The Voting News Daily: VoterGA legal surprise, “No Paper, No Problem”, Ted Kennedy’s contributions

“We are a better, more inclusive and democratic nation because of the contributions of Edward Moore Kennedy. Let us pay tribute to his work expanding the franchise.” -Voting Matters. Aspen’s former finance director says that “The road to Aspen’s May 2009 election is strewn with the wreckage of credibility-eroding acts”.
Connecticut’s public funding law held unconstitutional. VoterGA case reveals that the law (when Diebold machines purchased) said that new voting machines “shall have an independent audit trail of each vote cast”. Petition drives reveal more cracks in PA’s voter registration database. “No paper, no problem! Yet, also less integrity and no credibility!” – Luther Weeks, CTVoter. Pakistan to address flaws in its online voter rolls. Economy again: Talahassee FL changes charter mid-game to avoid a special election that might cost “from $342,000 to $680,000.”

CO. GUEST OPINION *The city’s waning credibility*
A35 SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2009 THE ASPENTIMES. COM •
…Maintaining election credibility is crucial to a free society. Once elections lose their credibility so does everything else, except for the use of force as a means for imposing political will.
The road to Aspen’s May 2009 election is strewn with the wreckage of credibility-eroding acts in the City Council’s drive to implement instant runoff voting (IRV). Early analysis to date has identified, among other discrepancies, the following:
http://votingnews.blogspot.com/2009/08/aspen-times-citys-waning-credibility.html

CO. Election glitches report on the way
County clerk wrapping up investigation Augu 29.(They use Hart Intercivic Optical Scanners) BOULDER — Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Hillary Hall is wrapping up her investigation into the problems that slowed the counting of county voters’ ballots cast in November’s general election…Hall said this week that she has reached some preliminary conclusions about what went wrong in 2008, when Boulder County officials delayed their announcement of preliminary vote totals until nearly three nights after the Nov. 4 polls had closed.
http://www.timescall.com/news_story.asp?ID=17804

CT. Connecticut Public Funding Law Held Unconstitutional Because it Discriminates Severely Against Minor Parties & Independent Candidates
August 27th, 2009
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/08/27/connecticut-public-funding-law-held-unconstitutional-because-it-discriminates-severely-against-minor-parties-independent-candidates/

FL. Tallahassee City Commission retroactively disenfranchises voters at last minute
August 27. Until yesterday the city charter “called for a special election if a vacancy comes up before November in an odd-numbered, off-election year” according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
During yesterday’s city commission meeting this provision of the charter was unanimously retroactively removed …because of “economic conditions” and the fact that a special election may cost the city anywhere from $342,000 to $680,000…
http://www.examiner.com/x-16781-Tallahassee-Conservative-Examiner~y2009m8d27-Tallahassee-City-Commission-retroactively-disenfranchises-voters-at-last-minute

GA and MA. Why Vote On Paper? Tales from Georgia and Massachusetts
August 26, 2009 In Georgia they are claiming that all electronic voting is unconstitutional…Questions will always remain about the 2002 election in Georgia when Max Cleland was defeated for the Senate and Sunny Perdue was elected Governor.
…Contrast this to Massachusetts where Recounts of ballots can occur. Mistakes happen but they don’t have to result in the voters’ intent being bypassed
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2324

GA. UPDATE on 2004 E-Voting Machine Lawsuit: Voter GA Case History and Status
August 28, 2009
Here is the most recent update on the VoterGA E-Voting Machine Lawsuit from Garland Favorito:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/amanda_lang/2009/08/update-on-2004-e-voting-machin.php?ref=reccafe

The Voting News Daily: Aspen Times: The city’s waning credibility

The online version of the Aspen Times had a glitch so this was seen in print version only.

COMMENT A35 SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2009
THE ASPENTIMES. COM •

GUEST OPINION
The city’s waning credibility
Paul Menter

With the exception of how we choose to value ourselves, our friends, and our loved ones, virtually everything important is rooted in the results of elections. Think of their impact on our lives. The condition of schools where our children learn, how we protect the environment, our consideration of those who look, speak and believe differently than we do, and most fundamentally the people we wish to represent our interests as elected officials. All are decided by elections; our collective expressions of who we are as a community, a state, a nation. Maintaining election credibility is crucial to a free society. Once elections lose their credibility so does everything else, except for the use of force as a means for imposing political will. The road to Aspen’s May 2009 election is strewn with the wreckage of credibility-eroding acts in the City Council’s drive to implement instant runoff voting (IRV). Early analysis to date has identified, among other discrepancies, the following:

• The City Council, and not the voters, determined the vote counting method and interpretation rules — a method to which all seeking reelection would be subject. • Exacerbating this glaring conflict of interest, two Council members, both May election candidates, appointed themselves voting members of the IRV Task Force.
• On Election Day, TrueBallot used a different tabulation program than the one they tested. As a result, the vote tally in the mayor’s race was incorrectly counted. This fact was discovered by TrueBallot two weeks later.
• TrueBallot informed the city of this error on May 19. The city then withheld this information from the community, the Election Commission and the candidates until May 28 after the period for challenging the election had expired on May 22, stating that the error had no impact on election results.
• A mathematical anomaly inherent in IRV referred to cryptically as “non-monotonicity” created an illogical result. It appears that council candidate Michael Behrendt would have won a council seat if 75 of his supporters had ranked him second behind Jack Johnson instead of first. Council was warned of such unfair and arguably illegal IRV effects prior to the election but chose to ignore them.
• There never was a true audit of the election results, as claimed incessantly by the city. The 10 percent post-election review of ballots simply tested the ballot scanner, matching up ballot images to their comparative data strings. It did not test the accuracy of the TrueBallot vote tabulation program. Contrary to its claim, the city has to date produced no evidence of a “manual verification” of every ranking made on the ballots.

It’s not surprising that the City Council loathes release of additional information. It is, however, disappointing that the elected leaders of this self-actualized community reject the assistance of noted bipartisan election integrity experts Harvie Branscomb and Al Kolwicz, who could assist in improving the city’s election process for the future, whether the city continues to use IRV or not.