The Voting News Daily: Hacker allegedly breaches Florida voting database, 37 million ‘bogus votes’ removed from voter lists in Pakistan

Florida: Hacker allegedly breaches Florida voting database | The Raw Story

Voters concerned about the reliability of electronic voting may now have another reason to worry. A hacker known as Abhaxas claimed Saturday to have released data from one of Florida’s internal voting databases.

“Who believes voting isn’t tampered with?” Abhaxas asked Twitter followers.

Data in the file uploaded to Pastbin is dated between 2003 and 2010. One section seems to list candidates from the 2004 Democratic presidential primary. Another section contains the file names of ballots from various years. Read More

Pakistan: Whopping 37 million ‘bogus votes’ removed from voter lists in Pakistan | Daily India

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has been informed that 37 million bogus votes have been excluded from voter lists.

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan also informed the court that 36 million new voters would be included with the assistance of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Earlier, ECP Joint Secretary Sher Afgan had said that 37 million votes in the electoral lists were not bogus, but unverified votes, and could not be removed until next year. Read More

Florida: Hacker allegedly breaches Florida voting database | The Raw Story

Voters concerned about the reliability of electronic voting may now have another reason to worry. A hacker known as Abhaxas claimed Saturday to have released data from one of Florida's internal voting databases.

"Who believes voting isn't tampered with?" Abhaxas asked Twitter followers.

Data in the file uploaded to Pastbin is dated between 2003 and 2010. One section seems to list candidates from the 2004 Democratic presidential primary. Another section contains the file names of ballots from various years.

Pakistan: Whopping 37 million ‘bogus votes’ removed from voter lists in Pakistan | Daily India

Pakistan's Supreme Court has been informed that 37 million bogus votes have been excluded from voter lists.

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan also informed the court that 36 million new voters would be included with the assistance of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Earlier, ECP Joint Secretary Sher Afgan had said that 37 million votes in the electoral lists were not bogus, but unverified votes, and could not be removed until next year.

Texas: Texas Supreme Court tosses NAACP challenge of electronic voting machines | Examiner.com

The Texas Supreme Court has thrown out a case challenging the legality of electronic voting machines in Travis County that don’t also produce a paper trail of votes.

In a ruling released July 1, Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson wrote that the voters who complained about the machines “raise legitimate concerns about system integrity and vulnerability. But these are policy disputes more appropriately resolved in the give-and-take of politics.”

Jefferson’s opinion came in a lawsuit brought by Texas Secretary of State Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, the state’s chief elections officer. Andrade sought to overturn an appellate court’s ruling that kept alive the challenge to “paperless” electronic voting machines used in Travis County elections. Travis County’s eSlate machines are produced by Austin-based Hart InterCivic Inc.

Oklahoma: Cherokee election compared to Florida 2000 vote fracas | Native American Times

Cherokee Nation council members expressed hope last week that the controversy swirling around the disputed election for the principal chief’s office can be resolved amicably. The election and its aftermath are drawing comparisons to the famed recount in the 2000 presidential election in Florida involving Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore.

Longtime tribal councilman and challenger Bill John Baker, who trailed three-term incumbent Chad Smith by seven votes in the latest count from Saturday’s June 25 election, filed a formal recount request June 29.

Oklahoma: Cherokee chief looks to justices for recount | Tulsa World

After a quiet Independence Day weekend, the fireworks in the Cherokee Nation's principal chief race could reignite as early as Tuesday morning. Tuesday is the soonest that the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court can rule on a request for an injunction filed by current principal chief Chadwick "Corntassel" Smith just before 5 p.m. Friday.

In his petition to the court, Smith demanded that the election commission finish Thursday night's recount using a machine. The results of Thursday night's hand recount were certified as official, but the Smith campaign maintains the recount is incomplete because there is a 251-vote discrepancy between the sum of the votes counted Thursday and those in the original certified results announced Monday.

Indiana: White ruling prompts calls for election law reform | nwi times

Secretary of State Charlie White got to keep his job because state law required the Indiana Recount Commission to consider White's "intent" in determining where he resided.

In a 3-0 decision last week, the commission ruled based on White's testimony, and despite legal documents suggesting otherwise, White intended to reside at his ex-wife's home until moving into a condominium once he married his fiancée. That decision meant White, a Republican, was eligible to run for office and can keep his job as the state's chief elections officer because he was properly registered to vote.

But White, members of the Recount Commission and the Indiana Democratic Party, which challenged White's eligibility, all believe Indiana election law needs to be changed to better account for nontraditional families and unusual living situations.

Illinois: Is election commission worth it to Aurora Illinois? | DailyHerald.com

Decades ago, the Aurora Election Commission was established by a vote of the residents. Now, at least one Aurora alderman is calling for another citywide vote — this time on disbanding the commission that handles elections for Aurora residents living in Kane, Kendall and Will counties but not DuPage County.

Alderman Lynda Elmore said inequalities between whose tax dollars support the commission and who receives its services are part of why she wants to discontinue it.

The commission is funded by Kane County and the city of Aurora. All Aurora residents contribute through taxes they pay the city, even DuPage County residents who do not receive the commission’s services. And Kane County Aurora residents pay twice — once through the taxes they pay the city and again through their county taxes.

Illinois: Quinn signs bills to increase protections for vets, servicemembers | Chicago Sun-Times

Gov. Pat Quinn Sunday signed three bills to provide more protections for Illinois’ servicemembers and help injured veterans get the services they need.

These bills prevent Illinois utilities from cutting off heat to veterans and servicemembers during the winter months; extend the driver’s license renewal time for servicemembers returning from overseas or out-of-state; and create a fund to support public service announcements to increase awareness of veterans’ programs, a release from the governor’s office said.

National: An Independence Holiday Reflection: IP Reform and Innovation in Elections Technology | TrustTheVote

On this Independence Day I gave some reflection to the intentions of our founding fathers, and how that relates to our processes of elections and the innovations we should strive for to ensure accuracy, transparency, verification, and security.  And as I thought about this more while gazing out at one of the world’s most precious natural resource treasures and typing this post, it occurred to me that innovation in elections systems is largely around the processes and methods more than any discrete apparatus.

That’s when the old recovering IP lawyer in me had an “ah ha” moment.   And that’s what this long-winded post is about—something that actually should matter to you, a reader of this forum about our on-going effort to make elections and voting technology critical democracy infrastructure.

You see, in America, innovation has long been catalyzed by intellectual property law, specifically patents.

United Kingdom: Cabinet Office Unveils New UK Voter Registration Process | eGov Monitor

New steps voters will be required to take to be included on the electoral register are set out today by the Government.

The Individual Electoral Registration White Paper details the process for moving to individual voter registration, replacing the existing system of household registration. The change is designed to modernise the electoral system and tackle fraud.

Mark Harper MP, Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform, said Britain is almost alone in retaining a system of household registration, which is now widely considered to be outdated and vulnerable to fraud. Moving to individual electoral registration will help to ensure our system is more robust against fraud and gives every individual control over whether or not they are included on the register.

Thailand: Thai election commission to verify voting result on July 12 | xinhuanet.com

The Election Commissioner Prapun Naigowit said on Tuesday the Election Commission (EC) expects to endorse the July 3 election results on July 12 if no more complaints about electoral frauds are made.

According to the EC, vote counting is expected to be completed Tuesday and an official announcement of the results will be made right after, therefore, the EC is likely to be able to certify the result next Tuesday.

Mexico: Mexico election to shape 2012 presidential election | latimes.com

The political party that ruled Mexico for more than 70 years and aspires to recapture the presidency in 2012 appeared headed for lopsided wins Sunday in key state elections that reflected public anger with the government of President Felipe Calderon.

The Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, hoped victories would help cement its steady march back to the presidential palace, and initial results were encouraging to the party's leaders. The PRI was toppled from the nation's top office in 2000.

With 15 million people, the state of Mexico is the country's most populous. Exit polls quoted by Mexican television gave a substantial win there to PRI candidate Eruviel Avila, as was widely expected. He had more than double the votes of his nearest rival, according to these polls. Official results were trickling in through the night and initially confirmed the trends reported by the exit polls.

Seychelles: New Bill For Larger Seychelles Electoral Commission | statehouse.gov.sc

A revised constitution amendment bill for the creation of an electoral commission, to replace the electoral commissioner, is now for five members instead of three, to be proposed by the Constitutional Appointments Authority (CAA) and submitted to the President for appointment.

The Constitutional Review Committee’s Report of December 2009, addressed to the President of the Republic, had recommended that Article 115 of the Constitution be amended to provide for an electoral commission comprising three members, as opposed to the existing office of the Electoral Commissioner.

Pakistan: Azad Kashmir constituencies: Polls will be conducted on July 20, court told | The Express Tribune

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission (EC) on Saturday assured the high court that elections for the two legislative assembly constituencies reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Karachi would be held on July 20.

The EC counsel presented a notification for the election schedule before the court for polling in LA-30 of Jammu and others-1 and LA-36 Kashmir valley-1 in Karachi.

Antigua: Top Antigua Commissioner Opens Up On Electoral Matters | Caribarena Antigua

Chairman of the Antigua & Barbuda Electoral Commission Juno Samuel, in a wide-ranging interview with Caribarena, dealt frankly with challenges facing ABEC in the run-up to the general elections constitutionally due in 2014.

The ABEC chairman identified philosophical differences between members of the Commission as the most critical of these challenges. Samuel maintains that the continuing uncertainty over the ultimate position of former chairman – now ordinary member – Sir Gerald Watt has not in any way hindered the Commissioners’ approach to their work.

However, he pinpoints the philosophical divide over the powers and proper functioning of the chairman in particular as posing a significant – if not preponderant - obstacle to progress.

Kyrgyzstan: Period for forming election commission should be extended in Kyrgyzstan | Trend

The deadline for forming election commission should be extended in Kyrgyzstan, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Tuigunaaly Abdraimov stated at CEC’s session today, 24.kg reported.

The CEC’s official Myrzabek Kargynbayev said that corrections must be made in prepared time-table draft. "The period of registration of territorial election commissions must be extended. 2,300 precinct election commission and 56 territorial commissions will be created as well as it is planned to establish 2,296 polling stations."

Congo: Democratic Republic of Congo election protests turn violent | Reuters

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo used tear gas on Monday to disperse hundreds of opposition supporters protesting outside the electoral commission against alleged irregularities in voter registration.

The clashes, confirmed by demonstrators and the police, were the first signs of tension in the capital Kinshasa as the vast central African country geared up for its second post-war poll.