The Voting News Daily: Fla. justices uphold Sarasota election law, More internet voting in Canada
Congratulations to the Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections – the Florida Supreme Court upheld two amendments to Sarasota’s county charter, one requiring voting systems to have a voter verified paper ballot and the other requiring a manual audit….In New York – “Federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into how the city’s Board of Elections awarded a $50 million contract for electronic voting machines” following the indictment of a lobbyist for ES&S on another matter… internet voting continues to spread in municipal elections in Canada in spite of statements by computer technologists that it cannot be made secure at this time…..
All this and more in today’s voting news below…..
AZ: Accusations of ballot tampering, voter fraud *
http://www.wmicentral.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20408072&BRD=2264&PAG=461&dept_id=505965&rfi=6
A crowd of about 150 Whiteriver Apache Tribe members confronted Tribal council members Tuesday after 54 absentee ballots were reportedly found in the possession of a single individual at the Whiteriver Commercial Center parking lot the day before.
CA: Testimony from SoS hearing on the Future of Voting in California
Kim Alexander of CalVoter
http://bit.ly/8YCrJO
CA: PPIC study of open primaries in California
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3109
CO: Colorado interrogatories to State Supreme Court on Citizens United
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/?p=7981
February 11, 2010 I’ve previously noted that Colorado is taking steps to address the impact of Citizens United on the state constitution.
Fla. justices uphold local election law
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/1475004.html
FL: Supreme Court issues ruling in elections case
http://bit.ly/b09EOq
February 11, 2010 Local governments have a right to make some of their own laws when it comes to conducting elections, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in connection with a Sarasota County case.
…
the court found that some of the provisions of the 2006 change to Sarasota County’s Charter directly conflicted with state law. In particular, the court found that the ballot question’s process for certifying elections was in conflict with state law and unconstitutional.
KS: Allegations against Kansas Secretary of State candidate, Kris Kobach
http://bit.ly/cSjg4y
A group out of Arizona claims Kansas Secretary of State candidate, Kris Kobach, has ties to anti-immigration and hate groups.
MT: Secretary of State cuts spending by 18 percent in a year
http://bit.ly/aXhMpa
Montana has received $17 million in HAVA funding, but has only $3 million in these funds remaining. That money is expected to be exhausted by 2012 unless Congress appropriates more money.
NY: Feds Suspect City May Have Been Bribed on Voting Machine Vote
http://gothamist.com/2010/02/11/city_bribed_on_voting_machine_vote.php
…The suspicion comes after the indictment of Anthony Mangone, a lawyer who allegedly bribed Sandy Annabl, a member of Yonkers city council, to change her vote on development projects. Mangone was hired as a lobbyist for ES&S, and was arrested on January 6th, the day after the BOE voted 6-1 on ES&S.
NY: Bronx GOP Chair, Elections Commissioners Subpoenaed »
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/02/bronx-gop-chair-elections-comm.html
Two Republican elections commissioners confirmed receiving subpoenas seeking information about the Jan. 5 vote that gave Election Systems and Software of Omaha a more than $50 million contract to replace the city’s lever voting machines with new, electronic models in time for the September primaries.