The Voting News Daily: Wikileaks, Estonia’s internet election and ‘Lessons Learned’. Editor’s Note

Maryland Report – Scanners Cost Less than DREs..EAC has $2,000,000 in grants for voting system pre-election logic & accuracy testing & post-election audits…Wikileak describes actual attacks on a Estonia’s first internet election in “SUBJECT: ESTONIA’S CYBER ATTACKS: LESSONS LEARNED”…Yesterday we ran a news article saying that US voting machine expert Alec Halderman was deported upon arrival in India. We have learned since that the article was wrong and Prof Halderman was not deported. We do not have a link yet.

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

EDITORS NOTE: This is my last voting news. Sean Flaherty of www.VerifiedVoting.org will be editing the very next edition. I’m happy because because 1) Verified Voting has the resources and brain trust of experts to provide high quality news that you need, with ability to answer technical questions as well; and 2) I will now be free to go back to work on voting issues in my own state. You will be notified in advance if delivery of the Voting News changes.

Thanks again to all of you for your support. Thanks to Sean & Verified Voting for taking over! I am excited to have more free time to write & research issues in my state and nationally. It will be fun to just read the news instead of editing it. Remember, transparency is the oxygen of democracy. Sincerely, Joyce McCloy, editor.

Wikileak: Viewing cable 07TALLINN375, ESTONIA’S CYBER ATTACKS: LESSONS LEARNED http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2007/06/07TALLINN375.html
… ¶5. (C) E-VOTING. In March 2007, Estonia held the world’s first national election where e-voting was used. From the outset of the crisis, the e-voting security team was immediately seconded to CERT and became a vital asset in responding to the attacks.
…
These experts were invaluable in addressing the wide variety of attacks (e.g., bots, spam, DDoS, Trojan Horses, etc.).

AK: Miller appeals ruling on write-in vote count
http://www.adn.com/2010/12/13/1601927/miller-faces-deadline-today-to.html
Miller filed his appeal Monday, three days after a lower court ruled against his lawsuit challenging how the state counted write-in ballots for his rival, Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Arguments are set for Friday.

CA: San Leandro to look at future of ranked-choice voting
http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_16831489

CT: Analysis of What Happens When Elections Officials Print Too Few Ballots
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/12/13/analysis-of-what-happens-when-elections-officials-print-too-few-ballots/

MD: Maryland Report – Scanners Cost Less than DREs
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2010/12/13/1299 The report recommends that the State should move to implement optical scan systems for “long-term cost-effectiveness and cost control.” and that “Maryland would spend $9.5 million less on an optical scan system than it would on a DRE system

NC: Not best way to boost confidence in elections
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/12/13/1906884/not-best-way-to-boost-confidence.html Instant Runoff Voting was alot faster than the counting.

TX: Straight-party voting bad for democracy, backers of ban say
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/DN-straightticket_13met.ART.State.Edition2.436136c.html

VA: Absentee Ballots’ Suit Comes to an End
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=13660375
Virginia election officials have agreed to take steps to make sure military members and Americans living overseas get a chance to cast absentee ballots

National

Voter ID a Misguided Effort
http://www.brennancenter.org/blog/archives/voter_id_misguided/

PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO RELEASES REPORT ON IMPACT OF CITIZENS UNITED IN 2010 ELECTIONS http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/news/2010-12-10/public-advocate-de-blasio-releases-report-impact-citizens-united-2010-elections

Verified Voting Blog: Maryland Report – Scanners Cost Less than DREs

A new study commissioned by the state of Maryland has just taken a close look at the relative cost of optical-scan paper-ballot voting systems compared with electronic touch-screen systems, and found that optical-scan paper-ballot systems are less expensive . These findings are timely and important not only for Maryland, but for other states as well. With Maryland's direct-recording electronic voting machines (DREs) approaching the end of their useful lifespan, the report by the Department of Legislative Services notes that using the systems becomes increasingly risky as the machines age. The report recommends that the State should move to implement optical scan systems for "long-term cost-effectiveness and cost control." and that "Maryland would spend $9.5 million less on an optical scan system than it would on a DRE system. Both [Operations and Maintenance]and capital costs are expected to be lower over the long term under an optical scan system."

Using current costs of service contracts and cost proposals submitted to the State, the study concludes that "Overall, the cost of continuing to use the state’s current voting system will be higher than transitioning to an optical scanning system." The study compared price quotes submitted to Maryland with five other states and ascertained that "the proposed purchase of the optical scan devices and related equipment appears to be in line with what other jurisdictions have paid for identical equipment. In all cases where direct comparisons can be made of ES&S pricing on software and hardware from past contracts, the price quotes in the Maryland response are comparable or better."