Yearly Archives: 2010

The Voting News Daily: Touchscreen vote flips ‘a known class of problems..’ New Dan Rather e-vote report

‘Dan Rather Reports’ new investigative report on E-Voting Tues Oct. 26th @ 8pm…Tech-Savvy College Students wanted as Poll Workers..Early voting by itself depresses the vote?…Texas E-Voting Suit Reveals Frailties of the Ballot Box..CNN asks Does Your Vote Count?.. Vote flipping: “This is a known class of problems with touch screen voting machines.” ~ Alex Halderman, computer scientist @ U. of Michigan…

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

Find us on internet at http://votingnews.blogspot.com

CA: Bowen defends cautious approach to elections technology*
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/25/3128929/bowen-defends-cautious-approach.html
Bowen also warns against jumping headfirst into online or mobile voter registration without certainty that signatures sent electronically could be verified against handwritten signatures on initiative petitions or vote-by-mail ballots.

CO: Daily News endorsements: Do away with IRV
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/columnist/143275

DC: Adrian Fenty Volunteers Are Handing Out Rubber Stamps to Facilitate Write-in Votes http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/10/25/adrian-fenty-volunteers-are-handing-out-rubber-stamps-to-facilitate-write-in-votes/

FL: Sarasota Democratic chair calls early vote glitch ‘voter suppression’ (Sarasota)
http://floridaindependent.com/11485/sarasota-democratic-chair-calls-early-vote-glitch-voter-suppression …Ferrandino can’t say how many at the rally actually attempted to vote, but says that “mysteriously, the computers went down right when the voters went in.”

FL: Machine glitch delays early voting after Meek rally (Sarasota)
http://floridaindependent.com/11442/machine-glitch-delays-early-voting-after-kendrick-meek-rally Dent says the library lost “connectivity” with her office, meaning poll workers couldn’t look up voters’ information to provide them with their correct precinct ballots…Dent says, adding that as far as she knows, “everybody was able to vote” by 4:50 p.m., 40 minutes after the original failure.

IL: Green Party to discuss botched ballots at Monday event
www.detnews.com/article/20101024/POLITICS02/10240320/1409/METRO08
Detroit – The Green Party plans to take advantage Monday of a mistake that left off the November ballot two of its candidates for Wayne County Commission.
…
The county notified local and state officials of the error and new ballots are to be printed and mailed to every absentee voter in the 5th and 6th districts, including those who already mailed in their completed ballots. If a new ballot isn’t returned, clerks will count the first ballot, said West, who wasn’t certain how much the new printing and mailing will cost.

IL: Cook County Clerk: Voter Fraud Fears ‘Totally Blown Out Of Whack’
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/cook_county_clerk_voter_
fraud_fears_totally_blown.php http://tinyurl.com/33p4ybm

IL: Illinois GOP seeks to block DOJ consent decree
http://electionlawcenter.com/2010/10/22/illinois-gop-seeks-to-block-doj-consent-decree.aspx?ref=rss They want more than a one day extension of the deadline in Illinois.

IN: Randolph County to be reimbursed for first electronic voting machines
http://www.winchesternewsgazette.com/articles/2010/10/25/news/doc4c
c5a4bd584e4826819484.txt http://tinyurl.com/3y7fyse
Randolph is one of four Indiana counties to purchase electronic voting machines from Voting Technologies International (VTI) which closed its doors in 2007, leaving its customers without software updates or technical guidance.(Also Boone, Cass & Parke)

MA: Report faults voter registration system
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1273025804/Report-faults-voter-registration-system More than 2 million eligible voters will stay home next Tuesday, with some skipping the election because voter registration is inconvenient and outdated, according to a MassVOTE report disputed by the state’s top elections official

NC: Voting Machine Demonstration For Skeptical Voters
http://www.wcti12.com/news/25508020/detail.html
Republican Party Chairman Chuck Tyson says he would like to see the county go back to paper ballots for early voting. Democrat Party Chairman Rachel Parnell believes the problems have been solved and sees no problem with the machines.

The Voting News Daily: Touchscreens in 2 NC Counties flip votes from GOP to DEM. 866-OUR-VOTE

Chuck Tyson, chair of Craven Cnty NC GOP about touchscreen machines: “They never work, they’re late reporting, they screw up, they ain’t worth a damn and we ought to go back to paper ballots,” ….Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE to get help & report problems…Security Fears Mount as E-Voting Comes of Age: “I think these systems can be compromised,” says Pam Smith, Pres of Verified Voting. “It might not happen this year, it might be in a close presidential election.” Voters in Philippines told not to use crayons on ballots..

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

Note from the editor: Does the Voting News help you? The Voting News is a labor of love, but takes a lot of time to compile each day. You can help keep the Voting News keep going by making a tax deductible donation either online or by check. See this link: http://tinyurl.com/donate-vn If you are unable to donate, please help by sharing Voting News with a friend. Thanks!

AZ: Rumors about voter fraud by Raul Grijalva? FALSE!
http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/2010/10/24/rumors-about-voter-fraud-by-raul-grijalva-false/
The County Recorder’s office has to verify every voter first of all, and if the person is not a real person, then they don’t get their voter ID. They found 65% are not valid, and those people don’t get to vote, and thus no fraud has been committed.

A more accurate question would be is “is voter REGISTRATION fraud taking place.”

CT: Post-Election Audit Report: Incremental Improvement – New Integrity Concern
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/aug-10-post-election-audit-report-incremental-improvement-new-integrity-concern/ Citizen observation and analysis shows some improvements along with a newly uncovered problem with the random selection process…We conclude that August post-election audits still do not inspire confidence..

IL: You Can Still Register to Vote in Illinois Through Tuesday, October 26
http://www.enewspf.com/index.php/latest-news/latest-local/19433-you-can-still-register-to-vote-in-illinois

NC: Problems at the ballot box
http://www.newbernsj.com/articles/today-91666-ballot-box.html
The voting result in Craven County will now forever be in doubt because of this.

NC: [UPDATED] Touch-Screens in Two NC Counties Flip Straight-Party Votes Repeatedly from GOP to Dem http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8143
County GOP Chair: The ES&S machines ‘ain’t worth a damn, we ought to go back to paper ballots’. One voter says: ‘I pressed confirm and screen went totally black’..

NC: Voter reports problem with ballot machine*
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2010/10/23/5087612.htm Sun Journal — A Craven County voter says he had a near miss at the polls on Thursday when an electronic voting machine completed his straight-party ticket for the opposite of what he intended

Sam Laughinghouse of New Bern said he pushed the button to vote Republican in all races, but the voting machine screen displayed a ballot with all Democrats checked. He cleared the screen and tried again with the same result, he said.
Then he asked for and received help from election staff.

“They pushed it twice and the same thing happened,” Laughinghouse said. “That was four times in a row. The fifth time they pushed it and the Republicans came up and I voted.”
…
Tyson reported other problems as well, including long lines waiting for just two voting machines in Havelock, and machines reporting 250 ballots cast where 400 voters had signed in to vote.

The Voting News Daily: Touchscreens flip votes in N.Carolina, Texas. NY City flubs ballot instructions

Voting absentee by mail? Check postage!..Riverside CO CA starts 24 hour work days processing absentee ballots for Nov 2 election…Touchscreen voting flipping in Craven County NC, also in Dallas and Collin County TX..New York City’s Nov 2 ballots instructions may disenfranchise voters…Beware hinky vote by mail applications sent out in NY …Open Source Non profit group Trust the Vote comments on the DC internet voting hack in “D.C. Reality Check – The Opportunities and Challenges of Transparency”..

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

AK: Democrats threaten to sue state over write-in lists
http://www.ktuu.com/news/ktuu-2010elect-democrat-write-in-lawsuit-threat-102110,0,1747796.story ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska Democratic Party says it may go to court if the state Division of Elections continues to provide the names of write-in candidates to voters at polling places.

CA: RivCo Registrar of Voters office to start 24-hour operations on Friday
http://www.swrnn.com/southwest-riverside/2010-10-21/news/rivco-registrar-of-voters-office-to-start-24-hour-operations-on-friday Registrar of Voters Barbara Dunmore has predicted about half of the votes cast will be done by mail.

Beginning tomorrow, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters’ Office will go into 24-hour mode to start processing absentee ballots cast in the Nov. 2 general election.

CA: Misinformation from Registrar Could Disenfranchise Voters in San Diego
http://www.projectvote.org/blog/?p=1010 Until this week, the San Diego County Registrar of Voters wrongfully denied the federal voter registration form that thousands of San Diegans completed after downloading it from the California Secretary of State Web site, including CityBeat reporter and voter hopeful, Dave Maass, who contacted Project Vote director of advocacy, Estelle Rogers, after his voter application was rejected, twice.

CA: Ballot mishap*
http://www.martinezgazette.com/news/story/i1586/2010/10/21/ballot-mishap
Two Martinez voters residing on Augustine Drive alerted the Contra Costa County Elections Division this week that they received their permanent vote-by-mail ballots as usual. However, the ballots listed Walnut Creek races instead of Martinez.

CO: Larimer County clerk reveals ballot processing center’s inner workings
http://www.reporterherald.com/news_story.asp?id=29875

CO: Mail-in ballots will be delivered despite postage confusion
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20101022/NEWS03/10220345
When Larimer County voters take their ballots to the post office for mailing, they’ll be charged 44 cents. Or 61 cents.
…
“We took our ballot package and went to the Old Town Post Office, and it was 61 cents. When we went to Boardwalk, it was 44 cents,” said Doyle, who expressed frustration about the situation.

FL: Hanging Chads II: Is Palm Beach Worthy of Suspicion or Just Incompetent?
Glitch-plagued county last in state to report returned absentee ballots
http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/hanging-chads-ii-palm-beach-stalls-absentee-ballots …The reports show Bucher’s office has accounted for just 14.55 percent of the domestic absentee ballots and only 10.48 percent of the military/overseas and non-Florida ballots.

That compares to a statewide average of 33.56 percent and 29.21 percent.

GA: State of Georgia Successfully Increasing Voting Opportunities for Military and Overseas Voters http://www.theweekly.com/news/2010/October/21/Overseas_Voters.html

IL: Justice Department agreement with Illinois officials extends time to count military ballots http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/10/justice_department_agreement_w.html

IL: Oddities With Illinois Elections
http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/4357/oddities-with-illinois-elections/
SPRINGFIELD – Hidden within the seriousness of the election time period are some unique tidbits for Illinois voters to ruminate over.

MN: 5 charged in Clay County with felony voter fraud say they didn’t know they couldn’t vote http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/295798/

The Voting News Daily: Internet Voting – A Real Possibility? iPhone App for reporting voter fraud

Where’s My Ballot? There’s Still Time for Overseas Voters in 2010…Report Voter Fraud: There’s an App for that…Comprehensive Map of US Voting Equipment Released…Routt County Colorado must copy mailed ballots after error..There’s an iPhone app to report voter fraud, how about one to report voting machine failures or voter disenfranchisement?…Internet Voting — A Real Possibility? Podcast with Jeremy Epstein, Senior Computer Scientist…

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

AZ: U.S. District Court in Arizona Grants Injunctive Relief, Lets Voter Wear a Tea Party T-Shirt http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/10/21/u-s-district-court-in-arizona-grants-injunctive-relief-lets-voter-wear-a-tea-party-t-shirt/

CO: Ballots Disqualified After Voting System Glitch*
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/25464786/detail.html
Thousands Affected During Early Voting In Routt County
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — An encryption error resulted in thousands of ballots in Routt County to be null and void during the early voting period for November’s general election.
Kay Weinland, Routt County Clerk and Recorder, said her department has fixed the problem but as a result, 5,772 ballots that were mailed out to voters are no longer good.
“We have 3 ECM keys, which are the encryption code keys,” she said. “We broke one of them. While we were working on fixing that, we then discovered the other two had basically been corrupted.”

Weinland said that the voting system itself was not damaged, and there wasn’t a problem with the ballots mailed out. However the computer glitch caused the Clerk and Recorder office to lose its voting database.
The problem was spotted in the middle of last week.

The office worked on remedying the problem before coming to the conclusion that the early ballots were no longer good.
“Because we had to re-create the database,” Weinland said. “The system will not recognize the ballots we initially scanned.”

CO: Routt County must copy mailed ballots after error*
http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2010/oct/20/error-causes-security-issue-mail-ballots/?breaking Steamboat Springs — A coding error in the Routt County Clerk and Recorder’s Office means the 5,773 ballots mailed to voters before Tuesday will not be recognized by election databases and will have to be replicated by election judges who will work in teams of four under video camera surveillance.
…
The 5,773 ballots mailed to all voters who had requested mail-in ballots no longer will be recognized by the election database.

Every completed ballot already mailed back to the county — about 500, Weinland said — will be counted for the election. But they will be copied onto a new ballot first.

CO: Marks appeals court ruling in Aspen election suit
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20101021/NEWS/101029964/1077&ParentProfile=1058
DENVER — Local elections activist Marilyn Marks sent her lawsuit against the city of Aspen over its refusal to release ballot images from the May 2009 election to the Colorado Court of Appeals, just short of Tuesday night’s deadline.

CO: Fight for election transparency
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/143182
Secretary of State Buescher, the current Democratic SoS candidate, and the state’s top election official, has recently issued opinions to attempt prevent such public and press efforts, proclaiming, as Aspen city officials do, that our region’s voted ballots are “secrets” to be known only by local government officials and hand-picked Republican and Democrat election judges.

The Voting News Daily: “Halderman’s Hackers”: How safe, online voting? Vote by mail – 1 in 5 ballots ‘lost’

“Halderman’s Hackers”: How Safe is Online Voting?..Consider the hidden costs to voting by mail. A study of 2008 election shows a “lost rate” of 20% for vote by mail ballots…Small Improvements & New Problem in Connecticut Post-Election Audits..Travis County officials OK change to paper ballot after 2012..WA State Under Fire for Emailed Overseas Ballots..Afghanistan rules 1.3m parliamentary votes invalid..Security of India’s electronic voting machines is questioned..

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

Like voting news? We’re on the net at http://votingnews.blogspot.com

CA: Ranked-choice voting may delay results
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16380203?nclick_check=1
Macdonald said his office will release regular vote tally numbers starting late Tuesday night in all races, like it always does, but will not run the first ranked-choice voting algorithm until Friday — when most of the votes should be in and counted…

CO: Judge won’t reinstate 6,000 purged voters(voters would get provisional ballot)
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16382570 When a new voter registers in Colorado, the secretary of state mails a nonforwardable notice of disposition that the voter’s registration has been received. If the notice comes back undeliverable in the mail, then clerks deem the voter’s registration inactive within 20 days.
…
James Finberg, an attorney representing voting and labor groups, said voters are harmed because sometimes the voter cards are returned through no fault of their own.

CO: IRV: Thanks, but no thanks (LTE)
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/143158

CT: Coalition Finds Small Improvements and New Problem in
Connecticut Post-Election Audits
http://ctelectionaudit.org/aug-10-election-observation-report-incremental-improvement-new-integrity-issue/ Citizen observation and analysis shows some improvements along with a newly uncovered problem with the random selection process

NC: Voters, candidates continue talk of voting problems*
http://www.wwaytv3.com/voters_candidates_continue_talk_voting_problems/10/2010
Some New Hanover County voters have complained about voting machines not registering their votes correctly. One voter, who did not want to go on camera, told us he raised his hand for help, but it never came.

NC: Editorial: One seat, three votes
http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/10/20/article/one_seat_three_votes
In better circumstances, the special election for a seat on the N.C. Court of Appeals wouldn’t be happening. Bad timing and an unwise provision in the state constitution put it on the ballot.

NM: New Mexico Pay to Play: Ending the Corruption? (passed House but not Senate)
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2010/10/20/new-mexico-pay-to-play-ending-the-corruption/
The text of NM House Bill 118 widely prohibits lobbyists and government contractors from donating to a political candidate or any political committee. It also prohibits “seekers of targeted subsidies” from political donations.

NY: Missing deadline for military mail, election boards hope for the best
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/niagara-county/article224177.ece
“New York State should have an earlier primary. We don’t have a heck of a lot of time between certifying our primary elections to the state Board of Elections, given the variables of contested primaries and vote recounts,”

TX: Travis County Commissioners OK change to paper ballot after 2012
http://impactnews.com/northwest-austin/256-recent-news/10224-travis-county-commissioners-ok-change-to-paper-ballot-after-2012
Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir told the court she believes the system is secure, but said the county is looking to purchase a paper ballot system as soon as possible.

TX: All eyes on Houston, Pt. 2: Lawsuits, fraud & huge ballot challenge elections
http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-houston/all-eyes-on-houston-pt-2-lawsuits-fraud-huge-ballot-challenge-elections

TX: DOJ Probes TX Voter Intimidation Complaints During Tea Party Anti-Voter Fraud Drive (video)*
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/the_texas_democratic_party_expanded.php

The Voting News Daily: Can Internet Voting withstand public test? Can S. Carolina ‘count on machines?’

DC allowed a public test of their internet voting system and shut it down after computer scientists took over the system. Other states that allow email or internet balloting for overseas voters should see if their systems can withstand a public test too..Sarasota FL’s controversial Election Sup Kathy Dent may not run again…India e-voting researcher Hari Prasad is 1 of the winners of 2010 EFF Pioneer award…Afghanistan tosses out thousands of votes..866-OUR-VOTE wants volunteers…

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

*Editor’s correction. I mis-spelled Illinois Green Party Gubernatorial Candidate’s name in Sunday’s voting news. Unfortunately I can’t blame the voting vendor. The correct spelling is Rich WhitNey, not Whitley.

AL: Official: 71 voters received ‘bad’ ballots
http://www.sandmountainreporter.com/news/local/article_f7864c5e-daf7-11df-bd53-001cc4c03286.html Mistakes on absentee ballots may cause citizens to cast the wrong vote…On Oct. 9, a letter was sent to the 71 voters explaining the mistake along with a new, corrected ballot. Those voters are asked to fill out the entire “good” ballot and return both the “bad” and the “good” ballots.

AR: Voting Machines Cause Problems In Benton County*
http://www.4029tv.com/news/25435089/detail.html
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Those who vote early will likely come across electronic voting machines, but those machines were the source a major problem that could have seriously affected the election schedule in Benton County.
They all need a device called a PEB, or a personal electronic ballot in order to work correctly. They’re used to test voting machines before Election Day to make sure there aren’t any errors with their programming.
But just a few days ago, Benton County officials realized those PEBs hadn’t come in the mail yet, and they might not be ready for early voting, which started on Monday.

CA: Fresno Co. candidate levels voting rights charges
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/10/18/2123218/sterling-levels-voting-rights.html
Fresno County cuts polling sites in half
..
The county is reducing the number of precincts from 405 in June to 205 next month because of budget cuts,

CO: Black-box issue sheds light
http://www.aspentimes.com/ARTICLE/20101016/LETTER/101019869/

CT: Vote With a Click?
Candidates for Secretary of the State say they want to make voting easier, perhaps online. http://westport.patch.com/articles/vote-with-a-click-2
“Because elections must be free of the possibility of fraud, every method of voting must have a “paper trail”, where, even if initially tabulated by a computer, there is still an actual paper ballot to examine if there is a question of fraud,” Farrell said in the Patch Voter Guide.

DC: Flaws in D.C.’s online voting system should serve as a warning to all states*
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/18/AR2010101804529.html
Verified Voting, a nonprofit that works to ensure reliable elections, called the District’s experiment “a visceral demonstration of just how serious the threats really are.” (cross posted in Internet Voting Watch)

FL: Elections supervisor Kathy Dent may not run again
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101018/COLUMNIST/10181032/2055/NEWS?Title=Elections-supervisor-Kathy-Dent-may-not-run-again#
Dent has had a challenging fall. She was criticized for allegedly influencing a county charter review board candidate to not seek a recount in an August primary that was decided by just 151 votes. The candidate, Kathy Bolam, has since sued Dent.

Then weeks later Dent drew the ire of Democrats and some Republican candidates for unexpectedly moving up the day to send out absentee ballots to voters with little notice to candidates.

The Voting News Daily: ‘Whiteygate” and blackbox voting. New Hanover NC vote flipping ‘no conspiracy’

Chicago official blames vendor Dominion for misspelling Rich Whitney’s name as “Rich Whitey” on IL gubernatorial ballot. Whitley asks: “Why is something as vital to our society as the integrity of the vote being left to a private, for-profit contractor?”..New Hanover NC BoE Chief says ‘no conspiracy’ causing touchscreens to flip votes. Yet voters were disenfranchised. This would not happen with paper ballots, optically scanned…MORE vote buying in KY…Lawsuit against EVMs in India..Peru to adopt electronic voting…

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

Like voting news? Visit us on the net at http://votingnews.blogspot.com
and be sure to tell your friends.

CO: We need your help!
http://coloradovotergroup.blogspot.com/2010/10/we-need-your-help.html The Colorado Attorney General’s office has issued an opinion (October 15th email below) that, if left unchallenged, would essentially shut down independent oversight of elections.

FL: Broward man forms 340 PACs, 40 political parties — and is running for governor
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-10-04/news/fl-josue-larose-election-20101004_1_political-parties-republican-ken-pruitt-josue-larose

Guam: Major election changes needed (argues FOR electronic voting)
http://www.guampdn.com/article/20101017/OPINION02/10170318/1014/OPINION/Major-election-changes-needed Electronic voting machines prevent party crossovers and voting for more than 15 senators, because the machines will not permit the voter to do so. Blind voters, who could vote using an audio feature, no longer can vote alone and require someone to assist them in marking their ballots.

IL: ‘Whiteygate” Reveals Serious Problems With Black-Box Voting Machines
Statement by Rich Whitney, Green Party Candidate for Governor
http://www.whitneyforgov.org/%E2%80%98whiteygate%E2%80%9D-reveals-serious-problems-with-black-box-voting-machines
On October 12, we learned from an early voter in Chicago that there was a problem with the early voting machines. He cast his ballot for me, Rich Whitney, Green Party candidate for Governor. My name was spelled correctly on the first screen, but when it went to the “review screen,” my name appeared as “Rich Whitey,” with the letter “n” missing. At the review screen, any voter who was confused or troubled by the thought of voting for “Rich Whitey,” then had an option to change his/her vote.
…
Mr. Neal attributed the error to a Toronto-based private contractor known as Dominion Voting, probably the largest single provider of electronic voting machines in the nation.

IL: Correction: Illinois Ballot Mistake story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/15/AR2010101507013.html
CHICAGO — In a story Oct. 15 about a mistake in Chicago’s electronic voting machines, The Associated Press erroneously reported the way a gubernatorial candidate’s name appears on a ballot review touch-screen. The screen lists the candidate as “R. Whitey,” not “Rich Whitey” as the AP reported

IL: Batavia Cares coordinator upset over ballot mishap*
http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/2010/10/15/75351233/index.xml
The fact that 21 counties in Illinois – including Kane – missed the deadline to mail out military and overseas ballots bothers the leader of a Batavia organization that offers support to U.S. military members.
…
Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham said Thursday that the ballots were mailed two days late because of a snag that occurred when county board member John Fahy, R-West Dundee, withdrew from the ballot.

Cunningham said if the office had sent out the ballots on time, he would have had to re-mail them later at an additional cost, and said the re-mailing would have gone out Sept.

The Voting News Daily: N Carolina Touchscreens flip votes. Will internet voting cause election debacle?

Chicago’s voting machines mis-spelled Green Pty candidate’s name as ‘Rich Whitey’. The election board is reprogramming 4,200 machines…Stunned voters watched touchscreens flip their votes in New Hanover CO NC..Vote PA needs your help in fight for paper ballots….”Overseas and military voters have unprecedented options for requesting, receiving and casting their ballots in 2010.” says Pres of Overseas Vote Foundation…Is it possible commit election fraud even without being in a voting booth? (Yes)…Will Online Voting Turn Into an Election Day Debacle?…

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

CA: “Am I registered to vote?” Find out from your county. Oct. 18 is the voter registration deadline! http://kimalex.blogspot.com/2010/10/am-i-registered-to-vote-find-out-from.html

CA: Fraudulent voter registration switches rise in Sacramento*
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/15/3105831/fraudulent-voter-registration.html
Throughout the county, voters who signed petitions on the street – pledging their support to some cause – have had their party affiliation switched with fraudulent voter registration filings.

CA: Ranked Choice Voting: How does it work? (Alameda County)
http://www.oaklandseen.com/2010/10/14/ranked-choice-voting-how-does-it-work/

CA: Lick Those Stamps, Alameda County Voters
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/politics/Lick-Those-Stamps-Alameda-Co-Voters–104899984.html An estimated 78 cents in postage is needed to return the multiple ballot cards from local, state and federal races and measures, according to the county’s registrar of voters.

CA: Election Day help is a click away
http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_16340135
Election officials remind voters that Monday is the final day to register to vote in the general election. Download a registration form online at www.sos.ca.gov/nvrc/fedform , print and sign it. Voters may also contact their county election offices.
Voters who are not enrolled in the permanent vote-by-mail program have until Oct. 26 to request a vote-by-mail ballot. Obtain a form at your county election office or go to www.sos.ca.gov/elections/vote-by-mail/pdf/fill-in-vote-by-mail-app-instruct.pdf

CT: Connecticut follows MOVE Act, avoids flaws – Others follow the money
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/connecticut-follows-move-act-avoids-flaws-others-follow-the-money/ . But there is big money and momentum behind efforts in other states to exploit flaws in the act.
…
Hopefully, Internet Voting Will be banned before it costs an election. The recent Washington D.C. public test clearly demonstrated that the years of warnings by computer scientists, security experts, and advocates were fully justified

CT: Connecticut Election Commission Finds ‘Insufficient Evidence’ in Ann Coulter Voter Fraud Case But Ignored Key Evidence, Erred in Investigation
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8124 State Elections Enforcement Commission determines it ‘cannot make full and fair determination’, but failed to look at documented facts and even Coulter’s own admissions…

FL: Absentee ballots had wrong addresses* (Seminole County)
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/seminole_news/101410absentee-ballots-had-wrong-addresses In a batch of 300 or so, Ertel found six with wrong addresses, due to a computer glitch in Tallahassee.

“To make sure those six didn’t go out to the wrong locations, we stopped the entire process, so we could make sure all the ballots would go to the right address,” says Ertel. “What we have found is that all the supervisors of elections throughout the state have done pretty much the same thing.”

FL: Computer glitch in Tallahassee could delay distribution of some
absentee ballots *
http://www.theorbitgroup.com/12749/computer-glitch-in-tallahassee-could-delay-distribution-of-some-absentee-ballots/ TALLAHASSEE — If you changed your mailing address recently and just requested an absentee ballot, there’s a small chance you might not get it quickly because of a glitch in the state’s voter database.

The Voting News Daily: Internet voting a national security question. Unredacted AVC Edge report

Computer scientist Dan Wallach News8 Austin TV: “Texas Supreme Court to weigh in on e-voting”…..Computer Scientists, Election Integrity Advocates Question Feasibility of “Digital Democracy”:”If I’m going to steal an election, I probably won’t mess with these little pilots…”I’m going to wait until there’s this groundswell for Internet voting.” ~ Dr. Barbara Simons….Court permits release of unredacted report on AVC Advantage..

All this and more in todays voting news below…

Like Voting News? Please tell a friend. We’re at http://votingnews.blogspot.com
Thanks!

CO: Commissioners defend polling places
http://www.gazette.com/articles/places-106246-polling-monday.html
El Paso County officials on Tuesday defended their designation of polling places for the August primary and November general election, following Monday’s criticism from a coalition of First Amendment rights advocates who object to the number of local churches being used.

DC: DC Passes National Popular Vote Law
http://nonprofitvote.blogspot.com/2010/10/dc-passes-national-popular-vote-law.html

FL: Glitch in state database delays mailing of absentee ballots
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/oct/13/glitch-in-state-database-delays-mailing-of/
People who recently requested absentee ballots for the general election may have to wait an extra day or two before they can fill in their votes.

More than 1,000 absentee ballots requested by Treasure Coast residents were put on hold because of a glitch that shut down the state’s voter database Monday and early Tuesday.

IL: Kirk Campaign Voter Integrity Drive Targets Key Black Districts
http://gapersblock.com/mechanics/2010/10/12/kirk-campaign-voter-integrity-drive-targets-key-black-districts/

KY: More Ky. Counties Switching to Digital Scan Voting
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/More_Ky_Counties_Switching_to_
Digital_Scan_Voting_104844059.html http://tinyurl.com/2bwdeo9 The Nov. 2 general election will mark the first time voters in 45 Kentucky counties use a new digital scan voting system

LA: Simmons calls for recount of election results for School Board
http://www.beauregarddailynews.net/topstories/x710522369/Simmons-calls-for-recount-of-election-results-for-School-Board

MD: Maryland Pioneers Faster Way to Vote Absentee
Ballots now as close as your computer
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/MD-Pioneers-Easter-Faster-Way-to-Vote-Absentee–104580499.html Maryland is becoming the first state in the nation to make absentee ballots available online.

NC: Instant runoff to be used for first time this election
http://charlotte.news14.com/content/top_stories/631364/instant-runoff-to-be-used-for-first-time-this-election (With video) “It is instant for the voters, but it is not instant for the election officials that have to count it,” says Bartlett.

This sounds confusing, and Bartlett admits it might be. Political analysts say they are watching to see how it works.

NC: More on Instant Runoff Voting
http://www.news-record.com/blog/54431/entry/100902
I quoted Greensboro attorney Marshall Hurley: “I call myself an election lawyer and I had to struggle grasping it and explaining it to other people.”

NJ: New Jersey Court Releases Unredacted Voting Machine Analysis, Finds No Trade Secrets Threatened http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6787

NM: Herrera’s troubles give GOP rare shot at office2010 ELECTION: Secretary of state job held by Democrats for 80 years http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/2010-election-Herrera-s-troubles-give-GOP-rare-shot-at-office Since early this year, incumbent Mary Herrera has faced a growing number of complaints — from her own staff as well as some county clerks across New Mexico — and has had to endure a barrage of bad publicity, including reports of possible criminal investigations.

NM: Overseas ballots will get four-day extension
http://newmexicoindependent.com/65031/overseas-ballots-will-get-four-day-extension
Ballots sent to uniformed New Mexicans and other state residents living overseas will get an extra four days to reach New Mexico to be counted.

NV: Nevada Secretary of State Acted Swiftly in Overseas Ballot SNAFU *
http://www.nationalreview.com/battle10/249518/nevada-secretary-state-acted-swiftly-overseas-ballot-snafu-elizabeth-crum

The Voting News Daily: Internet Voting, totally owned. TX Court hears evoting lawsuit

New: radio interview with Dr. David Jefferson, Livermore Natl Laboratories, computer scientist and cyber security expert and VerifiedVoting.org’s Internet Voting expert with NEW UNREPORTED BOMBSHELLS on breath-taking D.C. Internet Vote Hack. Iranian, Chinese Computers tried to hack D.C. Board of Elections…NY BOE survey finds thousands of voters have ‘major issues’ with new machines…Paper Trail for E-Voting Machines Goes Before TX Supreme Court…

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

Find voting news on the internet at http://votingnews.blogspot.com

CA: Candidates exploit ranked-choice endorsements
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/11/BA2M1FQEAC.DTL

CA: Voters again having trouble sealing absentee ballot envelopes
http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/politicsanyone/62032
Voters are, again, improperly sealing their absentee ballot envelopes and it’s causing problems at the Kern County elections division, Chief Deputy Registrar Karen Rhea said.

FL: Wrong Absentee Ballots Sent To Voters*
http://www.wftv.com/countybycounty/25361496/detail.html
SANFORD, Fla. — The Seminole County Supervisor of Elections admitted Monday that his office made a mistake, sending the wrong absentee ballots to an entire district of Sanford voters.
“It’s only 89 voters, but for those 89 voters it’s, you know, it’s the most important ballot they’re going to get for this year, so we need to make sure that they get it right,” said Michael Ertel, the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections.

Guam: GEC prepares for day in federal court
http://www.kuam.com/Global/story.asp?S=13305521 The agency as we reported violated federal law when it didn’t send absentee ballots to uniformed and overseas voters 45 days prior to the election. As a result the U.S. Department of Justice took GEC to court.

IL: Email No Panacea for Our Military
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/10/12/email-no-panacea-for-our-military/
For military voters, we emailed 42 ballots and just a single one has been returned. A rate of 2.4%. On the other hand, we have mailed 204 ballots, and already 33 have been returned. A rate of 16.2%.

Now other factors certainly enter into this. Many of these military ballots are sent within the country. The final determination of the effectiveness of this method will be decided two weeks after the election when we do our final canvass.

IN: Early Voting Begins, But Not Without Glitches* (video available)
http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=206425
A line of voters had to wait several minutes for machines to get up and running.
County Clerk Susan Kirk says the system must have lost connection over the weekend, but a computer tech was fixing the problem.

IN: 2 special prosecutors chosen in Charlie White investigation
http://www.indystar.com/article/20101011/NEWS05/10110389/2-special-prosecutors-chosen-in-Charlie-White-investigation?odyssey=tabtopnewstextIndyStar.com
White, a Republican, used his ex-wife’s address to vote in the May 4 primary election. Initially, he said his actions were a mistake and didn’t warrant a criminal investigation. He’s maintained his actions were legal.
…
White already has left his seat on the Fishers Town Council as a result of the residence change that led to questions about the legality of his actions.

MO: Royster Claims New Proof Of Voter Fraud
John Joseph Rizzo Bested Will Royster In House Race By 1 Vote
http://www.kmbc.com/news/25359417/detail.html

NC: New online absentee voting ballots ease process for local troops
http://www.jdnews.com/articles/voting-83379-absentee-online.html

ND: Spirit Lake takes Benson County polling dispute to court
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/178891/

The Voting News Daily: Dangers of Internet Voting Confirmed. Foreign $ in US Elections?

Verified Voting’s Pres.interviewed by Fox D.C. about DC Internet Voting Pilot. In spite of experts saying otherwise, DC’s BoE still thinks they can make internet voting secure. Really? Then Google & DoD may wish to hire DC officials to teach them how. The video testimony is up on YouTube, making it easier to share on Facebook & blogs…Early voting centers at colleges teach students…Big Spending by Outside Groups, but No Disclosure..Pakistan pilot program for electronic voting…

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

Do you like Voting News? Tell a friend. We’re on the net at http://votingnews.blogspot.com also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews

CA: Voting by mail can result in unintended consequences
http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/columns/oped_contributors/Voting-by-mail-can-result-in-unintended-consequences-104551994.html Early voting has changed the arc of campaign planning and lowered the value of late campaign developments.

CA: Solano County’s mail-in ballots could be delayed
http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_16296563 Delays at the postal distribution center in Sacramento are holding up the delivery of some vote-by-mail ballots to voters in northern and eastern Solano County, elections officials said Friday.
…
People registered to vote by mail who have not received their ballots by Wednesday should contact the Registrar of Voters Office at 784-6675.

CO: INSIDE THE BLACK BOX …..YOU VOTE … BUT “WE” COUNT …
OH, BY THE WAY “WE” DOES NOT INCLUDE YOU…
http://authenticallywired.com/2010/10/09/nside-the-black-box/

CO: Weld clerk to post deputies at vote centers
Some worry about voter intimidation
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20101009/NEWS/101009690/
1002&parentprofile=1001 http://tinyurl.com/29num2h

DC: D.C. Council hearing sums up election: Poor training and preparation
http://www.wikiusnews.com/3044/d-c-council-hearing-sums-up-election-poor-training-and-preparation.html

LA: Election night returns slowed by computer problems
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/10/election_night_returns_slowed.html
Jacques Berry, a spokesman for the secretary of state, said there were two problems.
One was “very, very slow” transmission of data from a computer at the office of Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal District Court ArthurMorrell, where Orleans returns are collected, to the secretary’s officein Baton Rouge.

The other problem was a lack of adequate bandwidth on election night for the secretary’s website, which was overwhelmed when, among otherthings, more people than expected logged on seeking election returns.

MI: Ottawa County clerk apologizes for second costly election ballot printing error in four years* http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/10/ottawa_county_clerk_apologizes.html
The glitch — the office’s second ballot error in four years — affected ballots sent to about 1,400 voters and carries a $48,570 cost for ballot reprints.
The clerk’s office omitted the names of Natural Law Party candidates Stacy Kohmescher, candidate for the state Board of Education, and Doug Dern, candidate for Wayne State University’s Board of Governors.

NC: You would think voting would be easy for a servicemember….nnnope
http://www.onemarinesview.com/one_marines_view/2010/10/you-would-think-voting-would-be-easy-for-a-servicemembernnnope.html I hope you take the opportunity to vote this year and every year offered. I, being one of many servicemembers deployed overseas that desire to vote via absentee voting wanted to vote but wasn’t successful. (sorry Walter B Jones North Carolina 3rd you didnt get my vote because our absentee system is all jacked up)

NC: Campaign cash, flowing from where?
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/10/729577/campaign-cash-flowing-from-where.html

NJ: Judge finds no evidence of voter fraud in Paterson
http://www.northjersey.com/news/crime_courts/104622224_Judge_finds
_no_evidence_of_voter_fraud.html http://tinyurl.com/2d4z7tx The election day results showed McDaniel leading Rodriguez by 25 votes.

The Voting News Daily: Video Cure for Internet Voting. Ireland voting machines to be traffic cones?

Must see video testimony! DC’s Board of Elections detected the hack of their internet voting system BECAUSE Professor J. Alex Halderman & U. of Michigan students wanted the hack detected. “A real attack might be completely invisible and could have run on undetected much, much longer…”. Halderman’s team also changed the BoE password to protect it foreign hacker attempts..Files stolen from NM’s SoS whistleblower..Ireland to turn €50m voting machines into ‘traffic cones or fleeces’ (with video)…

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

Like voting news? Tell a friend that we’re on internet at http://votingnews.blogspot.com Sign up online for emails, also use our handy search box…

AL: Bessemer, Ala: mayor fires city clerk over absentee ballots
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006447.html
When Brooks refused to go off-site, the mayor fired him about 5:30 p.m., forced him to turn over his keys to the mayor and had a police officer escort him out of Bessemer city hall, Brooks said. The absentee ballots for today’s election were locked in the city clerk’s office, and Brooks said the mayor, who is a candidate in today’s election, had the key to the office.

CA: andidate’s DOB an issue for voters (Orange County)
http://www.ocregister.com/news/voters-269915-candidate-dob.html
When Miller Oh filed to run for City Council in Buena Park, he dutifully put down his correct age: 52.
…
Oh admits his registration says he’s 46, as do his Social Security records, his passport, and every other legal document he has.

CT: Probate judge to run as write-in candidate after ballot glitch
http://www.theday.com/article/20101006/NWS01/310069852/-1/NWS

CT: State to Tackle Ann Coulter Voter Fraud Allegations Next Week
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/politics/State-to-Tackle-Ann-Coulter-Voter-Fraud-Allegations-Next-Week—104509789.html
Whether conservative pundit Ann Coulter falsely used her parents’ New Canaan address as her voting address is up to the state Election Commission.

DC: DCBOEE Lessons Learned from Digital Vote by Mail Hacking (internet voting)
http://dcboee.us/dvm/ps_hacker_response.htm
[DC BoEE idea of lesson learned is to ignore computer scientists overall warning that
internet voting can not be secured period, at least for 10 years and not this internet.]

See Internet Voting Watch section for more on the DC internet voting pilot hack

GA: Election law change approved by feds (early voting on touchscreens)
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/headlines/Election_law_change
_approved_by_feds_104546754.html http://tinyurl.com/23zo3vw
Electronic voting, as well as paper absentee ballots, must be provided for at least 45 days before elections starting next year.

Guam: BREAKING NEWS: Justice Department Sues Guam Election Commission: Overseas Citizens Must Have Right To Vote! http://guamnewswatch.com/201010063240/Local-News/Justice-Department-Sues-Guam-Election-Commission-Overseas-Citizens-Must-Have-Right-To-Vote.html The Department of Justice filed their complaint today in the U.S. District Court of Guam following news that the Guam Election Commission had failed to deliver timely ballots to overseas service members and citizens who are registered to vote on island.

Guam: Justice Department Announces Lawsuit to Protect Rights of Military and Overseas Voters in Guam http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/October/10-crt-1122.html

IL: Cahokia voter fraud plea deal
http://www.ksdk.com/news/regional/story.aspx?storyid=219627&catid=16
Wiggins pleaded guilty to 43 counts of voter fraud, but 39 of those counts were dismissed. Brown, 27, who worked in the Cahokia Streets Department, originally received 22 counts of voter fraud but 19 of them were dismissed. Wiggins, 44, is married to the village clerk.

The Voting News Daily: Internet voting faces the music. SC voting machine bugs. Ireland trashes EVMs

About the DC Internet vote hack, Dr. David Jefferson says “Let there be no mistake about it: this is a major achievement, and supports in every detail the warnings that security community have been giving about Internet voting for over a decade now.”..The U. of Michigan team changed cast ballots to write-ins like HAL 900 of “2001: A Space Odyssey” …MAJOR writeup about SC’s voting machines, computer scientist says machines would get an ‘F’..Election expert testifies at trial on Shelby Co TN election irregularities..Ireland scraps EVMs, tired of paying storage fees…

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

CA: “SURGE IN EARLY VOTING UPENDS ELECTION PLAYBOOKS”
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/017254.html

CA: County’s mail ballot will need 61¢ postage
http://www.modbee.com/2010/10/06/1370533/countys-mail-ballot-will-need.html
Sacramento County’s registrar of voters is warning that extra postage is required to return vote-by-mail ballots.

CT: Ann Coulter to Face Vote on Voter Fraud Charges in CT by State Elections Enforcement Commission http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8110
“This case is scheduled to appear on the October 14, 2010 public session. We expect the Commission will vote on this matter at that time.”

KS: Should the state require you to show ID?
http://www.kansas.com/2010/10/05/1527367/should-the-state-require-you-to.html

MD: Early votes to be tallied earlier
http://www.somdnews.com/stories/10062010/indytop172101_32402.shtml
Early-voting totals must be processed and submitted two hours before polls close on general election night, according to an emergency regulation the state elections board approved last week.

MI: APPEALS COURT TO HEAR BARROW SUIT TO REMOVE BING NOV. 2
Former candidate seeks Bing’s immediate removal due to massive irregulaties in vote
http://voiceofdetroit.net/?p=923 “This law suit is not sour grapes or a refusal to accept an election loss, rather it’s about 59,135 of 114,718 ballots which the public does not know were un-recountable and irregular….”

ND: Benson County won’t have polling site on reservation
http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/543535.html?nav=5010
MINNEWAUKAN The Spirit Lake Reservation will be the only reservation in North Dakota without an on-reservation polling site this election.

NJ: HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE CAN STILL VOTE
http://www.nbc40.net/news/14916/

NY: Voter was right to be skeptical
http://registerstar.com/articles/2010/10/05/opinion/letters/doc4caa73ff
66e3e840177490.txt http://tinyurl.com/2vgnvwa By Virginia Martin, Democratic Commissioner of Elections. I and my counterpart, (Republican) Commissioner Nastke, believe that the only way we can be confident that we’ll know how the voters voted — which we must know before we can certify the results — is by counting every single vote on every single paper ballot that was scanned. Therefore, while what the scanner might show the voter on its screen might be interesting, no voter should be reassured by what that screen reveals, because it could be wrong.

NY: Libertarian Party, and Anti-Prohibition Party, Sue New York Over Refusal to Print Nominees’ Name Twice on Ballot http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/10/06/libertarian-party-and-anti-prohibition-party-sue-new-york-over-refusal-to-print-nominees-name-twice-on-ballot/

NV: RNC mails 200,000 absentee ballot request forms to wrong county, has to do
robocall to inform voters* http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/ralstons-flash/2010/oct/06/rnc-mails-200000-absentee-ballot-request-forms-wro/ The Republican National Committee recently mailed an estimated 200,000 absentee ballot request forms into Clark County – but a warning on the form instructs people who have never voted in “Washoe County” that they can only use the mail ballot under strict circumstances. (form and flyer posted)

OH: Morgan County suit seeks money to pay for election
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/10/05/copy/suit-seeks-money-to-pay-for-election.html

The Voting News Daily: India to get paper trail? DC Internet Voting Pwned – update. NY voter feedback poll

D.C.’s internet “Voting System Pwned by Michigan Wolverines” in public test. Great. What would experts find if allowed to “test” W.VA.’s military/internet voting system, or other states’ email balloting?..The NY State Board of Elections is conducting a voter feedback poll. So is the New York Daily news..Trial against Shelby Co TN Elections Commission starts Wednesday..Voting by mail? Check the postage!…Will The World’s Largest Democracy beat the U.S. to full VVPR?…

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

Also see voting news on the web, use our search box or sign up for email at http://votingnews.blogspot.com Thanks!

AZ: Voter registration goes too far for some
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=13261134
Bils pointed out that Arizona law requires name, address, birth date, a “yes” answer to citizenship, and the number a driver license or state ID, or last four digits of the Social Security number.

“They should put it someplace telling you what items are mandatory and what items are really optional which is the majority of the document,” Bils said.

CA: THE SMOKING TOILET
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/017242.html LA City Councilman Richard Alarcon has been indicted on charges that he didn’t really live in the home that allowed him to represent his district According to this report, the evidence against him includes utility bills showing that the home was only using 8.2 gallons of water

CA: Some Vote-by-Mail Ballots Delayed, More Pricey
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2010/10/04/some-vote-by-mail-ballots-delayed,-more-pricey Some voters in the Sacramento region may have to wait an extra week to receive their vote-by-mail ballots. And some will have to put extra postage on their ballots to make sure they’re delivered when they send them back.

CA: County Cuts Dozens of Polling Location Sites
http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story/County-Cuts-Dozens-of-Polling-Location-Sites/Qcq1BVI2ukSLdcznNb4UtA.cspx

IN: Election offices unaware of mobile registration site (for mobile phone)
http://www.wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=13264449

KS: Clerical error leads to voter registration mixup between Barton, Douglas counties
Woman had been listed in wrong county for 2 years
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/oct/01/clerical-error-leads-voter-registration-mixup-betw/

NC: Key election dates ahead
http://www.wdnweb.com/articles/2010/10/05/news/doc4caa4f729f818142119334.txt
Wynn’s replacement will be selected by means of an “instant runoff,” which lets voters rank their preferred candidates in three columns — first, second, third.

NY: Board of Elections conducts voter-feedback poll to learn about ‘complications’
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/10/05/2010-10-05_you_like_us_dont_you_board_of_elex_conducts_voterfeedback_poll.html
The city Board of Elections thinks it did a great job running last month’s problem-scarred primary election – so it’s paying for a poll to prove it. (NY Daily News has poll up too)

NY: Why Some Polling Places Were Tardy on Primary Day
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/why-johnny-couldnt-vote-on-primary-day/

NY: Late poll openings, paper jams mar New York City primary
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700070966/Late-poll-openings-paper-jams-mar-New-York-City-primary.html About 6 percent of New York City’s polling sites did not open on time for last month’s primary election and thousands of poll workers had not been trained to operate new voting machines that debuted that day, the city’s Board of Elections acknowledged Monday

TN: Trial Against Elections Commission Starts Wednesday (video also available)
Had intended to start Monday, but both sides fought over information not being released http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-court-election-democrat-challenges,0,7924646.story Attorneys for the Shelby County Elections Commission and Democratic candidates and others have fought hard since August 5th. This day wasn’t going to be any different.

The Voting News Daily: DC Internet Vote Test Oddities. Shelby TN: ‘Was this any way to hold an election?’

DC Internet voting trial suspended on Oct 1 citing “usability issues”. Oddly the Univ of Michigan fight song played in voter’s browser after vote cast. This may be the tip of the iceberg..Shelby County Election-“Was this any way to hold an election?”..Interest Group Spending Is Up and Anonymous..Make sure your vote counts; cast it in the right place..USENIX: “Security blunders dumber than dog snot.”…A Canadian soldier in Afghanistan will pay $241.21 to mail absentee ballot home, US troops have free express mail ballot return…

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

Do you like voting news? Then tell a friend we’re on the internet at http://votingnews.blogspot.com

AZ: Make sure your vote counts; cast it in the right place
http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_df63170c-2d3e-5d1a-a9ad-4a8408330914.html Attention voters: Late this month you will receive a postcard in the mail from the Pima County Elections Department. You’ll probably be tired of mail from politicians by then, but do not toss this card. It is not junk. It lists the name and address of your polling place.
If you vote at the wrong place, you risk having your ballot invalidated. That’s what happened to 3,230 Pima County electors in 2008, according to a new report…

CA: Vote-by-mail ballots headed to California voters
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16234857?nclick_check=1
Voters have until 8 on election night to turn in ballots at their polling places.

CA: Fresno County cuts polling sites in half
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/10/03/2103656/fresno-county-cuts-polling-sites.html
Fresno County’s budget crisis is bringing an ugly new reality to next month’s election — a massive cutback in the number of voting precincts

CO: The politics of election quality
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20101004/LETTER/101009943/1020&ParentProfile=1061
Starting with cordial private meetings and advisory e-mails we have gradually and patiently escalated our criticisms to appropriate authorities. As if to punish us, citizens with no power have been tarred and feathered with unwarranted blame and denigration.

CO: Colorado Republican Party May Lose Status as a Qualified Major Party
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/10/04/colorado-republican-party-may-lose-status-as-a-qualified-major-party/

IL: Can Rahm Emanuel Run for Mayor of Chicago?
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2010/10/04/can-rahm-emanuel-run-for-mayor-of-chicago/

NJ: Jury selection in voter fraud trial of former Atlantic City councilman Marty Small begins http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/jury_selection_in_voter_fraud.html

NM: RECLAIMING Their VOICE: The Native American Vote in New Mexico
http://www.concentric.org/reclaiming/ Native Americans living on reservations were the last ethnic minority to have been granted the right to vote in the United States.

PA: Right call on the Black Panthers (Editorial)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/03/AR2010100303620.html
Far from acting recklessly, the Justice Department did what every law enforcement entity is ethically obligated to do: press only those charges that are supported by evidence.

SC: Scary Video: Who Builds South Carolina’s Electronic Voting Machines?
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheGoodFight/archives/2010/10/03/scary-video-who-builds-south-carolinas-electronic-voting-machines
“The Trouble With Touchscreens”

TN: The Gang(s) That Couldn’t Shoot Straight* (Shelby County Election)
Wild charges and careless accounting: Was this any way to hold an election?
http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/the-gangs-that-couldnt-shoot-straight/Content?oid=2320888 What else might have gone wrong besides the glitch with early-voting data on Election Day? A good deal, say the litigants, their supporters in the Democratic Party and elsewhere, and, notably, Black Box Voting consultants Bev Harris and Susan Pynchon, residents of Washington state and Florida, respectively, who have served as the principal investigators for the plaintiffs.

The Voting News Daily: A Citizen’s Audit of S.Carolina’s Voting System. Is there ‘a ghost in the machine?’

The results of Frank Heindel’s FOIA: “Citizen’s Audit of South Carolina’s Voting System October 2010″…The Aspen Times has one of best articles I’ve ever seen on e-voting issues in “Unlocking IRV in Aspen”…Florida Case Puts Focus on Issue of Absentee Ballot Fraud…Hawaii’s eGov website listed wrong date for Nov General Election…2nd-tier parties sue New York State Election Board…Reminder-Monday is last day for half the states to register, visit Rock the Vote for help..India EVMs-“Is there a ghost in the machine?”..

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

The Voting News Daily: D.C. halts test of internet voting pilot. Shelby Co TN election trial starts Monday

The District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics has suspended the public examination of DC’s internet voting pilot…NY Senate Elections Committee held a hearing on the recent primary. Lawrence Norden with Brennan Ctr for Justice makes recommendations…Judge won’t dismiss lawsuit against Shelby County TN Election Commission – “You might want to start preparing for yet another election, Shelby County.”..India police want to question 3rd person over voting machine “theft”…

All this and more in todays voting news below…

CA: OC Registrar of Voters Prepares Vote-by-Mail Ballots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur4nHvhXuxY (Youtube video of process)

CA: Ranked Choice Voting Opponents Appealing Dismissal Of Case
http://sfappeal.com/news/2010/09/ranked-choice-voting-opponents-appealing-dismissal-of-case.php

DC: Public Examination Period Suspended (internet voting for overseas/military)
http://www.dcboee.us/dvm/ “Due to usability issues brought to our attention, we have temporarily suspended the public examination test. Thank you for your intereste and participation in improving the functionality of this pilot project.”

GA: A troubling side to early voting
http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia_elections_news/2010/09/29/a-troubling-side-to-early-voting-which-by-the-way-ends-monday/?cxntfid=blogs_georgia_elections_news

GUAM: Overseas Vote Foundation New FY budget start enabled Guam Elec Comm to buy stamps and send overseas absentee ballots http://ow.ly/2MPoA

MA: Town clerks say red and blue ballots confuse voters
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100930town_clerks_
say_red_and_blue_ballots_confuse_voters/ http://tinyurl.com/2eakgzh
Statewide, the top of Democratic primary ballots are red and the Republican primary ballots are blue. This has been the norm for 50 years, said Brian McNiff, spokesman for the secretary of state, who oversees Massachusetts elections.

ME: Clerk faces fine – Ross pleads ‘no contest’ to ballot mishandling charge
http://www.timesrecord.com/articles/2010/09/30/news/doc4ca4c0bee0c87875860437.txt
The Maine Attorney General’s Office filed a complaint in West Bath District Court on March 31 alleging that on or about Feb. 2, Ross “in her capacity as town clerk in processing absentee ballots in the town of Bowdoinham election for selectman, did unfold one or more absentee ballots at the time she removed the ballots from the absentee ballot envelopes,” in violation of Maine law regarding …

MS: Clerks seek to stop write-in only election
http://www.sunherald.com/2010/09/27/2507662/clerks-seek-to-stop-write-in-only.html
The Laurel Leader-Call reports the lawsuit was filed last week in Jasper County Circuit Court.
The only person who signed up to run for the 13th District was incumbent Judge Robert G. Evans who died of cancer in July, after the candidates’ qualifying deadline..

NH: READER OPINION: Make sure vote counts, by Deborah Sumner
http://sentinelsource.com/articles/2010/10/01/opinion/letters_editor/free/id_413526.txt

NY: Testimony of Lawrence Norden before the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Elections http://www.brennancenter.org/blog/archives/testimony_of_lawrence_norden_
before_the_new_york_state_senate_standing/ http://tinyurl.com/27dct7r

NY: REPORT FROM THE SENATE HEARINGS ON THE NYS PRIMARY
http://www.bolipari.com/boblog/2010/10/report-from-the-senate-hearings-on-the-nys-primary/
On September 29th Senator Joseph Addabbo, chair of the Senate Elections Committee held a hearing on the recent New York State primary when new paper ballot and optical scan systems were used statewide for the first time. The hearing focused on reported problems that occurred in New York City, the largest election jurisdiction in the country with almost 4.5 million registered voters.

OH: Secretary Brunner Issues Directive Regarding Voting Rights And Foreclosures; Refers Specific Cases Of Notary Abuse To Federal Prosecutors
http://www.progressohio.org/blog/2010/09/secretary-brunner-issues-directive-regarding-voting-rights-and-foreclosures-refers-specific-cases-of.html

TN: Judge won’t dismiss lawsuit against Shelby County Election Commission
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/oct/01/judge-wont-dismiss-lawsuit-against-shelby-county-e/ You might want to start preparing for yet another election, Shelby County.

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.