Monthly Archives: June 2010

The Voting News Daily: EAC issues advisory on ES&S system. Voter Registration boom in Arizona, Ohio

The Elections Assistance Commission – EAC issues advisory on ES&S Unity & DS200 opscan freeze/shutdowns… Lawsuit in LA County CA.: 37th Dist primary candidate Lee Davis said that her name was omitted from ballots in 300 precincts…Voter Registration in Arizona Explodes…Voter Registration at Ohio Public Assistance Agencies Skyrocket… Editors note: Like voting news? Please tell your friends. For your convenience we are on the internet ttp://votingnews.blogspot.com/ on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AZ: Arizona judge tosses secret ballot measure
http://www.azdailysun.com/news/state-and-regional/article_57f64a1f-665c-5743-8846-45cea015b223.html The referendum would have asked voters whether to require secret ballots for public elections and for workers voting whether to organize as part of a labor union.
The judge ruled that the two provisions are not “sufficiently or logically related to one another.”

AZ: Voter Registration in Arizona Explodes
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/elections/voter-registration-up-6-29-2010
PHOENIX – Voter registration in Arizona has grown by 27,000 in less than six weeks, according to the Secretary of State’s Office — and every political party has gained ground

CA: 37th District primary candidate Lee Davis sues, alleging election fraud
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_15403935 In the lawsuit, Davis says that Democratic voters in 300 precincts were given ballots that omitted her name and that of another perennial candidate, Peter Mathews. In one other precinct, candidate Terrance Ponchak’s name also wasn’t included on the ballot, Davis alleges.

The lawsuit alleges other incidents of fraud as well, particularly against senior and disabled voters.

CO: Electoral privacy and petition-signers’ ID
http://blogs.denverpost.com/eletters/2010/06/29/electoral-privacy-and-petition-signers%E2%80%99-id/
Should we take the next logical step and abolish the secret ballot, as all of these reporting requirements have made it an obsolete and misleading charade?

DC: Washington, DC Awards Hart InterCivic Electronic Poll Book Contract
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/press/electronic-poll-book-contract,1366662.html

IN: Indiana justices uphold voter ID law
http://www.indystar.com/article/20100630/NEWS/100630007/-1/LIVING0101/Indiana-justices-uphold-voter-ID-law

MN: Watchdog Groups Says Convicted Felons Are Voting Illegally
http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1631131.shtml?cat=1

NC: North Carolina Paper Dropped Research 2000 After 2006 Dispute
http://mediamatters.org/strupp/201006300046 Research 2000, the polling outfit that has come under scrutiny this week after Daily Kos accused it of fraud, had a previous dispute in 2006 with North Carolina’s largest newspaper.

NY: More controversy regarding NY’s voting machines (podcast)
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain/article/1/0/
1668703/WAMC.New.York.News/More.controversy.regarding.NY’s.voting.machines
http://is.gd/daAU5 NEW YORK CITY, NY (WAMC) – The controversy continues over New York’s attempts to meet mandates set under the Help America Vote Act. WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Greg Fry has more on the latest lawsuit filed against the New York State Board of Elections…
NY: NAACP Says NY’s Computerized Voting Will Disenfranchise Black and Latinos
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/06/30/28493.htm
Even the election officials who approved the programming have acknowledged that the new machines’ overvote messages are baffling
…
But the state has refused to use “built-in protections against overvotes that are made available by the machines’ manufacturers and used by many jurisdictions outside of New York,” the plaintiffs say.

NY: Concerns raised in North Salem over ballot in school bond vote
http://northernwestchester.lohudblogs.com/2010/06/29/concerns-raised-in-north-salem-over-ballot-in-school-bond-vote/ …it was hard to find on the ballot and the voting machine didn’t match the sample ballot has vowed to continue pressing his point.

NY: Syracuse Post-Standard calls for end to prison-based gerrymandering
http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2010/06/30/syracuse-editoria/

The Voting News Daily: US Burgers, Ballots, Bogus Polls. Diebold-ing Brazil. Mexico’s Bullets and ballots

San Joaquin Co California may adopt 100% vote by mail, meanwhile 12,500 mail ballots in Riverside co, in limbo. Assemblyman Brian Nestande introduced AB 2642 to address mail-ballot problems…Indiana online voter reg starts July 1…New York voting machines need simple fix to save 1000s of votes…Supreme Court Reaffirms Ban on Soft Money…Burgers & ballots & election transparency as mainstream issue…Brazil buys Diebold voting machines…In Mexico,”intimidation and corruption will likely lead to the courts ultimately ruling on the results of up to half of the races”…Protect the Internet, but How?

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

CA: Bill would allow outstanding election ballots to be counted (AB 2642)
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100629/NEWS0301/100629026/Bill-would-allow-outstanding-election-ballots-to-be-counted– Bill would allow outstanding election ballots to be counted

CA: Hearings for important election bills are scheduled as follows:
http://www.projectvote.org/blog/?p=669
California – Convenience Voting bill, S 970; Voter Registration Drive bill, A 2101 & Election Day Registration bill, A 1531

CA: Report: Replace polling places with mail-in ballots
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100629/A_NEWS/100629833/-1/NEWSMAP STOCKTON — Ditching polling places in favor of mail-in ballots would save San Joaquin County $500,000 a year, according to a grand jury report released Monday.

CT: Merrill, Garcia discuss contributions, increasing participation, and DeRosa’s exclusion from debate http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=3319

IN: Indiana will begin online voter registration July 1
http://www.wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=12727182

ME: Portland Charter Commission to take up two key issues Thursday
Commissioners could propose ranked-choice voting and veto power for the city’s mayor.
http://www.pressherald.com/news/changes-to-citys-charter-must-be-proposed-thursday-_2010-06-29.html

NC: Bladen commissioner cleared of voter fraud allegations
http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2010/06/28/1009889?sac=Home
Blanks acknowledged that she asked poll workers at the second site if she could vote, but she told investigators she was trying to test the computer system’s ability to prevent such fraud.

NJ: Passaic County Elections Chief Battles Union Over Firing of Four Workers
http://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/passaic_politics/
97366864_Election_chief_to_challenge_rehirings.html http://is.gd/d9lwC
Freytes has appealed arbitrator Robert T. Simmelkjaer’s May 14 finding that her decision to fire the four voting machine technicians was “motivated by anti-union animus,” and not simply a cost-cutting move as she maintains.

NY: New York’s New Voting System Procedure Could Cost Tens of Thousands of Lost Votes And Disproportionately Impact Communities of Color
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/06/28-19
Brennan Center, Hazel Dukes, and Others Call for Simple Fix this Monday at City Hall

NY: Ballot Squabble Becomes A Federal Case »
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/06/ballot-squabble-becomes-a-fede.html
The voter disenfranchisement suit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court today against the New York State Board of Elections basically boils down to voters being asked to play a game of “Red Light/Green Light” — where the rules make no sense.

PA: Hearings for important election bills are scheduled as follows:
http://www.projectvote.org/blog/?p=669
Felon Voting Rights bill, H 1072 is scheduled to be heard on the House floor today. This bill provides released prisoners with voter registration materials

SC: Associated Press Sees No, Hears No, Speaks No E-Voting System Fraud Nor Failure
100% unverifiable e-voting ‘not the droid you’re looking for’..
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7918

SC: SC bill on voter ID and early voting could die
http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/06/29/1560302/sc-bill-on-voter-id-and-early.html

SC: SLED and the 5th Circuit solicitor’s office to investigate Alvin Greene’s finances http://www.examiner.com/x-46109-Augusta-Religion–Politics-Examiner~y2010m6d29-SLED-and-the-5th-Circuit-solicitors-office-to-investigate-Alvin-Greenes-finances

WI: Forum on the Wisconsin redistricting process
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fairelectionswisconsin/message/2389

The Voting News Daily: Suit- NY voting machine flaw risks 1,000s of votes. SC editorials FOR paper ballots

Donna Brazil : “How can we put men on the moon and export democracy abroad, yet still be incapable of administering elections at home with indisputable integrity as to their outcomes? ..It’s time to address this threat to our democracy.”…Lawsuit over New York’s new ballot machines – flawed overvote warning may disenfranchise 1,000s of voters…TX Gov. Ex-Aide Accused of Vote-Diversion Scheme…Think internet or email voting is a good idea? CIA: Cyber Warfare Could ‘Paralyze’ U.S…Think we can secure voting machines just like ATMs? Reports say “ATM security flaws a jackpot for hackers”…Latest Verified Voting Newsletter is online now…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AZ: Election boss: Postpone to allow absentee voting
http://www.navajotimes.com/news/2010/0610/062410absentees.php
The Navajo Nation primary election may be moved from Aug. 3 to Aug. 24 or the 31st to allow absentee voters, particularly those overseas, enough time to get their ballots and return them by mail.

CA: San Bernardino County certifies June 8 results (June 25, 2010)
http://blogs.pe.com/politics/2010/06/san-bernardino-county-certifie.html
San Bernardino County has certified the results of the June 8 election.

Riverside County has finished counting all of the ballots that were in its possession on Election Day.

But the county has not certified the results until officials decide the fate of about 12,500 vote-by-mail ballots found at the post office the day after the election.

CA: 15th Senate District runoff estimated to carry $600,000 pricetag
http://www.montereyherald.com/news/ci_15383885?source=rss
That’s what it will likely cost the county to conduct the Aug. 17 runoff election to decide, once and for all, who will represent the 15th state Senate District in Sacramento, according to county Registrar of Voters Linda Tulett.

CO: Colorado State Court Says Secretary of State Can’t Invalidate Signatures Based on Which Candidate Submitted Petition First
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/06/25/colorado-state-court-says-secretary-of-state-cant-invalidate-signatures-based-on-which-candidate-submitted-petition-first/
On June 25, a Colorado State District Court put Jennifer Coken on the Democratic primary ballot for State House, 4th district. Her petition had been invalidated because the Secretary of State had ruled that she didn’t have enough valid signatures.

GA: Former Dodge Sheriff Sentenced to Prison in Vote-Buying Scandal
http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=81119&catid=175
Douglas admitted to conspiracy to commit election fraud when he was elected in 2004, and Gibson pleaded guilty to buying votes.

HI: Publicly funded elections starting in Hawaii despite potential legal questions
http://www.startribune.com/nation/97204354.html

MI: Lawsuit over voter-purge ends; Michigan to stop programs
http://www.freep.com/article/20100626/NEWS06/6260356/
1001/News/Lawsuit-over-voter-purge-ends-
Michigan-to-stop-programs http://is.gd/d8cBq …”Voter removal procedures like those at issue in this lawsuit, which allow eligible and registered voters to be suddenly stricken from the rolls without notice, are bad for democracy,”

MS: AG: New Albany Man Admits Perjury In Voter Fraud Case
http://www.wapt.com/news/24071819/detail.html

NC: Is There A Better Way Than Primary Runoff For NC?
http://news.mync.com/site/news/story/53103/is-there-a-better-way-than-primary-runoff-for-nc/

NC: Is there a better way than primary runoff for NC?
http://www.reflector.com/state-news/there-better-way-primary-runoff-nc-39696

NE: ES&S cust suppt job HS diploma required
http://omaha.careerlink.com/9/9/3/2/po/000771f.htm

NY: New NY case citing violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act
http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/news/articles.php?ID=7407

NY: New Ballot Machines Are Flawed, Suit Says *
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/nyregion/28vote.html
Electronic voting machines being deployed for the first time this year across New York City and the rest of the state contain a flaw that could lead to thousands of votes being thrown out, according to a lawsuit that advocacy groups will file Monday.

The Voting News Daily: The Game of Electoral Fraud. Michigan ends voter purges. Riverside ballot limbo

The ACLU defends the Voting Rights Act in Alabama…Riverside Co CA delays certification of election results..Judge pleads not guilty of Monroe Co KY vote buying scheme…Michigan Agrees To Stop Unlawful Voter-Purge Programs…Mail ballot fraud charged in Passaic Co NJ…For Clean Campaigns: DISCLOSE and Amend…Magaloni,“The Game of Electoral Fraud and the Ousting of Authoritarian Rule”..Kenya launches online registration program for inmates…Was Oprah online voting contest rigged?

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Black residents file challenges to Shelby County voting rights suit
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/06/black_residents_file_challenge.html
On Tuesday the ACLU, on behalf of three black Montevallo voters, including City Councilman Willie Goldsmith; a white voter from Sterrett; and the Alabama branch of the NAACP, asked a judge for permission to intervene in the case.
…
Last week, six black Shelby County residents, backed by the national NAACP office, filed a motion to intervene in the case to defend the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act.

AL: Is runoff voting same as primary?
Democrats, Republicans have different rules for July 13 election
http://enewscourier.com/local/x1703936998/Is-runoff-voting-same-as-primary

AL: Absentee ballot requests trickle in
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100625/NEWS/100629805/1291?Title=Absentee-ballot-requests-trickle-in “If you vote by mail, you are required to have two witnesses and some form of valid identification,”

CA: Riverside County delays certification of election results
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-riverside-county-ballots-20100625,0,3380414.story
Some 12,500 mail-in ballots arrived a day after the June 8 primary because they had been forwarded from one post office to another. Activists want them counted.

CA: New election snafu intensifies scrutiny on Riverside County Registrar of Voters after primary http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/48916/
Riverside County supervisors are considering legal action to prevent 12,500 ballots found after the voting deadline in the June 8 primary from being thrown out.
…
Registrar of Voters Barbara Dunmore was prepared to certify the county’s election returns Wednesday, but Executive Officer Bill Luna directed her to delay certification after confirming with California Secretary of State Debra Bowen that there was no legal requirement for the process to go forward now.

CO: Judge assures Curry’s write-in status
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/141196
A federal judge has ruled against state Rep. Kathleen Curry in a lawsuit that sought to overturn a Colorado law requiring a candidate to register as an independent 17 months before an election to be able to make the ballot

CT: Hartford Courant Editoral Board interviews SOTS primary candidates
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=3292

DC: Some Ward 8 Dems want FBI to oversee mayoral election
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/06/some_ward_8_

dems_want_fbi_to_o.html http://is.gd/d49Bk Some Democrats in Ward 8 are trying to get the FBI to oversee the D.C. mayoral election because they fear Adrian M. Fenty (D) and his ally, Ron Moten, will pay people to vote in the September primary.
…
Moten, the co-founder of Peaceoholics, strongly denies the allegation.

DC: Make sure you can still vote in D.C.!
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/debonis/2010/06/make_
sure_you_can_still_vote_i.html http://is.gd/d49EB
This month, the city Board of Elections and Ethics moved to expunge 93,773 persons from the voter rolls, and to make sure you’re not one of them, open up this 21-megabyte PDF file and see if your name appears

FL: Florida Candidate, Kept off Ballot Because Filing Fee Check was Short One Cent, Won’t Sue http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/06/25/florida-candidate-kept-off-ballot-because-filing-fee-check-was-short-one-cent-wont-sue/

The Voting News Daily: Why can’t I vote at my ATM? South Carolina’s ‘discredited’ voting machines

Connecticut makes a good MOVE, the act to help overseas military vote…NY Senate passes law making voter suppression punishable as a misdemeanor…Texas Co Commissioner pleads in absentee ballot fraud case…The DISCLOSE Act, a major campaign finance reform passes congress…Doe v Reed settled, U.S. Supreme Court Says, Usually, States are Free to Release Names and Addresses of Petition Signers for Public Viewing…Why can’t I vote at my ATM? Hansard Society Debate…US Post Office has special mailing envelope for military Absentee ballots..

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: DA concludes no vote fraud in Autauga County
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20100623/NEWS01/6230347/DA-concludes-no-vote-fraud-in-Autauga-County

CA: Grand jury calls for 100% mail-in voting
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_15364954
Better proof-reading, replacing polls with mail-in ballots countywide and more use of the county website are among the 2010 grand jury’s recommendations for the Mendocino County Registrar of Voters Office.

CA: Final election results certified *
http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_4c70d8f6-7ef0-11df-8b34-001cc4c002e0.html
The Napa County Election Division certified results Wednesday for the June 8 primary election, officially launching Napa County Supervisor Diane Dillon into a November runoff against challenger Jeff Parady for the Upvalley District 3 seat
…
Tuteur said the elections office discovered during the certification process that 1,100 ballots from polling places in and around the city of Napa were counted twice in the last unofficial report released on election night.

CA: Electronic voting machine whistleblower now running for Congress in California
http://www.thomhartmann.com/forum/2010/06/electronic-voting-machine-whistleblower-now-running-congress-california

CT: Connecticut makes a good MOVE
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=3286
…the Connecticut Legislature passed a bill (p. 47) to provide faster absentee ballots and more convenient procedures for military and overseas voters, in compliance with the Federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act.
…
Along with Secretary Bysiewicz, we applaud the Legislature’s prudent choice to avoid risky Internet, fax, and email voting schemes.

CT: Secretary Bysiewicz praises enactment of measure to improve military voting
http://www.shorelineplus.com/shplus/information/news/politics/Secretary-Bysiewicz-praises-enactment-of-measure-to-improve-military-voting891789178917.shtml

Guam: Separate party ballots suggested
http://www.guampdn.com/article/20100624/NEWS01/6240309/Separate-party-ballots-suggested A Republican gubernatorial team has proposed that separate ballots be used for each political party in the upcoming primary election to prevent the continual problem of crossover voting.

MD: Maryland: State elections board dissolved Independent party
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=106538

MO: Trust-us elections (corrected link)
http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/article_0ef48e72-be15-5678-a727-af6d1b028631.html
However, since the purchase of direct-record touch-screen voting machines (called DREs)
in 2006, these efforts at making elections transparent — and election results thereby believable — have been nullified.

NC: Missing key delayed Senate runoff returns in Craven
http://www.enctoday.com/news/missing-88485-nbsj-key-craven.html
The card containing electronic results could have been driven to the main elections office in New Bern, but “we don’t leave marked ballots,” Burridge said.
[they protected the ballots]

NC: Marshall wins Democratic Senate runoff, voter turnout ‘miserable’ in Gaston
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/style-48459-0in-marshall.html (optical scan)
An electric overload temporarily shut off a voting machine in Mount Holly, but Tuesday’s subterranean turnout meant no voters had to wait until the power was restored to see their ballots counted.

The Tuckaseegee Community Center, which is the polling place for the Mount Holly No. 1 precinct, dimmed Tuesday morning. No one was voting during the brief blackout, and poll workers turned off unnecessary lights and unplugged electronics to conserve power, said Pinion.

The Voting News Daily: Audit-Maryland Elections Board ‘sloppy’. Show Me State’s ‘Trust Us Elections’

Linda Lamone has been Maryland’s election chief since 1997. With 13 years of Lamone’s leadership, a state audit has found so many flaws in the elections board’s oversight of local boards & financial management that Lamone will have to file quarterly progress reports with an auditor. The audit report cites “deficiencies”, “lax oversight”, “sloppy” internal controls, ” flaws in monitoring voter registration databases”,”short $2 million.” …Missouri, the “show me” state has “Trust-us elections”…DOJ Urged to Preserve S.C. Election Records…Georgia sues feds over voter ID, challenges voting rights act…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: ACLU Moves To Intervene In Alabama Voting Rights Act Challenge
http://www.aclu.org/voting-rights/aclu-moves-intervene-alabama-voting-rights-act-challenge
Section 5 requires certain jurisdictions like Shelby County that have a history of racial discrimination in voting to obtain advance approval from the federal government before changing their election laws.

CA: Uncounted ballots in legal limbo
http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_supes23.1ebac92.html
Riverside County will delay certifying results of the June 8 primary to see if possible legal action will resolve the fate of 12,500 mail-in vote

CA: RivCo supervisors may take up legal action to review election ballots
http://www.swrnn.com/southwest-riverside/2010-06-22/news/rivco-may-take-up-legal-action-to-review-election-ballots The Riverside County Board of Supervisors is considering legal action to prevent 12,500 ballots found after the voting deadline in the June 8 primary from being thrown out.

GA: Another challenge to Section 5 (of Voting Rights Act)
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016259.html
The complaint seeks judicial preclearance of its voter verification process under Section 5 and, in the alternative, asserts that Section 5 is unconstitutional.

GA: Georgia sues feds over voter ID
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/062310/new_660035693.shtml

MD: Audit finds problems with elections board
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics
/2010/06/legislative_audit_finds_proble.html http://is.gd/d1fpn The state Office of Legislative Audits has again found “deficiencies” in the state elections board’s oversight of local boards and in its financial management, the agency said in a report released Tuesday morning.

MD: Audit report of State Elections Board
http://www.ola.state.md.us/Reports/Fiscal%20Compliance/SBE10.pdf

MD: Audit finds lax oversight by State Board of Elections *
Felons remain on voting rolls despite requirement for local agency removal
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-elections-audit-20100622,0,834777.story
Of the 14 findings in the audit, six — including flaws in monitoring voter registration databases, local boards and cash receipts — appeared on the agency’s previous audit report three years ago and were not corrected. Legislative auditor Bruce A. Myers said that’s one uncorrected problem over the limit…
…
The report said the state board did not have an audit performed on maintenance and security of the centralized statewide voter registration system, which is maintained by a contractor. Auditors said the elections board was “essentially relying on the contractor’s assertion that this critical database is secure and properly functioning.”

MD: Audit finds serious flaws at Maryland elections board
http://www.marylandreporter.com/page55042.aspx “SBE had $5.1 million they were supposed to pay but they only had money in their budget to cover $3.1 million.” Myers said. “So they are short $2 million,” representing both budget and financial reporting problems at the election board. He described the board’s internal controls as “sloppy.”

MD: Linda Lamone elections chief since 1997
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_8145/is_20040807/ai_n51378001

MO: Trust-us elections
http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/article_0ef48e72-be15-5678-a727-af6d1b028631.html

The Voting News Daily: No tangible record of the vote – DC overseas troops to email voted ‘ballots’

How do you recount electronic ballots? A Boone Co Kentucky Commissioner wants to a recount on the paperless E-Slate machines. To do this “recount”, the vendor would have to be involved and would charge $1,200 a day for each technician…House Action on Disclose Act (Campaign Finance) Bill Likely Thursday…Vendor Consolidation Continues: Dominion Acquires Sequoia..Are runoffs necessary?…Trading secret ballot for pin number? How do you do a recount or audit it: DC setting up email balloting system for with overseas troops votes…NSW Australia internet voting for disabled. Internet voting & email balloting remain insecure and non secret..

All this and more in today’s news below…

AL: Secretary of state: Not surprised by recount results
http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=12685115
no change in results

CA: D.A. opens probe into claims of voter fraud in Montebello’s 2009 City Council election http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_15340009
The Public Integrity Division opened the case after receiving a complaint that alleged hundreds of people voted illegally, said Deputy District Attorney Dave Demerjian, the head of the division.
…
The complaint alleged people who don’t live in Montebello voted in the contentious November election. The big issue of the campaign was an exclusive, 15-year trash-hauling contract the city gave Athens Services.

CA: Allen lead narrows in 7th Assembly primary (mail ballots still being counted)
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100621/ARTICLES/100629900/1033?p=2&tc=pg
Votes are still being counted in Sonoma and Napa counties, which both tilted heavily for Allen on Election Day.
…
Napa election officials had about 13,000 ballots left to certify, a record number of mail-in ballots delivered to the polls…

IN: Online voter registration arrives July 1
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/article_c22488ed-314d-50e8-9209-1569d104209d.html Any Hoosier with a valid driver’s license or state identification card will be able to register or update an existing registration online at www.indianavoters.com starting July 1, according to Jim Gavin, communications director for Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita.

KY: Flaig seeks election records
http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/C2/20100621/NEWS/6210363/-1/recorder/Flaig-seeks-election-records Attorneys for Boone County Commissioner Cathy Flaig want a judge to order the release or allow them to inspect certain records pertaining to voting machines and other materials.
…
Votes from the eSlate voting machines, which are primarily intended for use by voters with disabilities, haven’t been examined as part of the recount.
…
In order to recount the eSlate machines, Harp would need to be called. The company would charge $1,200 a day for each technician, according to Schrand’s June 4 order.

MA: Mass. Lawmakers Try To Offset Campaign Finance Change
http://www.wbur.org/2010/06/21/mass-campaign-finance

MD: ACLU, minority voters, challenge Crisfield election procedures
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20100621/NEWS01/100621032/ACLU-minority-voters-challenge-Crisfield-election-procedures CRISFIELD — The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland has requested an investigation into procedures during last week’s municipal election in this Somerset County town, citing alleged irregularities that include unlawful identification requirements of some voters, especially blacks.

ME: Ranked-choice voting raises new issues
http://www.pressherald.com/news/ranked-choice-voting-raises-new-issues_2010-06-22.html PORTLAND – The city’s Charter Commission supports a new system known as ranked-choice voting, or instant runoff voting, to ensure that Portland’s mayor is elected only with a majority of the popular vote.

There’s just one problem: the math.

MI: Overseas Vote Foundation Michigan Voter: It’s Time to Get Ready for Your Congressional Primary – http://p0.vresp.com/HGHtxz

The Voting News Daily: SC invisible ballots. Canadian E-vote firm buys Sequoia. ‘What IS my ballot, really?’

Invisible ballots – Voting Without A Net In South Carolina -Alvin Greene’s Controversial Senate Primary Upset Can’t Be Checked Against Records That Don’t Exist…On Heels of Diebold/Premier Purchase, Canadian E-Voting Firm Dominion Also Acquires Sequoia, Lies About Chavez-Ties in Announcement…A boost for Nassau’s fight to keep lever voting machines…Texas vote fraud problem centers on absentee ballots…In “Dude, What Is My Ballot, Really?” John Sebes compares traditional voting to internet based voting…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Picture 100 lawyers talking recount
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4231506
MONTGOMERY — In the curious world of politics, last week’s Republican gubernatorial primary vote recount brought high drama to Tim James and Dr. Robert Bentley supporters.

To the political party chairmen, the issue underscored weaknesses in state law.

To other party observers, fuzzy or essentially absent state law on primary recounts brought out other thoughts

CA: Riverside County Registrar Barbara Dunmore rebuts critics on tally delay
Dunmore: Volume of ballots that require hand tally growing, but her budget is not
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100620/NEWS0301/6200301/Registrar-rebuts-critics-on-tally-delay …The registrar’s office waited until about 5 p.m. the day after the June 8 primary to announce some 106,000 vote-by-mail and provisional ballots, representing about 44 percent of the vote, had yet to be counted.
…
Riverside County has six optical scanners, capable of counting 400 cards a minute, compared to 12 such scanners in neighboring San Bernardino County.

GA: New technology speeds up Lee County’s early voting
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/headlines/96772319.html?ref=319
Equipment purchased by the Lee Elections office simplifies paperwork required during the voting process. Carlton Fletcher, metro editor

KY: Two recounts, two different routes
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/nkypolitics/2010/06/19/two-recounts-two-different-routes/
The recounts conducted following the May 18 primaries in Boone and Campbell counties demonstrate a lack of consistency in the way the procedures may be conducted

NC: Counties spend significant sums on runoff elections
http://charlotte.news14.com/content/local_news/charlotte/627319/counties-spend-significant-sums-on-runoff-elections “One of the several things that the General Assembly is looking at is combining polling places,” Bartlett said.

NY: A boost for Nassau’s fight to keep lever voting machines
http://www.newsday.com/columnists/rick-brand/a-boost-for-nassau-s-fight-to-keep-lever-voting-machines-1.2037844
(also at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electionreform/message/13665 )
New York’s old reliable lever voting machines, which lately seemed beyond life support, gasped new life last week.

That wheeze came in an arcane federal court ruling which, on the surface, dealt with jurisdictional issues, but it left the door ajar for Nassau County’s lawsuit to keep using 2,000 lever workhorses, employed without taint for a century.

SC: Voting Without A Net In South Carolina
Alvin Greene’s Controversial Senate Primary Upset Can’t Be Checked Against Records That Don’t Exist http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/rulesofthegame.php
…”There is no state more representative of the need for a verifiable standard for nationwide systems than South Carolina,” said Sean Flaherty, a policy analyst for the California-based advocacy group Verified Voting.

The brand of voting machine that South Carolina voters use — the ES&S iVotronic touch-screen machine — has proved particularly controversial. Election law blogger Brad Friedman has reported numerous instances of ES&S machines allegedly causing votes to disappear, to flip to the wrong candidate and to produce electronic results that didn’t match with paper trails.

SC: Mystery Candidate in S.C

The Voting News Daily: The Color of Money in elections. Alabama election computer accessed impropery?

The Color of Money – “If the best predictor about which candidate will prevail at the ballot box is which one has the biggest stash of cash, then American democracy has strayed far from its egalitarian ideal…The time has come to move toward public campaign financing at the Federal level, also, so as to prevent future amazement that a candidate like Alvin Greene had a chance to win because there was a more level playing field.” ~ VotingMatters…Alabama Officials Investigate Possible Improper Access, Tampering Into ES&S Voting System…Replacing Okla.’s 18-year-old voting machines eyed…Don’t blame the machines in SC?…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Alabama Officials Investigate Possible Improper Access, Tampering Into ES&S Voting System http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7904
More disturbing news for voters who are forced to rely on the historically dreadful ES&S electronic voting system, this time in Alabama

AL: Officials investigate possible voter fraud in Autauga County (election fraud, not voter impersonation)
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20100619/
NEWS01/6190334/Officials+investigate+possible+voter+
fraud+in+Autauga+County http://is.gd/cWXUU PRATTVILLE — District Attorney Randall Houston is investigating possible voting improprieties in Autauga County after someone allegedly gained improper access to the circuit clerk’s computer.
…
The computer that records absentee information sits beside Moncrief’s desk in his courthouse office. Access is double-password protected, and Moncrief said he hasn’t given his passwords to anyone. When the problem regarding the security of the system came to light about mid-week, he said that he changed both of his passwords.

CA: Elections looking a little old-fashioned (some counties switch to central counting votes) http://www.lompocrecord.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_5fde8c48-7b68-11df-9458-001cc4c002e0.html When registered voters in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties cast their ballots in the June 8 statewide primary election, they may have noticed a change.
…
The paper ballots were trucked from polling places across each county to the main elections center, where they were then fed into dozens of voting machines.

FL: Florida Republican Removed from Primary Ballot Because his Filing Fee Check was One Cent Too Low http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/06/19/florida-republican-removed-from-primary-ballot-because-his-filing-fee-check-was-one-cent-too-low/

GA: GALEO launches voter registration campaign
http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=230201
ATLANTA – The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) has launched “a massive non-partisan voter mobilization campaign” to register 100,000 new voters in time for the General Election in November

KY: Judge-exec. says he will not resign
Regular meeting focuses on county’s business
http://glasgowdailytimes.com/local/x657336690/Judge-exec-says-he-will-not-resign
TOMPKINSVILLE — It was business as usual in Monroe Fiscal Court on Thursday in the first meeting after 10 residents, including the county judge, were indicted on vote-buying charges
…
Graves and his co-defendants, Wanda Moore and Gary Bartley, are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Bowling Green on June 23 for arraignment. The summons to appear in court for the fourth co-defendant in this case, Ronald Muse, was returned by the U.S. Marshal’s service and had not been served by June 14, according to federal court records. Each defendant has been charged with varying counts of voter fraud and conspiracy to commit voter fraud.

In another criminal case, six additional Monroe County residents were indicted on varied counts of voter fraud and conspiracy to commit voter fraud.

The Voting News Daily: South Carolina’s frail election system. VV best practices for overseas vote. India elections – PC or MAC?

VV Comments on Best Practices for Voting Systems Supporting Military and Overseas Voters…Bid to overturn South Carolina election is over. “The issues we raised about the lack of election integrity in South Carolina are real, and they are not going away unless people act. I assure you that I will continue to speak out about our frail and vulnerable election system in the months to come.”~ Judge Vic Rawl….They are still counting votes in California..Loopholes Grow in Bill to Offset Ruling on Campaigns..Mac or PC? Microsoft bids to run Gujarat India munis internet elections in Oct 2010…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Concerns Are Brewing About The Recount Between Tim James And Robert Bentley
http://www.whnt.com/news/politics/whnt-recount-james-bentley-061510,0,6730857.story
(recount is by machine)

CA: Want to know if your vote was counted? Check website
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100618/NEWS0301/6180305/1006/
 news01/Want+to+know+if+your+vote+was+counted?+Check+website
http://is.gd/cUMwD  Worried voters can check if their ballot was counted in the June 8 primary election at a county website. Voters can visit www.sos.ca.gov/ elections/ballot-status t

CA: UPDATE: Ballots still being counted in supervisor race for second place (10,000)
http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news/266509-update-ballots-still-being-counted-in-supervisor-race-for-second-place  (Clara County)
It is estimated 10,000 ballots remain, 7,000 of which are provisional and the remaining are vote-by-mail that were dropped off at precincts June 8. Vote-by-mail ballots are scanned to verify the voter’s signature while provisional ballots require more thorough and stringent study

CA: 13,000 ballots still uncounted
http://www.sthelenastar.com/articles/2010/06/17/news/local/doc4c
 198419e95d9535799674.txt http://is.gd/cUMyb
The Napa County elections office is still counting about 13,600 ballots — or 42 percent of the votes cast in last Tuesday’s election — and is not expected to release official results until June 24…
…
“The large number of vote-by-mail ballots delivered after Friday, June 4, represents a greater percentage than usual,” Tuteur said, adding Napa County’s last-minute swell in votes is consistent with voting trends across the state.

CA: Tulare County absentee ballots done, but more votes to count
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20100617/NEWS01/6170314

CA: Deluge of late absentee ballots, mail changes blamed for vote counting delay
http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/48736/  (Riverside County)

CA: Few Yoloans make use of early voting
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_15250070
…mail-in voting is well on its way to becoming the leading way of voicing one’s political opinion, with more than 40 percent of Yolo voters taking advantage of the system.

CT: Bysiewicz hears problems disabled face when voting
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Bysiewicz-hears-problems-disabled-face-when-voting-527813.php

CT: SOTS Candidates Forum, Hartford Public Library
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=3268

HI: Tax Dollars Paid For Djou’s Robo-Calls
Voter Offended By Telephone Survey
http://www.kitv.com/news/23928538/detail.html
Hawaii’s newest congressman, Republican Rep. Charles Djou, was elected in a special election after campaigning for restraint in spending government money. Now he has offended some voters, by using taxpayer money for automated telephone calls that some say sound like campaigning.

MN: PHOTO ID RAISES COSTS AND BURDENS TO SOLVE A VOTING PROBLEM MINNESOTA DOESN’T HAVE
http://www.ceimn.org/Minnesota_elections_photo_ID_voting_Pioneer_Press

NJ: 11,000 voters left spots blank on Trenton City Council ballot
http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2010/06/17/news/doc4c1af305e6d3f571075720.txt
“In order to ensure their person is elected, they may just bullet vote,” Sollami Covello said. “It is definitely a strategic way of voting if you want to ensure someone is elected in that top three. It happens in every election where you have more than one candidate.”

The Voting News Daily: SC primary results stand. Electronic voting the Cheat Box. NJ perfect election storm

South Carolina: Manning-churian Candidate? Alvin Greene nomination stands..Groups want Riverside officials to count the 12,563 absentee ballots that missed deadline…New Jersey faces a perfect storm – because they STILL haven’t enacted their 2005 paper ballot law…Electronic voting, aka “the cheat box” has been rejected by Netherlands, Ireland, German, Italy…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: 935 paper ballots cast in GOP gubernatorial primary missing *
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/06/935_paper_ballots_cast_in_gop.html
Davis said Wednesday that the inspector in Precinct 78, which is at Independent Methodist, turned in documentation from the primary election — tapes with vote totals and the cartridges inside the electronic voting machines — but did not include the paper ballots.

“Everything he understood that he was supposed to turn in, he turned in,” Davis said. “There is no indication of any kind of fraud or anything of any improper nature.”

Davis said that county election officials don’t know what happened to the ballots. He said that he has not talked to the inspector.
…
Davis said that the recount also turned up a problem at Precinct 55, which is in Hillcrest Baptist Church. That precinct showed an overvote of 112 , probably because one of machines broke down, Davis said.

When the polls were closed, the votes from that broken machine were fed into another machine. The cartridge from the broken machine was still counted during the primary, Davis said. Republican Party officials caught the overvote during the recount, he said.

AR: Stone County sheriff dead heat UPDATE *
http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2010/06/14/stone-county-sheriff-dead-heat
The Stone County Election Commission met again Monday in a nearly-packed courtroom to discuss the continuing confusion about how to proceed after the recent Democratic runoff election ended in a tie. In the runoff, both candidates, Sheriff Todd Hudspeth and challenger Lance Bonds, received 1,383 votes. An initial recount declared Hudspeth the winner by 5 votes, but after the discovery of ballots that were not included in the runoff the total was corrected to reflect another tie.

CA: Protests planned because of uncounted RivCo election ballots
http://www.pe.com/localnews/politics/stories/PE_News_
Local_D_vote17.266b36b.html http://is.gd/cTtsF
Activists, union and community officials in Riverside County said Wednesday they’ll fight to have electioneers count 12,563 ballots left at a post office and deemed ineligible.

CA: Registrar of Voters Defends Recent Election Problems
http://www.kpsplocal2.com/news/local/story/Registrar-of-Voters-Defends-Recent-Election/66RRFrsrSEuMxPv8hQ35kQ.cspx

CA: County Clerk/Registrar of Voters (CC/ROV) Memorandum #10180
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ccrov/pdf/2010/june/10180jh.pdf
The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) has brought to the Secretary
of State’s attention that some counties in California have been using the
incorrect fax number to send in their military address lookups to the FVAP.

ME: Charter group rethinks proposals (Portland)
http://www.pressherald.com/news/charter-group-rethinks-proposals_2010-06-17.html

ME: Recount set in Maine Senate primary
http://www.wgme.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.me/300bf7ed-www.wgme.com.shtml
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine election officials have ordered a recount of ballots in the state Senate District 1 Republican primary.

NM: State To Probe Ballot Box Opening
http://www.riograndesun.com/articles/2010/06/16/news/
doc4c19255c057c7066861030.txt http://is.gd/cTtqG
The Secretary of State’s Office plans to investigate whether Rio Arriba County Clerk Moises Morales broke the law earlier this month when he opened sealed ballot boxes with only his own staff in the room.

The Voting News Daily: The scramble to save SC election data. Paper, Please! GAO clears ACORN

Verified Voting Calls for Recountable, Auditable Voting Systems Following South Carolina Primary…SC Progressive Network scrambles to preserve voting machine records..Lawmaker: Don’t blame Greene…From the “making things worse” dept: Riverside County CA Sup’s odd “solution” to county’s problem in processing absentee ballots on time? Bring back touchscreen voting machines…Reports of absentee mail ballot fraud in New Jersey and Texas…The irony of the DISCLOSE Act…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Bentley disputing primary recount methods
http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/news/2010/jun/15/bentley-disputing-primary-recount-methods/ “Any discrepancies between the total number of votes cast in the recount and cast on election night need to be fully explained and understood and must not include hand counted undervotes or it will be impossible to have any confidence in the accuracy of the recount,” Sanders added.

CA: Delayed vote results prompts probe (touchscreens to speed up absentee count?)
http://www.pe.com/politics/gang/stories/PE_News_Local_D_vote16.2263e3e.html
RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Delay in vote count leads to inquiry into last week’s election.
But Supervisor Bob Buster said state lawmakers should be pressuring Secretary of State Debra Bowen for the renewed use of touch-screen voting machines. The electronic machines generally are quicker at tallying results.

MI: Editorial: Election errors in Allegan County are unacceptable
http://www.mlive.com/opinion/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/06/editorial_election_problems_in.html But local election officials failed to deliver a reliable result. This is the second close election in Allegan in the last two years where a fair recount could not occur because basic protocols were neglected.

NJ: Informant aided vote-fraud case against Atlantic City Councilman Marty Small, report says http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/atlantic-city_pleasantville_brigantine/article_5fcff138-78f7-11df-9dc5-001cc4c03286.html
Edward Colon Jr., assigned by the campaign to collect messenger absentee ballots from the city’s Hispanic community, recorded telephone conversations and secretly videotaped discussions with the councilman and other campaign workers, the report says.

NY: Worries About E-Voting Persist As Primary Looms
http://www.citylimits.org/news/articles/4059/worries-about-e-voting-persist-as-primary-looms Twenty counties have raised concerns about the shift from lever machines to electronic voting devices, which the state is belatedly supposed to make for the upcoming statewide primary.
…
In New York City, however, the major concern is that changing the machines properly is going to be too expensive for the Board of Elections to afford amid budget cuts.

NY: Hispanic apparent winner in unusual NY election
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iuYztkfrDc_f76DaA40jU-IXWS9AD9GC6DQO0 PORT CHESTER, N.Y. — An unusual election in a New York City suburb, in which voters could cast six ballots for one candidate, apparently resulted Wednesday in the first Hispanic elected to the village Board of Trustees.

OH: Former elections board director cleared of wrong doing
http://putnamsentinel.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=7187
“Once again, I am a victim of a reckless accusation,” said Price on June 14. “Once again, the investigation was conducted and once again, I was totally exonerated. How much should one person have to put up with? This is getting ridiculous.

SC: Verified Voting On the South Carolina Primary
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2010/06/15/638 Whether specific reports of irregularities in this election are confirmed, the most important fact about South Carolina’s voting system is that most ballots cannot be effectively audited or recounted. Serious concerns about the integrity of the primary (and of other elections conducted using the same technology) are inevitable, and legitimate.

The Voting News Daily: SC: Greene voters blues.1000s of CA mail ballots dont count. HAVAs real scandal

A Greene voter admits: “I had just never heard of either of these guys and it never occurred to me that anything like this could happen or my vote and that…our votes would contribute to South Carolina being the butt of a joke again..”..Thousands of California mail ballots too late: Riverside Co.-20,000, Sacramento- 2,053, El Dorado -750, Yolo- 408, Napa- 125, LA – 653…Iowa mispent $575K of HAVA funds.”But the real scandal was the money that was ‘properly’ spent on touchscreen voting machines that have since been scrapped.” says Jerry Depew, IowaVoters..”..the rush to adopt paperless, non-auditable electronic voting machines has subverted trust in the process and outcome of elections.” ~Andreas M. Antonopoulos, Network World

All this and more in todays voting news below…

Editor’s Note: Voting News Voting is now on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and Twitter at http://twitter.com/VotingNews

AL: Recount, runoff cause controversy
http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20100614/NEWS/100619921/1017/NEWS
MONTGOMERY — A recount of the June 1 Republican gubernatorial primary will begin in Etowah County and in other counties today but the recount and a July 13 GOP runoff are mired in controversy by the parties involved.
…
James’ campaign spokesman Brett Hall said the campaign is sending checks to all 67 counties to cover the expense of a recount, estimated to be about $200,000.

CA: Thousands of mailed ballots too late to be counted in California *
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/15/2822821/thousands-of-vote-by-mail-ballots.html
(Late by county breakdown)

CA: Verifying vote-by-mail ballots is vital but time-consuming
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100615/OPINION02/6140335/Verifying-vote-by-mail-ballots-is-vital-but-time-consuming As of Friday, more than 50 of the state’s 58 county elections offices had more than 1 million ballots combined still to verify

CA: More mail-in votes counted, election results largely unchanged
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15296026?nclick_check=1
Santa Cruz. At least 11,000 ballots still need to be counted, County Clerk Gail Pellerin reported Monday. The county has until July 6 to report official results, and elections officials don’t expect to update the tally until closer to that deadline.

CA: Miscommunication with post office cited for 12,500 late ballots *
http://www.pe.com/politics/gang/stories/PE_News_Local_D
_ballots15.246469b.html http://is.gd/cQNzh
A miscommunication between Riverside County and the U.S. Postal Service may have led to as many as 12,500 ballots arriving too late to be legally counted, officials said Monday.

CA: In our opinion – Bring back the polls
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_15300744 If anyone needed any more proof that mail-in balloting is not needed or wanted in Mendocino County, check the numbers.
Some 10,559 voters who no longer have a polling place to go to actually took their mail-in ballots and dropped them at a polling place on Election Day.
That’s over half (55.5 percent) of the mail-in ballots used in this election

CA: Stanislaus County clerk reviews ballots
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/14/2822933/stanislaus-county-clerk-reviews.html
It’s also reviewing about 1,900 provisional, military, damaged and absentee ballots. It’s unlikely that the tallies will sway any races

CA: Count continues
http://www.record-bee.com/ci_15298009
LAKE COUNTY — The registrar of voters said there’s no “funny business” going on and it’s normal to have unprocessed votes after Election Day, in this case 3,766 votes, including provisional ballots.

The Registrar of Voters Office is continuing to count 3,081 vote-by-mail ballots turned in at the polls and office or received in the mail on Election Day or the day before, Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley said.

The Voting News Daily: SC Primary ‘This whole election is unbelievable.’ Aspen DA election probe

“…as of Friday “at least 50 of California’s 58 county election offices had more than 1 million ballots that had to be verified before they could be counted.” according to SoS Debra Bowen..10% of Yuma Co AZ absentee ballots rejected…Aspen voters to finally get some answers: DA election probe continues…Cuyahoga taxpayers might get stuck with legal fees in 2004 recount rigging case…Vic Rawl Protests Alvin Greene Win in SC Primary. Cites reports of “extremely unusual incidents”..DISCLOSE Act H.R. 5175 on the radar next week..Is Internet voting secure? “Cyber warfare has moved beyond theory” reports CBS…

AL: Alabama: Republicans complaining about ‘strict construction’ of recount law
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006403.html

AR: Bomb found at polling site
http://www.carrollconews.com/story/1641886.html OSAGE — A search of Carroll County polling sites took place Wednesday after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was found at the Osage Baptist Church where voters cast ballots Tuesday.

AR: Candidates: Garland County election problems show need for state-trained coordinators http://arkansasnews.com/2010/06/14/candidates-garland-county-election-problems-show-need-for-state-trained-coordinators/

AZ: Law enforcement investigating San Luis early ballots *
http://www.yumasun.com/news/investigation-61671-county-yuma.html
The Yuma Sun previously reported that of the total 2,983 ballots cast in the San Luis election, 1,477 were early ballots. Of those, 143 ballots were rejected because they had signatures that didn’t match the registered voters,’ said Assistant Secretary of State Jim Drake.

Drake said there was an error rate of 10 percent. When workers with the Secretary of State’s office compared those numbers to other elections of similar size, rates in those cases were 1 percent or less.

CA: Ballot-counting process in Riverside County too slow for some
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100614/NEWS0301/6140308/Ballot-counting-process-in-Riverside-County-too-slow-for-some Counting the Riverside County vote-by-mail ballots from Tuesday’s election was completed early Sunday, and at least one winner is asking for an investigation of the process.

CA: Riverside County election results delayed
It could take another week or two before all provisional ballots are counted, county election officials said. http://www.swrnn.com/southwest-riverside/2010-06-12/local-county-news/riverside-county-election-results-delayed As of 6 a.m. today, 194,149 votes have been counted, with about 40,000 mail-in votes and 7,445 provisional ballots still left to be tallied…

CA: Buckle up for a bumpy election*
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_15275496 Technical problems marred the vote count in Solano County. Unrelated to the election, but bad timing nonetheless, was an as-yet-unresolved software problem that crashed the county’s website just before eager election watchers tried to see how the contests were going.

It didn’t help that the Registrar of Voters office was having trouble of its own. A high number of write-in candidates — Daffy Duck, among them — slowed the process, as the counting machines had to stop and spit out each write-in ballot. Then an operator error took one — and later, a second — of the four machines offline until the problem was resolved.

Write-ins aren’t expected to be much of an issue in November, but more ballots are. For the primary, the elections department decided to save $30,000 by processing all ballots in a central location. Next fall, it might be worth the extra cost to have ballots counted at the precincts, which would ensure a quicker tally.

CA: Election follow-up: Sample ballots, ballots at polls may differ
http://www.willitsnews.com/ci_15274976?source=most_viewed

The Voting News Daily: Was SC Dem Primary punked? 20,000 Riverside CA mail ballots wont count

Something fishy about South Carolina US Senate Primary? Experts have already uncovered some ‘curious’ findings in the election data says Rawl’s campaign mgr. Were SC paperless touchscreen machines the problem? Was there a cross over vote? Were 3 candidates “plants”? Or did low info voters elect unknowns?…California voters concerned about vote by mail- 20,000 mail ballots for Riverside DA election missed deadline, won’t be counted. Palm Springs voter Dick Bergstrom voted by mail, his ballot hasn’t been counted yet & the winner has been declared…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Ford alleges voter fraud in Democratic primary
http://www2.oanow.com/oan/news/local/article/ford_alleges_voter_
fraud_in_democratic_primary/159170/ http://is.gd/cM69d Ford charged that his name was temporarily left off of the ballot at the Jeter Street polling place in Opelika; that ballot boxes were seized by the Russell County Sheriff’s Department before they were counted last Tuesday by County Coordinator Arthur Sumbry; that 290 absentee ballots were not counted in Russell County; and that “a gross misuse of absentee ballots” occurred in Bullock County.

CA: 20,000 ballots cannot be counted in the election for Riverside District Attorney *
http://www.instantriverside.com/2010/06/riverside-district-attorney-vote-pacheco-da-zellerbach/ About 20,000 ballots cannot be counted because they were received after the 8 p.m. deadline for the Registrar’s office to accept ballots on Election Day. The late-arriving ballots were collected at the Chicago Avenue post office in Riverside
Wednesday morning during a regularly scheduled pickup by the registrar’s staff. The U.S. postal service told the registrar’s staff that the ballots had arrived at the post office about 3:00 a.m. Wednesday.

By law, ballots not in the possession of the registrar by the time polls close at 8:00 p.m. on election day cannot be counted.

Dunmore is arranging to meet with postal officials to ensure that ballots reach the registrar’s office as quickly as possible
in future elections.

CA: Some Voters Express Concerns with Vote by Mail *
http://www.kpsplocal2.com/news/local/story/Some-Voters-Express-Concerns-with-Vote-by-Mail/iCC5bYU-K0OwVa9M4aaISg.cspx Palm Springs voter Dick Bergstrom voted by mail in Tuesday’s primary, and he tracked his ballot online at the county website to find that his vote has not yet been counted. He is upset about the fact that winners have been declared in the election when not all of the ballots have been counted.

CA: Computer glitches, provisional ballots stall Solano vote count *
http://www.examiner.com/x-44830-Solano-County-Buzz-Examiner~y2010m6d10-compujter-glitch Unofficial final results of Tuesday’s primary election in Solano County will not be available until at least Friday, county officials said, because of a series of computer glitches that have delayed the vote count.
Thousands of write-in votes on computerized ballots as well as vote-by-mail ballots received Monday and Tuesday are contributing to the delay, election officials said.
…
Officials said the county’s Web server crashed three times Tuesday night, further delaying the computerized count.

CA: Mims denies conflict in Briggs vote fraud probe
Fresno council candidate did consulting for sheriff.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/10/1965929/mims-denies-conflict-in-briggs.html
Fresno County Clerk Victor Salazar said he opened the investigation after his office received a phone complaint alleging that the Briggs campaign was offering items of value in exchange for votes during Tuesday’s election.

The Voting News Daily: SC lawmaker: probe Primary, 2 other races . Monroe KY vote buying conspiracy

Sen Clyburn suspects a “plant”: Alvin Greene,unknown & who did not campaign, won the South Carolina Dem primary for US Senate. Unemployed & with only $114 in campaign acct, Greene paid a $10,440 filing fee. Greene received 100,233 votes. Vic Raul, who did campaign, is an ex-judge, has served 4 terms in the state leg received 69,771..Garland Co AR voting lawsuit dropped…Indictments in Monroe Co.KY vote buying scheme..West Virginia SoS Tennant touts “high participation rate” for the overseas internet pilot but only 54 ballots cast from 5 counties..CT Voter asks “How’s that votie integrity thing goin’ for us?”..India says no to internet voting..

Editor Note – I made a mistake yesterday, attributed Saugatuck article to PA state, but should be MI. Corrected and reposted today. Thanks for letting me know any errors you see!

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: James seeks statewide recount (paper ballots according to Verified Voting)
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100610/NEWS/100609548/1007/NEWS02?Title=James-seeks-statewide-recount Tuscaloosa County’s recount for the governor’s race in the Republican primary will begin Monday morning, said Jim Zeanah, chairman of the Tuscaloosa County Republican Executive Committee.

James will have to pay for the recount in each county. James decided to go statewide after the 40 counties’ proposed recount costs came in below the campaign’s anticipated budget of $200,000, spokesman Brett Hall said.

AR: UPDATE: Garland County voting lawsuit dropped
http://arkansasnews.com/2010/06/10/lawyer-considers-dropping-garland-county-voting-lawsuit/
“Since Mr. Tapp resigned as chairman, coupled with the limited remedies, we decided to … dismiss the case,” Hooten said today.

AR: Garland County: Tapp Resigns, Not Over Yet
http://bluearkansasblog.com/?p=3072 One of the better things that has come out of this is the real mandate for election reform in this state. Not only were problems reported in Garland County in the runoff, but there were some really bizarre things that happened in Monroe County in the initial primary.

AZ: Activist U.S. Supreme Court Demolishes AZ’s ‘Clean Elections’ Law,
States Rights http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7888

CA: Monterey County election done, but counting ballots remains
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_15268353?nclick_check=1
County registrar Linda Tulett estimated Wednesday there are about 24,000 ballots remaining to be counted — mail ballots turned in at the polls Tuesday and…

CA: Registrar moves to 24-hour operation to finish count
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100610/NEWS03/100610017/County-to-go-over-election-procedures-with-a-fine-tooth-comb– Riverside County Registrar Barbara Dunmore said her office is moving to a 24-hour operation and hopes to have all the 106,000 outstanding ballots counted by noon Friday.

CA: 43% of Riverside County ballots uncounted
http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=14631

CA: County’s vote tally slowest in state
106,000 ballots have yet to be tallied by registrar
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100610/NEWS0301/6100307/County-s-vote-tally-slowest-in-state
In a release, Registrar Barbara Dunmore said nearly 30,000 vote-by-mail ballots were dropped off at polling places Tuesday. Another 40,000 were received in the two days before the election.

CA: 26,000 mail-in ballots yet to be tallied in county
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100609/ARTICLES/100609497/1350?Title=Ballots-remain-uncounted&tc=ar Sonoma County

CA: POLLING PLACES THAT DON’T OPEN ON TIME
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3238

CA: Controversy surrounds Fresno council runoffs
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/06/09/1964376/controversy-surrounds-fresno-council.html
Medical-marijuana clinic owner Rick Morse has said he brought a group of homeless people to vote and offered to buy them hamburgers, but not in exchange for votes for any candidate…
The allegations come on the heels of another claim against Briggs — that he doesn’t live in the district.

The Voting News Daily: Voters Sue Garland, Arkansas Election Officials.Validity of Election Challenged

Voters filed suit against Garland Co Arkansas. Garland Co had 2nd highest turnout yet voters were turned away as polling places were cut from 40 to 2. Those changes were illegal says SOS. “They’ve tried this before,” said attorney Ben Hooten who filed lawsuit on behalf of disenfranchised voters..Scanners at all 55 Nevada Co CA polls failed..Santa Clara has about 100K ballots yet to count..Mahoning Ohio to cut 37 precincts.. Saugatuck Pennsylvania recount fouled..SC touchscreen trouble..Keeping Politics Safe for the Rich..

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AR: AR-Sen: It’s Never A Good Sign When The Better Answer Is “Utter Incompetence”
http://www.bluehogreport.com/2010/06/07/ar-sen-its-never-a-good-sign-when-the-better-answer-is-utter-incompetence/

AR: Ark. Voting Lawsuit to Move Forward
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/editorial/Article.aspx?id=50587
The runoff “was intentionally scheduled by the defendants at two polling sites for the purpose of disenfranchising minority, elderly, poor and the disabled voters of Garland County, Arkansas,” the lawsuit said

AR: Runoff Voting Lawsuit Filed in Garland County*
http://arkansasmatters.com/election2010text-fulltext/?nxd_id=320145
Just last night at 10, our investigation revealed the election commission was wrong to reduce
the number of polling places, from 39 to two.
…
The Secretary of State’s office says behind Pulaski, Garland county had the secnd highest early voting turnout for this runoff, with 52-hundred voters.
[From video – SOS office said changes were illegal]

AR: Voters sue in Garland County over polling places *
http://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12618225
Garland County had 40 polling places for the May 18 primaries but only two for the runoff
elections.

The suit says it “render(s) the results of this election doubtful” and seeks to void the certification of the results.

AR: Voter Lawsuit Filed in Arkansas’ Blanche Lincoln, Bill Halter Senate Runoff
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/06/08/voter-lawsuit-filed-in-arkansas-blanche-lincoln-bill-halter-se/
“the greater part of the voting electorate are unable to find or reach” the polling places and
are “thereby deprived of their right to vote and were disenfranchised.”

“They’ve tried this before,” Hooten said in an interview with Politics Daily. “They tried it in 2008 and I fled suit then. It was a special election on bonds that year, but they closed all the polls citywide, but one.”

AR: Fears ‘Come to Full Flower’ in Garland County, AR, Polling Place Closure Fiasco
Long lines, parking probs reported at county’s only two polling places opened for tight Democratic U.S. Senate run-off primary..
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7883

AR: Halter Complains It Was Hard to Vote in Garland Co., Ark.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/06/08/halter-complains-it-was-hard-to-vote-in-garland-co-ark/
Natasha Naragon, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Secretary of State, said Garland County election officials failed to notify voters of the reduced number of polling stations, as required by state law. Though a local official told the Arkansas press that he had made the decision to save money, Naragon said the state bears all costs for primary and runoff elections.

AZ: Keeping Politics Safe for the Rich
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/opinion/09wed1.html?src=mv
In a burst of judicial activism, the Supreme Court on Tuesday upended the gubernatorial race in Arizona, cutting off matching funds to candidates participating in the state’s public campaign finance system.
…
Arizona’s clean elections program was established by the state’s voters in 1998 after a series of scandals provided clear illustrations of money’s corrupting influence.

The Voting News Daily: Garland Arkansas election debacle.Problem reports for CA, NV, NJ, NV, SC

The Arkansas Times headline today? Garland County cluster#@%* Instead of 40 polling places, voters had a measly 2. The lots were so crowded police had to direct parking. The traffic caused 2 wrecks (so far)…Some GOP ballots wouldn’t scan in Sacramento CA…Polls open late in San Jose CA..Some problems with eSlate voting machines in Orange Co CA but paper ballots saved the day…Some Venice CA voters disenfrachised when precinct was without poll books, voting machines, ballots…NJ Voting Machines Left Unattended, Despite Court Order…Some delays in Greeneville SC…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

Correction: Monday’s article “Electoral Reforms In Victoria Will Increase Voter Participation” occurred in Australia, not Canada. (We apologize, see Intl section) http://www.thegovmonitor.com/civil_society_and_democratic_renewal/electoral-reforms-in-victoria-will-increase-voter-participation-32811.html

AR: Garland County cluster#@%*
http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2010/06/08/
garland-county-cluster http://is.gd/cHJEq
The mess that Garland County Election Commission made has come to full flower. A voting rights activist reports long lines and parking problems at the two — count ’em, two — polling places that the Commission decided to open for runoff voting. It closed 40 other polls to save money despite the fact that every voter in the county, where some 12,000 voted in the first primary, has three statewide races to consider.
…
Tapp made the poll decisions unilaterally, without a vote from the two other members of the Election Commission. I was also told he was informed in time Friday to call back the dogs on a special day of early voting Saturday meant as a makeup for the reduction in polls

AR: Polling Place Fiasco in Garland County, AR
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7881
…the bizarre decision/behavior by the Garland County Election Commissioner Charles Tapp could come into play tomorrow, depending on the reported results of the hotly contested Democratic U.S. Senate primary run-off election between incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Lt. Gov. Bill Halter

AR: Garland County, Arkansas…Democracy on a Dime causes Wrecks! (youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvc0IZF-eb0 (2 polling places instead of 40)
June 08, 2010 — Well as of this report I am told there have already been two wrecks in the parking lot, tickets issued to voters that forgot to put money in the meters and the cops are now directing the voters in and out of the parking lot..

AR: Garland County, Arkansas, Illegal Election makes Democracy on a
Dime Repression! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IszvA0gAP1Q
At 8 AM parking lot congested already

AR: Halter, Lincoln in war of words to the finish
http://arkansasnews.com/2010/06/07/lincoln-halter-make-final-push-before-runoff/
“We certainly are concerned that Garland County, which has over 80,000 Arkansas citizens and had approximately 40 polling sites for the primary, has now been reduced down to two polling sites,” Halter told reporters today during a campaign stop in Little Rock’s River Market district.
Garland County was the most populous county Halter won on May 18. He received 44 percent of the county’s vote to Lincoln’s 40 percent.

AR: Lincoln expects her voting to go smoothly this time
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/jun/07/lincoln-expects-her-voting-go-smoothly-time/

AZ: US Supreme Court blocks Ariz. campaign finance law
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hSQxLpyw
AsUfJyd5LkaBoCRCDCQAD9G777BG1 http://is.gd/cHCdA PHOENIX — The U.S. Supreme Court derailed a key part of Arizona’s campaign finance system on Tuesday by at least temporarily blocking extra money for publicly funded candidates outspent by privately financed rivals or targeted by independent groups’ spending.

The Voting News Daily: Garland Arkansas election fiasco. Ballot error in NJ Primary. Summit OH ballot fail

Garland County Arkansas voters were turned away from the polls Saturday. With only 2 polling places instead of the usual 40, with 76,000 registered voters, a hotly contested primary runoff & other races,officials promised to open an extra polling place on Saturday. The polling place was not opened & voters were turned away..California to vote on election reform props 14 & 15 on June 8th…Saugatuck MI botched recount..82 un-scannable absentee ballots in Summit Ohio…Ballot error may taint NJ CD-11 DEM Primary..”Naughty Diebold directors get pwned”..India EVMs go Bollywood…The Ills of Privatized Elections..World watches as Dutch vote with pencil…

Editors note: Please send articles, screenshots etc about Tuesday voting problems as you see them to votingnews (at) earthlink.net

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Low turnout for Alabama primaries; Reed alleges voter fraud
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20100601/NEWS/100601037/
Low-turnout-for-Alabama-primaries-Reed-alleges-voter-fraud
http://is.gd/cGx0P The state’s chief elections official, Secretary of State Beth Chapman, said she received some complaints. They included a few people in Dallas County being unable to vote because someone had already cast absentee ballots in their names, and a complaint that someone in Bullock County was offering $10 to people willing to vote for a judicial candidate.

AL: Alabama: fewer provisional ballots than 4 years ago
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006394.html

AR: Hundreds of voters turned away from the polls
http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Hundreds-of-voters-turned-away-from-the-polls/dNEE5Lj9F0SzZFAPscEGzg.cspx?rss=315
Two hundred voters were turned away from the polls Saturday in Garland County after the election commission says it made a mistake by telling voters they could vote

AR: Making Sense of the Closed Polls in Arkansas * (text, video interviews & photos)
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/6/5/873287/-Making-Sense-of-the-Garland-County,-Arkansas-Runoff
So, after having promised the location would be open and the statement being printed in the local newspaper, they did not open the polling location.

AR: Garland County Election Controversy: Voters Turned Away * (video avail)
http://arkansasmatters.com/news-fulltext/?nxd_id=319175
So, he looked into opening up the location here for an extra day–which would have been Saturday.

At first, he said an attorney with the Secretary of State’s office advised him he could do it, so he made the announcement.

But he later came across an Arkansas law that requires him to give at least 5 days notice to the public when opening a polling location.

AR: Halter: Concerned about Garland Co. early voting
http://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12601276
Lt. Gov. Bill Halter’s campaign says it’s concerned that Garland County election officials reneged on their promise to allow early voting on Saturday.

AR: O’Brien plan to avoid vote fiasco
http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2010/06/07/obrien-plan-to-avoid-vote-fiasco
Pat O’Brien, in the Democratic primary runoff for secretary of state, steps forward with some sound legislative proposals to avoid future fiascos such as has occurred in Garland County

AR: Labor, Enviro Groups Use Arkansas Senate Primary As Citizens United Testing Ground http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2010/06/07/labor-enviro-groups-use-arkansas-senate-primary-as-citizens-united-testing-ground/

CA: UNANIMOUS CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT HOLDS NO RIGHT TO SECRET BALLOT IN SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICT ELECTIONS
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016163.html

CA: Weekly Wrap Up – On June 8th, California voters will weigh in on two election reform measures, Propositions 14 and 15.
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2010/06/06/weekly-wrap-up-24/
Proposition 14 would create a single ballot for primary elections…Proposition 15, also known as the California Fair Elections Act, would repeal California’s ban on public funding for elections…

CA: California Libertarian Candidate Produces Own Radio Ad Against Proposition 14, Pays to Get it On Air
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/06/05/california-libertarian-candidate-produces-own-radio-ad-against-proposition-14-pays-to-get-it-on-air/

The Voting News Daily: Monroe Co Arkansas impossible election results. Want to Email Your Ballot? Email ballot security

Exclusive: Impossible Election Results in Monroe County, Arkansas Puzzle State, Local Officials…Garland Co Arkansas voters will have 2 polling places instead of 42…Pennsylvania Gov nominates Merenda as Secretary of State…Overseas Voter Foundation’s 2010 Primary Report: Last Chance to Vote States AR, CA, ME, MT, NJ, ND, SC, VA, UT…Citizens United: The Aftermath…Let’s Hear It: Do You Want to Email Your Ballot?…Emailed Ballots: A Security Assessment…

Editors note – thank you to readers sending in articles this week!

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AR: Exclusive: Impossible Election Results in Monroe County, Arkansas Puzzle State, Local Officials http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7875 1000s of votes inexplicably disappear after ‘Super-ish Tuesday’ election, as county plans expanded use of oft-failed, 100% unverifiable ES&S touch-screen voting systems for upcoming primary run-off…

AR: Swing State Project -Garland County to have 2 polling places instead of 42
http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/7024/ssp-daily-digest-64-afternoon-edition
The county, with a population of 80,000 and 42 precincts, will have a total of two polling places for the upcoming runoff election. Worth noting: Garland County (home of Hot Springs) is the most populous county in Arkansas that went for Bill Halter in the primary.

AR: County Won’t Get More Voting Machines (iVotronics)
http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2010/jun/03/county-wont-get-more-voting-machines/
($ only) Voters Unite has full article @ http://www.votersunite.org/article.asp?id=8536 (thank you Ellen Theisen). The Benton County Election Commission hoped to purchase 200 refurbished electronic voting machines this year.
…
“We are extremely disturbed over the problems with the PEBs we got with the last machines, and we are not happy with ES&S at this point,” said Election Commission Chairman E.J. Miller.

AZ: Critics asking the secretary of state for an investigation
http://www.yumasun.com/news/ballots-61487-state-secretary.html
SAN LUIS, Ariz.. Mayor Juan Carlos Escamilla published an open letter to the secretary of state, questioning his findings and stating that there is no voter fraud but that there is an error factor in the way signatures are checked, which is leading to the high error rate.

CA: County offers coastsiders voting options for lost ballots (Santa Mateo)
http://www.montarafog.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=603:county-offers-coastsiders-voting-options-for-lost-ballots&catid=1:latest-news

CA: In Case You Missed It: It’s Our Duty To Help Our Troops Vote From Overseas
Commentary: By Marty Block Assemblymember, 78th District
http://laprensa-sandiego.org/editorial-and-commentary/commentary/in-case-you-missed-it-it%E2%80%99s-our-duty-to-help-our-troops-vote-from-overseas/ My bill, AB 2369, will permanently allow these voters to return completed ballots by facsimile transmission…

MT: Secretary of state launches Twitter page ahead of election
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100603/NEWS01/
100603010 /Montana+launches+Twitter+page+ahead+of+election http://is.gd/cCXRD

NH: New Hampshire Secretary of State Agrees to Accept Libertarian Petitions Collected in 2009 for 2010 http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/06/04/new-hampshire-secretary-of-state-agrees-to-accept-libertarian-petitions-collected-in-2009-for-2010/

NY: Bloomberg readies for fight to make elections nonpartisan
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/06/03/2010-06-03_fight_vs_nonpartisan_elex_renewed.html

NY: Instant runoff voting in New York?
http://www.observer.com/2010/politics/instant-runoff-voting-ny

OR: Will several legislative races hinge on Independent endorsement?
http://blog.oregonlive.com/mapesonpolitics/2010/06 /will_several_ legislative_races.html http://is.gd/cCXUO Unlike in some fusion-voting states, candidates won’t be listed separately under each party label (which gives you at least a rough sense of how many voters are attracted by the individual nomination).

PA: Rendell Nominates Basil Merenda as Secretary of Commonwealth
http://gantdaily.com/2010/06/04/rendell-nominates-basil-merenda-as-secretary-of-commonwealth/

SC: SC legislators agree on voter ID, early voting
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100603/ARTICLES/100609878?Title=SC-legislators-agree-on-voter-ID-early-voting– Legislators have reached agreement on a bill that would require South Carolina voters to show photo ID at the polls and allow early voting.

The Voting News Daily: Vote by Mail fallout. Dead Lincoln WV voters NOT dead. Pakistan mulls e-voting

Diebold manipulated numbers – Fraud investigation continues – Voting: Not in question…Dorr MI Township miscount caused by missed maintenance, dirt buildup in scanners…List of Dead Lincoln WV Voters Wrong…Vote by Mail Spreads, But Doesn’t Help All Voters..The hidden zinger in Cal Prop 14..Rio Arriba County NM vote tally problems…Czech Republic “Free beer if you vote” campaign draws young voters…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

CA: ELECTION DAY VOTER REGISTRATION APPROVED BY THE STATE SENATE
http://www.capradio.org/articles/articledetail.aspx?articleid=8334
Election Day voter registration would be contingent on California’s new statewide voter database, which is still in the works.

CA: The hidden zinger in Prop. 14
Proposition 14 would remove the Peace and Freedom and Libertarian parties from the ballot http://www.sfbg.com/2010/06/01/hidden-zinger-prop-14
Why won’t the L.A. Times even mention this flaw in the measure? Who are the big dailies afraid of offending?

CA: Local Organizations Prepare Community for Oakland’s New Voting System
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inoakland/detail?&entry_id=64832
The city of Oakland is paying the Alameda County Registrar of Voters $146,000 to administer a heavily media-based campaign that includes mailers, brochures and videos, according to city clerk LaTonda Simmons. However, foreseeing that the county’s campaign will not reach all demographics, some community groups are – or plan to begin – spreading the word about the new system that allows voters to rank up to three candidates in order of preference and eliminates separate run-off elections.

MI: Dorr Township recount finds four minor tally changes *
http://www.allegannews.com/articles/2010/06/03/local_news/4.txt
“Those scan heads need periodic cleaning to clearly see and recognize correctly the marks made by voters,” Watts said. “The machines in Dorr and elsewhere process thousands of ballots a year; paper dust builds up.”

NC: Complaint filed over ballot counting before polls closed *
http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/06_10/06_02_10
/fr_ballot_complaint.html http://is.gd/cBGmK
An election watchdog in Swain County is protesting the tallying of early votes before the close of polls on Election Day, claiming it could have given some candidates an unfair advantage if those results be leaked.
…
The results from early voting can’t be announced until after the polls close. But it is technically OK for those on the board of elections to call a few friends, party officials or even select candidates and share the results that afternoon.

NC: “Madame Justice“
http://www.leagle.com/unsecure/page.htm?shortname=inncco20100601553
Defendant has never been a member of the judiciary. However, Defendant began referring to herself as “Madame Justice” on her campaign website by at least March of 2006[ 1 ]. For her 2006 Supreme Court campaign, Defendant sought to have herself listed as “Rachel Lea (Madame Justice) Hunter” on the official election ballot.

NM: Rio Arriba County late with vote tallies … again *
http://newmexicoindependent.com/56186/rio-arriba-county-
late-with-vote-tallies-again http://is.gd/cBD5d
A delay in reporting Rio Arriba County election results Tuesday night was due to a connection failure between the County’s automated election system and the Secretary of State’s office, according to County Clerk Moises Morales.

…Tallies were not received until after 2 a.m. Wednesday because absentee ballot boxes had to be driven to Tierra Amarilla from far-flung corners of the large northern New Mexico county for counting, Padilla and others said.

The Voting News Daily: SEC charges Diebold with fraud. McAllen voter fraud case falls apart. India election officials panic

Not a big surprise: Diebold Accused by SEC of Fraudulent Accounting. Diebold to Pay $25 Million Penalty..Where Should Election Reformers Target Their Efforts?..California GOP will shift to caucus if open primary passes..Election Merry-go-round Continues..Passaic County NJ elections sec charged in $384K ballot postage theft..Mahoning Co OH may cut 40-100 polling places..Hinds TN voting machine probs..McAllen voter fraud case finally falls apart..New “Protect Our Elections” campaign promotes national election protection laws..India’s Panicky Election Commission orders Storage Audit of EVMs…

The Voting News Daily: Florida law wrongs disabled voters. GAO on AZ, ME public finance. Do-over in Philippines?

Florida has made great strides to improve elections, but sadly barriers to voting remain. Florida enacted HB 131 which harms disabled voters by delaying the replacement of touch screen voting machines until 2016. In spite of some good lawmakers efforts, the Florida legislature failed to clean up election code that disenfranchises many valid voters…Activist bashing: “Investigations of Aspen’s many election irregularities are notoriously unpopular.” ~ Harvie Branscombe…Did public financing change anything in Arizona and Maine?..The Philippines may need a “do-over” of the May 20 election…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Chapman Says “Zero Tolerance” for Voter Fraud (press release)
http://www.sos.state.al.us/PR/PR.aspx?ID=3270

AL: Autauga County voting off to smooth start *
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20100601/
NEWS/100601005/Autauga+County+voting+off+to+smooth+start http://is.gd/cySbf
At another polling place, the election machine mangled a ballot in early voting. The machine was adjusted and is now working properly, election officials said.

AL: Thousands of Madison County voters moved to new polling places
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/05/post_316.html
HUNTSVILLE, AL – Thousands of Madison County voters will vote in a different place in Tuesday’s party primaries even if they haven’t moved.

AZ, ME: GAO ISSUES EXTENSIVE REPORT ON MAINE AND ARIZONA PUBLIC FINANCING SYSTEMS
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016114.html
As mandated by Congress, the GAO has issued this extensive report (as well as this extensive technical supplement).
The bottom line of the report: not much has changed despite these programs

CA: Complaint in AG’s race shines light on outdated election laws
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15191874
The complaint filed with the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission accused Kelly of improperly using a private stock deal to pour some $10 million into his campaign, a transaction fueled by a loan from an equity firm.

CA: Some California legislators pepper constituents with taxpayer-funded mailers
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mail-abuse-20100529,0,4110252.story
The privilege is intended to keep voters informed, but experts say the mailers are a key advantage for incumbents seeking reelection or higher office.

CA: Submitting Vote-By-Mail ballots (Tehama County)
http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/ci_15189188
[mail + postage, drop off in person, how to check on ballot,etc]

CO: Update on DA Investigation–KAJX June 1, 2010
http://aspenelectionreview.blogspot.com/2010/06/update-on-da-investigation-kajx-june-1.html Aspen Public Radio reports on the District Attorney’s investigation of Aspen’s May election irregularities.
Marilyn Marks’ comment: Although the City does not have a copy of the complaint, Mr. Springer, claims that the complaint has “no merit,” — presumably without reading it.

CO: Amid low blows, Marks takes the high road
http://www.aspentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100601/LETTER/100539976/1020&parentprofile=1061
Aspen’s data is already packaged on a CD. There is nothing “specious,” “demagogic,” “prudish,” “off the bus,” “pointless” or “dark” about seeking public access. Public review of ballots is good public policy, and Aspen deserves a lot more of that.

CO: Investigation by DA nears completion
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/140840

FL: Advancement Project Releases Issue Brief Focused on Continued Barriers to the Ballot in Florida
http://www.advancementproject.org/sites/default/files
/publications/fl_issue_brief.pdf http://is.gd/cyJUO (pdf file)
Comprehensive reform of Florida’s election code is needed to remove barriers to the franchise and ensure that eligible Floridians are able to participate in elections. Once again, state legislators failed to enact necessary reforms in the 2010 legislative session. 2011 will offer legislators another opportunity to correct flaws in the code in advance of the 2012 presidential elections.