Yearly Archives: 2011

Voters would be asked for a photo ID in the upcoming recall elections but would still be allowed to vote without one. They would then be informed that a photo ID would be mandatory beginning with the spring 2012 Primary.

The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee passed an amended version of the photo ID bill Monday, removing a provision that required student IDs to carry correct addresses and moving up the date of implementation to immediately after the bill passes.

“We were all wondering why there’s such a rush on this bill — now we know,” said state Rep. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse. “It’s about the recall elections. You feel the rules need to be changed right in the middle of the game.”

Texas: Texas voter ID appears to be headed to governor to become law | Texas Legislature News – News for Dallas, Texas – The Dallas Morning News

Legislation that would require Texans to show a photo ID before voting was given final approval by the Senate on Monday, with the House expected to sign on later and send the bill to the governor. Senators approved the measure 19-12 along partisan lines, signaling the apparent victory in a long effort by Republicans to require voters to prove their identity before casting a ballot.

Democrats had managed to defeat the proposal in the last few legislative sessions, relying on parliamentary maneuvers and a large number of House Democrats. But that changed after last fall’s elections, when Republicans emerged with a supermajority in the House.

Texas: Restrictions on out-of-state voter registration pass in Texas | dallasnews.com

An elections bill by Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, has a very broad caption – “relating to certain election procedures and practices” – and is subsequently beginning to look like a Christmas tree.

For legislative lingo novices, that means lots of bills that haven’t made it to the floor yet are being hung on the bill as amendments.”This should have never happened,” said Rep. Marc Veasy, D-Fort Worth, a member of the House Elections Committee who helped kill some of them in committee, after the bill passed with no fewer than 17 bills/amendments, some of which had gotten no hearing.

Pennsylvania: Measure to require voter ID at polling places moves ahead in Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh Post Gazette

A measure that would require voters to show photo identification when they go to cast their ballot now awaits consideration by the state House of Representatives, following a lengthy committee debate this morning.

The bill from Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry and chair of the State Government Committee, passed the panel on a party-lines vote of 15-9. Under the proposal, voters would be required to show a photo identification card issued by either the state or federal government. Pennsylvania voters currently are only required to show an ID during their first time at a polling site.

Maine: New Voting System Debated in Maine Legislature | MPBN.net

Diane Russell’s goal is to enable Mainers to vote for their favorite gubernatorial candidate, rather than against their least favorite. “We want to make sure that the person elected to run our state shares the values of the vast majority of this state,” said Russell.

Her bill would enable voters to list candidates in order of preference – something that she feels would make the process more democratic if none of them get more than 50 percent of the vote, as often happens. In the case of no clear winner, a so-called “instant run-off” takes place, whereby the weakest candidate is eliminated, and his or her votes are re-distributed using the voters’ second choice candidates. This process continues until one of them has more than 50 percent of the vote. This system, she says, gives voters more choice, enabling them to go for the candidate they like the most rather than having to vote strategically.

Maine: Critics: GOP bill would disenfranchise Maine voters | The Portland Press Herald

A proposal aimed at easing the burden on municipal clerks around Election Day was opposed Monday by several groups that said eliminating same-day voter registration would disenfranchise Maine voters.

L.D. 1376, sponsored by House Speaker Bob Nutting, R-Oakland, and supported by Secretary of State Charlie Summers, would ban absentee voting during the two business days before Election Day for most voters, and eliminate registration for most voters during the same period and on Election Day.

Indiana: Rokita calls White’s release of report a mistake | nwi.com

Former Secretary of State Todd Rokita believes Secretary of State Charlie White erred in making public Rokita’s investigation of White’s voting history.

On Thursday, White released the “Rokita Report,” a 238-page compilation of public records that the report says shows “apparent, albeit rebuttable” intent by White to deliberately vote in the wrong precinct in the May 2010 GOP primary election. The report is partially the basis for seven felony charges, including three counts of voter fraud, pending against White in Hamilton County.

Florida: Collier, state League of Women Voters to stop voter registrations, consider legal action due to election bill » Naples Daily News

Lydia Galton, president of the League of Women Voters of Collier County and director of the state board, said Monday that the Florida association decided to immediately stop voter registration efforts across the state after passage of House Bill 1355.

“While the league remains committed to empowering an active and informed citizenry, we cannot and will not place thousands of volunteers at risk, subjecting them to a process in which one late form could result in their facing financial and civil penalties,” she said. “By passing House Bill 1355, the legislature has declared war on voters.”

Wisconsin: Wisconsin GOP moves quickly on voter ID bill – JSOnline

The fast pace of a bill requiring photo ID at the polls is the latest sign Republicans are moving quickly on their legislative agenda in the face of likely recall elections.

The Joint Finance Committee approved the bill 12-2 Monday on party lines, despite fierce objections from Democrats that the bill was taken up when a key opponent of the bill couldn’t attend for medical reasons. Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester), co-chairman of the committee, said the group had to meet Monday because Democrats will likely slow it down when it gets to the floor of the Assembly on Wednesday.

To vote, people would have to show Wisconsin driver’s licenses, state-issued ID cards, military IDs, passports, naturalization certificates, IDs issued by Wisconsin-based tribes or certain student IDs. Those living in nursing homes and the like would be exempt from the law, as would victims of stalking and those opposed to having their photos taken on religious grounds.

Ecuador: Correa accuses opposition of vote manipulation in Ecuador elections | AFP

Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa accused opposition groups Monday of manipulating the vote count in a referendum as his margin of victory narrowed on planned media, banking and judicial reforms. Certain provinces “are refusing to include their vote data in the national count in a protest to claim that there is a dead heat” on at least two media-related reforms, Correa said at a news conference.

But “no, there is no dead heat to be seen anywhere” he insisted, claiming his government swept the 10-question referendum with a wide margin of victory in most provinces of the South American country of more than 13 million. Opposition groups meanwhile called for a recount, pointing to inconsistencies in the results.

The Voting News Daily: Online voting: An open invitation to voting fraud, Florida LWV: “legislature has declared war on voters”

Canada: Online voting: An open invitation to voting fraud – Vancouver Sun

The Internet voting system approved by Vancouver city council promises unprecedented and untraceable voter fraud if it is allowed to proceed. We can only hope the provincial government will have the good sense to reject the city’s plan. On the face of it, the system would allow voters to cast their ballots from the comfort of their own home. The idea sounds attractive and inevitable. After all, isn’t everything going online? Proponents suggest Internet voting will increase voter participation and will be secure. They are wrong on both counts. Internet systems are secure enough for banking, so you might think Internet voting systems are up to the task of collecting and counting votes. Unfortunately voting systems are different from online banking. Banking systems have audit trails that link the identity and conduct of a user. A voting system cannot link your name to your vote because the ballot must be secret. There is no way to determine whether a fraud has occurred or who committed it. This means that a candidate is deprived of the right to challenge results and have a recount. Internet voting systems presume that everything and everyone involved is beyond reproach. Banking systems accept a level of fraud. If a banking customer observes a fraud the transaction can be reversed. A voting system does not offer the voter the ability to posthumously examine a vote and does not afford officials the option of correcting an error. Full Article

FL: Collier, state League of Women Voters to stop voter registrations, consider legal action due to election bill –
Naples Daily News

A national organization aimed at encouraging participation in government has said it will no longer register Floridians to vote after state lawmakers approved a sweeping overhaul to the state’s election code. Lydia Galton, president of the League of Women Voters of Collier County and director of the state board, said Monday that the Florida association decided to immediately stop voter registration efforts across the state after passage of House Bill 1355. “While the league remains committed to empowering an active and informed citizenry, we cannot and will not place thousands of volunteers at risk, subjecting them to a process in which one late form could result in their facing financial and civil penalties,” she said. “By passing House Bill 1355, the legislature has declared war on voters.” Galton said the decision to stop registering voters is a statewide initiative, and will be discussed at the state board meeting later this week. The League of Women Voters of Florida is “exploring legal remedies” to restore voter rights, she said. The bill, passed last week and yet to be signed by Gov. Rick Scott, requires groups that sign up new voters register with the state, file regular reports and turn in completed voter-registration forms within 48 hours. Full Article

Albania: Albania holds local elections amid unrest | CBS News

Albanians cast ballots Sunday to elect the local authorities amid reports of incidents among political rivals following an election campaign marred by violence.

The main focus of the poll is the capital, Tirana, where the leader of the opposition and three-time Mayor Edi Rama is running for re-election against former Interior Minister Lulzim Basha of the governing Democratic Party. The first preliminary results are expected Monday, according to election officials.

Wisconsin: As Wisconsin voter ID bill heads toward passage, the only certainty is a high price tag | madison.com

Steven Prieve saw a lot of interesting things in his 10 years of running a polling place in Madison. The 59-year-old retired repairman watched as groups of Hmong immigrants arrived with translators in tow. He witnessed droves of students vote in their first elections. And he helped many elderly take part in some of their last.

But despite the thousands of people he helped over the years, Prieve never witnessed someone voting twice or trying to vote under a fake name. “I just don’t see the fraud,” he said. “Not around here.”

Florida: Opponents blast Florida election reform bill | wtsp.com

If you’re planning on getting married and changing your name, or moving to another part of Florida, pay attention. The way you vote may be impacted. An election reform bill that sailed through the House and Senate, despite intense debate, is headed for Governor Scott’s desk.

It aims to change a number of things about Florida’s election code, including a forty-year-old law that allows voters to change their address and/or name at the polls on election day. If signed into law, voters wishing to make those changes will have to vote by provisional ballot, which some fear may not be counted.

Colorado: Colorado Attorney General’s office answers Saguache clerk | Valley Courier

Colorado Deputy Attorney General Maurice Knaizer issued a response last Friday to the recent brief filed by Saguache County Clerk Melinda Myers and the Colorado County Clerk AssociationТs (CCCA) amicus brief.

The briefs were filed concerning the injunction entered against Myers by Secretary of State Scott Gessler in March to hand count ballots cast in the Saguache 2010 General Election. The injunction was sought after Myers refused to allow Gessler to review the ballots, protesting that this would violate the confidential nature of ballots cast.

California: An interview with California Secretary of State Debra Bowen | Daily Kos

Earlier this year, Congresswoman Jane Harman resigned her seat in Congress, triggering a special election in California’s reliably Democratic 36th Congressional district. Sixteen candidates have filed for the May 17 special election; under California’s newly adopted primary system, the top two finishers in that election will advance to a July runoff, regardless of party. Widely expected to advance to this runoff from among the crowded field are Los Angeles City Councilmember Janice Hahn, and current California Secretary of State Debra Bowen.

Secretary Bowen has a reputation among California’s online political community for her groundbreaking work on issues regarding the internet and election integrity (and for personally responding to Facebook messages and Twitter replies). I recently got the chance to catch up with Bowen in the district and talk to her about the election and her priorities. Please note that the publication of this interview here does not constitute an endorsement by Orange to Blue or DailyKos.

The Voting News Daily: Internet voting fraud inevitable, Interview with CA Secretary of State Debra Bowen

Canada: Internet voting fraud inevitable, says expert – CityCaucus.com

It’s become an all too commonplace occurrence at Vancouver city council – a staff report is filed as ‘late distribution’ and posted on the Vancouver.ca website a day before it is to be voted upon. In this case it was about whether the City of Vancouver approves the adoption of internet voting in time for the 2011 election. The staff report was brief and to the point. Internet voting has been tried in other (smaller) Canadian jurisdictions, and anecdotally at least there has been no reported abuse. Therefore it is recommended by staff that Vancouver takes a leap of faith and tries it out during advanced polls this fall. Oh, and it won’t add any additional cost to how we vote. Those who have watched Vision Vancouver with a critical eye know to never take anything from the minds of their party strategists at face value. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what appears to have happened when it came to coverage of this topic. If you are to believe what was reported, this was simply an effort to move toward modernity and increase voter participation. Risks? Pah! Only Councillor Suzanne Anton voted against the proposal, and during the council meeting her concerns about possible voter fraud and the risks associated with technology were dismissed as mere narrow-mindedness by others on council. Full Article

CA: An interview with California Secretary of State Debra Bowen – Daily Kos

Editorials: Craig Gilbert: Straight-ticket voting in Wisconsin and the move to abolish it | JSOnline

Last fall’s Republican wave in Wisconsin featured a surge in straight-party voting. In some places, close to half the electorate used the “straight-ticket” option on the ballot. And in most counties that keep track of it, those straight-ticket voters were disproportionately Republican.

Yet it’s the GOP that is now poised to abolish straight-ticket voting, a longstanding feature of Wisconsin elections that lets voters choose a party’s entire slate of candidates instead of picking individual contestants race by race. What’s the case for ending straight-ticket voting? Which party would benefit? How many people actually vote this way?

North Carolina: North Carolina Lawyers Challenge Section 5 of Voting Rights Act in D.C. Circuit | The BLT

Lawyers for a group of North Carolina residents who favor nonpartisan municipal elections in their city urged a federal appeals court in Washington today to strike down the federal law the U.S. Justice Department enforced to block a referendum to change the city’s electoral scheme.

The city of Kinston, N.C., sought permission from the Justice Department to amend the city’s electoral system to a nonpartisan ballot. In August 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. said the “elimination of party affiliation on the ballot will likely reduce the ability of blacks to elect candidates of their choice.” Kinston is more than 60% black.

India: India: 10 people arrested for making fake Electronic Voting Machines in Bankura, Midnapore | The Hindu

May 8, 2011

Ten persons were arrested in Bankura and West Midnapore districts today for making fake Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).

While six persons were arrested from Raghunathpur area of Bankura district, four were arrested from Pingla and Chandrakona town of West Midnapore district for making fake EVMs, officials said.

United Kingdom: AV referendum: Yes campaign handed thumping defeat | The Guardian

May 8, 2011

Supporters and opponents alike have acknowledged that the alternative vote would never be introduced for Westminster elections after the proposal received a thumping defeat in the national referendum. With 439 of the 440 voting areas counted, the no campaign had established a lead of 68% to 32%, another wounding blow to Nick Clegg, whose Liberal Democrats had secured a referendum as one of their cherished prizes in negotiations with the Conservatives to form the coalition last year.

Matthew Elliott, campaign director of No to AV, said: “Tonight’s result is an emphatic victory, a clear signal from every part of the country that people want to keep our simple, fair and effective system for electing MPs. I believe this result settles the debate over changing our electoral system for another generation.”

United Kingdom: AV Referendum: Voters Deliver Comprehensive Defeat To The Yes Campaign | eGov monitor

May 8, 2011

After a long and twadry campaign on both sides where partisan politics and persoanlities took centre stage, the UK electorate has rejected the Alternative Vote (AV) system by a thumping majority of 67.9% to 32.1%. The final vote tallied at 6,152,607 voted Yes to the Alternative Vote, while 13,013,123 voted No, according to the official Electoral Commission announcement. Only 10 areas in the UK including Islington, Camden, Hackney and Lambeth in London voted for the change to AV.

This hurts the Liberal Democrats and Nick Clegg – the referendum was the prize for joinining a coalition that would have to make tough decisions, hoping a Yes vote would change the political alignment of the country. Instead, they got a crushing defeat and at the hands of the Prime Minister David Cameron. Mr. Cameron joined the campaign barely a month ago and in one month the polls went from favouring Yes to a massive win for the NO campaign.

Editorials: Security Breach With Found Votes in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race | PoliticusUSA.com

You recall the “found” votes in Brookfield City that Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus added to her off-system computer a day after the Wisconsin Supreme Court election results and failed to tell the election canvassers about for two days, right?

Those votes swung the election to the Republican, Prosser, by around 7,000 votes with a total of 14,000 votes being found after Nickolaus forgot to hit “save” after manually inputting the numbers. Nickolaus, who used to be the computer analyst for the GOP assembly, has a sordid history with the law already, having been granted immunity in a criminal investigation resulting from her work for the GOP assembly. Furthermore, her election security process has been roundly criticized even by Republicans. This is not her first rodeo with found votes that swung an election, either.

Canada: Vancouver city council approves Internet voting | Vancouver Courier

Council voted 10-1 Tuesday in favour of having online voting available for residents choosing to cast a ballot at advanced polls in the November municipal election. The move, however, will not eliminate voting stations.

“It’s not to narrow choices, but expand them,” said Vision Vancouver Coun. Andrea Reimer, who led her party’s charge to experiment with online voting this year.

India: Electronic Voting Machine ‘Manipulation’ Issue raised with Election Commission | news.outlookindia.com

Alleging a regular racket involved in attempts to manipulate Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), CPI(M) today sought urgent intervention of the Election Commission to stop such instances.

“There is a regular racket (rigging of EVMs) happening in every elections. It happened in Bihar also. People are coming and offering packages to candidates saying that you pay so much and we would ensure victory,” CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters after meeting Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi here.

Editorials: Editorial: Improve all aspects of voting process | Sheboygan Press

Instead of spending $2 million or more to implement a voter ID law in Wisconsin, the state should be spending that money on improving the overall voting process in the state. Lawmakers are getting ready to vote on a measure that would require everyone who wants to vote to show a valid identification card with a photo on it before he or she is given a ballot.

The Republican sponsors of the measure, including Sen. Joe Leibham of Sheboygan, contend voter ID is necessary to ensure that fraudulent votes aren’t cast. The bill’s sponsors make these claims despite only a handful of voter fraud prosecutions in recent years. In order to pass constitutional muster and the ban on a poll tax, the measure provides for the issuance of free ID cards to those who don’t already have an acceptable photo ID. The estimated cost of this provision is $2.7 million.

Verified Voting Blog: Report on second risk-limiting audit under AB 2023 in Monterey County California

The second risk-limiting audit under California AB 2023 was conducted on May 6 in Monterey County. The contest was a Special all-mail election for Monterey Peninsula Water Management District Director, Division 1. Monterey uses Sequoia equipment. There were two candidates: Brenda Lewis and Thomas M. Mancini, and write-ins. 2111 ballots were cast in all. The reported totals were 1353 reported for Lewis, 742 for Mancini, and 13 write-ins. The remaining 3 ballots were recorded as undervotes and overvotes. Lewis was reported to have 64.18% of the valid votes.

Two members of the public observed the entire audit process, which took roughly 90 minutes including some preliminary explanation of the procedure. They confirmed that their interpretation of the ballots agreed with mine and the elections officials', and they helped roll the dice used to select ballots at random. In conversations afterward, they seemed quite satisfied with the transparency of the procedure (although perhaps not utterly convinced by the mathematics that justified the details).

The audit was performed as follows. After the ballots had been tabulated officially, elections officials Bates-stamped each with a unique serial number (1962 ballots that were scanned had been stamped prior to audit day; the remaining 149 were stamped as part of the audit). It is my understanding that stamping the ballots took about 5 person-hours in all.

Montana: Montana Governor vetoes bill for photo-ID voter registration | helenair.com

Gov. Brian Schweitzer has vetoed a bill to require a government-issued photo identification to cast a vote during an election.

Schweitzer says the bill would have placed an unnecessary burden on low-income, elderly, disabled and student voters.

Indiana: Indiana Secretary of State’s Report on White found indications of potential voter fraud | Indianapolis Star