The Voting News Daily: Prosser urges against a “frivolous” recount, Bipartisan support for paper trail voting in South Carolina

WI: Prosser urges against a “frivolous” recount – POLITICO.com

Wisconsin Supreme Court justice David Prosser said Monday that he’s won a “decisive” victory in his race for a 10-year term on the court and that a request from his opponent for a state-funded recount would be “frivolous.” “The result of the election is not in doubt,” the conservative judge said Monday at a press conference in the state capitol in Madison, referring to the tight margin by which he leads challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg. “A funny thing happened to me on the way to my concession speech: The people of Wisconsin told me to tear it up and go back to work.” Prosser declared victory on Friday after the state released final vote totals that put him up by 7,316 votes out of nearly 1.5 million cast. Kloppenburg has until the end of the day Wednesday to decide whether she will request a recount. Her campaign said Monday that she hasn’t made a decision yet, the Associated Press reported. Prosser’s attorney Jim Troupis warned against a recount, saying the campaign “will take every and any step to prevent this frivolous matter going forward.” And a spokesman for Prosser, Brian Schimming, said the justice notched “a strong enough win” that for Kloppenburg “to ask for a recount in any form will be enormously costly to the voters of this state.” Schimming also cautioned that there is “no evidence there to suggest that a recount is going to change the outcome.” Full Article

SC: Bipartisan support for paper trail voting in South Carolina – Examiner.com

It’s no secret that opposing political parties frequently disagree. But when it comes to voting machines currently used in their state, South Carolina Democrats and Republicans unite in demand for improvement. Distrust in the use of electronic voting machines is noted in the 2011 resolutions of both state parties. Both call for changes to include verification, if not complete replacement, by paper records. The Abbeville County Republican Party forwarded aresolution, recently passed at its county convention, to the state GOP calling for an end to use of all types of voting machines in the state, and recommending “use (of) paper ballots exclusively from this point forward(.)” This resolution will be voted on at the SCGOP 2011 convention, scheduled for May 7 in Columbia. Resolutions of the state Democratic Party will include similar terms, according to Susan Smith, a Georgetown County representative to the SCDP’s Executive Committee. A member of its subcommittee on resolutions, Smith says a 2011 resolution will call for a paper trail verification of votes. SCDP delegates will vote on all resolutions at its April 30 state convention. Read More

India: India Election Commission gives in on paper-trails in Electronic Voting Machines? | Real Time News India

After coming under fire from transparency activists, including Anna Hazare, the Election Commission of India seems to have given in to the demand for paper-backed election instead of purely electronic recording of votes.

The Election Commission had come under fire after Hari Prasad, an activist was arrested for securing an EVM from Mumbai in his efforts to prove that the machines can be compromised.

Washington: Pierce County Washington’s polls are closed, scanners sent packing – State now all vote-by-mail | The News Tribune

There’ll be no last hurrah for Pierce County’s optical-scanner voting machines. No red-white-and-blue farewell to the last traditional polling places in Washington. No one-last-chance for 85-year-old Erika Cranmer of Lakewood to exercise the democracy she cherishes so by helping conduct an election at her neighborhood polling place; nor for 90-year-old Morry Kenton of Gig Harbor to make his 70th in-person trip to a traditional voting station.

We all knew the Legislature approved statewide all-mail voting last month, forcing Pierce County – the only holdout – to fall in line with the state’s other 38 counties. Close your polls, legislators said. All-mail elections are more cost-effective.

Tennessee: GOP majority revising state election laws – Voter ID bills among proposals to amend process | Knoxville News Sentinel

Mandating photo identification for voting is just one part of a reshaping of Tennessee election laws by the Legislature’s Republican majority that also includes resolution of a three-year dispute over installing new voting machines statewide.

In a compromise last week, Republicans backed off of bills to repeal outright the Voter Confidence Act of 2008, which mandated use of $37 million in federal funds to place machines providing a paper trail for ballots in all 95 Tennessee counties.

South Carolina: Bipartisan support for paper trail voting in South Carolina | Examiner.com

It’s no secret that opposing political parties frequently disagree. But when it comes to voting machines currently used in their state, South Carolina Democrats and Republicans unite in demand for improvement.

Distrust in the use of electronic voting machines is noted in the 2011 resolutions of both state parties.  Both call for changes to include verification, if not complete replacement, by paper records.

Editorials: Michael C. Barris: Why paper-ballot vote is best for New York | The Observer

In the article headlined “New voting process a step backward” (March 19), the writer queries: “With the technology available, why not use a touch-screen computer? Really, who made this decision?”

I did, along with the other people who showed up at a trade fair graciously hosted by Fredonia Place at 50 Howard St, Fredonia, on Dec. 6, 2006 in cooperation with the Chautauqua County Board of Elections. The fair had been publicized by The OBSERVER on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006. Everyone who showed up had an opportunity to use the twelve or so different models on exhibit and assess each one with a rating sheet. The Election Commissioners tabulated these results and took them onward to the New York State Board of Elections.

Colorado: Colorado Secretary of State Gessler says Saguache election not certified | Center Post Dispatch

Three Saguache residents met with Secretary of State Scott Gessler and his staff in Denver last week for an update on Gessler’s lawsuit against Saguache County Clerk Melinda Myers and to discuss election-related issues.

Former commissioner’s candidate, Republican Steve Carlson, Democrat Lisa Cyriacks, who served on the Saguache Canvass Board and Library District proponent Judy Page, also Aspen vote integrity advocate Marilyn Marks, met with Gessler for over two hours.

South Dakota: South Dakota Secretary of State announces appointments to Board of Elections |Radio 1380 KOTA

South Dakota Secretary of State Jason Gant announced today the appointments of new and returning members of the South Dakota Board of Elections. Rapid City attorney and former state legislator Linda Lea M. Viken was re-appointed to the State Board of Elections by Senator Jason Frerichs (D – Wilmot). Viken has served on the Board of Elections since 1999, and is currently one of the longest serving members of the panel.

Newly appointed to the board by Speaker of the House Val Rausch was Deuel County Auditor Pam Lynde. Lynde has been Deuel County Auditor for 16 years and was recently elected to her 5th term as Auditor. Prior to serving as Auditor, Lynde was the finance officer for the City of Clear Lake.