Monthly Archives: May 2011

After four years of electoral inertia and in a stalled democratic process, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is preparing its second set of democratic elections in a hurry and on a rolling calendar. Opposition parties are trying to unite, thus far without success, and the international community is not in charge, as in effect it was the first time, in 2006.

The Congolese authorities face a dilemma: respect the constitutional deadline and organise botched elections, or ignore that deadline and slide into a situation of unconstitutional power. In both cases, the government’s legitimacy would be seriously questioned. The only way out of this Catch-22 situation is to both speed up preparations and negotiate a contingency electoral calendar and political agreement to manage an almost certainly necessary transition period.

Editorials: Chris Kromm: The new war on voting rights | Facing South

Last November, the big themes of the 2010 elections were jobs and the economy. But in states across the South and country, many of the most pitched legislative battles have focused on another issue entirely: voting rights.

With Republicans taking power or strengthening their hand in many state legislatures — and the 2012 elections looming on the horizon — GOP leaders are seizing the opportunity to push a raft of measures they claim will restore integrity to the voting process.

But the new voting bills share some important features: They all work to restrict the franchise and shrink the electorate — in most cases, in ways that would decrease Democratic votes.

Wisconsin: Kloppenburg campaign raises ballot bag security concern in Waukesha County recount | JSOnline

They’ve raised similar objections four or five times in Waukesha County since the start of the recount, said retired Circuit Court Judge Robert Mawdsley, who’s overseeing the county recount. In an interview, he agreed with objector Bill Hotz’s observation that the bag opening from Brookfield was the largest seen so far.

Hotz said poorly sealed bags or torn bags appear to be a common problem, but they were evident on five of six Brookfield bags that were counted first thing Thursday. He objected to the counting of those ballots where bags appeared to be open.

Brandon O’Bryon, representing Justice David Prosser, objected to the objection, saying Brookfield voters would be disenfranchised if their votes weren’t counted.

As has been the practice from the start, Mawdsley makes a record of the concerns and each objection should a challenge end up in court.

“There are several bags that appear to be improperly sealed,” Mawdsley said for the record. Kloppenburg’s campaign representatives took pictures of the bags in question. The Board of Canvassers agreed to count the votes, which can be identified separately if necessary.

Brookfield City Clerk Kristine Schmidt said that bags filled with too many ballots tend to tear when they’re picked up. She also said that on bags that she personally seals, she threads the seal through additional holes she makes in the bags so they can be pulled tightly shut and stay that way. Not every poll worker does that, and when the bags are lifted, a gap can open up.

She also testified, “I guarantee you these ballots were put in (a vault in her office) and not tampered with until they left city hall.” She said a highway worker took the ballots to the courthouse the day after the election.

Full Article: Kloppenburg campaign raises ballot bag security concern in Waukesha County recount – JSOnline.

Editorials: Senator Roy Harron: Tennessee needs paper trail for every vote | The Commercial Appeal

In 2008 the Tennessee legislature voted almost unanimously to make elections more secure, dependable and trustworthy by requiring a verifiable paper trail for each vote. The step was long overdue — more than 30 states already have such security measures.

But three years later, secure elections in Tennessee remain at risk and voters may never know if their votes are counted.

If legislative Republicans’ march toward passing a bill that would effectively repeal the Voter Confidence Act succeeds, it would be a devastating blow to democracy in Tennessee. The electronic voting machines used in 93 of our 95 counties are so vulnerable to fraud and thievery that they can steal your vote even before you cast your ballot.

Ohio: Butler County Ohio looks at replacing touchscreens with new paper based voting systems | CommunityPress.com

Butler County election officials are shopping around to replace their problematic six-year-old touch screen voting machine system. But where the money will come from is a multi-million dollar question.

Elections Director Tippi Slaughter said one thing is for sure: The $3.4 million touch-screen machines that are favored by voters are out. “There’s been enough of a question,” Slaughter said about dumping the user-friendly touch screens for an optical scanning system. “We want the best voting system for the voters.”

Wisconsin: Government Accountability Board To Ask For More Time in Wisconsin Supreme Court Recount | Newsradio 620

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board will be asking for an extension in the deadline to complete the recount in the state Supreme Court race.

Board director Kevin Kennedy said Thursday that Dane County has requested a one-day extension to Monday’s deadline. He says Waukesha County has also asked for a deadline and the board is seeking more details about how long it will need.

Missouri: Bill requiring photo ID from voters returns to Missouri Senate | Columbia Missourian

In a 99-52 vote, Missouri’s controversial voter ID bill was passed with amendments by the Missouri House of Representatives on Wednesday. The bill will make it a requirement for voters to present a nonexpired, government-issued photo ID upon entrance to their polling place.

Opponents to the bill argue that the requirement of a photo ID targets constituents without means or ability to obtain an ID, such as immigrants and elderly persons.

National: Omaha World-Herald sells interest in Election Systems and Software (ES&S) | Omaha.com

Terms of the private sale were not disclosed. McCarthy Capital, a private equity investment company, already was a minority stockholder of Election Systems’ stock and is now the majority stockholder, said Michael McCarthy, chairman of McCarthy Group. Election Systems’ management and another independent investor are minority stockholders.

Indiana: Error fixed, 61 votes separate Westfield Indiana GOP mayor candidates | The Indianapolis Star

A couple of possible irregularities before and during Tuesday’s primary election has one candidate for Westfield mayor weighing his options. About 131 votes in the Westfield’s Southwest Precinct weren’t properly tabulated Tuesday night, election administrator Kathy Richardson confirmed this morning.

Richardson said an error regarding council districts was caught early Tuesday and corrected, but the voting electronics wouldn’t accept the amended information.

California: California Online Voter Registration Bill Moves Forward | South San Francisco Patch

Sen. Leland Yee’s bill to fast track online voter registration took an initial step forward yesterday.

On a party line, 3-2 vote, the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee approved Senate Bill 397, which would allow voters to register to vote by submitting an electronic affidavit via their county’s election office website.

Florida: Florida Senate passes controversial elections bill | Orlando Sentinel

The Florida Senate passed a massive overhaul of state election law by a 25-13 vote Thursday that would make changes to early voting, limit a voter’s ability to change his or her address or name at the polls and set up a presidential primary committee.

Democrats argued against the legislation though and said it would disenfranchise voters, particularly college students who frequently take advantage of the registration changes at the polls because they move so often. “We have young people who would love to register to vote,” said Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami.

The Voting News Daily: Kloppenburg campaign raises ballot bag security concern in Waukesha County recount, Omaha World-Herald Sells interest in ES&S

WI: Kloppenburg campaign raises ballot bag security concern in Waukesha County recount – JSOnline

An observer for Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg objected Thursday to the security of bags holding Supreme Court ballots from the City of Brookfield because of a gap opening on the ballot bags. They’ve raised similar objections four or five times in Waukesha County since the start of the recount, said retired Circuit Court Judge Robert Mawdsley, who’s overseeing the county recount. In an interview, he agreed with objector Bill Hotz’s observation that the bag opening from Brookfield was the largest seen so far. Hotz said poorly sealed bags or torn bags appear to be a common problem, but they were evident on five of six Brookfield bags that were counted first thing Thursday. He objected to the counting of those ballots where bags appeared to be open. Brandon O’Bryon, representing Justice David Prosser, objected to the objection, saying Brookfield voters would be disenfranchised if their votes weren’t counted. As has been the practice from the start, Mawdsley makes a record of the concerns and each objection should a challenge end up in court. “There are several bags that appear to be improperly sealed,” Mawdsley said for the record. Kloppenburg’s campaign representatives took pictures of the bags in question. The Board of Canvassers agreed to count the votes, which can be identified separately if necessary. Brookfield City Clerk Kristine Schmidt said that bags filled with too many ballots tend to tear when they’re picked up. She also said that on bags that she personally seals, she threads the seal through additional holes she makes in the bags so they can be pulled tightly shut and stay that way. Not every poll worker does that, and when the bags are lifted, a gap can open up. She also testified, “I guarantee you these ballots were put in (a vault in her office) and not tampered with until they left city hall.” She said a highway worker took the ballots to the courthouse the day after the election. Full Article

Omaha World-Herald sells interest in Election Systems and Software (ES&S) – Omaha.com

The Omaha World-Herald Co. has sold its minority interest in Election Systems & Software Inc., an Omaha company that is the world’s largest election technology company, to McCarthy Group of Omaha and the election company’s management. Terms of the private sale were not disclosed. McCarthy Capital, a private equity investment company, already was a minority stockholder of Election Systems’ stock and is now the majority stockholder, said Michael McCarthy, chairman of McCarthy Group. Election Systems’ management and another independent investor are minority stockholders. World-Herald President and CEO Terry Kroeger said The World-Herald, an investor in Election Systems for nearly 25 years, is proud of what Election Systems accomplished for its shareholders and of its “contributions to our country’s ability to conduct free and fair elections.” Kroeger said the sale strengthens The World-Herald’s balance sheet, providing greater liquidity to the company and its shareholders. Full Article

The Voting News Daily: Wisconsin Recount Mess, Vancouver approves Internet voting

WI: Wisconsin’s Supreme Court Election ‘Recount’ is a Mess – The Brad Blog

Where Minnesota’s post-election hand count of the 2008 U.S. Senate election between then Sen. Norm Coleman and now Sen. Al Franken was, as we wrote at the UK’s Guardian at the time, “one of the longest and most transparent election hand-counts in the history of the US,” Wisconsin has made it extremely difficult (putting it nicely) to know what the hell is actually going on in their statewide “recount” of the April 5th, 2011, state Supreme Court election between Justice David Prosser and Asst. Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg. Where Minnesota’s chief election official, Sec. of State Mark Ritchie, oversaw a process to ensure that updated and accurate numbers were easily tracked and transparently shared with the media on a daily basis, Wisconsin’s chief election authority, their Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.), has posted (and even sometimes removed) confusing, misleading, and unclear updates, often with inaccurate information, on various schedules, and frequently with little or no explanation for wholesale changes and deletion of data. Where Minnesota counted every vote by hand with full public scrutiny, including photographs and video cameras, Wisconsin is tabulating ballots, often by the same oft-failed, easily-manipulated computer systems that counted them in the first place, behind barriers that preclude broad public oversight, under an agreement between both campaigns which disallows the use of video cameras by observers. The count, which began last Wednesday, often feels as if it’s happening in virtual darkness, at least to those of us trying to observe from afar, but the same sentiment has been shared with us by many we’ve spoken to who are there on the ground. There is an alarming lack of transparency to help the citizenry oversee the process in order to ensure accountability and an accurate count. To make matters worse, if that’s possible, chain of custody issues for the ballots appear questionable in a number of reported cases, after ballots have been kept in the same darkness by election officials — sometimes securely, sometimes not — for the three weeks following the election and prior to the “recount.” Read More

Canada: Vancouver approves Internet voting in advanced civic election polls – Vancouver Sun

On Tuesday the Vancouver city council approved in principle a pilot project to allow online voters to cast ballots in the advance polls for the Nov. 19 civic election. In a 10-1 vote, council said the benefits — increased voter turnout, elimination of lineups and less costly elections — far outweigh some of the potential downsides, including the potential for stolen voter packages, technical difficulties and hacking attacks and difficulty in identifying voter identification. “I totally appreciate for some that voting online is a totally, totally strange thing to do,” said Coun. Andrea Reimer, who wants to see more of the city’s business done online. “To my mind there are risks to online voting but there are also risks to have so few people voting. It isn’t about forcing anyone to vote online but to give people choices.”

Wisconsin: Wisconsin’s Supreme Court Election ‘Recount’ is a Mess | The Brad Blog

Wisconsin is no Minnesota. Where Minnesota’s post-election hand count of the 2008 U.S. Senate election between then Sen. Norm Coleman and now Sen. Al Franken was, as we wrote at the UK’s Guardian at the time, “one of the longest and most transparent election hand-counts in the history of the US,” Wisconsin has made it extremely difficult (putting it nicely) to know what the hell is actually going on in their statewide “recount” of the April 5th, 2011, state Supreme Court election between Justice David Prosser and Asst. Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg.

Where Minnesota’s chief election official, Sec. of State Mark Ritchie, oversaw a process to ensure that updated and accurate numbers were easily tracked and transparently shared with the media on a daily basis, Wisconsin’s chief election authority, their Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.), has posted (and even sometimes removed) confusing, misleading, and unclear updates, often with inaccurate information, on various schedules, and frequently with little or no explanation for wholesale changes and deletion of data.

Wisconsin: Wisconsin Voter ID bill criticized by head of Government Accountability Board for deterring student voters | The Daily Cardinal

As the Assembly Committee on Election and Campaign Reform passed the Voter ID bill on partisan lines, Government Accountability Board Director Kevin Kennedy criticized it for creating administrative hassle and deterring student voters. The latest draft of the Voter ID bill allows the use of a student ID from an accredited university or college to vote provided that it has a current address, date of birth and signature on it. Few student IDs meet these requirements.

“This is a demographic that has the lowest voter participation rate of all age groups,” Kennedy said in the letter. “In order to cultivate engaged, active citizens, we need to facilitate voting among our youth rather than imposing artificial barriers to participation.”

Oklahoma: Oklahoma State Supreme Court won’t take suit challenging voter ID law | Tulsa World

The State Supreme Court has declined to intervene in a Tulsa County lawsuit that must be moved to Oklahoma County for it to proceed with its challenge to a voter-approved state question.

In an order Monday, the Supreme Court denied a request for it to take jurisdiction over a suit challenging SQ 746, the voter identification issue. SQ 746 is scheduled to take effect July 1. It was approved Nov. 2, drawing 74 percent voter approval.

Rhode Island: Rhode Island Senate panel OKs DNA, voter ID bills | The Providence Journal

Two bills concerning a person’s true identity were approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon. One would require taking DNA samples from people charged with violent crimes. The other would require poll workers to check the photo IDs of voters, starting with the 2012 election season.

The voter ID bill, sponsored by Sen. Harold M. Metts, D-Providence, was also approved, despite some dissent. Providence Democrat Rhoda E. Perry called the bill a “solution to a non-problem,” adding that requiring people to show a photo ID or some form of identification at the polls would discourage them from voting, especially the poor and elderly. Perry and committee Vice Chairman Paul V. Jabour, D-Providence, voted against the bill.

North Carolina: North Carolina Senate bill seeks to cripple one-stop early voting | The Wilmington Journal

A Republican-sponsored NC Senate bill, SB 657, has been introduced that, if enacted, would severely cripple the state’s One Stop Early Voting/Same-day Voter Registration law that helped President Barack Obama win North Carolina in 2008. Indeed, the bill would eliminate same-day registration, an important tool of voter empowerment for communities of color, proponents say.

The goal, critics say, is to make the 2012 presidential election harder for Obama and the Democrats to win. Coupled with GOP control of redistricting, and the party’s legislative push for voter ID which critics like the NC NAACP charge is an attempt at voter suppression of black and Hispanic voters, attorney Irving Joyner, chair of the NCNAACP’s Legal Redress Committee, says SB 657 must be opposed.

New Hampshire: New Hampshire voters may soon need ID at polls | EagleTribune.com

A proposal to require voters to present a photo ID at the polls has town clerks worried it could create a nightmare during elections. The state House of Representatives is expected to vote today on legislation intended to prevent election fraud. While some election workers think it’s a good idea, they say they are concerned about “provisional balloting.” That would give people three days to present their ID if they don’t have it when they go to the polls.

“That would hold up the election count for days,” Plaistow Town Clerk Maryellen Pelletier said yesterday. Voters should have to show their IDs at the polls, Pelletier said, but she opposes provisional balloting. Other Southern New Hampshire officials also disagree with the provision, including Derry Town Clerk Denise Neale. “That is really going to mess up our system,” she said. “There are too many questions involved.”

Minnesota: Minnesota Voter ID opponents say litigation a possibility | MinnPost

94-year-old Mary Lou Hill shown expressing her opposition to various Voter ID bills. Opponents of a group of Voter ID measures in the Minnesota House and Senate — including one that could lead to a constitutional amendment initiative — are not going to go away quietly.

Representatives of more than 20 nonprofit groups held a news conference today to make their case that, among others, students, seniors, homeless people and people who don’t drive would find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to voting because of a Republican-sponsored Voter ID requirement moving quickly through legislative committees. One thing is certain: Passage of any bill could bring litigation.

Canada: Vancouver Canada approves Internet voting in advanced civic election polls | Vancouver Sun

Vancouver, one of the first municipalities in Canada to bring in electronic ballot-counting machines, is moving into the next generation of digital democracy: online voting.

On Tuesday city council approved in principle a pilot project to allow online voters to cast ballots in the advance polls for the Nov. 19 civic election.In a 10-1 vote, council said the benefits — increased voter turnout, elimination of lineups and less costly elections — far outweigh some of the potential downsides, including the potential for stolen voter packages, technical difficulties and hacking attacks and difficulty in identifying voter identification.

The Voting News Daily: Nelson blasts Florida election-law fixes, Report shows that 1 in 6 recounts changed results

FL: Nelson blasts Florida Legislature’s 2012 election-law fixes – Legislature – MiamiHerald.com

Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson blasted state Republican lawmakers Monday for an election law overhaul that he says will block college students and military personnel from having their votes counted next year when he and President Barack Obama both seek re-election. Then Nelson waded into a controversy of his own when he suggested the U.S. special forces that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden could be blocked from voting if the Legislature passes the bill. “Should we deny those very military that carried out this very successful decapitating of the al-Qaida snake?” Nelson asked at a Capitol news conference. “Should we deny them because they have signed their voter registration card in a different way than they signed their absentee ballot overseas?” Full Article

Report: Recounts rarely impact state elections | California Watch

Between 2000 and 2009, recounts in state elections were extremely uncommon and rarely resulted in reversals when they did happen, according to a new study [PDF] by the Center for Voting and Democracy. Out of 2,884 statewide general elections there were 18 recounts, only three of which resulted in a change in decision. “There are people who have been pretty critical of the way that we do a lot of voting, thinking it could be done better. But at the same time the basic function of tallying ballots once the voter gets them to their poll worker or the machine, it seems to actually be doing well,” said Robert Richie, co-author of the study. … Having an automatic recount procedure for a race won by 0.5 percent, that’s way too high, absent some reason to think that there’s something that was systematically done in error or fraud.”

But Pamela Smith, president of Verified Voting, said the systems used in many states can’t be recounted because of their design. And even where recountable systems are used, fraud and error can easily go undetected if a race is not close enough to merit a recount. “You’ve got 18 recounts out of close to 3,000 contests, three of which resulted in decisions being reversed,” she said. “Well, three isn’t a large percentage out of 3,000, but it’s a sixth of 18. If those are the only cases that you’re doing a recount in, I think you have to look at that.” Californians have been nothing if not skeptical when it comes to using electronic machines and adopting methods like ranked-choice voting. But Smith said California is ahead of the curve when it comes to many of these issues. The state has been conducting a baseline manual tally of 1 percent of precincts in every county for decades. And in 2007, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen commissioned a “top-to-bottom review” of voting systems and created a Post Election Audit Standards Working Group [PDF]. California also recently passed legislation launching a “risk-limiting audit” program to increase the scrutiny of electronic voting machines, which is something that Richie calls for in the study.

California: Report shows 1 in 6 recounts changed election results in the last decade | California Watch

“Having an automatic recount procedure for a race won by 0.5 percent, that’s way too high, absent some reason to think that there’s something that was systematically done in error or fraud.” But Pamela Smith, president of Verified Voting, said the systems used in many states can’t be recounted because of their design. And even where recountable systems are used, fraud and error can easily go undetected if a race is not close enough to merit a recount.

Wisconsin: Local vote totals change in Supreme recount in Wisconsin | GazetteXtra

Justice David Prosser gained 10 votes in the recount of Rock County ballots for the state Supreme Court race. Challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg, meanwhile, gained 47 votes. Rock County Clerk Lori Stottler said those are the preliminary results of the local recount of the April 2 vote. The recount was completed Monday.

Most precincts where errors were found had only one or two changes, Stottler said. Orfordville had the most with seven. Stottler said the problem in Orfordville might have been that the voting machine was not properly calibrated, so it was not reading votes correctly.

Guam: Early in-office voting, machines debated in Guam | Pacific Daily News

Lawmakers yesterday debated two bills that could affect future island elections — ending the recently approved process for early in-office voting and paving the way for the return of controversial electronic voting machines. Lawmakers debated another election bill by Respicio, which would allow for the use of electronic voting machines, provided the machines print a “voter-verified paper ballot” which the voter can double-check before placing into a ballot box.

Respicio in 2006 wrote a law banning the use of electronic voting machines until several conditions are met, including training and safeguards for accuracy. The Election Commission spent nearly half a million dollars in federal election assistance funding to buy 116 Ivotronic electronic voting machines, according to Pacific Daily News files.

National: ES&S and Scytl Announce Strategic Alliance to Provide a Military and Overseas Electronic Voting Solution (ES&S Press Release) | MarketWatch

Election Systems & Software, Inc. (ES&S) and Scytl today announced a strategic alliance that will provide for BALLOTsafe, a fully integrated online ballot delivery and marking system that will afford military, overseas, absentee and disabled voters the opportunity to cast ballots in a timely, secure and reliable manner.

By combining the market proven election leadership of ES&S with the secure cryptographic online platform pioneered by Scytl, this alliance allows states and local jurisdictions the ability to seamlessly and effortlessly integrate the ballot creation process with the ballot delivery process making BALLOTsafe the leader in voting technology for military, overseas, absentee and disabled voters.

Canada: Q and A-How will Canada election work? What are the rules? | Reuters

Canada is holding a federal election on Monday. Here are the main points of how the country’s electoral system works:

What exactly will happen on Monday? Canada has two houses of Parliament — the elected House of Commons and the unelected upper chamber, the Senate, where members are appointed by the government. Monday’s election is for seats in the much more powerful House of Commons. Canada is divided up into 308 electoral districts known as ridings, each of which elects a member of the House.

India: India: The Concept of Negative Voting |The Sentinel