The Voting News Daily: Trust, Antitrust and Your Vote, GA. seeks voter id approval, VA. votes still at risk
Trust, Antitrust and Your Vote (or ES&S buys Diebold)…Your papers please: Georgia’s State Board of Elections seeks DOJ approval of law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote…Correction: Voting news should have said Wyoming County New York yesterday: Pilot is beginning of Wyoming County New York’s switch to electronic voting, officials incorrectly cite HAVA as requiring they ditch lever machines…St Paul MN divided over instant runoff voting…NY City Council member sponsors resolution urges state lawmakers to keep the levers…Will every vote count? New optical scan voting machines to be tested in NY 23rd House race…Virginia runs risk in 2010 elections with mostly paperless voting…VA State BoE submits swine flu contingency plans to EAC…”President Obama signs Schumer bill to ease voting process for Military, overseas voters…Voting Gets Easier For Disabled, But Problems Remain…
All of that and more in today’s Voting News below…
CA: Santa Barbara “Vote-By-Mail” Election Nears
There are nearly 47,000 registered voters in the city of Santa Barbara and with less than a week until the November 3, 2009 election, just 11,000 ballots have been received by the County Elections Office.
The election is the city’s first ever “vote-by-mail” election, and there’s concern that some registered voters may not return their ballots on time.
http://www.keyt.com/news/local/67064762.html
GA: Citizen Check For Voter Registration Moves Ahead
ATLANTA — The State Elections Board this week decided to take the first step to get approval for Senate Bill 86. Passed by state lawmakers earlier this year, it requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote in Georgia.
http://www.gpb.org/news/2009/10/28/citizen-check-for-voter-registration-moves-ahead
KY: Polling preparedness: Counties gear up for December special election
…At its meeting on Oct. 13, the court approved the purchase of 19 new eScan voting machines. A machine will be placed in each of the 17 precincts, one will be in the courthouse for absentee voting and one reserved in case of malfunctions.
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On Dec. 8, voters will get their first chance to use the new machines. Judge-Executive Milward Dedman said this election offers a chance for voters and poll workers to get familiar with the new machines before the primaries in May.
http://www.amnews.com/stories/2009/10/28/loc.745133.sto
MN: IRV: No, but we appreciate the debate
Pioneer Press Editorial 10/28/2009
…try as we might – and we tried pretty hard – we remain
unconvinced of the compelling need to change the way we elect the mayor
and members of the City Council. We view up-or-down, yes-no voting as
simpler and clearer, and IRV as an intriguing idea whose time has not
yet come in St. Paul.
http://www.twincities.com/opinion/ci_13663272
MN:Don Fraser and George Latimer: The case for instant-runoff voting is clear
Name any common flaw in the current system, and IRV offers a solution.
By DON FRASER and GEORGE LATIMER
October 29, 2009 …Fortunately, St. Paul voters can do just that on Nov. 3 by adopting a proposal for instant-runoff voting — also called ranked-choice voting — in mayoral and City Council elections.
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/67356572.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ
MN: More complicated, confusing and expensive
By Chuck Repke, Angie Kline, Kathy Lantry and Dave Thune
Pioneer Press Updated: 10/28/2009
St.