The Voting News Daily: Voting News 8/9. New voting hack, Internet voting in defense bill, Tennessee lawyering up, Aspen transparency
New hack demonstrated on electronic voting machines. (video) Internet Voting whackamole as Defense Authorization bill allows pilot. Tennessee hot mess: The dispute over voting machines may head for the courts. Tenn. Secretary of State detained voting activist as a terrorist. Aspen voters still seek ballot images from May. Bad economy pushes an Ohio county to cut polling places and Santa Barbara CA muni elections to go postal. New Jersey voters now have “no excuse” absentee voting. Computers searched in NJ election fraud case. Australia approves a new party decides name not obscene. Early voting – Wisconsin doesn’t want it, while WVA wants more. Larry Norden from the Brennan Center proposes a few ideas about what the voting community should focus on. Iran admits election demonstrators were tortured.
CA. Santa Barbara Municipal Elections Go Postal
Bring Your Own Ballot If You Don’t Mail It In August 8, 2009
…City staff estimated that the change will save $50,000.
http://www.independent.com/news/2009/aug/08/santa-barbara-municipal-elections-go-postal/
CO. It’s all about transparency
August 8…Despite that on election night in May, each anonymous ballot was projected during scanning for the public to see, the city no longer considers these ballot images to be public information…The ballot images are required by a team of Colorado election quality experts undertaking an Independent Review of our May election.
…Voters request the opportunity to change the charter in November to again allow the traditional style of elections with subsequent run-offs
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20090808/LETTER/908079979/1020
FL. Local legislators split on idea of making future special elections vote-by-mail or early voting only Wednesday, August 5, 2009
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/aug/05/no-headline—tc_mailvote/
OH. Board of Elections cuts polls, precincts
August 8, 2009 FREMONT — The Sandusky County Board of Elections proceeded with plans to cut down on precincts to save money and better comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act…The number of polling places was cut from 33 to 22.
Board members say the effort is expected to save $20,000 on equipment, printing costs and wages for poll workers.
http://www.thenews-messenger.com/article/20090808/NEWS01/908080305
NJ. Computers searched in NJ election fraud case
NEWARK, N.J. – There is new activity in the state’s investigation into alleged absentee ballot voter fraud in Essex County. Carmen Cassiano, Essex County’s commissioner of registration, says state investigators were at the county election office Thursday making copies of approximately 25 computer hard drives.
To date, four people have been indicted for election fraud involving absentee ballots collected on behalf of Teresa Ruiz, who won her 2007 race for a state Senate seat.
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/new_jersey/20090806_ap_computerssearchedinnjelectionfraudcase.html
NJ. State Voters Can Now Vote by Mail
TRENTON — New Jersey registered voters now have more options to vote by mail as an alternative to voting at a polling place on election days… In June, Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed the “Vote by Mail” law that now allows all voters to request a mail-in ballot for an upcoming election, and receive mail-in ballots automatically for additional future elections with one application
http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/article/53327-state+voters+can+now+vote+mail
TN. Lawyering up on voting machines
August 10 It’s beginning to look like the dispute between the legislature’s Democratic leadership and the secretary of state’s office over voting machines is heading for the courts, as both sides get their lawyer on to explain why Tennessee must/must not purchase optical-scan machines in time for the 2010 election.