National: Defense Department offers $15 million to improve overseas voting | Stars and Stripes

Defense Department officials late last week announced more than $15 million in grants designed to improve how voter registration forms and absentee ballots are sent to overseas voters, in an effort to solve problems well in advance of the 2012 presidential election.

Bob Carey, director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program, said officials don’t have any set plans on how many grants they’ll award or exactly what the final projects will look like. The grants are open to state and local election officials, and the parameters call for using new technologies to decrease the delivery time for registration, ballot requests and changes of address.

Florida: New Florida Election Law Draws Criticism | WJXT Jacksonville

Read HB 1355 – Florida’s Omnibus Elections Bill

On the heels of a historic Jacksonville mayoral election with a narrow margin of victory, Gov. Rick Scott signed a major revision to Florida’s election laws. After the law goes into effect July 1, there will be fewer early-voting days and it will be more difficult for a voter to change his or her address.

The law has drawn criticism from across the state and nation.

“This new law is going to make it very difficult for us to engage eligible voters in our Democratic process,” said Katherine Carithers, president of the Jacksonville chapter of the League of Women Voters.

Florida: Flexibility in early voting means possibly less hours to vote – Barely True | PolitiFact Florida/St. Petersburg Times

Florida Governor Rick Scott’s elections chief is defending changes to election law that shrink the number of days for early voting by arguing that polling places will be open the same number of hours they are now. Yes, fewer days, Secretary of State Kurt Browning wrote in a May 23, 2011, guest column in the St. Petersburg Times. But longer hours on those days.

HB 1355, which Scott signed into law May 19, cuts the number of days of early voting from 14 to 8, makes it harder for third-party voter registration groups to register prospective voters and requires voters who change their address from one county to another on the day of an election to cast a provisional ballot, which would then be reviewed by the county canvassing board.

North Carolina: North Carolina Wrestles with Early Cutoff for Early Voting | Public News Service

The North Carolina Senate will soon decide how early “early voting” can be. The state House has passed its version of a bill to reduce the amount of time polling sites can be open before elections, by one week. Republican backers of the idea suggest it will save county governments money, but the people who administer the elections say it would actually cost more.

Bev Cunningham, director of the Henderson County Board of Elections in Hendersonville, says her elections staff would be much busier, for a shorter time period.

Indiana: Indiana court denies delay in White case | Indystar

The Indiana Supreme Court said Friday the state recount commission should go ahead and reconsider whether Republican Secretary of State Charlie White was a valid candidate for the office to which he was elected.

Democrats challenged White’s candidacy after the November election, saying he wasn’t eligible to seek the office. A Hamilton County grand jury indicted White in March on seven counts, including voter fraud and perjury, for using his ex-wife’s address on a voter registration form.

White has blamed the error on his busy schedule and new marriage and called it an honest mistake.

Indiana: Justices won’t intervene in Indiana Secretary of State eligibility case | The Indiana Lawyer

Read the Court Order (PDF)

Ruling on an emergency transfer request, the Indiana Supreme Court today accepted Secretary of State Charlie White’s appeal against the state’s Democratic Party and ruled it won’t put a halt to the case while a recount investigation and criminal voter fraud proceedings are ongoing.

With that, the justices are allowing for the Indiana Recount Commission to rule on whether White – elected as the state’s chief election officer in November – was eligible for office because he registered using a false home address during his campaign.

Nevada: Democrats have bill to change Nevada elections, create odd-year general – might affect special House election, tax plan | Las Vegas Sun

Democrats quietly have prepared an omnibus election bill that would move certain races to odd-numbered years, allow them to put their tax plan on the ballot in 2011 and, perhaps, move the September House special election to November, several well-placed sources confirm.

The bill draft was being passed around late last week and Monday, with election experts reviewing it.

Nevada: Attorney General’s office to appeal Nevada special election ruling | ReviewJournal.com

Update: Appeal Filed In Special Election – My News 4 – KRNV, Reno, NV

The Republican Party would suffer irreparable harm if an unlimited number of candidates were allowed to run for the 2nd Congressional District seat left vacant by Dean Heller’s move to the Senate. So stated Carson City District Judge [James] Todd Russell in a written ruling released Monday. He announced his decision Friday.

Russell was critical of Secretary of State Ross Miller’s attorneys who argued for a “free-for-all” special election, saying reliance upon a single sentence contained in an entire law “produces an unreasonable and absurd result.”

Nevada: Judge calls Nevada Secretary of State’s legal reasoning for special election rules “absurd” | The Republic

The legal reasoning used by the state’s top election official to determine how candidates will be chosen for a special election to fill Nevada’s vacant U.S. House seat was “unreasonable and absurd,” a state judge said Monday.

The 12-page written order released by Carson District Judge James [Todd] Russell codifies his verbal bench ruling last week and sets the stage for an appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court.

Secretary of State Ross Miller said the Sept. 13 special election would be an open contest, with the 2nd Congressional District seat going to the candidate who gets the most votes.

Wisconsin: Voter ID bill will be costly for Wisconsin universities | WQOW TV

Rindo says it would cost the university more than $100,000 to replace all student IDs.

A bill to cut down on voter fraud could have universities cutting up student IDs and starting over.  Governor Walker is expected to sign a voter ID bill into law this week.

Voters would be required to have a driver’s license, state issued ID or student ID to vote.  University officials say efforts to make it easier for students to vote are welcome. 

Wisconsin: State board declares Prosser winner in Wisconsin Supreme Court Recount | JSOnline

State elections officials on Monday certified the results of the recount of the April 5 election for state Supreme Court, declaring that Justice David Prosser has been re-elected to another 10-year term on the court by 7,004 votes.

“I look forward to taking the oath of office and continuing to serve in a fair and independent manner as a member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” Prosser said a statement.

California: Appeals court upholds ranked-choice vote for San Francisco | San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco’s ranked-choice voting system is constitutional, a federal appeals court panel ruled Friday in rejecting a challenge by a former candidate for supervisor.

Ron Dudum, a small-business owner who lost to now-disgraced former Supervisor Ed Jew in 2006, sued San Francisco election officials in federal court last year. He claimed that the city’s system violates the Constitution by denying thousands of voters a voice in elections and allows candidates to win without getting a majority.

Egypt: Minister says no electronic voting for Egypt | Ahram Online

Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Maged Othman announced in a press conference today that Egypt will not use electronic voting in the next presidential election.

Othman said electronic voting is currently too costly and requires extensive preparation to ensure the voting process is transparent and everyone is able to vote.

Egypt: Government eyes consuls as potential supervisors for Egyptian expat votes | Al-Masry Al-Youm

Egypt’s communication minister on Monday said the government is considering granting consuls abroad the authority to oversee voting by Egyptian expatriates during upcoming elections.

Communication and Information Technology Minister Maged Othman told reporters the move would come as per a decree by the justice minister, adding that Egyptians abroad should register at embassies and consulates.

Editorials: Ida Eskamani: Voting is a right, not a restrictive privilege | Central Florida Future

We have a basic right here in the United States. It’s called voting.

It might sound familiar to you. It guarantees that each individual, regardless of age or status, has a say in his or her government. Does this ring a bell?

Well thanks to Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican legislature, that right is now a privilege. Last Thursday, Scott signed a bill into law that dismantles the Democratic process in Florida, and will undoubtedly disenfranchise many voters, especially students.

Editorials: Vote-killing regulations in Florida | TBO.com

“It doesn’t matter who the losing political party is. The scheme is an affront to democracy.”

Florida Gov. Rick Scott hates regulations. Indeed, the phrase “job-killing regulations” has become a virtual motto. But while he has little use for rules intended to protect the public health, consumers or the environment, he doesn’t object to “vote-killing” regulations.

The governor last week signed legislation aimed at making it tougher for the young and the poor to vote. The legislation prevents people who have moved from another county from changing their address at the polls, as they have been able to do for 40 years. They now will be forced to cast a provisional ballot.

Editorials: Paul Lux: Florida’s new voting law and what it means | Northwest Florida Daily News

I recently spoke at the State of the County event hosted by the local chapter of the League of Women Voters. I likened some of the changes in election law made by HB 1355 to a five-ring circus, and focused on issues that I felt voters needed to better understand: early voting, address changes on election day, third-party voter registration organizations, the Presidential Preference Primary, and the full-text option for joint resolutions to amend the Florida Constitution.

After reading the Daily News’ May 17 editorial, “A fight over Florida voter rights,” I decided that voters really needed to hear a detailed explanation of what some of the changes made by HB 1355 mean to them, from the person who will be responsible for implementing those changes. Cue the calliope.

Editorials: League of Women voters response to Florida Election Bill | Lehigh Acres Citizen

The League of Women Voters of Florida is gravely disappointed by Governor Rick Scott’s decision to approve HB 1355, a controversial elections bill that the League considers an assault on voters.

By signing HB 1355, the governor indicated his support for burdensome and unnecessary regulations that will make it more difficult for eligible voters to get registered and cast a ballot in the state of Florida.

Our League president Deirdre Macnab said that Gov. Scott is taking Florida back in time today, with his approval of cumbersome regulations that will make it harder for eligible Floridians to be engaged and active in their government. She said this is extremely disappointing in a state like Florida, which had made many improvements to its electoral system in recent years.

The Voting News Daily: Recount in Wisconsin Supreme Court race to serve as tool for improving election process, E-Voting in Germany – Nein Danke

Wisconsin: Prosser wins recount in Wisconsin Supreme Court race — Kloppenburg weighs challenge | JSOnline

With the weeks-long recount complete, unofficial numbers confirm that state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser narrowly defeated Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg in the April 5 election. But the battle may not be over yet, as Kloppenburg mulls whether to challenge the results in court.

And if a legal contest goes on long enough, attorneys say it could delay efforts to swear Prosser in for a new term on Aug. 1,… Read More

Wisconsin: Recount in Wisconsin Supreme Court race to serve as tool for improving election process | JSOnline

With Waukesha County’s plodding recount in the Supreme Court now over and with Justice David Prosser’s statewide win almost certain to be certified as early as Monday, the state’s top election official said lessons from the recount will not be ignored.

“This isn’t something you do and just put it on the shelf,” said Kevin Kennedy, executive director of the Government Accountability Board. The detailed recount record serves a public… Read More

Wisconsin: Prosser wins recount in Wisconsin Supreme Court race – Kloppenburg weighs challenge | JSOnline

Certified vote totals, minutes and other details are available at the Government Accountability Board website.

With the weeks-long recount complete, unofficial numbers confirm that state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser narrowly defeated Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg in the April 5 election. But the battle may not be over yet, as Kloppenburg mulls whether to challenge the results in court.

And if a legal contest goes on long enough, attorneys say it could delay efforts to swear Prosser in for a new term on Aug. 1, leading to a temporary vacancy on the closely divided high court.

Wisconsin: Recount in Wisconsin Supreme Court race to serve as tool for improving election process | JSOnline

With Waukesha County’s plodding recount in the Supreme Court now over and with Justice David Prosser’s statewide win almost certain to be certified as early as Monday, the state’s top election official said lessons from the recount will not be ignored.

“This isn’t something you do and just put it on the shelf,” said Kevin Kennedy, executive director of the Government Accountability Board. The detailed recount record serves a public purpose as an opportunity to evaluate clerk training and election procedures and to make changes where needed.

“We will devote a lot of energy to that between now and this fall’s elections,” he said.

Germany: E-Voting: click instead of crosses? Online elections in Germany, still in the future | ZDFheute

We buy on the Internet and do banking online. Yet we still vote with pen and paper. The interest in online voting is great, but above all unresolved security problems are an obstacle for e-voting.

E-Voting in Practice: Two years ago, Austrian students selected their representatives in the National Union of Students (Students’ Union) for the first time by clicking select. But the elections were anything but smooth: turnout dropped below 30 percent and less than one percent of students voted online. There were also problems with the technology and the University of Salzburg eventually annulled the election. This year they will return to pen and paper, voting via the Internet has been eliminated.

North Carolina: Voter ID laws and limits on early take hold in many states | The Charlotte Observer

North Carolina lawmakers aren’t the only ones pushing for voter ID laws and a shorter period for early voting. This year 19 other states have considered new voter ID legislation. Another 10 have debated whether to toughen current laws. Last week, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley signed a law requiring S.C. voters to show a photo ID.

And at least two states have sought to shorten early voting, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Georgia just cut its time from 45 to 21 days. Florida could trim its by six days. The N.C. House last week narrowly passed a bill that would cut the 21/2-week early voting period by a week. Similar legislation is pending in the Senate.

Editorials: Shorter early voting costlier? Just say no! | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper

If all other reasons for pulling the plug on a bill that would shrink the early voting period fail to persuade N.C. lawmakers, this one should do the trick. The bill, which would deprive voters of the flexibility to cast ballots during an extended early voting period before Election Day, would increase the cost of elections.

You read that right – increase the cost.

That’s what Gary Bartlett, executive director of the state elections board, said in a memo last week. Mecklenburg County Elections Director Michael Dickerson made similar comments. He said 45,000 county voters voted in the first week of early voting here in Mecklenburg County in 2008. If there is a shorter voting period in 2012, he might ask his board to open 30 voting sites, 10 more than in 2008, to avoid longer lines.

Wisconsin: Senate president can’t gavel down truth: Wisconsin Voter ID bill is voter suppression bill | Cap Times

Senate President Mike Ellis, under pressure from Gov. Scott Walker and the out-of-state political interests that seek to game our politics, lost it last week.

The Neenah Republican was literally sputtering, grumbling “shut up” and banging his gavel in order to silence senators who sought to raise legitimate objections about the rush to pass a voter ID bill. The legislation in question was written by Washington-based political strategists with an eye toward disenfranchising students, the elderly, people of color and low-income urban and rural citizens going into the 2012 presidential election.

Ellis tried to silence the senior member of the Wisconsin Legislature — indeed, the senior legislator in the nation — but state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, calmly continued to outline the fundamental flaws in the voter ID bill. Ellis and his Republican colleagues may not have wanted to hear it, but Risser was saying something important, something every Wisconsinite should recognize.

Wisconsin: Getting Ready for the New Wisconsin Voter ID Law | WUWM

Wisconsin lawmakers approved a bill last Thursday changing state voting rules. Gov. Scott Walker says he’ll sign the bill into law this week.

The major new mandate is that voters will have to show a photo ID. People must also live at an address for 28 days before they vote in that precinct. And the bill moves up the deadline for casting absentee ballots.

As WUWM’s Ann-Elise Henzl reports, groups that had fought the changes now say they’ll now focus on helping residents navigate the new rules, especially in obtaining acceptable ids.

Minnesota: Voter ID bill heads to Minnesota Governor’s desk | Twin Cities Daily Planet

Gov. Mark Dayton will have his say on a plan to require all Minnesotans to present a valid photo identification card before voting.

Sponsored by Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) and Sen. Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove), HF210/ SF509* would require all voters to present a valid government-issued photo ID with their current address before casting their ballots. Limited exceptions would be made for college students and those in nursing homes, battered women’s shelters and similar facilities. The House re-passed the bill 74-58 as amended by a conference committee. The Senate re-passed it 37-25 on May 18. It now goes to the governor for action.