The Voting News Daily: Aspen ballot image kerfuffle. Microvote vs Indiana. Dont eat your ballot.
Aspens ballot images are secret depending on who asks for them. Marilyn Marks sued Aspen CO for public release of ballot images from Aspen’s May 2009 election and was told the images were “secret”. In turn the city sued Marks for frivolous litigation. There is a double standard here: “The judge, newspapers, Internet, GrassRoots and citizens have pictures of ballots the judge says must be preserved and locked in old ballot boxes…TrueBallot claimed having a disk marked ‘Aspen image files’ in late January…”~ Andy Lang, Jackson, Miss…“Mail-ballot elections cannot match the security of voting on paper in a polling place on Election Day,” ~ Margit Johansson of Coloradoans for Voting Integrity – about Bolder Co decision to have mail only primary…Open Election Data Project in the UK…Sarnia Ontario CA City Council considers adopting internet voting while technicians warn against it….Problems with Philippines brand new voting machines….Venezuelan military to voters: Don’t eat your ballot…
…All this and more in today’s voting news below.
AK: State Affairs – Division of Elections Overview
http://bit.ly/9sunQb
AL: Baldwin County election officials report few problems*
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/03/baldwin_county_election_offici.html
“but we also had to deal with an error by the state registrar that put a large number of people across the state on the inactive voter list, including many in Baldwin County.”
…
County officials said several people in the Fish River area mistakenly went to the Marlow Volunteer Fire Department to vote after a county notice…
CO: We have a problem
http://bit.ly/9Jucm5
Is The Aspen Times in violation of the court’s order that ballot images be locked away as city “secrets?” I found this ballot image from the May election in your online version —
CO: Commissioners: August primaries will be mail-ballot only
http://longmontledger.com/news/commissioners-august-primaries-will-be-mail-ballot-only/
…“Anyone who wants to vote by mail can; they have that choice,” said Yvonne Iden, of Longmont. “I don’t want to be forced to vote by mail.”
IA: Auditors eye precinct alternative
http://bit.ly/97pyS6
Voting centers are allowed under state law, but only in city and school elections. Fitzgerald and other county auditors want to lobby state lawmakers to make the voting center system available for primary and general elections, as well.
IN: MICROVOTE GENERAL CORPORATION v. INDIANA ELECTION COMMISSION
No. 49A02-0910-CV-975. Court of Appeals of Indiana. March 29, 2010.
http://www.leagle.com/unsecure/page.htm?shortname=ininco20100329174
LA: Voting machine inspection confirms Donald Villere’s four-vote win in Mandeville mayor’s race
http://bit.ly/cbZvRT (the machines are direct record machines)
ME: Clerk Accused Of Violating Secret Ballot (absentee ballot)
http://wbztv.com/wireapnewsme/Town.clerk.accused.2.1603484.html
…
Bowdoinham Town Clerk Pamela Ross is accused of unfolding the ballots when she removed them from envelopes, allowing her to see how individual voted.
MI: New Albany man faces perjury charges
http://bit.ly/9AszcB A Benton County grand jury has indicted a 45-year-old New Albany man on perjury charges involving a voter fraud case, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today
MN: Give legislators credit for increasing election integrity
http://bit.ly/bGEymR …Moreover, after the experience in the Senate recount, stakeholders from across the political spectrum agreed that recounts should include only ballots counted on Election Day.