Typical 16 and 17-year-olds enjoy sleeping in on Sundays. But on May 22, those in the German city-state of Bremen will have a reason to greet the day a bit earlier. For the first time in their nation’s history, they will be allowed to cast ballots in state elections after the local government decided to…
The Democratic race for Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judge could be headed for a recount. The decision on whether to tally the votes again will be made next week, when counties submit official returns to the Department of State. A total of 603,801 Democratic voters supported either Kathryn Boockvar or Barbara Ernsberger Tuesday. Speaking Wednesday afternoon,…
The Voting News for 05/18/2011 Estonia: OSCE recommends that Estonia regulate e-voting in more detail | The Baltic Course The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), an agency of the the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitored the March 6 2011 parliamentary elections in Estonia and published its report on the elections…
The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), an agency of the the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitored the March 6 2011 parliamentary elections in Estonia and published its report on the elections on Monday. The organisation recommends to supplement and specify the legislation governing e-voting. (Read the Report (PDF)) OSCE also…
[Clay] County [KS] clerk Kayla Wang says her staff is dreading expected complaints the first election after Kansas’ new voter picture ID law takes effect. “Too many people are not going to understand what’s going on. They’re not going to be happy,” Wang said. Why is it necessary to require all voters to present a…
A Senate panel on Tuesday took a look at a bill that would require North Carolina voters to show a photo ID when they go to the polls to cast their ballots. “I think it does ensure integrity in our elections process,” Sen. Debbie Clary, R-Cleveland, told a Senate Judiciary Committee. “It ensures that you…
The U.S. Department of Justice will “carefully consider” changes to Florida’s elections laws under a bill Gov. Rick Scott is expected to sign into law this week. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson complained to the feds before the bill was passed that the measure would impose severe restrictions on Floridians’ voting rights. Democrats are convinced the…
The Ohio Secretary of State has a goal for 2012, to not be in the national spotlight. “That’s why you see us in early 2011 working through all the issues that we foresee on our doorstep in November of 2012,” said Jon Husted. “The last thing in the world that I ever want to be is…
With state senators abandoning ship for statewide posts and new public jobs, and state representatives stepping up to become senators, and parish councilmen and mayors pushing to fill those vacancies, there has been a long string of special elections in recent months. Over the course of the current term of the Louisiana Legislature, taxpayers have…
Senate Republicans gave initial approval early Wednesday to a bill requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls, but Democrats blocked a final vote on the measure until Thursday. Senators signaled their approval of the bill on a voice vote, with Republicans who control the house voting for it and Democrats opposed. That vote…
“Until we find out the results of that one machine, I’d rather not comment,” said Kaelin, last night. In Tuesday’s primary, a voting machine malfunction left a cliff hanger in Glenolden which may not be resolved until sometime today at the earliest, according to officials. Eight candidates were competing for four four year seats on Interboro…
Pembroke Pines Commissioner Angelo Castillo wants to cut the cost of elections in the city and Broward County. This is in spite of the fact that his position as a city commissioner doesn’t impart him with much authority to change the way elections are run. The Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes runs the…
The Committee on Election Reform is convening an Election Reform Advisory Group for the purpose of examining Guam’s election laws to craft legislation that will help to ensure elections are efficient, fair, and reliable. “During the last three General Elections, and a couple of primaries, we have repeatedly seen a wide ranging list of allegations…
Alaska’s governor has signed into law a bill allowing the state to use discretion in counting write-in ballots. The law, set to take effect in August, is the result of last year’s U.S. Senate race. That race was ultimately decided in the courts.
Voting in municipal elections proceeded smoothly across South Africa on Wednesday, even in hotly contested districts, where a rising opposition party is hoping to make gains. … Some minor glitches occurred in parts of Johannesburg and in the far north, including several polling machines that did not function and one station that was damaged overnight…
Salt Lake County may have to come up with $10 million or more to keep elections running smoothly beyond 2015. Elections Director Scott Konopasek announced Tuesday that the county’s voting machines may need to be swapped by then,meaning that the county would have to come up with the cash for about 3,000 replacements. The projected…
Post-Election Public Opinion in Kosovo 2011, IFES’ third post-election survey in the country since 2008, is now available. The poll captures the perspectives of Kosovo citizens on matters such as perceptions of democracy, opinions on the December 2010 elections, and assessments of the overall situation in the country.
These IFES surveys have provided much insight into the evolution of opinions of Kosovo citizens from immediately prior to the country’s declaration of independence in 2008 to this year. The data not only gives a pulse of the country, but is a thorough gauge of public opinion on the country’s advancing electoral process and democracy.
The New South Wales electoral commissioner has rejected claims that two of his staff exchanged emails allegedly referring to errors in the count of votes for Upper House candidate Pauline Hanson. Ms Hanson is challenging the election result which saw her miss out on an Upper House seat.
She has launched action in the Court of Disputed Returns, after being told that staff at the commission had mistakenly put around 1,200 votes for her in a pile of blank ballots. Ms Hanson says she was tipped off by an Electoral Commission worker that her ballots were sabotaged.
North Carolina’s early voting would be scaled back by a week under a bill that won tentative approval from the state House on Thursday. “This is clearly not an indictment against early voting,” said unaffiliated Rep. Bert Jones of Rockingham County, the sponsor of the bill. “I guess the question is, how long is enough?”
My print column this week examines the debate over voting systems that theorists and reformers have backed to replace the system prevalent in the U.S. and many other places, in which each voter gets one vote and the candidate with the most votes wins. Among possible alternative systems include some where voters rank candidates and…
Politically tinged legislation to cut North Carolina’s early voting period by a week hinges on Democratic worries they’ll lose voters and Republican insistence the shorter time is more efficient. The state House is scheduled to vote on the measure Monday. A tentative vote last week passed by a close margin, meaning a veto by Democratic Gov. Beverly…
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has hired two more lawyers and is planning to add another to help handle an expected workload increase resulting from the Republican-led Legislature’s recently ended session. The ACLU, unions and some liberal and nonpartisan groups are gearing up for potential legal challenges to legislation as well as at…
Bills requiring local special elections to be held on general election days and bringing military voting guidelines in line with national standards passed the House Monday night. The special election date bill, sponsored by Harry Warren, requires special elections – such as bond referendums – to be held when voters would also be going to…
Kathy Nickolaus, the county clerk at the center of the state Supreme Court election controversy and the focus of an ongoing state elections investigation, has been described by colleagues and acquaintances as headstrong and insular, hardworking and independent. She came to local public office, where constituents are the boss, from a staff job at the…
Wisconsin taxpayers so far are on the hook for more than a quarter-million dollars in the recount of votes in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The statewide recount of ballots in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race will cost the state at least $230,000, according to updated financial data gathered by Wisconsin Reporter. As of Friday, initial…
Councilwoman Priscilla Leal wants a recount of Saturday’s election results and a state investigation into alleged voting problems in her district. Leal, who is seeking her fourth term as the District 3 representative, was forced into a runoff by three votes. She received 1,016 votes to challenger Roland Barrera’s 921 and Rose Marie Soto’s 99, according…
The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on Sunday made the bizarre demand for a re-poll using traditional ballots, saying that the Congress had rigged the electronic voting machines (EVMs) to win the Assam elections for the third straight time. “Definitely there should be a re-election by way of ballots as we strongly believe the Congress party…
The Voting News for 05/17/2011 Joanne Kloppenburg: Why recounts are a vital part of election process | JSOnline The Journal Sentinel Editorial Board is entitled to its own opinions but it is not entitled to its own facts. The board’s speculation about my motives regarding the recount of the vote in the Supreme Court election is…
Tomorrow is election day and the country will become a network of hope, change and unity. To make sure that each of the 23.5-million votes cast will count – literally at least – there are three people and their teams who have been working tirelessly. They are Libisi Maphanga, the chief information officer for the Independent…
With the presidential and legislative elections just eight months away, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators are pushing for legal amendments that would allow the elections to be held on a Sunday rather than a Saturday, and for polling stations to stay open later because of the anticipated high voter turnout. The Central Election Commission (CEC)…