The Voting News Daily: Fairfax VA now English only voting forms. Webb Co TX disabled denied secret ballot? Online Voter Reg Debate.
Aspen Transparency Litigation: What’s being hidden and why?…Kinston, North Carolina voters challenge Section 5 of Voting Rights Act….von Spakovsky Votes to End Fairfax County Distribution of Voting Materials in Languages other than English…An advocacy group filed a complaint against Webb County,Texas saying voters with disabilities do not have access to a secret ballot…Advocates and Legislators Debate the Promise (and Potential Problems) of Online Voter Registration…British democracy: no better than Uzbekistan’s…
Correction: Yesterday we mistakenly said that 89 Maryland voters may have voted twice in 2008, but prosecutor’s office can’t afford to investigate.The correct number was 189. Our apologies.
All this and more in today’s voting news below…
AK: Poll mistake complicates Midtown Assembly election *
http://www.adn.com/2010/04/07/1216620/poll-mistake-complicates-midtown.html
The tight Midtown Assembly race took an odd twist Wednesday when the city clerk said she’ll have to throw out as many as 175 votes in the race between former Assemblyman Dick Traini and conservative Andy Clary because of a mix-up at a downtown precinct.
AR: Pope Co. election commission considers purchases (iVotronics)
http://www.couriernews.com/story.php?ID=24372
Commission decides no new computers for voting
The Pope County Election Commission won’t be buying any new voting machines to use in the upcoming election because no company had any in stock as of Tuesday’s meeting.
CA: Electronic Signature Not Valid
http://warrenslocum.blogspot.com/2010/04/electronic-signature-not-valid.html
AN ELECTRONIC signature that was submitted on a statewide initiative petition does not comply with California’s election code, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge George Miram’s ruled on April 2.
CA: California Legislative Committee Passes Election-Day Voter Registration
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/04/08/california-legislative-committee-passes-election-day-voter-registration/
CO: What’s being hidden, and why? (Letter to Editor by Al Kolwicz) Aspen Transparency Litigation
http://aspenelectionreview.blogspot.com/2010/04/whats-being-hidden-and-why-letter-to.html
Does anybody know why the City of Aspen is fighting so desperately to prevent public review of the May 2009 election files?
CO: Wrongly denied, again. Public seeks scanned ballot image files from HART InterCivic system.
http://coloradovotergroup.blogspot.com/2010/04/wrongly-denied-again-public-seeks.html
CO: Carroll announces bipartisan team to weigh election-reform legislation
http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_14841228
FL: Is Fla. Gov. Crist’s Veto of an Election Bill Tied to a Possible Independent Run for U.S. Senate?
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015658.html
IL: Clerk addressing audit concerns (Iroquois County)
http://newsbug.info/articles/2010/04/07/watseka_times_republic
/local_news/doc4bbc08d5b0f7d352844176.txt
http://tinyurl.com/yjy2dmt
…the state’s election board is auditing all counties that purchased something with grant monies.
MD: General Assembly bills could impact election officials
http://times-news.com/local/x552034904/General-Assembly-bills-could-impact-election-officials
MD: Election integrity
Our view: Irregularities unlikely serious but deserve state prosecutors scrutiny
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-0409-voting-20100408,0,1135907.story
ME: Man accused of voting twice pleads not guilty
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/140742.html …He allegedly voted in Dixmont on Nov. 3, then, registered and voted in nearby Newburgh.
NC: New challenge to Sec. 5
http://www.scotusblog.com/2010/04/new-challenge-to-sec-5/
Voters in the town of about 23,000 people had approved a ballot measure that would end city elections based on party candidates, and switch to non-partisan elections. The measure could not go into effect, however, because Kinston is a part of Lenoir County, North Carolina, and that county is covered by Section 5.
NC: Local citizens’ group sues in federal court for nonpartisan voting
http://www.enctoday.com/news/voting-64557-kfpress-citizens-local.html
Five Kinston citizens have banded together in an effort to challenge the constitutionality of Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act and bring nonpartisan voting to local municipal elections.