The Voting News Daily: WA military email voting clears house, Cyber War Wake Up Call, More trustworthy voting systems
Election Equipment Certification Delivers Poor Results says the Champaign County Clerk, Mark Sheldon. Sheldon says: “If we want a system that earns the trust of every voter we need to institute post election audits, more extensive testing, and a certification process that is more open and flexible.”
In Washington State, two bills of note: a bill to allow military to vote by fax or email has cleared the house, and a bill to force Pierce Co Washington voters to vote by mail….As officials consider putting our military’s votes and associated data online, please read “Cyber War Wake Up Call” over at DefenseTech.org…
All this and more in today’s voting news below….
AK: State settles lawsuit, agrees to offer voter aid in Yup’ik
http://www.adn.com/2010/02/19/1148117/yupik-elders-win-right-to-elections.html
The state has settled a lawsuit brought by Yup’ik-speaking elders and tribal councils demanding that the Division of Elections provide ballots and voter assistance in Yup’ik.
AZ: Election officials use GPS devices to track equipment
http://bit.ly/930O9h
Program aims to lift voter confidence
Maricopa County elections officials are starting a new program that will track all 17,000 pieces of voting equipment through GPS technology.
CA: Federal Court in San Diego Issues Clarification: Independent Expenditure Committees May Accept Unlimited Sums from Corporations, Labor Unions, and Others
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015328.html
Disclosure: I am co-counsel for the City of San Diego in this matter.(Rick Hasen)
CA: Two Legal ‘Situations’
http://democracycounts.blogspot.com/2010/02/two-legal-situations.html
Humboldt County Election Transparency Project
CA: DA investigates allegations of voter fraud in Montebello
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_14438007#ixzz0gJIxeN7n
“I actually went to someone’s door regarding an absentee voter and I learned the person hadn’t lived there for two years,” Veneziano said. “It seems like there is a lot of voter fraud concerning absentee ballots.”
CA: State Chief Justice Calls For Reform Of Initiative Process
http://www.ktvu.com/news/22618847/detail.html
STANFORD, Calif. — California Chief Justice Ronald George told a Stanford University symposium Friday that the state’s voter initiative process has helped to make the state government dysfunctional and “is sorely in need of reform.”
CO: Editorial – Voting changes make sense (Editorial in favor of 100% vote by mail)
http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/fort-morgan-opinion/ci_14410371
FL: Court: Petition Signatures Cannot Be Revoked
http://bit.ly/bW2CAo
The Florida Supreme Court said Thursday that a petition-signature revocation law, passed in 2007, substantially burdened the rights of citizen-led efforts to change the Constitution
IL: Election Equipment Certification Delivers Poor Results
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/02/22/election-equipment-certification-delivers-poor-results/
Champaign County Clerk…Election equipment manufacturers and election officials are prevented from implementing even common sense changes to the software and hardware running elections because of the costly and lengthy certification process.
KY: Insider Fraud In Kentucky
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2904
We have blogged in the past about the fuzzy line between retail and wholesale vote fraud…
ME: Residents invited to discuss proposed city voting changes ; A special meeting on Tuesday in Portland seeks feedback on changes in government.
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3885912
Should Portland voters elect a mayor? Should the city allow non- citizens to vote? Should voters rank candidates in order of choice rather than pick just one?
OH: Voter fraud case dismissed
http://www.toledofreepress.com/2010/02/22/voter-fraud-case-dismissed/
The board found that Lisa Cherry, as a student who has “every intention of returning home,” has the right to be registered in Lucas County and denied the challenge against her voter registration.