and once a person casts his vote, the printer will generate a slip, he said. However, Quraishi did not commit as to whether it would be implemented in the forthcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, slated for May. Read More
India; news.outlookindia.com | Need to Ban Opinion Polls: Quraishi
Speaking to reporters later, he said the Election Commission was yet to receive the report from its Technical Expert Committee on ways to improve the Electronic Voting Machines system and on provision of voter verifiable paper audit trail system in EVMs. Read More
Pakistan: Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan - ECP invites 15 political parties for demo on electronic voting machines
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has invited 15 mainstream political parties for a demonstration of electronic voting machines and giving them a briefing on different issues related to the ECP on February 22. Read More
Philippines: Will PCOS fraud evidence be destroyed? The never ending peace talks - FROM A DISTANCE By Carmen N. Pedrosa | The Philippine Star >> News >> Opinion
Those who think that the citizens’ protests of the May 10 automated elections are giving up the ship are sadly mistaken. The more officialdom and media stonewall their legitimate requests the more they are pushed to fight for it. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNewsSubscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
Please send article suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org.
=============================================The Voting News is a free service made possible by the Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vnDisclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Oscar eschews Internet voting; vote by mail proposed in CO; St. Paul, MN begins IRV preparations
Around the nation, the photo ID debate rages on. St. Paul, Minnesota begins a voter education effort following the City Council's approval of new rules for instant runoff voting. The Colorado Legislature is considering legislation to establish a uniform vote by mail system in state elections, and the Massachusetts House orders a new election for a vacant seat following a tie vote in the November election.
All this and more in today's Voting News. (Note: tonight's edition contains several stories we missed in the past week. Thanks to our readers for continuing to provide news tips - please send your suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org).
CA: Registrar of voters heads to Riverside | heads, registrar, riverside - Victorville Daily Press
San Bernardino County is losing its top elections official to neighboring Riverside County. Read More
CA: In San Francisco, finishing third means you can win | Ken Garcia | Columnists | San Francisco Examiner
The San Francisco mayor race is looking a lot like Bay to Breakers — plenty of entrants, many characters and a few professional runners.
Last night, interim At-Large Councilmember and special election candidate Sekou Biddle won the endorsement of D.C. for Democracy, a progressive activism group. That's the short version of the story: the long version involves a complex system of instant runoff voting, which some think is a better method of determining an election winner. Read More
FL: FBI: Buddy Johnson committed no federal crime - St. Petersburg Times
But the federal government, which investigated both matters, says Johnson committed no federal crime, according to a statement released this week by the FBI. Read More
HI: Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Hawaii Bills for Instant Runoff Voting in Special Elections
Bills have been introduced in both houses of the Hawaii legislature to provide that special elections should be conducted using Instant Runoff Voting. The House bill, HB 638, was to have had a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on February 1, but that hearing has been postponed to February 15. The identical Senate bill, SB 667, doesn’t have a hearing date yet. Read More
IA: Le Mars Daily Sentinel: Local News: Voter photo ID requirement may prove costly (02/10/11)
Seward County Clerk Stacia Long testifies before a subcommittee in Topeka on behelf of a new law proposed by Secretary of State Kris Kobach as Seward County Deputy Elections clerk Crystal Clemens listens. The new law is designed to deter voter registration fraud. Photo from YouTube. to see video, click here.
KS: Kansas House hears concerns on voter ID bill - KansasCity.com
Mott was one of several Kansans who spoke out against Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s idea to require more identification at the polls. The NAACP, ACLU, National Organization for Women, League of Women Voters and advocates for the blind told lawmakers that, while a voter ID bill might root out a few illegally cast ballots, it could pose problems for many more legal voters. Read More
KS: Opponents of voter ID bill testify it would disenfranchise thousands | Wichitopekington | Wichita Eagle Blogs
Kevin Myles, president of the Wichita and state branches of the NAACP, said the proposal by Secretary of State Kris Kobach would put potential voters in a position where they would probably decline to register rather than provide the citizenship documents that would be required under the bill. Read More
MA: New election ordered for tied sixth Worcester house race - Waltham, Massachusetts - Wicked Local Waltham
“Upon final examination of all available evidence, the special committee concludes that the election is a tie vote and that there was a failure to elect a Representative for the Sixth Worcester District,” according to the panel’s report. The panel members recommended that “the Speaker issue a precept giving notice that there was a failure to elect for the Sixth Worcester District and appointing a time for an election.” Read More
MD: Yes to voter ID
Opponents of voter ID requirements argue that having to possess and produce identification would tend to disenfranchise some voter groups, such as the elderly, the poor or immigrants.
While there may be something to that, there are ways to mitigate that concern. Afzali's bill permits those who do not have a valid voter photo ID to get one from the state at no charge. Read More
MD: Second Opinion: Phantom menace - Baltimore Sun opinion and editorial board debates on politics and other issues - baltimoresun.com
Genuine voter fraud where someone knowingly uses a false identity is uncommon not because the existing system can’t be breached by an enterprising crook (photo IDs can be faked, too, incidentally) but because the risk is not worth the puny reward. The crime is a felony punishable by prison time. But more to the point, all that effort and danger secures the perpetrator just one extra vote. Even in the closest of national, statewide or even citywide elections, it would an army of highly motivated evil-doers to even hope to sway the results by a hair. Read More
MN: Editorial: Spendy voter technology provision unnecessary - MarshallIndependent.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Info. - Marshall Independent
State and county election officials work every year to avoid fraud and make the voting process as efficient and as smooth as possible, but no system is perfect and no election goes off without a hitch here or there. Still, it's hardly worth spending thousands of dollars on technology to fix a problem that barely exists (election officials have said the electronic poll books would run about $800 apiece. If each precinct needed its own poll book it would cost Lyon County more than $26,000. Read More
MN: St. Paul shapes new voting system | StarTribune.com
Douglas County election officials turned over information Wednesday to law enforcement about five alleged cases of voter fraud from the Jan. 25 recall election, as well as the November 2010 general election. Read More
NY: Elections officials: County not set up for instantaneous results - Utica, NY - The Observer-Dispatch, Utica, New York
The Oneida County Board of Elections is not set up to produce accurate, instantaneous results from the state’s electronic voting machines, county elections commissioners told the county Internal Affairs Committee Wednesday night. Read More
TN: The Expositor - Sparta Tennessee > News > Contested Senate race reviewed Feb. 10
A state senate committee will begin reviewing the contested re-election of Senator Charlotte Burks on Feb. 10, 2011, as the group looks into the challenge filed by Republican Gary Steakley.
Steakley, a native of Cookeville, lost his bid for 15th District State Senator by less than 200 votes during the Nov. 2, 2010, election. He officially filed a contest of election with the state. The documentation reportedly claimed voting machines had been tampered with and therefore affected the outcome of the race. Read More
WA: Added ballots fail to change outcomes in Valley elections | Yakima Herald-Republic
Additional ballot counting Wednesday failed to change the initial results of Yakima's strong-mayor proposal. Read More
WI: Voter ID bill sparks concerns | wisconsinrapidstribune.com | Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
A proposal that would require Wisconsin voters to present identification before casting their ballots could hurt eligible voters, local officials say. Read More
National
One-third of overseas voters still disenfranchised, study finds -- Government Computer News
New requirements for the delivery of ballots to military and overseas voters led to modest improvements in participation in the 2010 election, but a post-election survey by the Overseas Vote Foundation found that many absentee voters remain effectively disenfranchised. Read More
Report: One-third of overseas voters couldn’t cast a ballot last fall - News - Stripes
Nearly one-third of overseas voters surveyed by a voting rights advocacy group could not cast a ballot in last November’s election, but officials say that’s actually an improvement from previous election cycles. Read More
Internet Voting Watch
Oscar Ballots Mailed, Tom Sherak Talks: Online Ballots, Franco and Hathaway, Top Ten, Date Move - Thompson on Hollywood
Feb. 3: But the Oscars are a fat juicy target. “I’ve yet to be convinced that you couldn’t find someone to hack into it,” Sherak says. “Nobody has said to me, ‘you can’t get in.’ The Academy is as pure as the driven snow.” Until Sherak is convinced that no one could influence the voting by hacking into an online voting system, he’s sticking with paper ballots. It’s safer. “They can hack into the Pentagon!” he says. “The chances of getting online ballots are slim to none.” Read More
International
Estonia: Launch of Electronic Identity for Mobile Phone Use
The mobile-ID can also be used for electronic voting in elections. To do so, it is required to have a mobile-ID SIM card with PIN codes and certificates, a computer with Internet connection and a mobile phone. Read More
Ghana: Political parties call for some electoral reforms ::: Breaking News | News in Ghana | elections
Party Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey however told Joy News they are not happy the EC has ruled out the application of an electronic voting system for the 2012 elections. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNewsSubscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
Please send article suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org.
=============================================The Voting News is a free service made possible by the Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vnDisclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
All this and more in today's Voting News. (Note: tonight's edition contains several stories we missed in the past week. Thanks to our readers for continuing to provide news tips - please send your suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org).
CA: Registrar of voters heads to Riverside | heads, registrar, riverside - Victorville Daily Press
San Bernardino County is losing its top elections official to neighboring Riverside County. Read More
CA: In San Francisco, finishing third means you can win | Ken Garcia | Columnists | San Francisco Examiner
The San Francisco mayor race is looking a lot like Bay to Breakers — plenty of entrants, many characters and a few professional runners.
Yet given that the winner will be decided by the chaotic and confusing system called ranked-choice voting for the first time, the theme of the campaign is becoming clearer. Read More
CO: Saguache vote count never finalized - Colorado Springs Conservative | Examiner.comFeb. 6: While Saguache County Clerk Melinda Myers claims that the Nov. 2 election was conducted “with the highest integrity,” the facts known in the case from eyewitness testimony and video surveillance continue to tell a different tale. Read More
CO: House bill proposes mail-only ballots for all state elections - The Denver Post
A House committee today will consider a bill proposing dramatic changes to the way Coloradans cast their votes.
House Bill 1131 would require all elections in the state to be conducted by mail ballots only, replacing the traditional polling places in a move that advocates say would save millions of dollars across Colorado. Read More
CO: Editorial: All-mail revue for Colorado elections - The Denver Post
A legislative proposal to formally move the state to mail ballots is a good-government measure that would save money and align election practices with the wishes of a growing segment of voters.
Frankly, it wouldn't be a change for many, since some 70 percent of the state's active voters already have signed themselves up to get ballots in the mail.
And for those who still want that on-site voting experience or have a disability that requires such, House Bill 1131 provides for service centers where people can vote in person. Read More
Last night, interim At-Large Councilmember and special election candidate Sekou Biddle won the endorsement of D.C. for Democracy, a progressive activism group. That's the short version of the story: the long version involves a complex system of instant runoff voting, which some think is a better method of determining an election winner. Read More
FL: FBI: Buddy Johnson committed no federal crime - St. Petersburg Times
But the federal government, which investigated both matters, says Johnson committed no federal crime, according to a statement released this week by the FBI. Read More
HI: Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Hawaii Bills for Instant Runoff Voting in Special Elections
Bills have been introduced in both houses of the Hawaii legislature to provide that special elections should be conducted using Instant Runoff Voting. The House bill, HB 638, was to have had a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on February 1, but that hearing has been postponed to February 15. The identical Senate bill, SB 667, doesn’t have a hearing date yet. Read More
IA: Le Mars Daily Sentinel: Local News: Voter photo ID requirement may prove costly (02/10/11)
"If it costs too much, I'm not interested in (passing the bill)," Feenstra said. "I do think there's got to be some basic education with the public on the new way of doing it -- that you need an ID and also how easy it would be to get an ID. But if that cost is exorbitant, I mean over $1 million, then we've got to look into something else."
Stacey Feldman, Plymouth County Auditor, will be attending an Iowa State Association of County Auditors (ISACA) meeting in Des Moines Friday to discuss the bill.
New state legislation will allow counties to establish vote centers on Election Day, however, Vigo County voters should not expect changes, if any, until 2012, said Vigo County Clerk Patricia Mansard. Read More
KS: County clerk testifies for new voter registration lawSeward County Clerk Stacia Long testifies before a subcommittee in Topeka on behelf of a new law proposed by Secretary of State Kris Kobach as Seward County Deputy Elections clerk Crystal Clemens listens. The new law is designed to deter voter registration fraud. Photo from YouTube. to see video, click here.
KS: Kansas House hears concerns on voter ID bill - KansasCity.com
Mott was one of several Kansans who spoke out against Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s idea to require more identification at the polls. The NAACP, ACLU, National Organization for Women, League of Women Voters and advocates for the blind told lawmakers that, while a voter ID bill might root out a few illegally cast ballots, it could pose problems for many more legal voters. Read More
KS: Opponents of voter ID bill testify it would disenfranchise thousands | Wichitopekington | Wichita Eagle Blogs
Kevin Myles, president of the Wichita and state branches of the NAACP, said the proposal by Secretary of State Kris Kobach would put potential voters in a position where they would probably decline to register rather than provide the citizenship documents that would be required under the bill. Read More
MA: New election ordered for tied sixth Worcester house race - Waltham, Massachusetts - Wicked Local Waltham
“Upon final examination of all available evidence, the special committee concludes that the election is a tie vote and that there was a failure to elect a Representative for the Sixth Worcester District,” according to the panel’s report. The panel members recommended that “the Speaker issue a precept giving notice that there was a failure to elect for the Sixth Worcester District and appointing a time for an election.” Read More
MD: Yes to voter ID
Opponents of voter ID requirements argue that having to possess and produce identification would tend to disenfranchise some voter groups, such as the elderly, the poor or immigrants.
While there may be something to that, there are ways to mitigate that concern. Afzali's bill permits those who do not have a valid voter photo ID to get one from the state at no charge. Read More
MD: Second Opinion: Phantom menace - Baltimore Sun opinion and editorial board debates on politics and other issues - baltimoresun.com
Genuine voter fraud where someone knowingly uses a false identity is uncommon not because the existing system can’t be breached by an enterprising crook (photo IDs can be faked, too, incidentally) but because the risk is not worth the puny reward. The crime is a felony punishable by prison time. But more to the point, all that effort and danger secures the perpetrator just one extra vote. Even in the closest of national, statewide or even citywide elections, it would an army of highly motivated evil-doers to even hope to sway the results by a hair. Read More
MN: Editorial: Spendy voter technology provision unnecessary - MarshallIndependent.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Info. - Marshall Independent
State and county election officials work every year to avoid fraud and make the voting process as efficient and as smooth as possible, but no system is perfect and no election goes off without a hitch here or there. Still, it's hardly worth spending thousands of dollars on technology to fix a problem that barely exists (election officials have said the electronic poll books would run about $800 apiece. If each precinct needed its own poll book it would cost Lyon County more than $26,000. Read More
MN: St. Paul shapes new voting system | StarTribune.com
City Council President Kathy Lantry wasn't supportive of ranked-choice voting, but wants to ensure it's done right. "I don't think it's hard, but it's different so people need to know what it looks like at the polls," she said.
Supporters say ranked-choice voting, also known as instant-runoff, is a way to get a winner with majority backing, no matter how many candidates are running. Proponents say it allows people to vote for their favorite candidate without fear of helping to elect their least favorite. A voter can rank several candidates, with lower choices counting only if that voter's first pick is cast out. Read More
Douglas County election officials turned over information Wednesday to law enforcement about five alleged cases of voter fraud from the Jan. 25 recall election, as well as the November 2010 general election. Read More
NY: Elections officials: County not set up for instantaneous results - Utica, NY - The Observer-Dispatch, Utica, New York
The Oneida County Board of Elections is not set up to produce accurate, instantaneous results from the state’s electronic voting machines, county elections commissioners told the county Internal Affairs Committee Wednesday night. Read More
TN: The Expositor - Sparta Tennessee > News > Contested Senate race reviewed Feb. 10
A state senate committee will begin reviewing the contested re-election of Senator Charlotte Burks on Feb. 10, 2011, as the group looks into the challenge filed by Republican Gary Steakley.
Steakley, a native of Cookeville, lost his bid for 15th District State Senator by less than 200 votes during the Nov. 2, 2010, election. He officially filed a contest of election with the state. The documentation reportedly claimed voting machines had been tampered with and therefore affected the outcome of the race. Read More
WA: Added ballots fail to change outcomes in Valley elections | Yakima Herald-Republic
Additional ballot counting Wednesday failed to change the initial results of Yakima's strong-mayor proposal. Read More
WI: Voter ID bill sparks concerns | wisconsinrapidstribune.com | Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
A proposal that would require Wisconsin voters to present identification before casting their ballots could hurt eligible voters, local officials say. Read More
National
One-third of overseas voters still disenfranchised, study finds -- Government Computer News
New requirements for the delivery of ballots to military and overseas voters led to modest improvements in participation in the 2010 election, but a post-election survey by the Overseas Vote Foundation found that many absentee voters remain effectively disenfranchised. Read More
Report: One-third of overseas voters couldn’t cast a ballot last fall - News - Stripes
Nearly one-third of overseas voters surveyed by a voting rights advocacy group could not cast a ballot in last November’s election, but officials say that’s actually an improvement from previous election cycles. Read More
Internet Voting Watch
Oscar Ballots Mailed, Tom Sherak Talks: Online Ballots, Franco and Hathaway, Top Ten, Date Move - Thompson on Hollywood
Feb. 3: But the Oscars are a fat juicy target. “I’ve yet to be convinced that you couldn’t find someone to hack into it,” Sherak says. “Nobody has said to me, ‘you can’t get in.’ The Academy is as pure as the driven snow.” Until Sherak is convinced that no one could influence the voting by hacking into an online voting system, he’s sticking with paper ballots. It’s safer. “They can hack into the Pentagon!” he says. “The chances of getting online ballots are slim to none.” Read More
International
Estonia: Launch of Electronic Identity for Mobile Phone Use
The mobile-ID can also be used for electronic voting in elections. To do so, it is required to have a mobile-ID SIM card with PIN codes and certificates, a computer with Internet connection and a mobile phone. Read More
Ghana: Political parties call for some electoral reforms ::: Breaking News | News in Ghana | elections
Party Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey however told Joy News they are not happy the EC has ruled out the application of an electronic voting system for the 2012 elections. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNewsSubscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
Please send article suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org.
=============================================The Voting News is a free service made possible by the Verified Voting Foundation. You can help support the Voting News by sending a check to Verified Voting Foundation, PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018. Be sure to note "for Voting News" in the memo line of your check! Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.Donate online at this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vnDisclaimer: Articles and commentary included in "Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers'ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Vote Center Bill Passes IN Senate, Voter ID debated in MN, MO andTN , Internet Voting in Canada?
GA: Saturday requirement removed from early-voting bill for local elections | ajc.com
A revised early-voting bill would shorten the voting period to 21 days, but it would not require polls to be open on Saturdays if no state or federal candidates are on the ballot. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Mark Hamilton, R-Cumming, removed the Saturday requirement to save municipalities money. Municipal elections are already 21 days, and adding the Saturday requirement could require adding an additional day to the schedule. Local governments still have the option of adding Saturday voting. Read More
HI: Supreme Court Looking Into Hawaii Election Law - Honolulu Civil Beat
After years of legal wrangling in lower courts, a case challenging Hawaii's ballot access rules could end up in front of the United States Supreme Court. In 2004, longtime consumer advocate and occasional independent presidential hopeful Ralph Nader sued the state when he was told he wouldn't be on the ballot because he didn't have enough signatures. Under Hawaii law, non-party presidential candidates need to submit a petition with enough signatures to represent 1 percent of the votes cast in the previous presidential election. In 2000, more than 360,000 votes were cast for president in Hawaii, so Nader needed more than 3,600 names. In rejecting Nader's lawsuit in September 2010, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said Hawaii's burden for ballot access is low. They did acknowledge, though, that the threshold is high when compared with the other way for presidential candidates to get on the ballot. Read More
IN: State Senate OKs vote center option | Palladium-Item
Legislation that would allow all Indiana counties the option of using vote centers was approved 49-0 by the Indiana Senate on Tuesday. The bill moves to the Indiana House of Representatives for consideration.Senate Bill 32 would allow county election boards to designate their county as a vote center county. Vote centers consolidate multiple precinct voting locations into several centralized vote centers and voters may choose the center most convenient for them. Read More
KS: Critics say Kansas election fraud bill too drastic - KHGI-TV
Critics of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach's (KOH'-bahk's) election fraud bill are criticizing him for not seeking less drastic administrative changes first. They told the House Elections Committee on Wednesday that the measure would end door-to-door and other community voter registration drives and likely disenfranchise poor and minority voters. The bill would require voters to show photo identification at the polls and people to provide proof of citizenship when they register for the first time in Kansas. Read More
MN: GOP voter ID measure passes first Capitol hurdle | kare11.com
A controversial voter photo ID bill cleared its first hurdle at the State Capitol Tuesday, when it passed the House Government Operations Committee on a straight party-line vote. It marked the first time ever a voter ID bill has ever made it through a legislative committee in Minnesota. The sponsor, Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, said she was confident the measure will eventually pass the full House and Senate now that they are controlled by her fellow Republicans. "We know from polls that 80 percent of Minnesotans support this," Rep. Kiffmeyer told KARE, "What we're going at here in the voter ID requirement is uniform treatment of all voters before Election Day." Read More
MO: Opponents rail against Voter ID proposal in House
A House hearing on Republican-sponsored voter identification legislation this morning had a deja vu feeling to it. Just as in a couple of weeks ago in the Senate, not a single person spoke in favor of the proposal to require voters to show a photo ID at polls. But a plethora of groups opposed the legislation, arguing that requiring photo identification is an unconstitutional infringement of Missourians' fundamental right to vote. The legislation, which already passed a Senate committee, is a priority of Republicans this year, and so the lack of testimony in favor of it won't get in the way of it moving quickly through the legislative session. But opponents were quick to point to the lack of voices clamoring for the bill in criticizing it. "Just what is it we are trying to achieve?" asked AARP's Ron Sergent, who testified against the bill. "We cannot risk disenfranchisement of the most vulnerable among us to provide comfort to the most powerful." Read More
NM: Proposed measure would allow use of voting centers - Las Cruces Sun-News
A proposal in the state Legislature would make voting easier for Do-a Ana County residents and save the county money, County Clerk Lynn Ellins said. Ellins, a Democrat, said he's backing the measure, which would allow counties to use so-called voting centers on election day. The idea, Ellins said, is that a voter could visit any of the designated polling places on election day and cast a ballot for all the races specific to his or her own precinct. For instance, someone could live in Hatch and cast a viable vote in Sunland Park. "Under this consolidated precinct concept, you can go to any location," he said. Now, for primary and general elections, Ellins said, the county does consolidate its 115 geographic precincts into 67 polling places. On election day, it's possible for someone to vote at a polling place that doesn't match their home precinct. But to do that, the person must use a provisional ballot - a type of ballot that's counted and verified after the election. Read More
TN: Voter centers face costs | dnj.com | The Daily News Journal
Rutherford County election officials are trying to remove an impediment in their effort to use voter centers for Murfreesboro's 2012 city election. Election Commissioner Johnny Taylor notified the commission Monday that state law requiring voter notification about voter center locations could cost the city $20,000 in letters and postage. State law reads: "The county election commission shall mail to each voter whose polling place is changed a notice of the voter's new convenient voter center location." Taylor said the Election Office is working with the State Election Commission and Sen. Bill Ketron to change the statute so the notification provision won't be so expensive. Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, is sponsoring legislation to conduct the pilot voting project. Read More
TN: Require photo ID for voting? Why? - The Paris Post-Intelligencer
A proposal to require Tennessee citizens to show photo identification in order to vote is a solution in search of a problem. A state Senate committee on Tuesday approved a bill to do just that by a party-line 6-3 vote. Similar bills in the past, when Democrats held a majority in the House, have failed in House committee votes. But with Republicans holding majorities in both houses, the measure is expected to win approval this year. The idea, said Senate sponsor Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro, is to “protect the purity of the ballot box.” That’s a worthy aim, but we’re not aware of any significant instances of voting fraud being alleged in recent years. Why tighten the protection when there’s nothing to protect against? Read More
International
Canada: Coquitlam wants online voting by 2014
Despite lingering concerns around privacy, Coquitlam council is asking the provincial government to make online voting a reality by 2014. Council's vote came three weeks after similar calls from the cities of Vancouver and Surrey, and it's hoped the move to an online model will serve two purposes: to engage more people in the political process while alleviating time constraints that prevent some from voting. "I'm not suggesting we go ahead with this without full security in place," said Coun. Linda Reimer, who first introduced the motion in mid-January. "I do have some reassurance, however, knowing that it has been taking place in Ontario for quite some time, that there are people out there who know how to perfect this. We have such low voter turnout that it's really more of a threat to our democracy than a more minor security issue might be with online voting." Read More
Canada: Online voting has theoretical benefits but also drawbacks - The Globe and Mail
Online voting is something that can really increase participation, Christy Clark, Liberal leadership candidate, in a YouTube video on her website. The Internet has the answer for just about every question. But early reports from the field indicate the Internet is not the panacea for the problem of B.C.’s rapidly dropping turnout rate in provincial elections. It’s not a matter of intentions. A survey for Elections BC after the 2009 provincial election found that 94 per cent of British Columbians said they intend to vote, 89 per cent said voting was easy and they knew what they need to know in order to vote in a provincial election. Read More
Nigeria: Rebranding And Credible Elections - allAfrica.com:
It is trite that free and fair election is a basic tenet of democracy. Since democracy is a government that lies on the consent of the people, elections has therefore become the most acceptable means of choosing those that will occupy political positions in a democracy. There is no gainsaying that there can never be a complete fool-proof election even in the advanced democracies like the United States and Britain. Even the United States (US) election that led to the victory of President Bush was alleged to be marred with irregularities in the State of Florida. Read More
Voting News archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
Also at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews
Subscribe to Voting News at this link: http://tinyurl.com/votingnews
=============================================
The Voting News is a free service made possible by the 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.
A revised early-voting bill would shorten the voting period to 21 days, but it would not require polls to be open on Saturdays if no state or federal candidates are on the ballot. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Mark Hamilton, R-Cumming, removed the Saturday requirement to save municipalities money. Municipal elections are already 21 days, and adding the Saturday requirement could require adding an additional day to the schedule. Local governments still have the option of adding Saturday voting. Read More
HI: Supreme Court Looking Into Hawaii Election Law - Honolulu Civil Beat
After years of legal wrangling in lower courts, a case challenging Hawaii's ballot access rules could end up in front of the United States Supreme Court. In 2004, longtime consumer advocate and occasional independent presidential hopeful Ralph Nader sued the state when he was told he wouldn't be on the ballot because he didn't have enough signatures. Under Hawaii law, non-party presidential candidates need to submit a petition with enough signatures to represent 1 percent of the votes cast in the previous presidential election. In 2000, more than 360,000 votes were cast for president in Hawaii, so Nader needed more than 3,600 names. In rejecting Nader's lawsuit in September 2010, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said Hawaii's burden for ballot access is low. They did acknowledge, though, that the threshold is high when compared with the other way for presidential candidates to get on the ballot. Read More
IN: State Senate OKs vote center option | Palladium-Item
Legislation that would allow all Indiana counties the option of using vote centers was approved 49-0 by the Indiana Senate on Tuesday. The bill moves to the Indiana House of Representatives for consideration.Senate Bill 32 would allow county election boards to designate their county as a vote center county. Vote centers consolidate multiple precinct voting locations into several centralized vote centers and voters may choose the center most convenient for them. Read More
KS: Critics say Kansas election fraud bill too drastic - KHGI-TV
Critics of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach's (KOH'-bahk's) election fraud bill are criticizing him for not seeking less drastic administrative changes first. They told the House Elections Committee on Wednesday that the measure would end door-to-door and other community voter registration drives and likely disenfranchise poor and minority voters. The bill would require voters to show photo identification at the polls and people to provide proof of citizenship when they register for the first time in Kansas. Read More
MN: GOP voter ID measure passes first Capitol hurdle | kare11.com
A controversial voter photo ID bill cleared its first hurdle at the State Capitol Tuesday, when it passed the House Government Operations Committee on a straight party-line vote. It marked the first time ever a voter ID bill has ever made it through a legislative committee in Minnesota. The sponsor, Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, said she was confident the measure will eventually pass the full House and Senate now that they are controlled by her fellow Republicans. "We know from polls that 80 percent of Minnesotans support this," Rep. Kiffmeyer told KARE, "What we're going at here in the voter ID requirement is uniform treatment of all voters before Election Day." Read More
MO: Opponents rail against Voter ID proposal in House
A House hearing on Republican-sponsored voter identification legislation this morning had a deja vu feeling to it. Just as in a couple of weeks ago in the Senate, not a single person spoke in favor of the proposal to require voters to show a photo ID at polls. But a plethora of groups opposed the legislation, arguing that requiring photo identification is an unconstitutional infringement of Missourians' fundamental right to vote. The legislation, which already passed a Senate committee, is a priority of Republicans this year, and so the lack of testimony in favor of it won't get in the way of it moving quickly through the legislative session. But opponents were quick to point to the lack of voices clamoring for the bill in criticizing it. "Just what is it we are trying to achieve?" asked AARP's Ron Sergent, who testified against the bill. "We cannot risk disenfranchisement of the most vulnerable among us to provide comfort to the most powerful." Read More
NM: Proposed measure would allow use of voting centers - Las Cruces Sun-News
A proposal in the state Legislature would make voting easier for Do-a Ana County residents and save the county money, County Clerk Lynn Ellins said. Ellins, a Democrat, said he's backing the measure, which would allow counties to use so-called voting centers on election day. The idea, Ellins said, is that a voter could visit any of the designated polling places on election day and cast a ballot for all the races specific to his or her own precinct. For instance, someone could live in Hatch and cast a viable vote in Sunland Park. "Under this consolidated precinct concept, you can go to any location," he said. Now, for primary and general elections, Ellins said, the county does consolidate its 115 geographic precincts into 67 polling places. On election day, it's possible for someone to vote at a polling place that doesn't match their home precinct. But to do that, the person must use a provisional ballot - a type of ballot that's counted and verified after the election. Read More
TN: Voter centers face costs | dnj.com | The Daily News Journal
Rutherford County election officials are trying to remove an impediment in their effort to use voter centers for Murfreesboro's 2012 city election. Election Commissioner Johnny Taylor notified the commission Monday that state law requiring voter notification about voter center locations could cost the city $20,000 in letters and postage. State law reads: "The county election commission shall mail to each voter whose polling place is changed a notice of the voter's new convenient voter center location." Taylor said the Election Office is working with the State Election Commission and Sen. Bill Ketron to change the statute so the notification provision won't be so expensive. Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, is sponsoring legislation to conduct the pilot voting project. Read More
TN: Require photo ID for voting? Why? - The Paris Post-Intelligencer
A proposal to require Tennessee citizens to show photo identification in order to vote is a solution in search of a problem. A state Senate committee on Tuesday approved a bill to do just that by a party-line 6-3 vote. Similar bills in the past, when Democrats held a majority in the House, have failed in House committee votes. But with Republicans holding majorities in both houses, the measure is expected to win approval this year. The idea, said Senate sponsor Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro, is to “protect the purity of the ballot box.” That’s a worthy aim, but we’re not aware of any significant instances of voting fraud being alleged in recent years. Why tighten the protection when there’s nothing to protect against? Read More
International
Canada: Coquitlam wants online voting by 2014
Despite lingering concerns around privacy, Coquitlam council is asking the provincial government to make online voting a reality by 2014. Council's vote came three weeks after similar calls from the cities of Vancouver and Surrey, and it's hoped the move to an online model will serve two purposes: to engage more people in the political process while alleviating time constraints that prevent some from voting. "I'm not suggesting we go ahead with this without full security in place," said Coun. Linda Reimer, who first introduced the motion in mid-January. "I do have some reassurance, however, knowing that it has been taking place in Ontario for quite some time, that there are people out there who know how to perfect this. We have such low voter turnout that it's really more of a threat to our democracy than a more minor security issue might be with online voting." Read More
Canada: Online voting has theoretical benefits but also drawbacks - The Globe and Mail
Online voting is something that can really increase participation, Christy Clark, Liberal leadership candidate, in a YouTube video on her website. The Internet has the answer for just about every question. But early reports from the field indicate the Internet is not the panacea for the problem of B.C.’s rapidly dropping turnout rate in provincial elections. It’s not a matter of intentions. A survey for Elections BC after the 2009 provincial election found that 94 per cent of British Columbians said they intend to vote, 89 per cent said voting was easy and they knew what they need to know in order to vote in a provincial election. Read More
Nigeria: Rebranding And Credible Elections - allAfrica.com:
It is trite that free and fair election is a basic tenet of democracy. Since democracy is a government that lies on the consent of the people, elections has therefore become the most acceptable means of choosing those that will occupy political positions in a democracy. There is no gainsaying that there can never be a complete fool-proof election even in the advanced democracies like the United States and Britain. Even the United States (US) election that led to the victory of President Bush was alleged to be marred with irregularities in the State of Florida. Read More
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