Monthly Archives: August 2010

The Voting News Daily: Virginia State Election server still down. DC internet vote experiment delayed

13 candidates file for statewide contest for NC appeals court, to be tallied by IRV and counties don’t yet have procedures…TrustTheVote announces that District of Columbia will delay their internet voting experiment that uses overseas troops as guinea pigs. DC has advertised this pilot as “Digital Vote By Mail Service”, but it still is internet voting, inherently insecure. Overseas military votes will instead be experimented with in November…NASS Designates September National Voter Registration Month…

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

AK: Senate race grows heated over ballot counting
http://www.adn.com/2010/08/30/1431794/miller-calls-for-trooper-guard.html
Elections officials said Roman did request access to the computer with the state’s voter registration system but was not allowed. Alaska Division of Elections Director Gail Fenumiai said he would have not been able to compromise the system anyway. “There is no GEMS server in the Wasilla office, so there’s no way the state ballot tabulation system was compromised,” Fenumiai said.

AR: Early voting controversy in Cabot gets heated (video available)
http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Early-voting-controversy-in-Cabot-gets-heated/8LM42oBqaUG9SEGy8ruT0Q.cspx?rss=315
One election commission chair says it was a big misunderstanding that actually had one commissioner fearing for her safety. After a heated meeting, voters in Cabot will keep their early voting, just not all of it.

AZ: Arizona Democratic Party alleges voter fraud
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/08/31/20100831arizona-democratic-party-voter-fraud.html
The state Democratic Party is alleging possible voter fraud in what it called a scheme to undermine its candidates by recruiting “sham” Green Party hopefuls.

CA: San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors will consider response to grand jury report
http://www.lodinews.com/news/article_ce5bb451-2869-5447-b524-69e1549116f5.html
…The Grand Jury recommends that the county seek state legislation allowing it to conduct elections by mail only…The Grand Jury also advised the county to reduce the number of precincts with voting machines for special-needs voters to five.

CT: Hand count in Brookfield shows voting machines were accurate
http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/Hand-count-in-Brookfield-shows-voting-machines-639226.php The results of audits will be analyzed by the University of Connecticut and then presented to the secretary of the state’s office and the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

FL: Edge to conduct own ballot review in Port St. Lucie mayor’s race *
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/aug/30/edge-to-conduct-own-ballot-review-in-port-st /
“I just have some issues with the care, custody and control of the ballots,” Edge said. “Where did we get 257 missing ballots all of the sudden? At the very least, there’s a problem with the issue of an accurate count. If we go with the numbers from Saturday night, they have to order a state-mandated manual recount

FL: Fla. Supreme Court Rejects Last-Minute Challenge to Redistricting Initiative
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016851.html

IL: Judge strikes down nonprofit’s bid to keep donors private
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0831-chicago-law-20100831,0,6013130.column Center for Individual Freedom had challenged Illinois law requiring disclosure of campaign contributions

NC: 13 candidates file for open NC appeals court job
http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/08/31/1666901/13-candidates-file-for-open-nc.html
Voters will receive optical scan ballots for this race even if they are in a county that uses touch-screen machines. (there is no legal software to tally IRV and North Carolina and counties do not yet have tallying procedures)

OH: 5,800 dead in Ohio still on voter rolls
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/08/30/copy/5800-dead-in-ohio-still-on-voter-rolls.html
The process to cancel a registration starts after a voter doesn’t cast a ballot for four years or two federal elections.

The Voting News Daily: VA Election Site IT outage. Kathy Dent recount flap. AK’s 11,200 iffy mail ballots

Luther Weeks on Connecticut elections: “State recanvass law inadequate for close elections”…Alaska mail ballots – Over 20,000 Votes Still To Be Counted, 11,200 are ‘question’ ballots…Sarasota FL Election Sup Kathy Dent accused of influencing election in recount…Virginia’s State Board of Elections still affected by IT outage that began last week in a data center run by outsourcer Northrop Grumman…Wasted opportunity: Harris County TX replaces paperless voting machines with more paperless voting machines….

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

AK: Over 20,000 Votes Still To Be Counted *(absentee mail ballots)
http://www.ktva.com/ci_15917459
On Friday, the Alaska Division of Elections said there are more than 20,000 ballots that have not yet been counted. Over 11,200 are absentee ballots with much of the rest being question ballots.
…
All ballots have to be postmarked election day, and if it’s postmarked within the United States, it has ten days following the day of the election to be received, which would be September 3, and if it’s postmarked outside the U.S., fifteen days to be received, which is September 8,”

AK: Miller’s lawyer warns of vote tampering by Murkowski campaign
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/blogs/political-animal/6598-millers-lawyer-warns-of-voter-tampering-by-murkowski-campaign In the letter, Miller attorney Thomas Van Flein accuses the observer, who he calls Mike, of accessing the Division of Elections computer database for 20 minutes to “check voter records.” That Mike had access to private data was bad enough, Van Flein said in a letter, but the Diebold voter software used by the state is also vulnerable to voter hijacking.

The Voting News Daily: AZ, FL, TN vote probs. Harris TX voting equip burned up. EVM expert bailed out

“With less than seven weeks before early voting starts for the general election, the clock is ticking for Tennessee’s election officials’ efforts to get it right.” ~ Tennessean.com..Broward’s Disappearing Ink Before Election Day & Early Voting…MORE Lee Co FL ballot problems…Toast: Harris County Texas’ 10,000 eSlate electronic voting machines…DOD denies 4 states military ballot law waiver..Australia’s hung parliament…India EVM Security Researcher Released on Bail…

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

AL: More on Alaska and Australia: Is there a security issue in postmark states?
http://www.earlyvoting.net/blog/2010/08/more-alaska-and-australia-there-security-issue-postmark-states

AZ: Vote-by-mail ballots just delivered now being verified* (day after election)
http://www.kvoa.com/news/vote-by-mail-ballots-just-delivered-now-being-verified/
Pima County. Approximately 13,000 vote-by-mail ballots have been dropped off late at the polling locations and delivered by U.S. mail. These ballots are being signature verified this morning and will be transferred over to the Division of Elections for counting.

AZ: Late ballots being verified & counted * (KVOA Video available)
http://www.kvoa.com/news/late-ballots-being-verified-and-counted/
TUCSON – In Pima County, 13,500 mail in ballots were delivered this morning, and there are 3,500 Provisional ballots that still need to be verified.

The mail in ballots were supposed to be a part of “early voting.” But Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez says, for some reason they didn’t make it to the post office in time or were dropped off at the polling places.

CA: Lengthy ballot to cost voters time — and money
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15903293
Alameda County voters may want to delay diving into that next novel soon, because a long read is on its way this fall — in the form of November’s general-election ballot.
…
However, voters in Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro are likely to see three pages because of the debut of ranked-choice voting, which eliminated the need for June primaries for those cities’ local races.
…
A type of “voters’ fatigue” or “voter roll-off” can set in if ballots are too long, said Robert Dudley, a professor at George Mason University in Virginia who studies elections.

CO: City Council gets it right
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100827/LETTER/100829867/1020&
parentprofile=1061 http://tinyurl.com/23vtzx3 The City Council properly deleted from the November ballot a referendum question on replacing instant runoff voting (IRV) with a winner-take-all election reform as a means of deciding both mayor and council contests, deciding instead to present to the voters a straightforward choice between IRV and the traditional runoff election technique.

FL: Audit This! Broward’s Disappearing Ink Before Election Day & Early Voting*
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electionreform/message/13849
All Federal and FL State Law require election records be held for 22 months. Broward’s Poll Tapes are already beginning to disappear before Election Day!

FL: 2 Volusia races getting recounts
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/west-volusia/2010/08/27/2-volusia-races-getting-recounts.html A county judge’s race is so close after a review of problem ballots that Volusia officials expect to need to recount the votes by hand, while a County Council race is close enough to warrant a second tally with voting machines.
…
A machine recount takes place when the margin is less than half of 1 percent. If that recount shows a difference of one-fourth of 1 percent or less, a manual recount is ordered

FL: Lee County judge race remains undecided; recount to continue tomorrow*
http://www.news-press.com/article/20100828/NEWS0107/100828017/1075/Lee-County-judge-race-remains-undecided–recount-to-continue-tomorrow

The Voting News Daily: India’s Electronic Voting Controversy. Suit seeks to void Shelby TN election

Democrats ask court to void Shelby County Tennessee’s August election. Vote-total discrepancies not mere error, suit alleges…On Australia’s national cliffhanger: “It’s not a good sign when the best way out may be a fresh election.”…Verified Voting “On India’s Electronic Voting Controversy”. India’s officials should address the voting machine vulnerabilities rather than punish experts who reveal them..

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

CO: Aspen changes course on election reform
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/142161
But on a 3-2 vote, the council decided to drop the winner-take-all method, making the question on November’s ballot an up-or-down referendum that will either retain IRV or go back to the 45/50 percent method, in which a runoff is held one month …

CT: Candidate files complaint in close election recanvass. Update: Another candidate complaint
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/candidate-files-complaint-in-close-election-recanvass/
Via CTNewsJunkie, Ken Green has filed a complaint in the Hartford election, where election night results had him winning by two votes and a close vote racanvass has him losing by two votes. His complaint alleges several questionable machine counts . irregularities, and potential chain of custody issues.

DC: Washington, D.C. On-Line News Source “Greater Greater Washington” Advocates IRV http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/26/washington-d-c-on-line-news-source-greater-greater-washington-advocates-irv/

FL: Volusia judicial race headed for recount (machine count?)
County Council District 3 race may also be recounted
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-volusia-judicial-election-recount-20100825,0,3809197.story

NV: Election official: Every vote counted (Mohave County)
http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2010/08/25/news/local/doc4c74b80359519079538495.txt
..It’s not that they’re not counting correctly but, every once in a while, a roller gets stuck and it’s not taking a ballot. Sometimes it’s as easy as turning it off and turning it back on,” Tempert said.

NY: Counties gear up for first statewide use of new voting machines
http://www.stargazette.com/article/20100822/NEWS01/8220328/Counties
+gear+up+for+first+statewide+use+of+new+voting+machines http://tinyurl.com/36ys49j
Bo Lipari of New Yorkers for Verified Voting says the message notifying people they have over-voted is cryptic and doesn’t explain the consequences of keeping the ballot — essentially that no vote will be counted for that office.

OH: Sheriff’s office: Hacking fears unfounded on Election Night (Butler Co)
http://www.journal-news.com/news/hamilton-news/sheriffs-office-hacking-fears-unfounded-on-election-night-880261.html?cxtype=rss_local-news
The sheriff’s office announced Wednesday, Aug. 25, that its investigation is complete into the May 4 special election in which elections servers were unable to deliver tabulated results to the website due to a large volume of IP addresses interrupting the system.

TN: Democrats ask court to void Shelby County August election*
Vote-total discrepancies not mere error, suit alleges
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/aug/26/democrats-ask-court-to-void-august-election/
They are asking a Chancery Court judge to declare the election void, to seize all equipment for further review, to make sure that winning candidates are not sworn in and to allow current elected officials to continue in their posts.
…
“Thus according to (the Election Commission’s) own records, 6,802 more votes were cast than individuals who participated in the August 2010 election,”

International

Australia: This tiptoe along the precipice has an awful lot of downsides
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/this-tiptoe-along-the-precipice-has-an-awful-lot-of-downsides-20100826-13u4n.html?rand=1282820514720
It’s not a good sign when the best way out may be a fresh election.

India:

On India’s Electronic Voting Controversy
http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6772
How this controversy plays out is conjecture, but the essential story – the early, almost under-the-radar concerns about electronic voting, followed by expert public demonstration of the ultimate dangers of e-voting, followed by more widespread outcry – should be familiar to American ears.

The Voting News Daily: Why Pac-Man voting hack matters.FL vote problems. Citizens United aftershocks

Broward FL elections sup Dr. Snipes neglects to tell voters about polling place change…The BRAD BLOG Informs NBC’s Chuck Todd That Ballots Are Not Actually Counted by Humans…Pac-Man for president: Hack highlights e-voting flaws.University researchers remind people that electronic voting machines are still easy to manipulate by loading the venerable Pac-Man video game…’Too close to call’ Australian election result…Afghan vote runs up against fear, disenchantment…

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

CO: On Aspen’s November ballot: Runoff elections vs. IRV
Council rejects winner-take-all method
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100825/NEWS/100829906/1077&ParentProfile=1058

FL: Broward elections supervisor Dr. Snipes neglects to tell voters about polling place change* http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/08/broward_elections_supervisor_d_1.html
Dr. Brenda Snipes admitted Monday that her office did not advise voters in precinct R31 in Fort Lauderdale that they no longer vote at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center (GLCC) on Andrews Avenue

FL: Suspicious package closes Brevard precinct* (Brevard)
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/24/1789727/suspicious-package-closes-brevard.html
MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. — A precinct on Florida’ Space Coast was shut down for several hours after a suspicious package was found outside it.

FL: Three polling places report minor issues; voting not affected* (Alachua Cnty)
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100824/ARTICLES/100829745/1002
When Fred Posner walked up to the ballot machine at Precinct 22 at about 8 a.m. Tuesday, he was disturbed when a poll worker told him the machine wasn’t working and then slid his ballot into what’s known as an “emergency bin” inside the machine.
…
a metal bar on the ballot box, which was in place to prevent vote fraud, had not been unlocked. Once poll workers realized that, they switched the key to the proper position and ran through Posner’s ballot, along with several others that had not been counted.

FL: 4 Palm Beach County Voters Given Wrong Ballot* (at 6 or 7 precincts?)
Supervisor Of Elections Says Poll Workers Reassigned, Relieved Of Duties
http://www.wpbf.com/r/24747331/detail.html
“Regretfully, we have about six or seven locations where voters were supposed to be issued a partisan ballot and, unfortunately, they were issued a non-partisan ballot,” Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher told WPBF 25 News’ Meredith McDonough.

FL: Elections Chief Edwards Rolls to Victory in Primary
http://www.theledger.com/article/20100824/NEWS/8245068/1338?p=1&tc=pg
BARTOW Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards refrained from handling ballots Tuesday night, but she manhandled her opponent in their primary race for a congressional seat.

FL: Audit to help decide ‘two very close races’ (PANAMA CITY — Bay County)
http://www.newsherald.com/news/panama-86444-audit-races.html
… Andersen said the county didn’t know how many provisional ballots were out.
“That’s what tomorrow’s audit is for,” Andersen said.

IL: Auditor Referendum Will Not Be on November Ballot
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/08/24/auditor-referendum-will-not-be-on-november-ballot/ Champaign County Clerk
I have determined that the County Board’s action to place a referendum on the ballot eliminating the elected County Auditor’s office does not conform to the requirements of Illinois Election law and will thus not be on the November Ballot.

This is a difficult decision because refusing to certify a question or candidate is an extraordinary remedy. However, no other one exists.

KY: Two Kentucky Republicans Sue to Remove Libertarian and Constitution Party Nominees http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/25/two-kentucky-republicans-sue-to-remove-libertarian-and-constitution-party-nominees/

NC: A few more reasons not to elect judges
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/08/22/1636392/a-few-more-reasons-not-to-elect.html

The Voting News Daily: DOJ approves GA voter check system. Rutherford TN election official fired

Brennan Center report: “Voting After You Move: A Guide”…Hawaii cuts 97 polling places..Tennessee mis-fires: The Rutherford TN election chief was fired for not having early voting on 1 Saturday, but has anyone been fired for the Shelby Co fiasco where e-poll books blocked thousands of voters?…Deputies of “Houston Votes” submitted thousands of fraudulent voter registration apps…

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

AZ: Are Arizona’s Political Leaders Deliberately Blocking Electronic Voting Machine Transparency? http://www.truth-out.org/are-arizonas-political-leaders-deliberately-blocking-electronic-voting-machine-transparency62569
Bill Risner, Democratic Party attorney for Pima County, is no stranger to election procedure battles. In 41-years of practice, he says the central problem of the current computerized systems is they are easy to cheat. “When the fact of ‘easy to cheat’ is combined with the ‘impossibility of challenge’ and ‘nobody is looking,’ the seriousness of the present vulnerability of our election system is obvious,” he says.

CA: Ballot creates security fray (SAN FRANCISCO)
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Ballot-creates-security-fray-101356429.html
The Sheriff’s Department could be barred from protecting November ballots because the results of a measure could effect the personal income of the deputies

CO: Aspen narrows in on how voters will vote
Runoff and ‘winner-take-all’ likely options for November ballot question
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100824/NEWS/100829929/1077&ParentProfile=1058

CO: Voting on how to vote, again
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/142147

FL: A few glitches reported as Floridians cast votes*
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/24/1789548_p2/few-glitches-reported-as-voting.html
Problems surfaced first thing in the morning in Miami Shores, where a mix-up delayed a precinct’s opening, and again throughout the day.
At Arcola Park in Miami, 46 voters waited into the early evening in an unmoving line for 90 minutes, delayed by what at first was said to be technical problems, Michael Graham said.
Then at about 6:30 p.m., a voter in the front of the line announced the precinct was out of ballots, he said.
…
n Miami Shores, the Catholic Community Center polling place located at 9900 NE Second Ave. was up and running normally after a morning mix-up that delayed its 7 a.m. opening.
…
But Miami Shores resident Christopher Bellows said he went to the polling place at about 7:20 a.m. and it was still closed, with no voting booths set up inside.
“They’re lying,” Bellows said of elections officials. “There was a lady there who was leaving, who said she’s not going to be able to vote now.”
…
Some voters in South Florida complained Tuesday that they were given the wrong ballot.
Richard J. Curry, a Democrat from Dania Beach, said he was given the ballot for unaffiliated voters.

FL: CBS4 I-Team Reveals Early Voting Is Costly
http://cbs4.com/local/early.voting.florida.2.1874936.html

GA: Justice Department clears Ga. voter checks system
http://www.sfexaminer.com/nation/doj-clears-ga-voter-checks-system-101309359.html
ATLANTA — The Justice Department has given Georgia approval to again verify voters’ identity and citizenship, Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced on Monday.
…
The modified plan that won DOJ approval includes all first-time voter registration applicants, including those seeking to register in person. It eliminates those who’ve already registered but are seeking to make changes, Carrothers said.

HI: Hawaii: State cuts 97 polling places
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20100823_State_cuts_97_polling_places.html

MI: County clerk claims McManus pressured her to approve flawed election forms
http://michiganmessenger.com/41220/county-clerk-claims-mcmanus-pressured-her-to-approve-flawed-election-forms

The Voting News Daily: Florida voter alert! After India EVM expert arrest. Dan Rather on voting machines

CTVoter on reforms intended to tweak turnout -“Fighting the last [election]war – Be careful what you ask for!” Florida Voter Alert: 2008 Absentee Voters May Have Problems at Polls…Dan Rather on Chris Matthews today, “Electronic voting machines still alot of problems…”…India electronic voting machine update: The ‘story’ behind Hari Prasad’s arrest and its aftermath

News is brief today, we’ll catch up tomorrow…

AK: Primary election features three ballot choices for some voters
http://newsminer.com/bookmark/9238126-Primary-election-features-three-ballot-choices-for-some-voters FAIRBANKS — As an election-week reminder, don’t forget there are three ballot choices for some voters Tuesday during the state primary election.

CO: Ask for single question to repeal IRV
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/142140

CT: Fighting the last [election]war – Be careful what you ask for!
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/fighting-the-last-electionwar-be-careful-what-you-ask-for/
There are several recent stories about the low turnout in the August 10th primary and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz suggesting the primary date be changed from August to June
…
This is not a voting integrity issue, yet we place it in the category of “Fighting the last [election] war” (i.e. Changes/reforms that look good when attempting to correct a recent, assumed election problem, without looking at all the consequences. )

FL: Voter Alert: 2008 Absentee Voters May Have Problems at Polls*
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electionreform/message/13848
If you voted absentee in the 2008 general election, but were planning to vote at the polls this Tuesday, you may be in for a surprise when you get there. You may be told that you cannot cast a regular ballot because you have already received an absentee ballot in the mail. This could happen even though you didn’t specifically request an absentee ballot for this election and even though you haven’t actually received one in the mail.

FL: Ballot mess still casts pall over election
http://www.bocabeacon.com/?p=4893
Calls have stll been coming into the Lee County elections office in connection to scores of mail-in boomerang ballots that were returned to sender.
…
If you believe your voting rights have been violated, contact Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, (877) 868-3737. To check the status of your ballot, go to BocaBeacon.com and click on the link provided.

NC: Instant runoff voting, here we come … ready or not
http://www.news-record.com/blog/54431/entry/97310
When they see the ballot for this special election, voters will wonder what the state legislature was thinking when it created this system. It’s going to be a joke, and not only for voters who will be asked to mark a first, second and third choice on their ballots. The election workers don’t know how to handle these ballots, either.

NC: Time to Shorten the Ballot
http://www.carolinajournal.com/jhdailyjournal/display_jhdailyjournal.html?id=6746
Every two years, the state asks millions of voters to choose among candidates for North Carolina’s supreme court and court of appeals. The vast majority of voters have no personal experience with the lawyers or judges in question. They have no significant information about the candidates’ qualifications and legal philosophies.

TN: Rutherford election official says no coverup
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100821/NEWS02/
8210343/1009/NEWS02/Rutherford+election+official+says+no+coverup
http://tinyurl.com/2d239va Rutherford County’s top election official says there was no attempt to cover up the fact that the county failed to hold early voting for the Aug.

The Voting News Daily: India E-voting expert arrested. TN voters deserve answers. Australia Bush v Gore?

CTVoter on India’s arrest of Hari Prasad: “So as governments do to whistle blowers and those who bring uncomfortable facts, they have arrested the Indian member of the research team in an effort to determine the source of the voting machine and to intimidate.”..Sarasota FL voting machine meltdown proves value of paper ballots, no thanks to Kathy Dent..LTE: “Tennessee needs to join the 21st century with the majority of the rest of country and move to a verifiable, auditable paper trail/ballot.”..2010 Australian Election Results a Bush vs. Gore Repeat…

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

Editor’s note: The PacMan Voting Machine story and video has become viral.
One voting news reader writes: “My hair exploded about the pac man program!!”

AZ: Maricopa County Elections Sued Over Alleged Voting Violations
http://weeklyintercept.blogspot.com/2010/08/maricopa-county-elections-sued-over.html
A group of diverse individuals including Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Barry Hess, former Republican state Senator Karen Johnson, and voting activist John Brakey are suing Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell, alleging that Maricopa County Elections is involved in various voting shenanigans.

CA: California’s online voter registration plan on hold
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-voter-registration-20100821,0,3294207.story
The start of the program has been pushed back to June 2014 as the secretary of state seeks a new contractor.
…
She (SOS Bowen) said other states’ efforts are not comparable to California’s. “There is no precedent in any other state for this, because California is enormous,” she said.

CT: Greenwich picked – yet again – to audit primary results
http://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Greenwich-picked-yet-again-to-audit-primary-622620.php Six of the seven times since the state started mandating audits three years ago, the town has been picked for a recount, irking its two registrars of voters.
…
Despite the hassle of conducting frequent audits, DeCaro said it was much better than the alternative of no checks and balances.
(Fred DeCaro III, Stamford’s Republican registrar).

FL: Early-voting machine malfunctions* (Sarasota – Dominion opscan machines)
http://www.yourobserver.com/news/sarasota/Front-Page/081920107656/Early-voting-machine-malfunctions …One of the inspectors noticed this week that the system count on the machine was different than the number of ballots that had been inputted.
…
But Joe Gruters, chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota County, said he is concerned.

“This proves the need to have paper ballots, so there’s concrete evidence, so no one could question the outcome,” he said. “Two thousand votes could decide a race.”

Rita Ferrandino, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Sarasota County, said issues such as this are why she has election observers watching every step of the process.

NV: The incredibly true, bizarre story of Tea Party candidate Scott Ashjian and $35
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2010/aug/19/incredibly-true-bizarre-story-scott-ashjian-and-35/ …
Wrong. Colorado ain’t nothin’; in Nevada, Ashjian needed only need 250 signatures to get his name on the ballot for national office.

NY: Democracy, the Hard Way *
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/nyregion/22critic.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
The new system compounds the shortcomings of print media with those of electronic media — and makes matters worse with hard-to-read, hard-to-understand instructions and a lot of extraneous nonsense.

OH: Cuyahoga County Board of Elections posts bilingual ballots
http://www.cleveland.com/cuyahoga-county/index.ssf/2010/08/cuyahoga_board_of_elections_posts_bilingual_ballots.html
In response to a recent U.S. Department of Justice push for bilingual ballots, 70 precincts in council districts 2, 3, 4 and 7 will offer instructions, political parties and offices in both English and Spanish.

The Voting News Daily: Shelby CO TN certifies flawed election. Are election audits worth it? Pac-Man II

Bell, CA may give ballot control to county after investigation into massive corruption and election fraud…CTVoter answers question: “Greenwich Audit: Is it worth $1,200?”…Shelby Co Tennessee election board voted 5-0 to certify flawed election after blaming all problems on a single “human error”. Some lawsuits in the works and TBI is investigating…Moreon impact of Citizens United -see “Pay 2 Play – Democracy’s high stakes”..Probe into Philippine’s May poll irregularities ongoing…No tamper seals were broken in programming the AVC Edge voting machine to run Pac-Man…

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

CA: Bell council discusses reforms as residents continue angry protests *
(absentee ballot fraud)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bell-reforms-20100817,0,1083036.story
City must roll back property tax hike that the state controller says was illegal and cut its ‘retirement tax.’ Amid alleged election fraud, council also considers giving ballot control to the county.
…
The potential for fraud in Bell is heightened because of of low voter participation in the largely immigrant town of 40,000. Fewer than 400 voters cast ballots in a 2005 special election that cleared the way for council members to significantly increase their salaries, for example. More than half were absentee ballots.

CT: Greenwich Audit: Is it worth $1,200?
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/greenwich-audit-is-it-worth-1200/
Greenwich registrars and Secretary of the State debate value of audit and random selection of Greenwich

CT: Ballots from 2 polling places to be recounted
http://www.thehour.com/story/490462 Overall, 73 or 722 voting precincts — 10 percent of all polling precincts statewide — from the Aug. 10 primary election will have ballots hand-counted and matched against machine totals to ensure the integrity of voting, and comply with the Act Concerning the Integrity and Security of the Voting Process, according to the Secretary of the State’s Office.

FL: 200+ Absentee Ballots Disqualified * (absentee ballots)
Absentee Voting Down, But Early Voting Up 20% Over 2006
http://www.news4jax.com/politics/24691862/detail.html
JACKSONVILLE, Fla…Channel 4 has learned that nearly 250 of absentee ballots have been thrown out, mostly because they lack signatures, or the signature doesn’t match the one on file at the Supervisor of Elections Office.

NC: ‘Instant runoff’ injects more mystery into judicial elections
http://nclawyersweekly.com/oyez/2010/08/18/%E2%80%98instant-runoff-injects-more-mystery-into-judicial-elections/#comment-209 It’s yet another electoral process that I’m unfamiliar with. And in a system where there are ridiculous things called hanging chads that can lead to court battles, I really hope that this instant runoff thing doesn’t exacerbate the problem that voters don’t know Judge X from Judge Y.

NJ: Atlantic City vote fraud suspects seek dismissal of charges
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_20729af6-a983-11df-a945-001cc4c03286.html
Most of the defendants were indicted on nine counts, including conspiracy and four counts of election fraud. Small and three others were also accused of lying to law enforcement in an effort to cover up their crimes.
In October, Ronald Harris, 24, of Atlantic City, admitted he and others conspired to submit false documents involving messenger ballots in the primary. Harris, a registered Democrat, later told a reporter he only pleaded guilty out of fear.

NY: Design a Better Ballot
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/design-a-better-ballot/
This is where you come in. City Room, in partnership with the New York chapter of the AIGA, the professional association for design, invites you to imagine a better format, or to just have fun completely reinventing it.

The Voting News Daily: Touchscreens recycled as PacMan games.Verified Voting Internet Voting Pt 1

Florida Voters Coalition encourages citizens to observe poll closing procedures…Shelby Co TN blames technician for election fiasco, local DEM party launching own investigation…J. Alex Halderman has found a good use for touchscreen machines – reprogram them as PacMan consoles…Mason County WV to volunteer overseas vote for internet vote experiment…Bo Lipari has Part I of Verified Voting’s new series on concerns with Internet Voting…

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

AL: Bessemer, Ala: mayoral candidate uses fake photo and endorsement; campaign manager confesses to hoax http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006428.html

FL: Spend an Hour – Make a Difference on Election Night
http://floridavoterscoalition.blogspot.com/2010/08/spend-hour-make-difference-on-election.html
Hot dog! This is your chance to spend an hour on election-night to help secure Florida’s elections. Observe poll-closing procedures in any precinct near you, and help gather important compliance data we can use to improve future elections.

NC: Local judicial candidates at odds over fall election ballot
http://www.mountainx.com/news/2010/local_judicial_candidates_at_odds_over_fall_election_ballot
Dreher takes the position that all five candidates should be included under only one ballot listing “without designation as to vacancy.” The state’s instant-runoff voting system would then be implemented to determine two winners from the list of five.

PA: Team 4: Non-US Citizens Removed From Voter Rolls
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/r/24679152/detail.html

PA: Editorial: Cash clouds image of judges
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20100819_Editorial__Cash_clouds_image_of_judges.html When it comes to spending money to elect state Supreme Court justices, Pennsylvania is No. 1.
Unfortunately, this is not a top ranking to boast about. That’s because the river of money that flows into judicial elections creates the perception for many that justice isn’t always blind.

TN: Shelby County Election Commission Releases Its Findings On Election Day Problems * http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Shelby-County-Election-Commission-Releases-Its/gpBzJPliuk2KvChu9lvK3g.cspx
Commissioners say on August 5th, Computer Analyst Dennis Boyce loaded the wrong data files into the Electronic Polling Books (EPB). The data he loaded reflected people who voted in last May’s election and as a result people like Thompson went to vote on August 5th, only to be told they voted already.
…
Turner says he’s come across voters who say they didn’t vote in the May election, but were still turned away on August 5th. The Shelby County Democratic Party is also conducting an investigation and will release its own report and recommendations.

TN: Democrats Claim Voting Machines Can Be Altered
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Democrats-Claim-Voting-Machines-Can-Be-Altered/nDhkxvpg50q8aJOlSQvtpw.cspx
MEMPHIS, TN—The Head of the Shelby County Democratic Party believes investigators have found a way to change votes after they have been cast. Investigators for the Democratic Party have been at the election commission digging for information since the August 5, 2010 election.

“We’re pulling down databases, records, looking at machines and trying to figure out what is going on,” said party chairman, Van Turner, “what records reveal, I think is just the tip of the iceberg.

TN: Pair of votes on same day no problem
Morgan County prepared for concurrent special, general elections Nov. 2
http://www.decaturdaily.com/detail/66788.html A special election in Hartselle on the same day as the Nov. 2 general election will not cause problems for Morgan County, officials said.

TX: New election ordered in commissioner race* (absentee ballot fraud)
http://www.delrionewsherald.com/story.lasso?ewcd=40438f4ce48b3ec6

The Voting News Daily: Maricopa AZ election protection suit filed. TN and WA election websites crash

Citizens file emergency suit to force Maricopa AZ Elections Dept to follow law…Florida Voters Coalition collecting observations on poll closings nxt Tues…Tennessee State Election website crashed 5 times on election day, delays Dyer Cnty results…Washington election returns crash state computers…1,100 Snohomish Cnty WA voters get ballots within hours to vote..90 yrs ago the 19th amendment was ratified, giving women the right to vote…

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

AL: Alabama expands options for military, overseas voters to comply with new law
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20100817/NEWS02/8170313/Alabama-expands-options-for-military-overseas-voters-to-comply-with-new-law Secretary of State Beth Chapman an nounced a contract with Scytl USA that will allow for the electronic transmission of ab sentee ballots to military and overseas vot ers. The ballot request and completed ballots still have to be sent through the U.S. Postal Service.

AR: Judge: Stone County special election unauthorized
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/aug/16/judge-stone-county-special-election-unauthorized/ Republican sheriff nominee Russ Aiken filed the suit, which claimed Gov. Mike Beebe was not authorized to call the new vote in the wake of a June 8 runoff in which the two Democratic candidates tied with 1,383 tallies each.

AZ: Emergency lawsuit filed to force Maricopa Cnty Elections Dept to follow the law to protect upcoming election results from election fraud
http://audit-az.blogspot.com/2010/08/on-monday-08162010-emergency-lawsuit.html
Election research over the last three weeks (based on the work of AUDIT AZ since 2006) discovered flagrant ILLEGAL violations of Arizona Election Laws [2]. The interlocking pattern of deliberate subversion of these security measures indicated below makes manipulation of vote counting easy, thus leaving elections vulnerable to undetectable fraud…

AZ: Institute for Justice Files Cert. Petition in Arizona Public Financing Matching Funds Case http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016748.html

CT: Post-Election Audit Drawing: 73 Districts 45 Municipalities Selected
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/post-election-audit-drawing-73-districts-45-municipalities-selected/
Today the Secretary of the State’s Office conducted the random drawing. Members of CTVotersCount and the League of Women Voters performed the selections.

FL: Eyes on the Process – Spend an Hour Making a Difference
http://floridavoterscoalition.blogspot.com/2010/08/eyes-on-process-spend-hour-making.html It’s a good time for the public to exercise its ownership of elections by observing poll-closing procedures next Tuesday, election-day
…
We will have simple instructions and a simple form you can use to collect a few important observations

FL: Fla. launches new website for election results
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/17/1780066/fla-launches-new-website-for-election.html

FL: Brevard elections supervisor fights voter fraud, debunks myths
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100805/COLUMNISTS0207/8050310/Brevard-elections-supervisor-fights-voter-fraud-debunks-myths

IN: Former Roseland council member challenges jailed voter ban
http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20100818/News01/100819512/-1/googleNews
A former Roseland Town Council member jailed for a misdemeanor crime has sued state and county election officials, alleging that a state law allowing cancellation of his voter registration is unconstitutional.

NC: Hopkins outlines frantic elections
http://www.wdnweb.com/articles/2010/08/18/news/doc4c6b03ac7a741885212932.txt
There has been a contentious second primary involving two Democratic U.S. Senate candidates, the introduction of an unaffiliated candidate to the Beaufort County commissioners’ race — and now there’s the possibility of an “instant runoff” to replace N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Jim Wynn.

NY: How much money is New York City going to gain from new law counting prisoners at home? http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2010/08/18/howmuch/
If money is not at stake, why did 3 states pledge to count incarcerated people at home for redistricting purposes?

The Voting News Daily: Waukesha WI clerk keeps vote data on her PC, El Paso CO invites public oversight

A tale of two election offices: “WI’s Waukesha County Clerk to Keep Elections Results on Her Personal Computer Really, really dumb…What part of ‘public official’ and ‘public elections’ to these sorts of folks not get???” ~Brad Friedman…Contrast to this good example: “Coloradans For Voting Integrity Citizen Volunteers Audit Primary Election Ballots in El Paso County, CO.” Robert Balink, El Paso Cnty Clerk, & Liz Olson, MGR—Election Dept, welcomed the citizens & embraced transparency… Also in WV more reasons not to vote absentee if you don’t have to…

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

Editor’s note – news is a little slow but be glad, yesterday was overload!

AZ: Pueblo Politics: Elections director says outcome should be known more quickly
http://azstarnet.com/news/blogs/pueblo-politics/article_b4fc2cac-a990-11df-97f8-001cc4c03286.html (Pima County)

CA: State elections official praises county ballot-counting upgrades
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/aug/16/state-elections-official-praises-county-ballot/

CO: Coloradans For Voting Integrity Citizen Volunteers Audit Primary Election Ballots in El Paso County, CO
http://www.glassballotbox.org/journal/2010/8/17/coloradans-for-voting-integrity-citizen-volunteers-audit-pri.html
Robert Balink, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder, and Liz Olson, Manager—Election Department, welcomed the group to reinforce the message that transparency and verifiability of elections are fundamental elements of our democracy.

CT: See That Your Vote Counted: Sign-Up for the Post-Election Audit Observations Now!
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/see-that-your-vote-counted-sign-up-for-the-post-election-audits-observations-now/ The Coalition will need 50% more volunteer observers to fully cover this election audit.

CT: New Haven Register Carries Op-Ed Critical of Connecticut’s Discrimination Against Independent Candidates in Public Funding
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/17/new-haven-register-carries-op-ed-critical-of-connecticuts-discrimination-against-independent-candidates-in-public-funding/

GA: Election Complaint Filed In Clayton County
http://www.gpb.org/news/2010/08/16/election-complaint-filed-in-clayton-county
State officials are reviewing complaints made by candidates who lost the primaries in Clayton County, to see if an investigation is necessary.
…
They accuse the county elections supervisor Annie Bright of unprofessional conduct and they want an examination of the ballot computing process and the voting machines.

IN: Lawsuit Filed Against Indiana Law that Cancels Voter Registration for Anyone Sent to Jail for a Misdemeanor http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/16/lawsuit-filed-against-indiana-law-that-wont-allow-anyone-in-jail-for-a-misdemeanor-to-vote/

MI: Reaction mixed to election’s electronic poll book
http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20100815/NEWS08/8150432
Electronic poll books were supposed to speed up things, but many city clerks across the state instead found delays election night.

RI: State police take over voter registration card investigation
http://www2.turnto10.com/news/2010/aug/17/state-police-take-over-voter-registration-card-inv-ar-196432/
Correction fluid was used to blank out phone numbers on 45 voter registration cards. Phone numbers are not required on the cards, and Grebian said a volunteer might have been trying to protect the privacy of new voters.

TN: REPORT: Rutherford violated state election law*
http://www.dnj.com/article/20100816/NEWS01/100816029
The Rutherford County Election Commission may have violated a state law by not having polls open on a Saturday during three weeks of early voting in July, News Channel 5 reported tonight.

Elections Administrator Hooper Penuel told Channel 5 the polls were mistakenly closed on the first Saturday during early voting.

WI: WI’s Waukesha County Clerk to Keep Elections Results on Her Personal Computer
Really, really dumb: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7988

WV: Judge throws out Lincoln ballots, declares Brumfield winner* (absentee ballots)
http://wvgazette.com/News/201008160566
A circuit judge threw out more than 300 contested absentee ballots Monday in Lincoln County’s primary election and ordered county officials to declare incumbent Circuit Clerk Charles Brumfield the winner of the clerk’s race in the May 11 primary.

The Voting News Daily: MORE Tenn. election fiascos. New Lee FL mail ballot probs. Wallach’s ‘The Wørd’

Tennessee racks up more election failures: 100 Blount County voters were given the wrong ballot. Davidson Cnty vote totals changed when an uncounted voting machine was found. Shelby Co was in news last week when e-poll books wrongly blocked thousands of voters, an investigation is underway…Candidate’s envelopes cause major problems for Lee Cnty Florida voters..18 Members of Congress Call On Atty Gen Holder to Ensure Integrity of Voting Systems..24×7 help for Military Vote for Upcoming Election…

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

AR: Back to the future (will use touchscreens for early voting)
http://www.thecitywire.com/index.php?q=node/11280 To borrow the title line from an old movie, Sebastian County will go “Back to the Future” when it begins tabulating votes precinct-by-precinct after the Nov. 2 General Election.
…
The electronic voting machines used in Sebastian County can handle the 91 ballots needed for all precincts. So early voting in Sebastian County will be only by electronic voting machine, the same method as that used in Pulaski County. Incidentally, voting in neighboring Crawford County is all electronic.

AR: Voting Machine Purchase On Hold
Commission Eyes Electronic Poll Books
http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2010/aug/14/voting-machine-purchase-hold/?latest
A plan to add to the number of voting machines in Benton County has been put on hold by questions about software compatibility with the manufacturer’s newest model.
…
“I hope to buy electronic poll books this year if I can redirect (the money) that way,” Miller said during a discussion of the 2011 budget …

CA: Court Date Set for Hearing in Case Against Implementation of California’s “Top-Two” System http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/14/court-date-set-for-hearing-in-case-against-implementation-of-californias-top-two-system/

CO: NOREEN: Elections don’t need polling places (opinion)
http://www.gazette.com/news/noreen-102959-county-paso.html

FL: Rick Scott envelopes cause major problems with voters* (Absentee ballots)
http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2010-08-16/Rick-Scott-envelopes-cause-major-problems-with-voters LEE County
If you do not use and sign the Election’s Office envelope and then put the Election’s Office envelope into the Scott envelope, your vote will not count.

The Scott envelope is not to be used in place of the Election’s Office envelope.

FL: Another Victory – This Time in Miami-Dade; or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Precinct http://floridavoterscoalition.blogspot.com/2010/08/another-victory-this-time-in-miami-dade.html That means we’re to do ballot accounting at the precinct after all. The changes don’t make it perfect but they do appear to return to substantial compliance with Florida law and good practice.

IL: More Outcome Oriented Research
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/08/16/more-outcome-oriented-research/
I can’t say I know much about race relations in Boston. But I know a little about election administration. Enough to know that the draft paper by Profs. Rachael Cobb, James Greiner, and Kevin Quinn, is long on conjecture and short on facts.
…
I’ve got my doubts about the value of voter ID laws. But those doubts have nothing to do with the ability of election judges to administer them fairly. This research is faulty and its conclusions unsupported. If opponents of voter ID laws are truly concerned about this issue, they should go back into the field in November 2010

NC: New Bern ballot maker defends its reputation and legacy
http://www.newbernsj.com/news/new-89823-bern-materials.html
“People eager to bash the governor or electronic voting machines were ready to use the damaging factoids and insinuations in the initial story to their advantage,” wrote Hall, who heads the citizen advocacy group.

The Voting News Daily: Shelby TN investigation Diebolded. Internet voting ‘nothing to deter attacker.’

CTVoter has highlights of Ron Rivest Internet Voting Risks report: “There is nothing to deter attacker – Adv can attack anonymously over the Internet until he succeeds.”…Candidates of Lee Co FL fiasco want do-over…”Hawkins County (TN)election glitch awards a different commissioner”…’Election Day From Hell’ is a poll worker account of Shelby Co TN election…Review of Shelby Co TN election records thwarted by cnty agreement with ‘Diebold’…US Rep Rush Holt asks AG to ensure ‘viability of voting systems’…

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

AL: Yates sues county over absentee election funds
http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20100812/NEWS/100819948/1017/NEWS?Title=Yates-sues-county-over-absentee-election-funds
Etowah County Circuit Clerk Billy Yates has asked a court to order the county commission to pay him additional funds for his work as absentee election manager.

FL: Ballot snafu casts shadow over GIBA vote*
http://www.bocabeacon.com/?p=4848 A design glitch with the return envelopes provided to voters in Lee County is causing the ballots to be sent back to the voters. Not to the supervisor of elections office in Fort Myers.

The snafu has prompted at least two candidates for election to the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority board in the August 24 election to call for the primary to be scrapped and moved to a later date.

MD: Elections board shores up voter registration rolls with better oversight, technology http://www.marylandreporter.com/page5501215.aspx After an audit this summer pointed out that the State Board of Elections did not tightly control its voter registration system, changes have been made – but their effectiveness won’t be proven until Sept. 14.

MD: Rarely Used Public Campaign Funds Redirected for Voting Machines,May Be Retiring After 2010 Election http://www.marylandreporter.com/page5504421.aspx

NY: New York 2011 Redistricting Will Count Prisoners at Their Residence Before Being Incarcerated http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/13/new-york-2011-redistricting-will-count-prisoners-at-their-residence-before-being-incarcerated/

TN: The Hawkins County election glitch awards a different commissioner* (video)
http://www2.tricities.com/news/2010/aug/13/hawkins-county-election-glitch-10087-vi-19032/
The unofficial winners of Hawkins County elections were announced on election night last Thursday. The next day, the administrator realized many votes were counted twice. The mishap changed the winner

TN: Stand-Off On Shelby County Voting Numbers*
Elections officials and independent auditors battle over access to number
http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-democrats-election-challenge,0,767269.story
They weren’t dancing. Two lawyers were physically being kept from pounding the legal sand out of each other. Welcome to the elections of 2010, Shelby County style.

Lawyers for the Shelby County Democratic Party and the Elections Commission had an agreement. Independent auditors could look at the numbers on the Diebold Computer system. But there was an immediate problem. County Attorney Greg Garrick was basically saying hey, I’d love to help you, “But it’s not up to us. There is an agreement between Shelby County and Diebold not to release certain information about the machines. “

TN: SCEC Report – Part 2 * (attorneys blocked from audit log records)
http://leftwingcracker.blogspot.com/2010/08/scec-report-part-2.html
The poster log is a text file (I don’t presume to be an expert but this was the explanation the experts put forth). The log keeps track of actions which could have been made to the system which would override vote totals. David Cocke was stunned that such overrides were possible, but assured Mr.

The Voting News Daily: Pitkin CO touchscreen woes. Foul play in TN vote? Free Xpress for military ballots

Pitkin CO failure of DREs results in hours of delay and “hand count”…Lee CO FL deserves new election…Precinct mixup in Fulton GA…Not clear how NC will tally 1st statewide IRV judicial contest…VotePA Calls For Withdrawal of Challenges to Candidates…OH SOS announces multi $M settlement with Premier/Diebold, ES&S, DIMS…’Electoral Foul Play or Incompetence’ in Shelby TN election -“When a Memphis election goes off without a hitch, that will be the shocker”..Overseas Vote Foundation on waivers & state compliance with MOVE Act”…Overseas voters can mail ballots free via military express mail…

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

CO: Primary turnout breaks records* (voter confusion, touchscreen trouble)
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/141958
A technical difficulty uploading voting information from the county’s touch-screen machines caused hours of delay and an eventual hand count, Shellman said. Come general election time in November, that issue should be eliminated, Shellman said.
…
As Pitkin County ran both a mail-in and polling place election, some voters showed up to the polling place to cast a ballot, but had previously requested a mail-in ballot. Voters in those cases either had to fill out a provisional ballot or were asked to go to the county clerk’s office and cast an absentee ballot there. This often caused frustrating delays for voters, Shellman said.

CO: PitCo sets voting standard (in praise of polling places)
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/141966
Few people realize that because of Janice and Dwight’s leadership, unlike most Colorado counties, Pitkin voters could vote in the most secure and verifiable type of election — an election-day polling place election. They bucked the unfortunate trend of most counties to move to an all mail-in primary, and saved money by consolidating polling places.

FL: COMMENTARY: Absentee ballot disaster demands a new election so all the votes are counted. This time.* (Lee County) http://www.bocabeacon.com/?p=4835 First there were the hanging chads. Now this. Has screwing up elections become some kind of organized team sport here in Florida? This year, more than 400 registered voters in Boca Grande asked Lee County to send them ballots for the Tuesday, Aug. 24 election. For Boca Grande, that’s a big number. A huge number. Way more than enough to determine the outcome of a contested local election…

FL: Computer glitch affecting absentee ballots*
http://www.nbc-2.com/global/story.asp?s=12965097
LEE COUNTY: A computer glitch is causing a major problem with Lee County absentee ballots. Some voters are getting their absentee ballots right back in their mailboxes just one day after sending them in to be counted.

GA: Precinct Mix-Up Caused Voter Confusion For Some* (video available)
http://www.wsbtv.com/politics/24601754/detail.html
A wrong address for a Fulton County voting precinct may have cost some voters the chance to cast a ballot in Tuesday’s runoff election.
“I drove up and down Roswell Road, looking for the address printed on the precinct card. Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist,” said Alexandra Geist.

GA: Verifiable Voting Opponents Suffer Dramatic Defeats in Georgia
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Verifiable-Voting-Opponent-by-Garland-Favorito-100811-676.html

IA: Soldiers reminded: Voting absentee is easy
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/08/11/soldiers-reminded-voting-absentee-is-easy/

MN: Wrong Winona County vote totals released to public
http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_4e836030-a5c1-11df-917a-001cc4c03286.html Winona County officials mistakenly failed to report more than 1,500 ballots when announcing primary election results to the public Tuesday night

NC: NC judge’s departure means one more election* (uncertified software use?)

The Voting News Daily: Feds, TBI called on TN election. FL mail ballot fiasco. ‘3 Idiots’ and India elections

Prof. David Wagner (UC Berkeley)”There is no known way to audit Internet voting. UOCAVA votes might fall ‘under a cloud of suspicion.’”..Lee Co FL Ballot blunder could keep votes from counting; envelope design to blame..Shelby Co asks TBI, FEDS to find out “Did someone intentionally load the wrong poll data onto the electronic poll books?”..David Dill: “all voting systems that have been claimed to be secure have been proved to be insecure. And all systems that have been alleged to be insecure by critics have been proved to be insecure.” in article “‘3 Idiots’ determine Indian election results”..Primaries Aug 17: WA & WY. Aug 24: AZ, VT, FL & AK…

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

AZ: Mesa election switch confuses some voters
http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2010/08/11/20100811mesa-election-changes-voters0811.html

CO: City not exonerated
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/141951 While the recent DA’s opinion on Aspen election issues did not find any violations worthy of criminal prosecution, it did cite numerous “technical law violations,” “rule violations,” instances of “bad practice,” “serious errors,” “unwise practice,” “violation of duty” and “appearances of impropriety.” This is hardly an exoneration of the city.

CT: UCONN: Failed memory cards caused by weak batteries, inadequate design
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/uconn-failed-memory-cards-caused-by-weak-batteries-poor-engineering/ We suggest that $10 per year per card is well worth avoiding most of the problems associated with the current huge, unacceptable failure rate.

FL: Ballot blunder could keep votes from counting; envelope design to blame*
http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2010-08-11/Ballot-blunder-could-keep-votes-from-counting It could be happening across Lee County. Over 40,000 absentee ballots were requested, and all sent out with the same faulty return envelope design. Lee County Elections officials are working with USPS on the problem. Still, the ballot blunder is a sorespot for many, who are trying to make their vote count in the upcoming election.

FL: Absentee ballots returned to sender * (Lee Co)
Votes boomerang thanks to automatic sorters
http://www.news-press.com/article/20100811/NEWS0107/8110373/1075/Absentee-ballots-returned-to-sender Turns out a design flaw in the envelopes causes post office machines to scan a voter’s return address instead of the destination address.

GA: Faye Coffield Will Appeal Georgia Ballot Access Case to U.S. Supreme Court
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/11/faye-coffield-will-appeal-georgia-ballot-access-case-to-u-s-supreme-court/
“Does the U.S. Constitution protect the ability of minor party and independent candidates to run for the U.S. House of Representatives?””

MI: High Humidity Causes Issues With Voting Machines
http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1691664.shtml?cat=1
A voting machine at a polling location in Cottage Grove is rejecting ballots due to the humidity.

NC: Ballot printer charges more, has big advantage
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/08/05/616405/ballot-printer-charges-more-has.html

NC: Unfair ‘fun’
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/08/11/623217/unfair-fun.html
The News & Observer had great fun with a gotcha story about state elections director Gary Bartlett and with a follow-up Aug. 7 about all the Democrats and Republicans who denounced election officials. You cited only three denouncers who had quotes that fit your story line; you avoided people like me who might ask more probing questions.

Through the muddle, there was enough information to see that neither Bartlett nor Bev Perdue selected the vendor and that counties are free to buy ballots from other printers. Ironically, the push by citizen advocates (and N&O editorialists) to avoid a Florida fiasco by enacting rigo

NY: Fear New Machines Will Confuse Voters
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703435104575421982778514628.html

The Voting News Daily: TN Election fiasco. Internet voting? ‘Pleash just help me inshert..key in the lock’

Election fiascos pile up in Tennessee, hint at more to come in November…Cali AG Brown sets up voter fraud hotline in Bell CA…Broward Co FL mulls $22M facility but $0 for ada voting equipt…Georgia voter registration rules oppressive…Cuyahoga OH CC told to print bilingual ballots or be sued…Can this be true? Media reports Carroll Cnty MD will use paper ballots nxt election…“What are best practices for internet voting?” to me sounds like “Pleash jush help me inshert the key in the lock, (hic), and I’ll be on my way…” ~Prof. Ron Rivest (MIT)presentation at NIST’s UOCAVA workshop…Debate over India EVMS boils over in Washington…

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

Editor Note – voting news for Aug 9 & 10

AR: County Changing Vote Tally
http://www.swtimes.com/news/article_796a3866-a169-11df-b6b7-001cc4c002e0.html
The Sebastian County Election Commission voted Thursday to change the way it counts votes, giving the voting public a precinct-by-precinct look at election results.

Calif. probe spotlights absentee ballot abuse
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/09/4851054-calif-probe-spotlights-absentee-ballot-abuse– Do absentee ballots increase the potential for vote fraud and corruption?
A case that might help shed light on that question is now unfolding in California’s Bell city, a low-income Latino municipality of 37,000 where fewer than 400 people voted in a 2005 election that opened the way for city officials to arrange huge increases in their own compensation.
Former city manager Robert Rizzo was paid more than $1.5 million a year in salary and benefits.
…
The case resembles one in 2003 in East Chicago, Indiana, where widespread fraud using absentee ballots led to several convictions.

CA: AG Brown sets up voter fraud hotline in Bell
http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/08/09/hotline-brown/

CO: D.A. ducks out of oversight role
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100810/LETTER/100819998/1020&ParentProfile=1061
The real score brought to you by your D.A. is a significant loss for all citizens. The Beeson memo tells us shocking news: Various seemingly applicable laws and election rules comfortingly mentioned in the Aspen code are seen by our authorities as unenforceable.

CT: Connecticut Senate Overrides Veto of Public Funding Bill; House Vote Set for
Friday Aug 13 http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/09/connecticut-senate-overrides-veto-of-public-funding-bill-house-vote-set-for-friday-august-13/

CT: Blumenthal Finds Improper Use Of Bysiewicz Office Database; Probe Concludes With Report, Referral To Chief Prosecutor
http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/08/blumenthal-finds-improper-use.html

FL: Aug. 10. Broward Commission Meeting. Important Issues and Public Hearing
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electionreform/message/13816
the $22 million allocated for the new Supervisor of Elections Facility with no public hearings…SOE gets new facility and county claims it has no funds for ADA Ballot Marking devices

FL: If County Commission provides bucks, Broward could get more early voting in November http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/08/if_county_commission_provides.html
Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes said she’d like to add two early voting sites for the November elections – but can only do so if the County Commission comes up with about $130,000 to pay for them.

FL: Sticky absentee ballot issue is fixed in Brevard
Absentee ballot postage question is cleared up
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100809/NEWS05/8090312/1006/
NEWS01/Sticky+absentee+ballot+issue+is+fixed+in+Brevard http://tinyurl.com/3x87mnr
“Subsequent mailings have a sticker inside, telling them that it’s 61 cents,” Scott said.

FL: Some early voters find ballot confusing
http://www.dailycommercial.com/localnews/story/080610earlyvoting “We lay the ballot out according to the Florida statute and we never identify the incumbent.”

The Voting News Daily: TN e-poll book blocks 3,000 voters. Rivest-Risks of Internet Voting negate benefits

“I’m sorry you can’t vote,” .Up to 3,000 Shelby Co Tennessee voters were turned away and some were offered provisional ballots…A Victory in Florida For Tighter Cyber Security?…The US is going to help Nigeria conduct its presidential election in 2011…The Oregonian wants the SoS to be “open” to internet voting…What do experts say? “The risks of ‘internet voting’ more than negate any possible benefits from an increase in franchise.” ~Ronald L. Rivest, Viterbi Professor of EECS, MIT..

All this and more in todays voting news below…

Editors note – this news is the Friday edition, but we began compiling it late Thursday night, and we forgot to change the date on the posting. We apologize for the confusion.

Voting News is adding two blogs to our blog roll, Florida Voters Coalition and Overseas Vote Foundation.

CA: Residents in troubled SoCal city allege vote fraud * (absentee ballot)
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15689668
Some residents of Bell say city officials asked them to fill out absentee ballots which city council members said they would submit on the voters’ behalf, according to a Los Angeles Times report published Thursday.

CO: Colorado Independents Can Still Vote in Primary Election
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kunc/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1685348/Regional/]
Colorado.Independents.Can.Still.Vote.in.Primary.Election http://tinyurl.com/3a9dnc4 Dumm says the law allows unaffiliated voters to sign up with a party, even on primary election day, cast a ballot – and then switch back to their independent status.

CT: Connecticut’s got reform?
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/2010/08/06/connecticuts-got-reform/ After a few federal court cases, Connecticut moved quickly to amend its state campaign finance law. Over a veto, the Senate passed new legislation and a report is here.

FL: A Victory in Florida For Tighter Cyber Security?
http://floridavoterscoalition.blogspot.com/2010/08/victory-in-florida-for-tighter-cyber.html In an email yesterday to Florida Voters, Department of State Communications Director, Jennifer Krell Davis wrote:

“The Department does not intend to expand the use of electronic transmission of voted ballots.”

FL: Florida: Weak Election Audits Only, Thank You.
http://www.suewilsonreports.com/2010/08/florida-weak-election-audits-only-thank.html
In Sarasota, Florida today, a four year long battle over real election accountability has come to a bitter end.
…
SAFE President Kindra Muntz says only the battleground for safer Florida voting has changed, and that the group will now focus on changing state law to provide for more rigorous voting audits for all of Florida

TN: Election Commission Investigating Voting Glitch*
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/080610-election-commission-investigating-voting-glitch …”I’m sorry you can’t vote,”
…
the Election Commission will conduct their own investigation into the problem. If they aren’t able to get to the bottom of it, they will ask outside investigators to come in and take a look at the problem.

TN: Computer Glitch Causes Problems At The Polls*
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Computer-Glitch-Causes-Problems-At-The-Polls/kZlDCfTt6ka265U94R11Yw.cspx
MEMPHIS, TN— A computer glitch caused problems for as many as 3,000 Shelby County voters when the polls opened election day.

According to Election Commissioner, Bill Giannini electronic equipment used to check voters had the wrong information loaded into them. Instead of showing early voters for this election, poll workers were given early voting lists from the May primary.

TN: Tennessee Computer Glitch Prevents Thousands From Voting*
http://www.i4u.com/article37165.html
Election Commissioner Bill Giannini said that as many as 3,000 voters were taken to voting machines only to find that poll workers inadvertently used electronic cards from May’s primary election.

The Voting News Daily: SC Voting machine lawsuit heads to court. Target ‘sorry’ political donations offend

NC taxpayers overcharged for election ballots?…Some problems with Michigan polls but state has paper ballots…South Carolina Federal voting machine case clears first hurdle…The Federal Voting Assistance Program has opened a 24X7 call center to assist overseas military voters…Target President and CEO “genuinely sorry” that their political donations offend…

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

AZ: Sheriff Arpaio Political Ad Under Investigation
County Attorney: Ad Violates State Law
http://www.kpho.com/news/24503664/detail.html

CA: LA city councilman indicted on felony voter fraud
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_15676906?nclick_check=1
A Los Angeles city councilman and his wife were indicted on a total of 24 felony counts stemming from allegations he lived outside his district, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

CT: CT Elections Enforcement Commission rules free social media must have campaign expense disclaimer http://www.deliberatect.com/node/355

CT: New link to check your CT Voter Registration
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/new-link-to-check-your-ct-voter-registration/

IL: Former political workers sentenced for vote fraud *
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-08-04/news/ct-met-vote-fraud-sentence-0805-20100804_1_eapen-and-ramos-anish-eapen-absentee-ballots
Two former political workers for Ald. Bernard Stone, 50th, were each sentenced to nearly a year in Cook County Jail on Wednesday for attempting to manipulate absentee ballots in Stone’s hotly contested 2007 election.

KS: County commission results delayed *
http://www.dodgeglobe.com/news/local/x1137371715/County-commission-results-delayed
Unofficial results from the Ford County Commission race were not available by press time Tuesday, due to a glitch at the Ford County Clerk’s office.
Ford County Clerk Sharon Seibel said her staff had to enter one voting card into the system by hand, so full results would not be available until today.

MI: One vote separates 1st District competitors
Recount likely in Republican race to beat Gary McDowell
http://www.freep.com/article/20100804/NEWS15/100804020/1435/1-vote-separates-1st-District-competitors
According to the Michigan Secretary of State’s Web site, political newcomer and Tea Party candidate Dr. Dan Benishek of Crystal Falls led state Sen. Jason Allen of Alanson by a single vote, 27,091-to-27,090. The Associated Press’ tally had the difference only a little larger – Benishek led by 12 votes out of some 71,000 cast.

MI: Allen accepts 1 vote shortfall; recount looms
http://record-eagle.com/latest/x1243785828/Allen-accepts-1-vote-shortfall-recount-looms
TRAVERSE CITY — State Sen. Jason Allen of Alanson withdrew his claim of victory and accepted an unofficial, single-vote margin that awarded the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District to Crystal Falls physician Dan Benishek.

MI: Genesee County elections officials say they issued wrong voting results on election night *
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/08/genesee_county_elections_offic.html
GENESEE COUNTY — County elections officials say they released incorrect voting results after Tuesday’s primary election, never realizing they left out absentee ballots until early this morning.

“There’s no excuse. We should know how to run our own reports,” county Elections Supervisor Doreen D. Fulcher told the county Board of Canvassers today.

MI: Learning curve with new e-pollbook system causes some delays in tallying votes*
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/08/learning_curve_with_new_e-poll.html
…She said some workers issued a paper ballot and forgot to hit “proceed” in the e-pollbook, causing voters’ ballots to be misnumbered, which meant workers had to go back and inspect the voter applications.
…
Kent County Clerk Mary Hollinrake said processing absentee and regular ballots also caused a problem. When absentee ballots were entered into the database, she said, they would override the regular ballots already there, causing county workers to backtrack.

The Voting News Daily: ATMs AND Voting Machines are hackable. Obama admin on the military vote

Bob Fitrakis asks “Why is it, on this anniversary of Bill Moss’ passing, that we can readily accept people are hacking into ATM machines, but ignore the fact that people are also hacking Diebold, ES&S and other electronic voting machines and stealing more than money.”…$20 votes in Perry Co KY vote buying scheme…Obama admin pushes back hard on charge that it’s not protecting military voters. Letter explains waiver process is built into MOVE act and the Department of Defense in consultation with DOJ determines whether to grant waivers…

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

CA: Fresno woman arraigned on voter fraud
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/08/03/2028064/fresno-woman-arraigned-on-voter.html
Election officials said Holland forged signatures in an attempt to reduce entry fees for Fresno City Council Member Cynthia Sterling in Sterling’s race for county supervisor and for Fresno police officer Oliver Baines, who is running for Sterling’s seat.

CA: State panel calls for online political ad rules
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/02/MNDQ1ENN37.DTL
California should regulate online political ads the same way it does television, radio or print communications – by requiring candidates and campaigns to tell voters who paid for them, officials with the state’s campaign watchdog agency …

CA: WHY IT MIGHT BE RATIONAL FOR JUDGE WALKER TO STAY HIS OWN RULING IN THE PROP. 8 CASE http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016619.html

CO: Buescher: GOP criticism on MOVE Act military voting ignores reality
http://coloradoindependent.com/58686/buescher-gop-criticism-on-move-act-military-voting-ignores-reality
Secretary of State Bernie Buescher Monday night told the Colorado Independent he was way ahead of his Republican critics on what needed to happen in Colorado to comply with a new federal law dictating the speed of mailing overseas ballots to members of the military, but lawmakers dragged their feet because of election-year politics.
…
Buescher said both his supporters and critics could have proposed legislation during the last session to comply with the MOVE Act but the political will was missing because of ramifications for campaigns already in progress.

CT: Conn. governor vetoes bill to fix campaign law
http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2010/08/02/conn_governor_vetoes_bill_to_fix_campaign_law/

HARTFORD, Conn.—Gov. M. Jodi followed through Monday with her promise to veto a bill that attempts to fix Connecticut’s campaign finance law after a federal appeals court founds parts of it unconstitutional.

FL: Detour on election audits
With local measure apparently dead, seek a change in state law
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100803/OPINION/8031026/2198/OPINI
Instead of fighting for stronger ballot auditing in Sarasota County, push for it statewide. That would provide the consistency and uniformity the courts say is legally required.

FL: Show up Thursday, August 5th, 2 PM–Stand by the people of Sarasota
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electionreform/message/13797
…Thursday, August 5th, please attend the special meeting of the Sarasota County Commissioners at 2 PM in the Commission Chambers at 1660 Ringling Blvd, Sarasota. That’s when they will make their final decision on whether to appeal the negative ruling of the judge in the 12th Judicial Circuit on the status of our county charter amendment for paper ballots and mandatory audits of election equipment, or whether they will support the will of the voters of Sarasota County in another way.

GA: Georgia Military and Overseas Voters, Submit Your Ballot for the August 10, 2010 General Primary Runoff!

The Voting News Daily: 1 in 10 MN mail ballots rejected. DOJ on MOVE Act Waivers, military vote

The Dept of Justice responds to Sen Coryn on MOVE ACT Waivers.” The President of the Overseas Vote Foundation responds to Fox news report on MOVE act…Faith in Technology: Drilling, Driving, and Voting…Mechanics of Atlantic City NJ absentee ballot fraud revealed in investigative report. Defendant admits:”I just have the people bring the ballot to me, and I fill them out…Another Year, Another Crisis At The NYC Board Of Elections…CTvoter on “Faith in Technology: Drilling, Driving, and Voting”…How Secure are Military IT Systems?

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

AL: black voters file Section 5 case over Gov. Riley cancelling their votes
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006419.html
The Tuscaloosa News reports: Local politicians in Greene and Macon counties have joined to file a federal lawsuit claiming that Gov. Bob Riley’s bingo raids are perpetuating racial injustice by thwarting the intent of black voters.

CA: WERE VOTERS BEING STUPID IN MISUNDERSTANDING THE EFFECT OF A “NO” VOTE ON PROP 8?
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016602.html

CO: Waiver for Sending Overseas Military Ballots Sought
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kunc/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1683331/Regional/Waiver.for.Sending.Overseas.Military.Ballots.Sought “Because Colorado has such a late primary in August, there’s no way for the county clerks to be able to solidify who’s on the general election ballot, print out the thousands of ballots they have to do, and then mail them out 45 days before the election.”
…
To prevent future problems, Secretary Buescher is working to revise the state’s election calendar, which could involve moving the primary.

FL: Sebastian Inlet District wants answer on elections
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100730/NEWS01/7300327/1006/Sebastian+Inlet+District+wants+answer+on+elections
The Sebastian Inlet District asked the Florida Secretary of State and the Attorney General to weigh in on whether its elections should be in August or November.

IL: Special election could cause headaches in Illinois
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x312166202/Special-election-could-create-headaches
Voter confusion would mount and costs would skyrocket if the special election for Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat requires a separate ballot from the general election, local election officials say

ME: Noncitizen Voting Proposal Still Alive In Portland
http://wbztv.com/wireapnewsme/Backers.of.proposal.2.1835731.html

MN: Voting absentee? Better have a witness address*
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/99671194.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUncacyi8cyaiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs
Statewide, at least 10 percent of absentee ballots cast in advance of the Aug. 10 primary were rejected on first pass. Some counties neared a 20 percent initial rejection rate.
…
If any of the envelopes don’t include the proper information, such as the voters’ address, their signature, the name of their witness or their witnesses’ address, the ballots will be rejected, and the voters will be sent a replacement. Closer to the election, officials will call or e-mail the voters to let them know to try again

MN: TARGET’S POLITICAL GIVING IS NOT NEW
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016599.html

MN: “TARGET FACES BACKLASH FOR SUPPORTING TOM EMMER IN POST-CITIZENS UNITED WORLD”
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016589.html TPM offers this report. See also Human Rights Campaign Slams Target And Best Buy For Supporting Anti-Gay Tom Emmer.

NJ: SECOND SUSPECT PLEADS GUILTY TO ATLANTIC CITY VOTER FRAUD*
http://www.nbc40.net/view_story.php?id=14086
In pleading guilty to the charge in the indictment, Storr admitted that, in 2009, he instructed a man associated with the Small campaign regarding how to commit absentee ballot fraud by obtaining voters’ signatures on ballot forms, voting the ballots himself, and sending them to the Board of Elections…Storr admitted that, in 2008, while working for the Evans campaign, he tampered with absentee ballots by either voting the ballots himself or telling voters how to vote them, then sending the ballots to the Board of Elections.

The Voting News Daily: On Dept of Justice, Military Vote rumors . Sarasota SoE Dent’s anti-audit ‘timeline’

This week McCreary CO KY considers switching to paper ballot optical scanners…Washington SOS explains “The story behind our military voting waiver request” and r/e FOX News story ‘DOJ Accused of Stalling on MOVE Act for Voters in Military.’ – “Elections officials say it isn’t accurately portraying the Department of Justice or the Federal Voting Assistance Program officials on this issue.”…This year marks the 45th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act…

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

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DC: Some concern over scope of cutting-edge changes in the District voting process
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/01/AR2010080103340.html
Voters are now allowed to vote early without excuse, either in person or by mail; they can register to vote as late as Election Day; and they will use new equipment to cast their ballots.

FL: Kathy Dent, Sarasota SOE, anti-audit timeline (Chart)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electionreform/attachments/folder/1763064411/item/1865279602/view

FL: League of Women Voters outlines three ways to vote
http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/518287.html?nav=5011
for the Aug. 24 Florida primary

FL: Florida County Commissioners to Face Big Decisions at Redistricting Time
http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2010/08/02/fl-countie/
Rural counties in Florida are eagerly awaiting the release of the 2010 Census data so they can begin the process of redrawing County Commissioner districts. But when county commissioners download the data early next year, they may be in for an unfortunate surprise. 140,000 Florida residents have been counted in the wrong place

IN: Avon election results will stand, judge says
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20107290405 Avon A Hendricks County judge has ruled that results for two Avon Town Council races in the May 4 primary will stand.
…
“Amazing,” a stunned Allan Yackey, Cox and Kozinski’s attorney, said shortly after hearing the ruling. “The evidence we produced showed that 18 or 19 ballots had been misdistributed. The county even conceded four errors.”

KY: County considers new voting machines
eScans would create paper trail; ease software compatibility
http://mccrearyrecord.com/homepage/x2105968817/County-considers-new-voting-machines
McCreary County Clerk Eric Haynes arranged for a presentation to county officials following the July 13 fiscal court meeting of an eScan machine that would decrease election officials’ reliance on electronics.
…
According to Harp, if a ballot is not properly marked for scanning, the eScan “kicks it out” and the voter has another opportunity. Each precinct would need just one machine as voters mark their ballots behind privacy screens, only using the machine to drop the ballot once completed.

KS: Candidate finds it difficult to cast vote for himself
http://www.gardneredge.com/news/2010/07/30/3162-candidate-finds-it-difficult-to-cast-vote-for-himself John Toplikar, an Olathe candidate for the Johnson County Commission Chair, found voting for himself was more difficult than the thought.
…
When Toplikar pressed the screen for his name, it would register a vote for incumbent Annabeth Surbaugh. He deleted the vote and tried again, but with the same results.

MI: Fast facts about Michigan’s primary election
http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/08/fast_facts_about_michigans_pri.html
Michigan’s primary election is on Tuesday, Aug. 3. Here’s some helpful information:

MO: Dead? Your vote won’t count in Missouri
http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1653345.html
The votes of Missouri residents who cast their votes early by absentee ballot, but who die before Election Day, aren’t counted, said Saline County Clerk Ken Bryant

“Missouri is one of only a few states” that don’t allow ballots of the deceased to be processed, Bryant said.

The Voting News Daily: Beware Absentee Ballots. Judge nixes Sarasota audits. OR online primary hype

Absentee ballot fraud & corruption inquiries in Bell CA., Bladen Co NC, & Troy NY…Atty Bill Risner seeks to depose Iron Mountain over Pima Co AZ election materials…A judge overrules Sarasota voters on election audits that would make sure the tallying machines work correctly…Facts v hype in “The So-Called Online Internet Primary in Oregon” …Election snafu trips up Columbia voter..Citizens United ruling may WV Coal Industry elect friendly judges… BlackHat, Defcon Conferences…

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

Editor’s note: Kansas, Michigan and Missouri voters go to the polls Tuesday to vote in primaries for governor, Senate and the House. Please email news reports or blogs on election problems to us at votingnews (at) earthlink.net Thanks!

AL: Alabama’s judicial campaign finance law unenforced for 15 years
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006418.html The Birmingham News reports: A 15-year-old state law meant to discourage big­-dollar donations to judicial cam­paigns has never been enforced, and each of the three branches of government in Montgomery blames another for the failure.

AZ: More Details Emerge About Missing RTA Poll Tapes
http://weeklyintercept.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-details-emerge-about-missing-poll.html …A whistleblower has come forward with a sworn affidavit testifying that Bryan Crane told him privately while at the Boondocks Lounge that he had “fixed” the RTA election under direction from his bosses…

AZ: Atty Bill Risner Motion for Deposition of Iron Mountain Company
http://www.fatallyflawedthemovie.com/media/MotionforDepoIronMountain.pdf

AZ: Missing Poll Tapes
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2010/07/18/missing-poll-tapes
…the Sept. 14, 2008 discovery that despite a court order for release of unaltered election data to the Pima County Democratic Party, the designated Democratic Party’s database containing the hard drive had gone missing from the Pima County vault. It was only upon Bill Risner’s visit to the County Clerk’s office that the box of hard drives reappeared: in the hands of John Moffat, who had only a garbled explanation for why he was illegally in possession of the hard drives.

CA: L.A. County D.A. expands probe into Bell government* (absentee ballot)
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/28/local/la-me-bell-elections-20100728
Investigators are looking into allegations of voter fraud and conflicts of interest, as well as the $100,000 salaries paid to four council members. The D.A. says several elections are targeted.
…
Sources with knowledge of the investigation said that among the subjects that prosecutors are looking at is the use of absentee ballots during the March 2009 City Council election…

CO: Kathleen Curry Will Sue Against Discriminatory Campaign Contribution Limits
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/01/kathleen-curry-will-sue-against-discriminatory-campaign-contribution-limits/ Candidates for the State House may receive contributions of $400 if they are running as members of a party. But if they are independent candidates, no one may contribute more than $200.

FL: Sarasota voting machine audit called off
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100730/BREAKING/100739983/2416/NEWS
But a judge this week ruled that state election laws trump the county charter requirement, the latest turn in a back-and-forth legal battle that went all the way to the Florida Supreme Court.
…
The president of Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections, which has fought for four years to uphold the county charter, urged county officials to appeal the latest decision.

“They should stand up for our charter, they should stand up for the will of the voters,” SAFE president Kindra Muntz said.