The Voting News Weekly: TVN Weekly May 30-June 4 2011

Kevin Kennedy, Executive Director, Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

Kevin Kennedy, Executive Director, WI GAB

A hearing was held in the dispute between Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler and Saguache County Clerk Melinda Myers over access to ballots from the 2010 election. Barely finished with a grueling statewide recount, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Office came under partisan fire for their request for extension to complete the review of challenges to recall petitions against three Democratic State Senators. The Alabama legislature sent a bill to the Governor that would allow the electronic submission of voted ballots, including email, fax and “secure electronic transmissions.” In response to flaws revealed by computer security experts and growing political pressure, the Indian Election Commission has announced plans to develop and test a voter verified paper audit trail printer for their electronic voting machines. In announcing she would not seek a legal challenge of the results of the recently completed Supreme Court recount, Joanne Kloppenburg cited “widespread irregularities” uncovered in the recount process and called on election officials to improve the State’s voting process. The Maine legislature is moving a bill that would end “same day registration,” in which voters are allowed to register and cast their votes on Election Day. The process has been in place for nearly four decades and is credited with helping Maine’s consistently high voter turnout.

Florida: Florida State law battles could be costly | TBO.com

For the second time this week, the American Civil Liberties Union announced it is hauling Gov. Rick Scott into court — this time, over a controversial makeover of Florida's election laws — as another group prepares to sue him over a new law restricting what doctors can ask their patients.

More court challenges are expected in what appears to be a building wave of litigation over provocative bills the conservative state Legislature passed this spring. That could cost the state untold thousands, even millions, of dollars in what lawmakers have called the state's toughest fiscal year in decades.

Canada: British Columbia government says no to online voting in Vancouver | The Vancouver Observer

Vancouver citizens will not be able to vote online in this year’s municipal election after all. Ida Chong, provincial Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, has written to Mayor Gregor Robertson that the province will not amend the Vancouver Charter to allow the city to conduct a pilot test of internet voting because of potential risks associated with voting online.

Recently, the Observer reported that the city was optimistic Chong would give her approval. City Councillor Andrea Reimer, who initiated the internet voting proposal, told the Observer that the provincial government was also interested in exploring giving voters an online option, and so should be willing to allow Vancouver to conduct its pilot.

Thailand: Election Commission prints extra ballot papers for Thailand election | Bangkok Post :

The Election Commission says the reason why it is producing millions more ballots than the number of eligible voters for the July 3 election is because it has to cater to advance voting.

EC deputy secretary-general Boonyakiat Rakchartcharoen yesterday said that although there were only 47.3 million eligible voters in Thailand, the commission ordered 53.5 million ballots to be produced for the party-list system because it had to prepare ballots for advance voting on June 26 as well.

He was responding to the Pheu Thai Party's query as to why the EC was producing what it viewed to be an excessive number of ballots.

Bangladesh: Government not rigid on caretaker issue in Bangladesh | The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged the main opposition BNP to call off tomorrow’s hartal and said there is still scope for discussion on the caretaker government system.

“We are not rigid on the issue. Come to parliament and if you have any formula, spell it out,” she said in the emergency meeting of Awami League Central Working Committee, at her Gono Bhaban residence in the capital.

India: Plea to make provision for ‘negative vote’ in Indian Electronic Voting Machines | Business Line

A [Public Interest Litigation] PIL has urged the Bombay High Court to direct the Election Commission to introduce electoral reforms by making a provision for “negative vote” in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) during elections.

The PIL filed by Thane resident Mahesh Bedekar also urged the court to ensure that secrecy of the “negative vote” is maintained during elections as it is not being done under the existing rules.