Monthly Archives: September 2010

The Voting News Daily: CNN analysis of US election accuracy. NY Primary vote problems update

ACLU faults Pima county AZ for invalidating 18% of 2008 provisional ballots..Candidate for California SOS has voted once in his life.. NYC Elections Chief Attacks Reports of Primary Day Chaos..Vote Centers for Ohio?..Dave Schechter, CNN Senior National Editor has a wide ranging analysis of today’s election systems and challenges… FVAP blogs on military vote updates…

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

AL: Some troops may not get ballots in time
http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/local_news/some-troops-may-not-get-ballots-in-time

AZ: ACLU faults county for invalidating ’08 ballots
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/article_acad50e1-f065-5b34-8068-f3850189c1f3.html
Pima County was the worst offender in disenfranchising voters in 2008, according to a new report by the American Civil Liberties Union, which determined the county invalidated 18 percent of provisional ballots because voters went to the wrong polling place.
…
The organization’s study, which covered Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai and Coconino counties in the 2008 election, found that of about 131,500 provisional ballots, almost 40,000 ended up invalidated, for reasons as varied as the person didn’t have the right identification or was ineligible to vote.

CA: Challenger who rarely voted seeks California elections post
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16215223?nclick_check=1
Damon Dunn wants to lead the office that oversees elections and voting systems in the nation’s most populous state — a rather large leap for someone who never voted until last year’s statewide special election.

CO: Campaign finance complaint filed against Colo. Secretary of State
http://www.kdvr.com/news/sns-ap-co–colorado-bueschercomplaint,0,3108272.story
A Denver attorney has filed a complaint against Secretary of State Bernie Buescher claiming Buescher violated state law by using state workers to coordinate his campaign for re-election

CT: Lose home but not right to vote
http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2010/09/29/life/doc4ca 34f2aeab84763696821.txt http://tinyurl.com/27qxx4q HARTFORD – Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz sought today to reassure Connecticut foreclosure victims that they will not be denied the right to vote.

DE: Delaware Supreme Court Will Hear Fusion Lawsuit Filed by Libertarians, After Election http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/30/delaware-supreme-court-will-hear-fusion-lawsuit-filed-by-libertarians-after-election/

FL: Court halts penalties for Fla. election violations
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/30/1850152/court-halts-penalties-for-fla.html
Florida election law violators can avoid civil penalties by simply opting for a hearing before an administrative law judge owing to a glitch in legislation passed three years ago, an appeal court ruled Thursday.

FL: Election talk on fantasy Lane (comedy video about Sarasota FL saga)
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7233883/

IA: Churches to host early voting during Sunday worship
http://www.amestrib.com/articles/2010/09/29/ames_tribune/news/doc4ca3
7f68a5950099539305.txt http://tinyurl.com/2bc4xs8

IL: County election board hears case*
Candidate’s husband says his wife’s name off ballot; lack of training cited
http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/2755118,elections0929.article
County Elections Board Attorney Jim Wieser explained that there were four machines sent to the Boys & Girls Club, two for each precinct. However, the two reportedly programmed for EC-31 weren’t out when the day’s first voters arrived, but within a short time, a mechanic found the machines and set them up.

IN: Election board meets about clerical mistake; clerk doing mailing to possible affected absentee voters* http://gcdailyworld.com/story/1668630.html Nearly 200 Greene County registered voters may have received duplicate absentee ballot cards in the mail during the past two weeks

MS: Local voter fraud case ends
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Local-voter-fraud-case-ends/2PP_KOgYnUarUCfB8qLxcw.cspx
A long-running voter fraud case has come to an end in Benton County.

The Voting News Daily: Brennan Ctr to vote vendors- report malfunctions. SC cnty stalls election FOIAs

California’s new law SB1404 requires vote vendors to report problems…Bo Lipari’s testimony on NY primary…Brennan Ctr letter asks vendors to self report probs…South Carolina Straight ticket warning..Charleston Co SC election office drags feet on FOIAS..Mary Mancini’s “The Worst Legislation in Tennessee!”..Fox says 7 states violating the MOVE act, may disenfranchise overseas & military voters. But FVAP Director says “To date, all states have complied with their waiver requirements.”..Violence & Fraud in 2010 Afghanistan Elections..

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

AR: Ballot fixed after voter spots error*
http://arkansasleader.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-story-ballot-fixed-after-voter.html
The 80 Jacksonville residents who mistakenly received absentee ballots without all four aldermanic races have been sent supplemental ballots, according to Melinda Allen, Pulaski County election director

CA: Governor signed SB 1404 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Santa Monica) – Elections: ballot cards and voting systems. http://www.gov.ca.gov/press-release/16072/
The Bill here http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/sen/sb_1401-1450/sb_1404_bill_20100927_chaptered.html

CT: A Tale In Three Ballots
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/a-tale-in-three-ballots/
Luther Weeks compares CT, MN & NY ballots and issue of ballot design

DC: Experts Warn Against D.C.’s Planned, Insane Internet Voting Scheme
As if U.S. elections aren’t disastrous enough as is…
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8097

IN: General election ballots are incorrect ($ to subscribe/read full article)
http://www.carrollcountycomet.com/news/2010-09-29/Front_Page/General_election_ballots_are_incorrect.html
The Carroll County Election Board… a special meeting was scheduled for Thursday to discuss a problem that was also an issue in the May primary election. It was discovered that ballots are incorrect as printed.

NC: Hand count may be needed for some NC ballots
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/8373469/
The State Board of Elections finalized details Wednesday on the method used to identify the Court of Appeals race winner being decided through instant runoff voting.

The board decided workers in 24 counties with electronic machines will have to read the register tape generated by each electronic vote should second and third choices be counted. Optical scan ballots used elsewhere will be run through their usual tabulation machines. (editor note-optical scan tally will not be usual)

NY: TESTIMONY ON THE PRIMARY TO THE SENATE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
http://www.bolipari.com/boblog/2010/09/testimony-on-the-primary-to-the-senate-elections-committee/ By far the largest number of problem reports were administrative and legislative issues. These reports broke down into a few main categories – Privacy Issues; Poll Worker Training; Late Poll Openings; Machine Problems; and Hard to read Ballots.

OR: Oregon voters can register on state website
http://www.kcby.com/news/local/103955764.html

OR: Cutting off voters for no good reason (opinion)
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/09/cutting_off_voters_for_no_good.html

SC: More Emails, More Foot-Dragging from Election Officials
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheGoodFight/archives/2010/09/29/more-emails-more-foot-dragging-from-election-officials Addendum to my Sept. 29 City Paper column on problems with Charleston County voting machines:

SC: Marilyn Bowers’ Letter of Resignation from Board of Elections
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheGoodFight/archives/2010/09/29/marilyn-bowers-letter-of-resignation-from-board-of-elections (Charleston County)

SC: ‘Straight ticket’ voting could cause problems in November elections
http://www2.scnow.com/news/2010/sep/29/straight-ticket-voting-could-cause-problems-novemb-ar-895519/ Voters who use electronic voting equipment have the option to select only candidates from one political party by choosing a “select all” option. However, if voters do so, they must make sure to view non-partisan ballot items, such as questions or local races where a political party affiliation is not required.

TN: “The Worst Legislation in Tennessee!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KoQShuQQYQ Mary Mancini on the bill that gutted and delayed the “Tennessee Voter Confidence Act.”

The Voting News Daily: Travis TX judge nixes paper ballots. Philippine source code disclosure ordered

DoD Announces Absentee Voting Week..The Persistence of Partisan Election Administration..Shelby County TN expands whistleblower law, but leaves out reference to elections..Overseas Vote Foundation AK, MI, VI overseas voters: Want to #vote in Nov.? Oct. 3 is your Registration deadline…Court orders Philippine Elections Commission to Disclose source code used in May elections…

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

AL: Federal judge keeps Voting Rights Act challenge moving
http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/2010/09/27/federal-judge-keeps-voting-rights-act-challenge-moving/ A federal district court judge ruled Sept. 10 the federal government must move quickly in contesting Shelby County’s challenge against the constitutionality of sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

CA: Obstacles challenge election reform bid (City of Los Angeles)
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_16181638
Several council colleagues have already voiced qualms about some of the proposals.
They are particularly concerned about the instant runoff process – in which voters rank candidates in a weighted system instead of holding separate primary and general elections – fearing the top-spending candidate would get the most attention.

CO: Mixed prognosis
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100928/LETTER/100929848/
1020&parentprofile=1061 http://tinyurl.com/2467d5s
“Why spend so much energy on election integrity issues?” “Why not focus on something popular then run for office?” After all, it’s “not nice” to raise these issues so very publicly.

Until fair and transparent elections can be restored in Aspen, I believe that we are stuck with the status quo. Without major reform, running for office merely adds unearned legitimacy to an illegitimate process.

FL: Lawyer: Voter Fraud Accusations Against Client Unfounded
http://www.wesh.com/news/25198192/detail.html (video available)
Daytona Beach City Commissioner Under Investigation
…The supervisor of elections said that before the primary, she got a request for dozens of absentee ballots from an e-mail address traced to Henry.
The request included names and addresses for each voter.
Damore said his client didn’t realize the requests were against the law and that the form doesn’t make that fact clear.

IL: The Hotsheet of the Illinois Ballot Integrity Project
http://ballot-integrity.org/hotsheet

IN: Parker: I’m convinced White committed voter fraud (with video)
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/politics/parker-i-am-convinced-white-committed-voter-fraud
The current Secretary of State, Todd Rokita, has made voter fraud prevention a priority and Dan Parker thinks he should get to the bottom of it.

IN: Hoosiers can use cell phones to register to vote this year for the first time
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/67f027f7466045ca92815eae1b14e179/IN–Mobile-Voter_Registration/ Residents have to have a valid Indiana driver’s license or state-issued ID to use either registration service.

MA: Committee will make recommendation on electronic voting machines for Hampden
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/committee_
will_make_recommenda.html http://tinyurl.com/28ec4k5 At a selectmen’s meeting on Monday James Gillen, former city editor of The Republican, echoed the sentiments of Selectman Vincent Villamaino that the town follows an antiquated process in counting the votes by hand.
…
Wiseman said the only complaints she has ever received about Hampden’s late results have come from the media.

MD: Guardsman, D.C. group sue Md. elections board
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/2010/09/guardsman
_dc_group_sue_md_elec.html http://tinyurl.com/2cb2cqx Ross Goldstein, deputy director of the elections board, declined to comment directly on the lawsuit. But he said the Justice Department and military authorities signed off on the office’s plan to send out ballots for congressional offices quickly after the primaries.

The Voting News Daily: Experts slams D.C. Internet Voting Plan as unsafe. Ottawa’s internet voting bugs

Hampden MA may end hand counting ballots..Benton Co MI Supervisor paid from $10 to $40 + case of beer for votes..VA Gov McDonnell outpaces Dems in restoring Va. felons’ voting rights..Internet voting spreads in Canada & so do problems. Ottawa voters blocked by “captcha” bug & some registered voters told they weren’t on the list…Experts pan D.C. Internet vote plan: “Return of marked ballots over the Internet is something we simply don’t know how to do safely. Exercises such as this are counterproductive, because they will provide a false sense of security..”

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

AK: Murkowski: Uncertainty about vote-counting process
http://newsminer.com/bookmark/9654261-Murkowski-Uncertainty-about-vote-counting-process– U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who’s mounting a write-in campaign to hold onto her job, said considerable uncertainty remains over what criteria election officials will use to determine which write-in ballots would be counted.

CA: Every vote counts: Report, legislation seek more accountability for elections equipment manufacturers http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_16178656
Unlike an automobile, when a voting system fails in most jurisdictions across the country, manufacturers are not required to report the malfunction or failure to any government agency, there’s no agency that investigates alleged failures and there’s no entity that alerts election officials and the public of possible problems, a recent report from the Brennan Center for Justice found.

CO: Aspen Election Commission mulls actions if voters retain IRV
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100923/NEWS/100929925/0/FRONTPAGE
ASPEN — The Aspen Election Commission began talks Wednesday that could lead to a full hand count — a 12- to 15-hour process, said City Clerk Kathryn Koch — of ballots if instant runoff voting (IRV) is retained in the Nov. 2 election.

DC: Experts raise warning flags over D.C. Internet voting plan
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/debonis/2010/09/experts_raise_warning_flags_ov.html
A national good-government organization and a group of leading computer scientists are raising concerns about a new Internet voting initiative set to debut for District voters in the coming weeks

FL: Daytona leader faces absentee ballot probe
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2010/09/25/daytona-leader-faces-absentee-ballot-probe.html
A city commissioner who won re-election last month by a wide margin is at the center of a criminal investigation after nearly 80 absentee ballots were requested from a computer belonging to him, Volusia County’s elections supervisor said Friday.

IL: New Illinois law now permits ‘naked voting’ in Chicago
http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-chicago/new-illinois-law-now-permits-naked-voting-chicago To encourage Illinois voters to take advantage of new absentee ballot rules, Chicago-based Equality Illinois Education Project, in partnership with Rock the Vote and Roosevelt University, has launched “Vote Naked Illinois,” …

MA: Hampden mulls voting machine
http://www.masslive.com/chicopeeholyoke/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1285572058200950.xml&coll=1 Selectmen Chairman John D. Flynn said the town has had a tradition of counting the paper ballots by hand…

MD: Md. National Guard member sues elections board
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=2062412 GREENBELT, Md. (AP) – A member of the Maryland National Guard is suing the state board of elections because he says overseas voters have not been given enough time to obtain and return ballots for the upcoming November election.

MS: Benton County, MS supervisor found guilty of voter fraud * (vote buying)
http://wireupdate.com/wires/10479/benton-county-ms-supervisor-found-guilty-of-voter-fraud/
The case stemmed from the August 7, 2007 primary election and the August 27, 2007 runoff elections in Benton County
…
According to the investigation, King paid people to vote for him on two separate elections.

The Voting News Daily: DC internet vote hack test? Thoughts on NY Primary. Visit ‘Electionland’

With short notice, DC offers a public “test” of internet vote system from Sept 24-30…Bo Lipari has some thoughts & recommendations r/e New York’s primary..Houston Voting Machine Fire Update and Shouting ‘Voter Fraud’ in a Crowded Midterm Election..Visit Electionland to register to vote, find polling place & sign up for election reminders..”the threat of the Citizens United ruling to our democracy goes far beyond the narrow definition of corruption.” ~ John Bonifaz & Jeffrey Clements…

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

AL: Judge Denies Discovery in Voting Rights Act Case
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/09/21/30485.htm
An Alabama county’s constitutional challenge to portions of the Voting Rights Act cleared a legal hurdle when a federal judge in Washington, D.C., rejected the government’s bid for further discovery.
In its federal lawsuit, Shelby County claimed that the “preclearance” requirements of the Act put undue pressure on its election process, raising costs and delaying at least one election.

CA: Woman pleads no contest in Fresno voter fraud
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/09/21/2087120/woman-pleads-no-contest-in-fresno.html
Authorities say Darlene Holland turned in 100 forged voter signatures on behalf of Cynthia Sterling, a Fresno City Council member running for the county Board of Supervisors, and Oliver Baines, a police officer running for Sterling’s seat on the council.

DC: DC Invites Public Testing of Internet Voting System (internet voting )
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2010/09/22/850
The announcement by the DC Board does not say how the test results will used, or if the decision to proceed with the pilot in November will be affected if flaws are discovered, only noting “After testing is completed, the service will be made available to overseas voters”.

MN: Judge Backs Minn. Disclosure Law on Political Cash
http://protectourelections.org/node/38 A federal judge refused on Monday to interfere with a new Minnesota law that revealed political donations from Target Corp. and other companies, saying the public has an interest in knowing who speaks and who pays for those messages as the election approaches.

NY: Port Chester board to meet with lawyers on voting rights appeal
http://soundshore.lohudblogs.com/2010/09/21/port-chester-board-to-meet-with-lawyers-on-voting-rights-appeal/
Could Port Chester’s four-year-old voting rights case, which yielded a cumulative voting system for village trustees in June, be destined for an appeal?
…
Ironically the trustees who were elected under the new method are the ones now exploring an appeal.

NY: THOUGHTS ON THE NY PRIMARY
http://www.bolipari.com/boblog/2010/09/thoughts-on-the-ny-primary/
Despite the impressions received from media reports, the September 14th primary was not the first time that New Yorkers voted on paper ballots and scanners. In the 2009 off-year election, 47 counties in upstate New York used the new systems as part of a pilot program. This trial run taught participants valuable lessons, and New York City’s decision to abstain led directly to many of the problems reported there

TN: Rutherford County officials escape disciplinary hearing for election error
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100922/NEWS02/9220368/Rutherford-County-officials-escape-disciplinary-hearing-for-election-error
Polls weren’t opened for early voting one Saturday

TN: 55 Apply For Elections Administrator Job (Davidson County)
http://www.wsmv.com/politics/25101181/detail.html

TX: Houston Voting Machine Fire Update and Shouting ‘Voter Fraud’ in a Crowded Midterm Election http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8082 Using Fraud to Declare Fraud

WV: Other Options?
http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/539350/Solution-offered-over-ballot-controversy.html?nav=5061

The Voting News Daily: 866-OUR-VOTE. NY fusion lawsuit, disabled access probs . AZ lawsuit update

Ruling in AZ election case…Disappearing Voters -No Penalties for Failing to Correctly Fill Out & Deliver Voter Reg.Forms…NC vote vendor does NOT want to break law..NY city disabled complain -voting places inaccessible & no ballot-marking devices..3rd party lawsuit against NY Fusion..Wisconsin Group alleges voter suppression..Why Your Toaster Works Better Than Your Voting Machine..1-866-OUR-VOTE is back..Ireland still storing 6 yr old voting machines..Vote buying mars Kenya polls..

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

AK: Write-in rules need clarification before election, not after the fact
http://newsminer.com/bookmark/9598917/Write-in%20rules%20need%20clarification%20before%20election%20controversy
The counting of write-in ballots for Sen. Lisa Murkowski is probably going to become controversial.

AZ: Maricopa Judge Favors Misleading Testimony of Election Officials Over Election Law: Rules Partial Victory for Electors
http://audit-az.blogspot.com/2010/09/maricopa-judge-favors-misleading_21.html

AZ: Tea party T-shirt headed to court
http://www.yumasun.com/news/owens-64051-bolick-party.html
PHOENIX — A federal judge will decide whether tea party members who wear their hearts on their sleeves can wear their politics on their shirts at polling places.

CA: State online voter registration still years off
http://www.pe.com/politics/miller/stories/PE_News_Local_D_voterreg20.2fabe64.html
Vendors push hard to sell online voter reg

CA: Disappearing Voters -No Penalties for Failing to Correctly Fill Out and Deliver Voter Registration Forms
http://www.independent.com/news/2010/sep/21/disappearing-voters/
No. Steve Pappas has not yet managed to get his name inserted into the English language as a synonym for a clever form of massive voter fraud, but if he wins his lawsuit seeking to throw out votes in his race against Doreen Farr for 3rd District supervisor, he stands a good chance of ending up in the dictionary.
…
The fraud is simple: They (“oops”) forget to deliver the registration forms for a week, and they (“Oh my!”) neglect to fill out the box correctly. Under the law, these people cannot be punished.

CO: A shift in identity for Aspen Election Commission
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100921/NEWS/100929973/1077&ParentProfile=1058
The commission has met several times this month to establish mechanical operations meant to eliminate the complaints, including a set period for early voting and requiring that voted ballots are shuffled by election staff before voting data is compiled.

FL: Palm Beach County teachers approve $500 bonuses (internet voting problem)
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-teachers-bonus-vote-20100920,0,7102130.story
Teachers were given an extra day to vote because some were unable to vote Thursday because of an Internet security access issue.

GA: Ballots Delivered Electronically to GA’s Military & Overseas Voters
http://www2.wsav.com/news/2010/sep/20/ballots-delivered-electronically-gas-military-over-ar-853880/
(Blank only, no electronic return of voted ballots.)

Guam Election Commission Violates Move Act?
http://guamnewswatch.com/201009213104/Local-News/Guam-Election-Commission-Violates-Move-Act.html GEC still hasn’t received the card stock to print the ballots. The commission was told that military cargo has taken priority out of Hawaii.

IL: Illinois Votes Naked: Nude Campaign Spreads News About Changes To Absentee Voting Law (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/21/illinois-votes-naked-nude_n_733277.html
One effective campaign tool? Nudity. The “Vote Naked Illinois” folks made this informative video about the changes to the state’s early voting law: (Hat tip to Gapers Block for bringing this gem to our attention!)

IL: Justice Stephen Breyer Won’t Alter Special U.S. Senate Election in Illinois
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/20/justice-stephen-breyer-wont-alter-special-u-s-senate-election-in-illinois/
On September 20, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer denied the request by U.S. Senator Roland Burris to alter the special election for U.S.

The Voting News Daily: Md. needs to switch to paper ballots. A Decent Proposal – for voting machines

“if Maryland is truly concerned about election results that are not only verifiable but also available much more quickly on election night, we would move as quickly as possible to the optical scan voting system mandated in the law passed by the General Assembly in 2007.” ~ Rebecca Wilson, SAVEourVotes.org ..Shelby County Tennessee Election Commission, Democrats prepare for trial over voting irregularities…An Important New Proposal for Voting Machines – create a searchable national database of voting machine problems to be created and made available to the public.

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

AK: Murkowski’s Write-in Bid Could Test Alaska’s Dubious Diebold E-Voting System
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8078 The three-way race, along with Democratic candidate and Mayor of Sitka Scott McAdams, could prove to be a serious challenge for Alaska’s historically-dicey optical-scan voting system made by Diebold. Given the shortcomings of the system which otherwise employs the concealed vote-counting of centrally tabulate ballots, the need to hand-review write-in votes this November could present a unique opportunity for citizens of the 49th state to oversee at least some of their own electoral system — for a welcome change.

CT: LGWCT: Voters Guide to Secretary of the State Candidates
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/lgwct-voters-guide-to-secretary-of-the-state-candidates/
The League of Women Voters have published a guide to the Secretary of the State Candidates, listing their qualifications and their responses to two questions

HI: Hundreds of Maui voters assigned to the wrong voting district *
http://www.staradvertiser.com/elections/2010/primary/Hundreds_of_Maui_voters_ assigned_to_the_wrong_voting_district.html http://tinyurl.com/27yncxh
Hoylman said the error could’ve affected yesterday’s election as well as previous elections. “It bewilders me that all these years went by and no one challenged it,” he added.

IL: Court fight possible over early-voting site on UI campus
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/politics-and-government/2010-09-16/court-fight-possible-over-early-voting-site-ui-campus.html

MD: Md. needs to switch to paper ballots
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-paper-ballot-letter-20100920,0,417348.story In response to your editorial, “How the Votes are Counted”

MN: Revamped voting procedures, meant to avoid 2008 recount hassles, begin today for general election
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2010/09/17/21534/revamped_voting_procedures_ meant_to_avoid_2008 _recount_hassles_ begin_today_for_general_election http://tinyurl.com/2a9b29j

Given the recent polls, and yet another three-way race for a statewide office, some officials are preparing for another 2008-style recount in an election that’s sure to attract 2 million voters.

NM: County Clerk concerned by lax third-party voter registration rules
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_16099262
LAS CRUCES – Doña Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins said this week he remains concerned about the laxity of a law that allows non-county groups to register voters.

NY: 71 New York poling stations opened late Tuesday *
http://blastmagazine.com/the-news/new-york-news/2010/09/71-new-york-poling-stations-opened-late-tuesday/ According to the New York Times, 71 polling locations opened late due to missing or malfunctioning machines. With polls scheduled to open at 6 a.m., some voters experienced a delay of up to 4 hours.

OH: Lawsuit seeks end to Cuyahoga voters’ edge in casting ballot by mail
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/lawsuit_seeks_an_end_to_cuyaho.html
They want to block counties like Cuyahoga and Franklin from mailing absentee ballot applications to all registered voters, from paying return postage on the applications and from paying return postage for the completed ballots. Or, they argue, the state should help pay to offer that same service in all 88 counties.

SD: Early voting in Shannon County encounters roadblocks
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_bf831c0e-c2df-11df-a9e0-001cc4c002e0.html

The Voting News Daily: Paper Ballots, Common Sense. Teacher pay online vote fiasco. Afghan vote violence

Common Sense: The Indispensable Role Of Voter Verified Paper Ballots..(NOT)Counting Votes in Shelby CO Tennessee..Why No Central Database Of E-Voting Problems?..Internet voting fiasco: Spam filter prevents many Palm Beach Co teachers from casting online ballot on new contract…Unlimited Political Speech For Corporations That Don’t Say Pledge Of Allegiance…Violence and fraud mar Afghan election..Burma Excludes Thousands From Voting..

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

Editor’s note: This voting news is dedicated to my nephew Nick who is on his first tour in Afghanistan, and to all of our troops here and overseas. Thanks also to Overseas Vote Foundation who helps our overseas military and families to get a ballot on time.

AL: Alaska teaches the nation about voter intent
http://www.earlyvoting.net/blog/2010/09/alaska-teaches-nation-about-voter-intent

CA: Whitman Tops Bloomberg’s Personal Spending ($119 Million)
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/09/15/whitman-bests-bloombergs-personal-spending/
Move aside, Michael Bloomberg. California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has just surpassed your record in personal spending on an election.

After giving her campaign another $15 million Tuesday, the Republican former eBay Inc. chief executive has now spent $119 million in the Golden State race.

CA: Los Angeles Times Features Story on a Small California City which does Not Allow Free Elections http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/19/los-angeles-times-features-story-on-a-small-california-city-which-does-not-allow-free-elections/

CA: State Sen. Roderick Wright indicted on voter fraud, perjury
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/state-sen-roderick-wright-indicted-on-voter-fraud-perjury-.html Wright listed as his residence a home in the district he wanted to represent, but county authorities allege that he did not live there.

CO: Aspen Election Commission: Votes will be shuffled
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100917/NEWS/100919870/1077&ParentProfile=1058
ASPEN — The Aspen Election Commission implemented measures Wednesday that it expects will prevent people from coupling data generated by municipal ballots with voter logs to find out how people voted.

The move was part of an investigation the group is conducting into the May 2009 election, which garnered controversy over alleged missteps in vote-counting procedures. Some say it is possible to determine how certain people voted, which goes against the Colorado Constitution.

FL: Teachers vote on $500 bonuses in Palm Beach County (internet voting)
Glitches reported by union as two days of voting commences *
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-teacher-contract-voting-20100916,0,3920795.story Computer glitches surfaced Thursday as Palm Beach County teachers began two days of contract ratification voting online.

FL: Voting For Teachers’ Contract Extended* (internet voting)
http://www.cbs12.com/news/contract-4728622-teachers-teacher.html
Apparently, there was a glitch in spam filters at the District, which held up the user name and passwords and link, for teachers to vote.

So very few teachers got to vote yesterday, so the voting deadline is extended until 5 p.m. Monday.

FL: Thousands of felons and dead people still registered to vote in Florida
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/thousands-of-felons-and-dead-people-still-registered-924518.html Roberts also said she will work to change state law to allow the Division of Elections access to death records nationwide. Currently, the division receives death notices every two weeks but only for people who die in Florida.

“Clearly what you’ve uncovered is there is still a problem, and it needs to be addressed,” said state Sen. Nan Rich, D- Weston, a member of the Ethics and Elections Committee. “Obviously, there is still an issue with the matching system.”

FL: Move to Amend Florida Tour (Podcasts)
Warren “Skip” Parish is a consultant in the U.S.

The Voting News Daily: New voting machines, angry New Yorkers. New arrest over India EVMs

Brennan Ctr: “Voting System Failures: A Database Solution”…Maryland officials blame voting machine failures on poll workers..The latest target of New Yorkers’ ire: new voting machines, which perplexed them, broke down and ate their primary election ballots…New Jersey Military/Internet voting pilot bill..Vote probs in DC, MA, MD…Pune India engineer held, cops say gave EVM to researcher…Why other countries have scrapped electronic voting…

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

Editors request: help us make sure that we don’t miss important articles. Please email voting news articles, blogs and reports to go in upcoming editions. Send to votingnews (at) earthlink.net

CA: Jerry Brown wants Bell officials to resign, give up pensions; says they defrauded public http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/jerry-brown-bell-lawsuit-pensions-salaries.html
“What is clear is that the City Council and city administrator and other officials abused their public trust. They engaged in a collaboration that [amounted] to a civil conspiracy to defraud the public,” Brown said at a news conference Wednesday morning in announcing the lawsuit.
(City with officials involved in absentee ballot fraud)

CO: Constitution Party Will be Listed Closer to the Top of Colorado General Election Ballots if Tancredo Polls At Least 10% http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/13/constitution-party-will-be-listing-closer-to-the-top-of-colorado-general-election-ballots-if-tancredo-polls-at-least-10/

CO: IRV explained
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100915/LETTER/100919937/1020&ParentProfile=1061
In November Aspen voters will have a choice to keep the instant runoff voting (IRV) system, or return to the system in place before 2009. It may help to understand how IRV elects candidates with a majority of the vote, even if the slate has a good number of candidates.
…
To make sure your ballot was considered in the end you had to rank every candidate, even ones you really didn’t want. Only 20 percent of Aspen voters did so.

DC: Voting glitches reported in D.C. primary election*
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2010/09/13/daily13.html
WTOP reporter Mark Segraves said some electronic scanners are not operational so the ballots are not being scanned.
Initially, there were reports of problems at four polling places, but Gray spokeswoman Traci Hughes said their campaign has heard about problems from 15 different precincts.
…
Elections officials are collecting the ballots and storing them inside the scanner. They will go back later and scan those ballots.

DC: Live blog: D.C. Primary Day 2010 evening — Court rejects longer voting
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/09/live_blog_dc_primary_day_2010_2.html

DE: CASTLE DEFEATS O’DONNELL IN DELAWARE!
(According to the ballots that can be verified anyway)
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8073

DE: Delaware’s GOP Senate Primary and Its 100% Unverifiable, Faith-Based E-Voting Results http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8072

FL: Report: No election wrongdoing
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/west-volusia/2010/09/16/report-no-election-wrongdoing.html DELAND — A city investigation did not find evidence that Chisholm Center employees improperly influenced voters during the primary election, but changes are in store for the busy community center and polling place.

IL: Census: Voters may exceed residents in Ill. county
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/article_807a5450-bfa6-11df-8c39-001cc4c002e0.html
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ southernmost county has more registered voters than it has residents who are old enough to vote, according to a Lee Springfield Bureau analysis.

MA: Problem at Lawrence polling precinct resolved; voter turnout slow*
http://www.eagletribune.com/breakingnews/x1950314457/Problem-at-polling-place-resolved-turnout-slow
for Mercier at E1 the day got off to a rough start. The Accu-vote machine that counts the ballots was malfunctioning at the start of the day and wouldn’t accept ballots.

The Voting News Daily: New York Voting machine problems. The ‘sovereign’ power of voting machines

“Voting machines have acquired the sort of “sovereign” power that only voters should enjoy in a true democracy. What would you call it but a travesty of democracy where the people are relegated to the background and the unverifiable machine records (which can be wrong, manipulated) become the sole basis for declaring elected representatives?” ~ G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, a leading election analyst and a political commentator in India…

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

AL: Alabama: “I see dead people” on the voting rolls
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006439.html
TPMmuckraker reports: J. Christian Adams, the former DOJ lawyer at the heart of the New Black Panthers case, has sent letter to 16 states warning them that they are breaking voter law by not removing dead and ineligible voters from their rolls.

CA: Federal judge upholds city’s IRV system
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Federal-judge-upholds-citys-instant-runoff-voting-system-102831014.html

CT: Connecticut Democrat Sues Secretary of State Over Denial of Ballot Access Due to Lost Paperwork http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/14/connecticut-democrat-sues-secretary-of-state-over-denial-of-ballot-access-due-to-lost-paperwork/

CT: Hartford Courant joins in fighting last [election] war
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/courant-joins-in-fighting-last-election-war/

NC: Bladen County elections investigation update
http://www.wwaytv3.com/bladen_county_elections_investigation_update/09/2010
BLADEN COUNTY, NC… The candidates and campaign workers who were implicated, including McCrae Dowless and Levi Roberts, have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

State elections investigators are still looking into other allegations, including potential problems with absentee ballots.

NC: A Statewide Race To Use Instant Runoff Voting
http://www.ncnn.com/content/view/6368/26/ The Instant Runoff system is not without its critics, who say the equipment used for voting will have a hard time handling such a process.

NY: Update: E-voting machine woes stop some voters N.Y. * (various problems)
http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6776
Machine shutdowns reportedly cause long delays in casting votes in New York primary election

NY: Share Your Stories From the Voting Booths * (voters report problems)
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/share-your-stories-from-the-voting-booths/
Send us your comments and observations, so we can establish a water cooler on how New York’s latest democratic foray (with a small “d,” of course) played out.
…
Sample comment: “Something tells me my vote is going to end up in Raleigh-Durham like a piece of misrouted luggage.”

NY: NY Primary Program in the News
http://www.866ourvote.org/newsroom/news?id=0258

NY: Election Watchdogs Positioned to Record Voting Mishaps Caused By New Ballots
http://beta.wnyc.org/articles/its-free-country/2010/sep/13/election-watchdogs-positioned-record-voting-mishaps-caused-new-machines/
Advocates and election watchdogs say the new machines — and the new paper ballots they come with — set voters up to make several mistakes.

NY: New York State Makes Arbitrary Choice to Credit Over-Votes for a Fusion Candidate to the Democratic and Republican Parties
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/14/new-york-state-makes-arbitrary-choice-to-credit-over-votes-for-a-fusion-candidate-to-the-democratic-and-republican-parties/
the New York State Board of Elections has made a quiet decision to credit the votes to the Democratic and Republican Parties, when a voter votes for one candidate twice (once on the ballot line of one of the two major parties, and once on the line of a smaller party).

OH: Elections board reduces precincts to save money (Lucas County)
http://toledoblade.com/article/20100914/NEWS09/100919839
Voters are to receive a letter in the mail in the next few days telling them their new precinct number and voting location. That information also is available on the board’s Web site, www.lucascountyvotes.org.

Linda Howe, director of the board of elections, said yesterday that the board reduced the number of precincts from 495 to 397 last year and this summer further reduced that number to 354.

The Voting News Daily: NY’s ballot quirks. Shelby Tenn. elections – ‘There must be reforms.’ GOV2.0 elections

Why did Benton Co AR Election Commission meet in secret?…North Carolina: Potential mess looms in judicial election..NY voting machine quirk may be problem for fusion voters..Best audit ever! Columbia CO New York to do 100% hand count of new opscan ballots…Shelby Co Tennessee “screw-up cast doubt on the entire process of voting in Shelby County and will fuel distrust and animosity for years to come…There must be reforms.”..At GOV2.0 Summit: “Why We Need Open Source Electronic Voting Systems”…The sordid world of electronic voting…Deep problems trouble Afghan vote…

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

Like voting news? Please tell a friend..
Read online at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
You can share with your Facebook friends, see http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews
and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews

AR: HOW WE SEE IT Commission’s Action Veiled In Secrecy (Benton County)
http://www.nwaonline.com/mailfriend/61/244618/ec20f21954/
WHAT’S THE POINT? The Benton County Election Commission erred on the side of secrecy when it entered executive session to discuss its chairman.
…
A public body needs to err on the side of openness.

When it errs on the opposite side, we are left to wonder what that public body is trying to hide, and why.

AZ: Arizona Justices Nix Secret Ballot Measure
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/09/07/30150.htm
A proposed constitutional amendment protecting Arizonans’ right to cast secret ballots violates the state Constitution, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled.
…
The Arizona Supreme Court agreed that Proposition 108 violates this rule, because it attempts to modify both election law and labor law.

DC: Fenty campaign: Gray supporters lure voters with gift cards
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/09/fenty_campaign_gray_supporters.html
In the shaky video, one woman tells the woman with the hidden camera she has to “get on the van” if she wants a $10 gift card.

“We are going to buy you lunch,” the one woman says. “If you get in our van, and go vote, if you get back on, I will be right here.”
Video here:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/bbdf4cd58bf86ff24debc22a6c7656b8/video/18263269

HI: Isles on course for election
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100912_Isles_on_course_for_election.html
Budget cuts forced the elections office to eliminate 97 of the 331 polling places used in 2008.

HI: WHERE TO VOTE (since many polling places have been eliminated)
http://elections3.hawaii.gov/ppl/ To confirm your polling place and precinct number, go to elections3.hawaii.gov/ppl/ and follow the instructions, or call the Office of Elections at 453-8683 or 800-442-8683 from the neighbor islands.

KS: City charters out from state election legislation
http://www.augustagazette.com/newsnow/x863084905/City-charters-out-from-state-election-legislation Augusta City Council approved a Charter Ordinance Tuesday night exempting the community from state legislation regarding primary elections.

MA: Secret Ballot? Not!
http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2010/09/10/secret-ballot-not?blog=205
…it may come as a huge surprise that their party affiliation and address are on file, available to anyone with an internet connection.

NC: Potential mess looms in judicial election
Three choices for one appeals seat complicate Nov. 2 ballot.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/09/09/1679301/potential-mess-looms-in-judicial.html
In some respects, Instant Runoff Voting is at odds with state requirements for transparency in voting and for counting all votes at the precinct where they are cast. And a system for counting ballots in counties that don’t have optical scanners has yet to be determined.

NC: Subject: Not so quick: Instant runoff in N.C.

The Voting News Daily: Suing Sarasota Election Sup: the Sequel. Shelby Co TN lawsuits update

Shelby Co Alabama fight against voting rights act argued in DC..Arizona fake green pty candidates stay on ballot for now..Another election down, another accusation of misconduct against Sarasota Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent..Hawaii voters take note: many polling places have closed..Maryland early voting yields only 2% turnout, costs $3.4M…Ballot access in NC nearly impossible says lawsuit, officials say access would “clutter” the ballot..Harris Co Texas mulls non partisan election chief… Shelby Co TN plaintiffs seek to consolidate lawsuits…

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

AL: Shelby County: VRA challenged argued in DC
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006437.html
The Birmingham News reports: Shelby County is intent on having key sections of the Voting Rights Act declared unconstitutional and ending federal oversight of elections across the South, not just in one Alabama county, the county’s lawyers said Friday.

AZ: Judge won’t kick Green Party candidates off ballot
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/politics/article_1513caa6-bc8c-11df-9a07-001cc4c03286.html
While the Green Party filed suit in federal court, the Arizona Democratic Party is attacking the problem elsewhere.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Maricopa County Superior Court, attorney Paul Eckstein said Arizona voters will be “deceived, misled and confused” about the true nature of the campaigns of the Green Party write-in candidates which will affect the “purity” of the general election. He wants Judge Robert Oberbillig to erase the candidates’ names from the ballot.
That, however, may come too late: Officials in the state’s two largest counties said printing will begin today.

CA: Former City Council Candidate Charged with Voter Fraud *
http://www.kpsplocal2.com/Content/Top-Stories/story/Former-City-Council-Candidate-Charged-with-Voter/rNJa45ROik-6JMpjm48Byw.cspx
A former Palm Springs City Council candidate who claimed she resided in the city when she allegedly lived in Arizona was charged with felonies, prosecutors said Thursday.
…
Eloise Garcia-Mohsin, 46, was charged with two counts of voter fraud, three counts of perjury and four counts of falsely filing election documents, and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office issued a warrant for her arrest.

DC: Gray camp responds to Fenty vote buying allegations
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2010/09/gray_camp_responds_ to_fenty_vote_buying_allegations.html http://tinyurl.com/28uv6dk An allegation of vote buying against Mayor Adrian Fenty’s reelection team has the Vincent Gray campaign calling for law enforcement to investigate and claiming the incumbent has undermined the integrity of the primary election.

DC: D.C. Jail inmates cast their primary ballots
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/debonis/2010/09/dc_jail_inmates_cast_their_pri.html
Getting them to vote, Stewart says, is the first step toward re-entering the community.

FL: Candidate sues Dent over recount refusal
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100910/BREAKING/100919992
SARASOTA COUNTY – Another election down, another accusation of misconduct against Sarasota Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent.

FL: Forums: Suing Dent for RECOUNT
http://forum.heraldtribune.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2131

HI: Hawaii voters take note: many polling places have closed
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13122695
There won’t be signs or anything else at polling places that have been closed informing people the location of their new polling place, so it’s important voters know where to go before election day arrives.

IA: Elections watchdog group sees problem with voter rolls in 7 Iowa counties
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/09/10/elections-watchdog-group-sees-problem-with-voter-rolls-in-7-iowa-counties/
An elections watchdog group believes seven Iowa counties have more more registered voters than citizens of voting age.

But the state’s top election official said today that group’s information is distorted, and that Iowa’s election rolls don’t need any extra cleanup.

The Voting News Daily: AZ election lawsuit begins. Hawaii cuts 97 poll sites. Mail ballots dont help turnout

Citizens’ suit against Maricopa Co AZ election office begins Sept 10..Los Angeles Co voters prefer that new voting system use paper ballots…Election watchdog report challenges Scott Brown election in Massachusetts…New Mexico SoS Herrera troubles: 4 election chiefs quit so far, Herrera fired 2 whistleblowers last week & SoS office swept for bugs..Virgin Isl voting machine lawsuit dismissed..Do You Know A Military or Overseas Voter? Act Now!!!..THE UGLY FACE OF THE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA (PART-2)

All this and more in todays voting news below…

AZ: This Case Is About Forcing Maricopa County Election To Follow The Law – Nothing More, Nothing Less. Trial begins Friday, September 10th 2010 at 8:15 AM.
http://audit-az.blogspot.com/2010/09/this-case-is-about-forcing-maricopa_1589.html
[Suit asks that mandated checks & balances be enforced, and voting software checked]

CA: Study to consider alternatives to InkaVote Plus (Los Angeles County)
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_16027251 “In general, there is a strong value placed by voters on having a paper record of their ballot,” Logan wrote. “The paper ballot provides them a sense of assurance that, if need be, things could be re-verified to demonstrate accuracy and security.”

DC: Dear Votemaster: If You Vote With a Special Ballot
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2010/09/08/dear-votemaster-if-you-vote-with-a-special-ballot/ Those who vote with such special ballots will have to complete a voter registration update/same-day registration form, and sign an “affirmation of eligibility.”

HI: Fewer polls raise fear over turnout
97 polling sites have been closed due to budget cuts
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews /20100908 _Fewer_polls_raise_fear_over_turnout.html http://tinyurl.com/37mfut4

MA: Election watchdog challenges Scott Brown election in Massachusetts over voting machine outcome (Jonathan Simon analysis)
http://www.examiner.com/progressive-in-boston/election-watchdog-challenges-scott-brown-election-massachusetts-over-voting-machine-outcome “No systematic audit of the count was performed. No spot-checks of the count were performed. There was no recount of any ballot. There were no exit polls performed. No actual ballots stored within the opscan equipment were examined or permitted to be examined.”

MI: Oakland court impanels grand jury to investigate election fraud
http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2010/09/08/news/doc4c8
847653fa9a974987918.txt http://tinyurl.com/326bytq
PONTIAC — Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Edward Sosnick has been selected as the one-man grand juror to investigate allegations of election fraud in filings related to the group The Tea Party, which made an unsuccessful attempt to appear as a political party on the Nov. 2 ballot.

MI: OUR VIEW — Allegan County election snafus are intolerable
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/opinions/x863086144/OUR-VIEW-Allegan-County-election-snafus-are-intolerable While the Bureau of Elections report has been forwarded to the state attorney general, it’s hard to imagine anyone would actually be prosecuted in this matter, unless evidence arises that something more than incompetence was involved. The task at hand now is re-establishing credibility in Allegan County.

NM: Herrera’s staff turmoil started early
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Herrera-s-staff-turmoil-started-early–
For her part, Herrera in recent weeks asked state police to conduct a sweep for electronic bugs — apparently no such listening devices were found — and filed public-information requests for e-mails of past and present staff members and certain political enemies.

NY: List Maintenance or Voter Purging?
http://reformny.blogspot.com/2010/09/list-maintenance-or-voter-purging.html
[Brennan Ctr urges all NY voters to check their registration record just in case]

NY: Voting scanners a problem for elderly
http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2010/09/08/news/top_
stories/doc4c87cfcb3189e108208913.txt http://tinyurl.com/35ko57e

OH: Security cameras approved for voting location
Action comes as Republicans on elections board urge new site, deny claims of hindering process http://www.ohio.com/news/102413909.html

The Voting News Daily: NM SoS fires critics. Moldova voter roll hacked. Military Voters get your ballot!

Lawyers’ Committee Condemns DOJ and Georgia’s Maneuvers to Preclear New Registration Procedures…Hinds Co Mississippi to buy 300 used optical scanners for $350 ea…New Mexico SOS fires whistleblowers…WA SOS office straight talk on military vote…Military & Overseas Voters, Submit your Ballot Request for the Gen Election!. Get big discounts on express delivery of voted ballots back to the US with help of Overseas Vote Foundation & FedEx Express…Hacker attack on Moldova’s digital voter rolls caused electoral confusion…

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

Editor Note: If you have friends in military, or US friends overseas, please pass on this newsletter or the articles about military voting so that they can get their ballot on time. Thanks!

AR: Rural mail changes cause voting problems * (absentee mail ballots)
http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2010/sep/07/rural-mail-changes-cause-voting-problems/
Recent changes to rural residents’ mailing addresses led to a voting fiasco on Election Day when people arriving at the polls complained they never received early voting ballots.
…
County officials became aware of the problem when the recorder’s office started receiving returned ballots. Starting July 1, the post office stopped delivering mail to highway carrier (HC) addresses. Residents must use physical addresses.
…
All told, 1,414 registered voters had highway carrier addresses, and roughly 250 of those voters are on the permanent early ballot list.

During the election, those on the early ballot list had to vote provisionally, and then county officials had to make sure those voters hadn’t already cast ballots.

AZ: Republican Runs Street People on Green Ticket
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/us/politics/07candidates.html?_r=2&ref=republican_party
Arizona’s Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with local, state and federal prosecutors in an effort to have the candidates removed from the ballot, and the Green Party has urged its supporters to steer clear of the rogue candidates.

CA: Alameda County braces for ranked-choice voting
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15980147
Years after voters approved it, ranked-choice voting has come to Alameda County.
Voters in three cities — Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro — will use the new voting method in electing local officials, such as mayor and city council members.

DC: DC LEARNS ABOUT THE WEEK-LONG “ELECTION DAY”
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3296

GA: Lawyers’ Committee Condemns DOJ and Georgia’s Maneuvers to Preclear New Registration Procedures
http://www.lawyerscommittee.org/projects/voting_rights/page?id=0062
These maneuvers by the State and the Justice Department represent a departure from past practice and were apparently undertaken solely to prevent minority citizens of Georgia, as intervenors, from contesting preclearance.

MS: Hinds Hires New Administrator; Debates Voting Machines
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/hinds_hires_
new_administrator_debates_voting_machines_090710/ http://tinyurl.com/2v7lmyq
Supervisors also spent over half an hour discussing a request from the county Election Commission to purchase 300 used voting machines. Election Commissioners Lelia Rhodes and Marilyn Avery urged the board to approve buying the two-year-old machines, at a cost of $350 per machine. New voting machines can cost $3,000 each, Rhodes said. The machines would arrive by Dec.1, after the November congressional elections but in time to be used for the 2011 statewide elections, she added.

The purchase would come out of the $1.722 million remaining in a federal grant for election equipment. Supervisors approved the purchase of scanners for the Election Commission earlier this summer.

The Voting News Daily: NY ballots fine print. 1600 Hawaii ballots missing contest. Internet Voting Pt 3

CTVoter series on Common Sense Election Integrity…Sarasota FL election sup Kathy Dent shrugs of another lawsuit, no wonder since taxpayers foot the bill either way…Putting troops votes at risk: NJ lawmakers have two bills for internet/military voting…NY New Ballot Type Too Small…Paper V Plastic debate heats up in Tenn…Fox anchor accuses WA State of trying to disenfranchise military vote…Lawsuit over electronic voting in Virgin Islands…Verified Voting’s Internet Voting Part 3 is online…

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

CA: Woman says her name was forged on voter cards
http://www.ocregister.com/news/-264906–.html
A political signature gathering firm that’s been accused of wrongdoing in seven states registered dozens of Orange County residents to vote in February under the name of a 69-year-old woman who insists she was in Puerto Rico the entire time.

CO: Election Commission seeking to allow more time for voters
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100903/NEWS/100909954/1077&ParentProfile=1058
Fellow Election Commissioner Bob Leatherman said all processes need to be formalized in Aspen city elections in light of a large number of extensive complaints the commission is reviewing about the May 2009 election…

CT: Common Sense Election Integrity
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/common-sense-election-integrity/

DC: 30 HELP/FIELD TECHNICIANS NEEDED FOR ELECTION DAY! (WASHINGTON, DC)
http://telecommutejoblist.com/30-helpfield-technicians-needed-election-day-washington-dc

FL: SRQ Elections Chief: Lawsuits part of the job
http://legal-ease.blogs.heraldtribune.com/10512/srq-elections-chief-lawsuits-part-of-the-job/?tc=ar “It’s sad that we citizens/ taxpayers don’t have a level playing field. We’re paying to protect our voting rights and candidate rights via this lawsuit that I initiated. Mrs. Dent will be using our taxpayer dollars to defend her actions. We pay for both sides”

Guam: 14% of Ballots Spoiled*
http://www.kuam.com/Global/story.asp?S=13105638
Despite public outreach encouraging voters to stay on one side of the ballot, more than 14% of those voters who came out spoiled their ballot by crossing-over.

HI: New absentee ballots to be sent after misprint (absentee ballots)
http://www.khon2.com/content/news/developingstories/story/New-absentee-ballots-to-be-sent-after-misprint/wLU51S7qkUyLtLqAAcU3Nw.cspx
The original ballot is missing all of the District 25 Senate candidates.
…
The 1,600 voters either live in Portlock or the Kokohead side of Lunalilo Home Road.

MD: Fake Democratic Ballots Circulating in Prince George’s County Maryland
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/fake-ballots-circulating-in-pg-county-090510
(Fake sample ballot)

MD: A silly signature rule stymies Montgomery petitioners
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/05/AR2010090502906.html
For years, this confusing jumble of words was interpreted by the Maryland State Board of Elections loosely but straightforwardly: Print your name and sign…

NJ: Bill: Let military vote via Web (never mind security or secrecy issues)
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20100906/NEWS01/9060326/-1/archive

NM: EDITORIAL: Secret Ballot ‘Cure’ Worse Than Problem
http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=10624937
Herrera wants to add blind eyes to the mix, closing the door to public inspection but opening it to myriad behind-the-scenes post-Election Day shenanigans. A public meeting is scheduled Sept. 15 on her proposed change. New Mexico’s voters should make sure she understands more secrecy doesn’t ensure election accuracy or accountability, much less protect voters.

NV: Online voter registration launched in southern NV
http://www.ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=13092145
Nevada is the 9th state to launch an online voter registration system.

NY: NY Candidate Says New Ballot Type Too Small*
http://www.longislandpress.com/2010/09/07/ny-candidate-says-new-ballot-type-too-small/
The print on ballots in next week’s New York primaries is so small the New York City Board of Elections will have magnifying glasses at polling places.

The Voting News Daily: New York warned of ‘Electoral Chaos’. Sarasota Fl – Recounts belong to the voters

On Sarasota FL: Tom Lyons says “Recounts belong to the voters” and not a tired candidate or election supervisor…New York Warned of ‘Electoral Chaos’ in Transition to Electronic Voting: In the Wednesday hearing..”It seems to me that these new machines are more prone to fraud on a mass scale than a lever machine,”~Chief Judge Dennis Jacobs…Harris County Texas Update on the dueling vote fraud press conferences…

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

CA: Lawsuit over Identity of the Officers of the American Independent Party Moves Ahead http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/02/lawsuit-over-identity-of-the-officers-of-the-american-independent-party-moves-ahead/

CA: Berkeley council race draws three out candidates
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=5040
As San Francisco has seen, the implementation of IRV tends to draw more challengers to a race but has not hurt incumbents. And only rarely does the top vote-getter in the first round lose the election.

CO: Obama, McCain and IRV
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/142290

DC: Glitch affects 7,500 D.C. voters * (voter reg card)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/dc/glitch-affects-7500-dc-voters.html
The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics – grappling with early voting and new machines – announced that 7,529 voters in four precincts were issued registration cards that listed them as living in the wrong ward,

DE: Delaware prison-based gerrymandering bill signed
http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2010/09/01/de_signed/

FL: LYONS: Election recount belongs to voters
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100902/COLUMNIST/9021085&tc=email_newsletter
Of course Dent would rather not have to do a recount. Ever. What supervisor of elections would? It is extra work. There is some chance of an embarrassing result.

And Dent, especially, has long expressed too much confidence in her voting systems, including the virtually uncheckable touch-screen machines that voters made her get rid of because the public did not share her confidence.

GA: Former Twiggs sheriff, son being investigated for voter fraud (absentee)
http://www.macon.com/2010/09/02/1249522/former-sheriff-in-vote-probe.html
A former Twiggs County sheriff and his son, who ran unsuccessfully for that office in 2008, are facing allegations of voter fraud.
Former Sheriff Doyle Stone and his son Greg Stone have been investigated for allegedly interfering with absentee ballots from some of the county’s voters, according to state officials.

GA: Election officials probing vote fraud in 4 counties (absentee)
http://www.atlantaunfiltered.com/2010/09/02/election-officials-probing-vote-fraud-in-4-counties/
A dozen people, including a former sheriff, mishandled scores of absentee ballots cast in elections in four Georgia counties in 2008, state elections officials were told this week.

HI: Ninth Circuit Upholds Disparity in Hawaii Ballot Access Petitions
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/02/ninth-circuit-upholds-disparity-in-hawaii-ballot-access-petitions/ On September 1, the 9th circuit upheld the disparity in Hawaii’s petition requirements for the two different ways to get on the ballot for president. Nader v Cronin, 08-16444. Here is the 9-page decision…

NY: NY Warned of ‘Electoral Chaos’ in Transition to Electronic Voting
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/09/02/30069.htm
MANHATTAN (CN) – In a hearing before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Nassau County Attorney John Ciampoli warned that the transition from lever-pull to electronic voting machines will cause “electoral chaos” in the primaries, and that all it will take to “fix” an election is a flash drive that anyone can buy at Staples. Ciampoli said a person with a flash drive would need “approximately 5 minutes of access” to fix an election.

RI: Judge refuses to ban party-line voting option
http://www.projo.com/news/content/HEALEY_HEARING_09-02-10_BVJONE4_v23.21ce431.html

The Voting News Daily: I-Voting, direct democracy. ‘Hack is Wack’. Sarasota Election Sup faces class action?

Snoop Dogg fights cyber crime, see ‘Hack is Wack’…Dr.Joseph Lorenzo Hall writes about Electronic Voting and Direct Democracy…Class Action Lawsuit Being Filed Against Sarasota Elections Sup Kathy Dent?…Missing ballot ovals confuse Billings Montana voters…New Jersey lawmaker wants military internet voting experiment…18,000 Wisconsin voters could be cut from rolls…Fox News article: Online Voting For Military Serving Overseas…

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

AL: Ex-clerk guilty in voter fraud case* (absentee ballot)
Former Hale County official could spend up to a year in jail
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100839921/1007?Title=Ex-clerk-guilty-in-voter-fraud-case
Before Bryan, Tinker — through her attorney — admitted to falsely certifying the absentee ballots of five voters. The ballots, her attorney said, were notarized by her despite inconsistencies in signatures and spelling.

CA: RivCo and Postal Service near agreement to prevent election snafu (mail ballots)
http://www.swrnn.com/southwest-riverside/2010-08-31/news/rivco-and-postal-service-near-agreement-to-prevent-election-snafu Registrar of Voters Barbara Dunmore and the USPS regional district manager, Dallas Keck, have reached a tentative understanding as to how absentee ballots will be handled in the weeks and days leading up to the Nov. 2 general election, according to Executive Officer Bill Luna.

CA: San Joaquin County looking into absentee-only voting ballot
http://www.lodinews.com/news/article_719096da-59e7-5da5-afa0-09ad0c69c300.html
County officials are exploring the idea of a vote-by-mail-only system because it could save the county considerable money, Registrar of Voters Austin Erdman told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Co: Most counties deny Marks ballot inspection
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/142266 According to a statement released by a group advocating for disclosure of ballots, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Robert Balink supports public disclosure of ballots as a crucial oversight mechanism.

CO: Repeal Instant Runoff Voting (LTE)
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/142277
Richie argues that IRV produces 50 percent-plus winners for city council while the proposed traditional runoff requires only 45 percent support. Look at 2009 reality, not theory: 2,510 voters voted in the council race. Torre won with 1073 votes, or 42.7 percent of the 2,510, while Derek Johnson won with 49 percent.

DC: Voting Card Error Affects 7,500 Voters*
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/voting-101986473.html
The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics announced that a barcode error printed on voter cards affected 7,579 people, the AP reports. Though the voter card is not necessary to vote, the barcode speeds up the voting process.

FL: Class Action Lawsuit Being Filed Against Sarasota Supervisor of Elections?
http://redcounty.com/content/class-action-lawsuit-being-filed-against-sarasota-supervisor-elections (Kathy Dent again)

FL: Return to controversy (Sarasota SoE Kathy Dent)
Recount dispute shows elections are still subject to human error
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100901/OPINION/9011018/2198/OPINION&tc=email_newsletter?p=1&tc=pg
Dent, now in her third term of office, has known her share of controversies. Among them: She once championed touch-screen election machines that later were outlawed. She waged (and won) a legal battle against a voter-approved requirement for manual, post-election audits. In 2008, her office failed to quickly notify candidates whose names inadvertently had been left off several dozen absentee ballots.

GA: State election board sends Temple voter case to AG
http://www.times-georgian.com/view/full_story/9339940/article-State-election-board-sends-Temple-voter-case-to-AG?instance=TG_home_story_offset

IL: Preparing The Ballot This Year
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/08/31/preparing-the-ballot-this-year/
Champaign County Clerk…A few things have changed in the election law that are making the job of preparing ballots a little easier. At the same time, the number of referenda on the ballot is adding some complications.