Yearly Archives: 2011

The Voting News Daily: Food for Votes Debate in SD, Mail-only balloting possible for county – SignOnSanDiego.com

CA: Mail-only balloting possible for county – SignOnSanDiego.com

Elections in San Diego County could be conducted entirely by mail under legislation introduced Monday by state Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego. All-mail balloting would save local governments millions of dollars and increase voter participation, according to the senator. The legislation, SB 304, would create a five-year pilot program. At the conclusion of the program, the county would be required to issue a report to the Legislature and the Secretary of State’s Office on costs and voter turnout. The law, if approved, would apply to local, state and federal races on San Diego County ballots. Individual jurisdictions, such as cities, would have the option of using the system. Read More

CO: Council, mayor to decide changes to Aspen election code | AspenTimes.com

A public hearing is scheduled near the end of Monday’s Aspen City Council meeting on an ordinance that amends the city’s Municipal Election Code, including the official repeal of instant runoff voting, also known as IRV. The meeting at City Hall starts at 5 p.m., and it is expected to be the last regular meeting for Councilman Dwayne Romero, who is stepping down to become Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s director of economic development. In November, city voters repealed IRV, a system that generated controversy following the May 2009 city council and mayoral elections. The ordinance before councilmen today will finalize its repeal, officially striking the system from the election code. Read More

SC: Voting machines at issue: James Island PSD board debates critical statement | The Post and Courier

Consideration of a proposed resolution urging replacement of the computerized voting machines now used statewide was put off for at least two weeks after a debate among James Island Public Service commissioners. Commissioner Eugene Platt asked the commission to become the first elected panel in the state to go on record expressing what he said is a lack of voter confidence in the “electronic touch type” machines. His guest at the Monday night commission meeting was Charleston County Councilman Victor Rawl, who last June very surprisingly lost a two-candidate Democratic Party primary contest for a U.S. Senate seat nomination. Read More

SD: Changes Proposed For Food For Votes Law – KELOLAND.com

South Dakota lawmakers are taking aim at voter bribery. A bill in Pierre would make it illegal to feed voters and then take them to vote absentee at a local polling place. It’s an issue that came up during last year’s hotly-contested U.S. House race when there was a lot of confusion over how far campaigns were pushing the law. “Sometimes in campaigns, candidates and campaigns and their staff they get so focused on trying to get one more vote, or ten more votes, or 100 more votes that sometimes they’ll push the law a little too far and so that’s what we’re really trying to get accomplished with Senate Bill 88,” South Dakota Senator Bob Gray of Pierre said. Republicans criticized then Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin for holding early voting rallies on South Dakota reservations during her last campaign.

The Voting News Daily: IA election officials oppose photo ID bill; US House lawmakers eye EAC termination; India on the path to VVPAT

Iowa’s professional association of county election officials (according to the Des Moines Register, its membership is about 60% Republican and 40% Democratic) has voted to register in opposition to photo ID legislation. In Texas, a state legislative race in which the vast majority of ballots were cast on unrecountable machines nears resolution; an official recount changed the margin from 16 to 12 votes, and a legislative investigation of absentee and voter-eligibility issues changed that margin again to 4 votes. We cannot know what an effective recount of all ballots would have shown. India’s Election Commission appears committed to implementing voter-verifiable paper audit trails, though it is uncertain if implementation will occur before May elections in the state of Tamil Nadu.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below.

AL: Election Center director Granger resigns, will take federal court job | montgomeryadvertiser.com | Montgomery Advertiser

A Montgomery official who has headed the county’s emerging election center since its inception has accepted a job with the federal court system, but his absence is not expected to affect the two upcoming city elections. Read More

AK: Write-in bill passes state Senate

The Senate has unanimously passed a bill that would give voters the benefit of the doubt when they write in a candidate’s name on a ballot. Read More

CA: League of Women Voters marks 91st anniversary – Times-Standard Online

The League of Women Voters will celebrate its 91st birthday on Monday. Founded in 1920 by leaders in the women’s suffrage movement, the organization has become synonymous with elections and voting, citizen engagement and civility. Read More

CA: SAN DIEGO: State senator pushes for all-mail elections

Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, introduced legislation in the state Senate on Tuesday to allow San Diego County to hold all-mail elections.

The bill, if passed, would create a five-year pilot program for all-mail voting that applies to local, state and federal races. Local jurisdictions would have the option to use the all-mail system. Read More

CA: Fresno County clerk says votes in danger – Top Stories – fresnobee.com

There are 300 things that need to be done to run an election, from printing ballots and staffing polls to verifying mail ballots and tallying votes — and more.

But because of budget cuts, Fresno County’s elections chief Victor Salazar warns, not all of these tasks will get done. As a result, he says, one or more of five upcoming elections will fail. Read More

CA: Record Gazette > Archives > News > Ex-elections official returns as registrar

A former chief deputy registrar in Riverside County who now holds the top elections post in San Bernardino County has been named registrar in Riverside County. Read More

CA: Ranked Choice Voting – The Oakland Community Speaks – City Council Meeting

Oakland, CA used Ranked Choice Voting for the very first time in Nov. 2010.
In a meeting to discuss RCV, members of the community shared their experiences with members of the City Council on how confusing it was for voters.

The Voting News Daily: Oscar eschews Internet voting; vote by mail proposed in CO; St. Paul, MN begins IRV preparations

Around the nation, the photo ID debate rages on. St. Paul, Minnesota begins a voter education effort following the City Council’s approval of new rules for instant runoff voting. The Colorado Legislature is considering legislation to establish a uniform vote by mail system in state elections, and the Massachusetts House orders a new election for a vacant seat following a tie vote in the November election.

All this and more in today’s Voting News. (Note: tonight’s edition contains several stories we missed in the past week. Thanks to our readers for continuing to provide news tips – please send your suggestions to votingnews@verifiedvoting.org).

CA: Registrar of voters heads to Riverside | heads, registrar, riverside – Victorville Daily Press

San Bernardino County is losing its top elections official to neighboring Riverside County. Read More

CA: In San Francisco, finishing third means you can win | Ken Garcia | Columnists | San Francisco Examiner

The San Francisco mayor race is looking a lot like Bay to Breakers — plenty of entrants, many characters and a few professional runners.

Yet given that the winner will be decided by the chaotic and confusing system called ranked-choice voting for the first time, the theme of the campaign is becoming clearer. Read More

CO: Saguache vote count never finalized – Colorado Springs Conservative | Examiner.com

Feb. 6: While Saguache County Clerk Melinda Myers claims that the Nov. 2 election was conducted “with the highest integrity,” the facts known in the case from eyewitness testimony and video surveillance continue to tell a different tale. Read More

CO: House bill proposes mail-only ballots for all state elections – The Denver Post

A House committee today will consider a bill proposing dramatic changes to the way Coloradans cast their votes.

House Bill 1131 would require all elections in the state to be conducted by mail ballots only, replacing the traditional polling places in a move that advocates say would save millions of dollars across Colorado. Read More

CO: Editorial: All-mail revue for Colorado elections – The Denver Post

A legislative proposal to formally move the state to mail ballots is a good-government measure that would save money and align election practices with the wishes of a growing segment of voters.

Frankly, it wouldn’t be a change for many, since some 70 percent of the state’s active voters already have signed themselves up to get ballots in the mail.

And for those who still want that on-site voting experience or have a disability that requires such, House Bill 1131 provides for service centers where people can vote in person. Read More

DC: Instant Runoff Voting: Does It Make Sense? – DCist

Last night, interim At-Large Councilmember and special election candidate Sekou Biddle won the endorsement of D.C. for Democracy, a progressive activism group. That’s the short version of the story: the long version involves a complex system of instant runoff voting, which some think is a better method of determining an election winner. Read More

FL: FBI: Buddy Johnson committed no federal crime – St.

The Voting News Daily: Vote Center Bill Passes IN Senate, Voter ID debated in MN, MO andTN , Internet Voting in Canada?

GA: Saturday requirement removed from early-voting bill for local elections | ajc.com

A revised early-voting bill would shorten the voting period to 21 days, but it would not require polls to be open on Saturdays if no state or federal candidates are on the ballot. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mark Hamilton, R-Cumming, removed the Saturday requirement to save municipalities money. Municipal elections are already 21 days, and adding the Saturday requirement could require adding an additional day to the schedule. Local governments still have the option of adding Saturday voting. Read More

HI: Supreme Court Looking Into Hawaii Election Law – Honolulu Civil Beat

After years of legal wrangling in lower courts, a case challenging Hawaii’s ballot access rules could end up in front of the United States Supreme Court. In 2004, longtime consumer advocate and occasional independent presidential hopeful Ralph Nader sued the state when he was told he wouldn’t be on the ballot because he didn’t have enough signatures. Under Hawaii law, non-party presidential candidates need to submit a petition with enough signatures to represent 1 percent of the votes cast in the previous presidential election. In 2000, more than 360,000 votes were cast for president in Hawaii, so Nader needed more than 3,600 names. In rejecting Nader’s lawsuit in September 2010, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said Hawaii’s burden for ballot access is low. They did acknowledge, though, that the threshold is high when compared with the other way for presidential candidates to get on the ballot. Read More

IN: State Senate OKs vote center option | Palladium-Item

Legislation that would allow all Indiana counties the option of using vote centers was approved 49-0 by the Indiana Senate on Tuesday. The bill moves to the Indiana House of Representatives for consideration.Senate Bill 32 would allow county election boards to designate their county as a vote center county. Vote centers consolidate multiple precinct voting locations into several centralized vote centers and voters may choose the center most convenient for them. Read More

KS: Critics say Kansas election fraud bill too drastic – KHGI-TV

Critics of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s (KOH’-bahk’s) election fraud bill are criticizing him for not seeking less drastic administrative changes first. They told the House Elections Committee on Wednesday that the measure would end door-to-door and other community voter registration drives and likely disenfranchise poor and minority voters. The bill would require voters to show photo identification at the polls and people to provide proof of citizenship when they register for the first time in Kansas. Read More

MN: GOP voter ID measure passes first Capitol hurdle | kare11.com

A controversial voter photo ID bill cleared its first hurdle at the State Capitol Tuesday, when it passed the House Government Operations Committee on a straight party-line vote. It marked the first time ever a voter ID bill has ever made it through a legislative committee in Minnesota. The sponsor, Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, said she was confident the measure will eventually pass the full House and Senate now that they are controlled by her fellow Republicans.

The Voting News Daily: CA SoS Bowen to run for Congress, Vote Centers in IN

CA: Secretary of State Debra Bowen eyeing Harman’s congressional seat – Capitol Alert

Secretary of State Debra Bowen is considering running for the congressional seat expected to be vacated by Democratic Rep. Jane Harman. “She is very, very seriously considering running for Congress,” Bowen campaign consultant Steve Barkan said. “It’s brand new news, and so she needs to take all factors into consideration.” News broke today that Harman, 65, will leave office to take a job as president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, setting the stage for a special election in the 36th Congressional District. Bowen hails from Marina Del Rey, which is part of the district, and represented the area in the state Assembly and Senate from 1992 to 2006. She will be termed out of her job as the state elections chief in 2014. Read More

CA-36: Bowen In, Winograd Wants to Speak to Her | FDL News Desk

California Democratic Party Chair John Burton sent a courtesy letter to delegates of the party letting them know that Jane Harman has resigned from Congress, and he broke some news in the process: As of the sending of this email, the only candidate that has officially informed the California Democratic Party that they are running in the 36th congressional district is Debra Bowen. Bowen has been our Secretary of State since 2007 and she is a former State Senator and State Assemblymember from the area.

At the time, Bowen hadn’t officially announced or made any statement on her candidacy other than saying she was thinking about it. But last night an Act Blue page went live. Robert Cruickshank reflects the excitement of many in the grassroots at this prospect. Read More

DE: Dewey Beach Eyeing Electronic Voter Registration – WBOC-TV 16

Dewey Beach is considering a plan to convert its voter registration system from paper records to electronic files. Mayor Diane Hanson points out that the town is small and lacks some efficiencies that larger cities have. Read More

IN: Vote center bill gets final approval | Journal and Courier

Senate Bill 32 cleared the floor of the House of Representatives on Monday and now heads to Gov. Mitch Daniels. The vote was 68-28. Barring any last-minute hiccups in the governor’s office, the new law will give every Indiana county the option to use centralized polling places instead of the traditional precinct voting system. Daniels had indicated he’ll support the legislation. Read More

IN: Bill to consolidate Indiana voting sites moves to governor | The Courier-Journal

All counties could centralize their voting operations into fewer locations to save money and reduce the number of volunteers needed on Election Day under a bill the House passed and sent to Gov. Mitch Daniels on Monday.Senate Bill 32 requires a unanimous vote by the three-member Board of Elections to use so-called vote centers, rather than requiring Hoosiers to cast ballots at precinct level locations. It passed 68-28. Read More

IA: Straight-party voting should be illegal in Iowa, Republican senator says | Des Moines Register Staff Blogs

Iowans should not be allowed to vote a straight-party ticket, a Republican state senator believes.

The Voting News Daily: CA Bill would return June Primary, IN Vote Center Bill, Voter ID in MN and NC

CA: Bill would return California’s 2012 presidential primary to June – Los Angeles Times

For years, Sacramento lawmakers worked to give California voters a bigger say in national politics by scheduling the state’s presidential primary as early as they could. The series of moves culminated in 2008 with a Feb. 5 vote, the earliest in state history. But now a legislative effort is underway to move the California primary back where it started — to June, on the last day of the 2012 nominating season — as a way to save tens of millions of dollars. “That’s a lot of money,” said the bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Paul Fong (D-Cupertino), “at a time when every penny counts.” Read More

CA: Brown’s budget includes cuts that could jeopardize voting by mail – bellinghamherald.com

Nearly 5 million voters chose to cast their ballots by mail when California Gov. Jerry Brown was elected in November, representing almost half of all votes cast in the statewide contest. Now election officials are warning that a piece of Brown’s budget proposal could put the increasingly popular form of balloting – and the integrity of the voting process – in jeopardy. As part of his plan to close a projected $25.4 billion deficit, Brown wants to stop reimbursing local governments for the costs of complying with various state laws, including the 1978 law that gives all California voters the option of casting their ballot by mail. Read More

CA: Citizens’ Advisory Commission on Elections Agenda – SCC Public Portal

The Santa Clara County Citizens’ Advisory Commission on Elections will host a presentation of the Trachtenberg Election Verification System (TEVS) on Thursday, February 17, 2011, at 6:00 p.m., in the Isaac Newton Senter Auditorium, First Floor, County Government Center, 70 West Hedding, San Jose. Read More

CA: Rep. Jane Harman to resign from Congress, sets up special election – Washington Post

California Rep. Jane Harman (D) will resign from Congress, a surprise announcement that will set off a special election in her 36th district. “This is an excruciating decision because the distinction of representing the smartest constituents on earth will never be surpassed — nor will my relationships with my exceptional staff and colleagues in Congress,” said Harman in an email sent to supporters today. Harman added that she had filed paperwork with the House to let them know she was “in discussions to succeed former Rep. Lee Hamilton as President and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.” Read More

GA: Lawmakers split on shortening early voting – Times-Georgian

Georgia legislators representing Douglas County are split along party lines on legislation to shorten the early voting period. Local Democrats say they want to give voters an much opportunity possible to cast ballots, while Republicans say cutting the number of days would still allow plenty of time to vote and save small cities and counties money on election costs. House Bill (HB) 92, sponsored by Rep. Mark Hamilton (R-Cumming), would shorten the early voting period from 45 to 21 days, but would require polls to be open at least one Saturday during the early voting period.

The Voting News Daily: Bangladesh presses e-voting, photo ID measures debated in CO, MN, and elsewhere

Photo ID legislation leads election news coverage, today’s highlights being a hearing before a Minnesota House panel, and a Colorado House committee’s vote in favor of a photo ID bill. Bangladesh’s government has announced its intention to adopt electronic voting for future elections.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below.

CO: Voter ID Proposal Gains Steam In Colo. House

A requirement that voters show photo IDs at the polls before casting ballots has cleared a Colorado House committee for the first time after years of debate. Read More

FL: Elections chief Bucher’s goal: Results by midnight on election nights in PB Co.

Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher promised yet again today to halt the county’s decade-long struggle to return election results quickly and accurately, recapping for the nonpartisan Palm Beach County Voters Coalition the initiatives that she said will ease that harsh spotlight and take her office “off the radar.” Read More

GA: Secretary of state visits Valdosta – Live, Local, Late Breaking news, weather, and sports

Georgia’s secretary of state says he supports giving voters plenty of opportunity to vote, but he wants to lower the costs of elections. Read More

MN: Voter ID bill stirs debate in committee hearing | Minnesota Public Radio News

Two bills that would require Minnesotans to show a photo ID before they can vote got their first formal airings at the Capitol Thursday. A House panel heard advocates say it would be a basic protection against vote fraud. But others said it would keep people away from the polls. Read More

MN: MinnPost – Technological glitches disrupt GOP pitch for high-tech voting system

As part of her massive bill that includes the controversial provision requiring voters to have a photo ID, Kiffmeyer proposes that an electronic roster would be far better than the current system of voters signing in on Election Day. Read More

MN: Dayton unconvinced on photo ID | Capitol View | Minnesota Public Radio

Gov. Mark Dayton says a bill that would require Minnesotans to show photo identification before voting as “a solution looking for a problem.” But Dayton is stopping short of a veto threat. Read More

MS: Lowndes absentee balloting questioned by Miss. secretary of state – The Dispatch

An abnormality in absentee voting during Lowndes County’s November circuit court elections caught the eye of the secretary of state’s office. Read More

NM: GOP lawmaker proposes voter ID requirement – KWES NewsWest 9 / Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, TX: newswest9.com |

Rep. Dianne Hamilton, a Silver City Republican, introduced a bill on Wednesday to require New Mexico voters to show a government identification card with a photograph, such as a driver’s license. Native Americans could use a tribally issued document as identification. Read More

NC: Voter photo IDs will take money state doesn’t have | The Asheville Citizen-Times | citizen-times.com

Do individuals show up in massive numbers attempting to impersonate other individuals and steal their votes?There’s absolutely no evidence that’s the case. Read More

ND: Fargo Rep.

The Voting News Daily: SC election officials point to human error in ballot discrepancy; vote by mail bill fails in MT House; early WV primary likely

The Photo ID debate shows no sign of cooling in TX, WI, and NC. In SC, the state Election Commission’s investigation concludes that Colleton County ballot discrepancies resulted from human error. In Montana, vote by mail legislation suffers an unexpected reversal, and in WV lawmakers seem likely to advance the gubernatorial primary to May 14.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below.

FL: Many ballots remained silent on Sink and Scott | HeraldTribune.com

Florida’s charged campaign for governor — which featured waves of negative television ads — might have turned off a higher number of voters last year. Read More

IL: Change of Subject: The icy blizzard thaws my heart about early voting & ‘dibs’

Election officials say there’s no precedent for postponing an election here on account of weather, so voter turnout in Chicago would almost certainly be far lower than the pathetic 27.3 percent we got 12 months ago when two whisker-close races for Illinois governor were at the top of the ballot. Read More

MA: Judge rules that two tied in Central Mass. House race – The Boston Globe

A Worcester Superior Court judge ruled yesterday that a hotly contested election for state representative in Central Massachusetts is a tie, an exceedingly rare result, and ordered a new election. Read More

MT: The Laurel Outlook:News

What a difference a day makes. One day after giving preliminary approval to vote-by-mail balloting in all but school elections, the House reversed itself and torpedoed the idea. Read More

NC: Alleged lawbreaking, impropriety and fraud undermine confidence in Forsyth elections

The Forsyth County Board of Elections will hold an open hearing on Feb. 7 to consider alleged election law violations. Read More

NC: ISS – Report: Voter ID law ‘unaffordable’ for North Carolina

Today, Facing South and the Institute for Southern Studies released an analysis [pdf] showing that a voter ID bill proposed by North Carolina Republicans could cost the state $20 million or more over the next three years, exacerbating the state’s $3.7 billion budget gap. Read More

OH: Auroraadvocate.com – Our View: New voting machines are good deal for Portage Co.

The Portage County Board of Elections has done the right thing in deciding to acquire for free 99 new voting machines, formerly manufactured by Diebold.

The machines became available following a settlement between Diebold and the state of Ohio, which under former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner demonstrated the machines had issues that entailed accuracy and ease of invasion by outsiders. Read More

OH: Ohio secretary of state supports appeal – 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio –

Ohio’s top elections official wants a federal court ruling appealed in a disputed election for a juvenile court judge in the county that includes Cincinnati. Read More

Panel: Human error, not voting machines, skewed Colleton County election results | The Post and Courier, Charleston SC – News, Sports, Entertainment

Colleton County’s election results were skewed by human error that had nothing to do with the electronic voting machines, according to an investigation by the S.C.

The Voting News Daily: WV eyes May 14 primary; TX Senate passes photo ID bill

The Texas Senate has enacted photo ID legislation; the bill now moves to the state House. Palm Beach County, FL looks to use modem reporting of ballot-scanner results. Interantionally, the use of EVMs is expanding in India’s Uttar Pradesh state.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below.

FL: Broward commissioners scrap plans for elections headquarters, restart search for new site – South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Broward County taxpayers no longer can afford a new $22 million elections headquarters, and the county Tuesday walked away from a deal that was made at the height of the real estate market. Read More

FL: Broward Politics | Sun Sentinel Blogs | Broward voters, candidates, might wait years for elections hub

Broward County taxpayers no longer can afford a $22 million brand new elections headquarters, and the county Tuesday walked away from a deal that was made at the height of the real estate market. Read More

FL: Palm Beach County plans modems for voting machines – Florida Wires – MiamiHerald.com

The county’s supervisor of elections says she plans to add modems to voting machines to cut the time it takes to tally votes. That comes after a gubernatorial election in which the county, along with others, was criticized for its slow count. Read More

FL: Thousands skipped governor’s race on ’10 ballot | HeraldTribune.com

The state Division of Elections report – given to state lawmakers after every major election – is designed to evaluate voting systems. It concluded the higher number of people skipping the governor’s race was not related to voting technology. Read More

IA: New voter ID bill may hurt students – The Daily Iowan

Johnson County Auditor Tom Slockett estimated the program would cost Iowa $1 million annually. Slockett said auditors feel they were “misled” by House Republicans. County auditors plan to talk this week with experts from other states, and they will discuss their findings on Feb. 11. Slockett said the they were led to believe Republicans would wait until after this meeting to enact legislation. Read More

KS: Supporters of voter ID bill testify in Topeka | State Government | Wichita Eagle

The secretary of state and the ranking Democrat on the House Elections Committee traded jabs Monday over a bill to force new voter registrants to prove their citizenship and to require all voters to provide photo identification. Read More

MN: Voter photo ID battle begins anew | kare11.com

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie Wednesday suggested the cost of installing the new electronic roster books at 5,000 polling places across Minnesota would cost $20 million. Democrats pointed out that the state of Missouri spent $18 million printing new ID’s alone. Read More

MN: News : Minn. bill asking for voter ID (Wahpeton, ND and Breckenridge, Minn.)

he bill, HF210, will be heard by the Government Operations and Elections Committee on Feb. 3. Read More

MO: Missouri Senate panel advances voter photo ID measures – KansasCity.com

A Missouri Senate committee has advanced a pair of constitutional amendments that could lead to a photo identification requirement for voters.

The Voting News Daily: Cost of Voter ID, Mail-In Voting in CO, New Push for DC Voting Rights

AR: New ballots are not ready | The Baxter Bulletin

Touch-screen voting may be on hold in Baxter County and other counties across the state. Baxter County Clerk Rhonda Porter said the county has not received electronic ballots from the state for its iVotronics touch-screen voting machines. Porter said early voting begins Monday and paper ballots will be available to voters who want to vote early. “No matter what, it won’t affect people’s ability to vote,” Porter said. Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels said some counties will not be able to use their touch-screen voting machines during the early voting period, but the problem should be fixed in time for the primary election May 23. Read More

CO: State could soon have mostly mail-in elections – 9NEWS.com Denver

Colorado’s future elections would be mostly conducted by mail under a proposal set to be debated at the State Capitol. House Bill 1131 would require eligible voters to receive their ballot at their home and they could vote either by sending it in, dropping it off or surrendering it at what’s being called a “service center” in the eight days leading up to and on Election Day in exchange for a ballot they could then cast in person. “The goal is to recognize that 60 to 70 percent of our population is already requesting a permanent mail-in ballot,” said Rep. Carole Murray (R-Castle Rock), the former Douglas County Clerk and Recorder and the primary sponsor of the legislation. “What this does is extend that to 100 percent of our population in all elections.” It is estimated the proposal could save county clerks statewide a minimum of $12 million. Colorado lawmakers changed the law before the 2010 primary election to allow counties the choice of holding that election by mail. Numerous counties did so and saved significant money in the process. Read More

CO: Under scrutiny, Gessler brushes off critics – KWGN

In just his third week on the job, Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler has already attracted more news coverage — and controversy — than his predecessor did in two years. Or so it seems. Democratic critics have been relentlessly attacking Gessler for his plan to continue doing legal work for his old law firm, which specializes in election law — a potential conflict of interest for the officer charged with overseeing elections for the state. Read More

DC: Advocates Renew Fight For D.C. Voting Rights : NPR

The District of Columbia does not have a full vote in Congress, despite having more than half a million residents. But what many may not know is that every law passed by the city’s council is submitted for congressional review, including the recent same-sex marriage bill which went into effect last year. Host Michel Martin speaks about the latest in the fight to gain voting rights for residents of D-C with R. Clarke Cooper. Cooper is Executive Director of the Log Cabin Republicans, a group that advocates for marriage equality in the District.

The Voting News Daily: CO voter-registration bill falls, Passes IA House, Vote by Mail debates in MT

CA: Court says Legislature can’t write own ballot language – Capitol Alert

A state appeals court today ruled that the state Legislature did not have authority to draft its own ballot language for the successful high-speed rail bond measure lawmakers placed on the 2008 ballot. State law tasks the state attorney general with writing an impartial ballot title, label and official summary for “measures to be voted on throughout the State,” though the Legislature has in the past drafted language for measures it places on the ballot with a two-thirds vote. Read More

CO: Dems quash Colorado voter-registration bill, call it costly and unconstitutional | Colorado Independent

State Democratic lawmakers killed a bill (pdf) yesterday that would have required Coloradans to provide proof of citizenship before registering to vote, saying it was a solution in search of a problem and eschewing vehement testimony from its supporters and new data introduced by new GOP Secretary of State Scott Gessler. Bill sponsor Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, said lawmakers should expect the legislation to be reintroduced in the House. The bill would have required residents to provide either a passport, birth certificate or naturalization papers, among others forms of identification, in order to vote. Currently, the state asks Coloradans only to sign a form attesting that they are citizens and eligible to vote in the country and state. Swearing falsely to citizenship and voter eligibility is a crime. Read More

CO: Hickenlooper urges secretary of state to release department’s surplus funds – The Denver Post

Gov. John Hickenlooper said Thursday that Secretary of State Scott Gessler should “do (his) part” and release surplus funds he had planned to keep in his office so the money can be used to help balance the state budget. “I would certainly encourage him to — in this kind of a budget situation — that everybody has to do their part in every way they can,” he said. “Our goal to every agency, every arm of government, is that we’re all in this together and that everybody’s going to have to be trying to cut their costs and find cheaper ways of doing things wherever possible.” Read More

CT: UConn VoTeR center audits Nov. elections – The Daily Campus – News

The reliability of voting technology may be improved in future years because of a group of professors, students and engineers at the UConn Voting Technology Research Center. The VoTeR Center, which receives funding from the Secretary of State’s Office, opened in 2006 – the same year that Connecticut switched from using polling machines with levers to electronic ballot-counting systems, according to UConn Today. Headed by Alexander Shvartsman, professor of computer science and engineering, the VoTeR Center conducts audits on past elections to find numeric differences between electronically counted ballots and hand-counted ballots. Read More

GA: Secretary of State Kemp Launches Elections Advisory Council Website – The Weekly Online

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp today launched the Elections Advisory Council website, which provides citizens an e-government tool to share their ideas to strengthen Georgia’s elections.

The Voting News Daily: Voting News 01/27/11 – U Michigan Computer Scientist Makes Argument Against Internet Voting?

ID: 45 households in Asotin County get wrong ballot for upcoming election | KLEW CBS 3 – Lewiston, ID

The Asotin County Auditor’s Office has sent out new ballots to fix a registration issue. It all started when a concerned citizen brought in his tax information. “His voter registration card showed that he was registered to vote in Asotin School District but he was paying property tax in Clarkston School District,” said Asotin County Auditor Darla McKay. “So we did some further investigation with the Assessor’s Office and mapped it out and we found that 45 Clarkston School District voters were registered to vote in the Asotin School District.” Read More

IL: Court Allows Emanuel on Ballot for Chicago Mayor – NYTimes.com

Rahm Emanuel’s bid to become mayor of this city may proceed, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. The decision appeared to bring an end to weeks of legal debate over whether Mr. Emanuel qualified for the ballot, specifically whether his time in Washington as President Obama’s chief of staff meant that he had given up his residency status in Chicago, where he was born. By Illinois state code, candidates for mayor are required to have resided in Chicago for at least one year before Election Day. Mr. Emanuel left the White House in October, and the election is Feb. 22. Read More

IN: House committee to hear vote center bill | jconline.com | Journal and Courier

A bill that would extend the life of vote centers in Tippecanoe County will be heard by a House committee this afternoon. Senate Bill 32 has already passed out of the Senate and will go before the elections committee in the House chamber at 3:30 p.m. today. Heather Maddox, the Democratic co-director of the Tippecanoe County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, is traveling to Indianapolis and plans to testify in support of the bill today. She said she’ worried the bill will face more questions in the House than it did in the Senate. Read More

MN: Kiffmeyer presents voting reform legislation | Hometown Source

Republican Rep. and former Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake argues her voting legislation will catch errors early. “If the math isn’t right upfront, it’s pretty difficult to correct it at the end,” said Kiffmeyer, speaking at a Capitol press today (Wednesday, Jan. 26). Kiffmeyer, as Republicans have for years, wants voting in Minnesota to require a Photo ID. But Kiffmeyer is also proposing the use of a so-called “electronic roster” system, an approach that could allow voters to merely swipe their driver’s license or state identify cards, sign and vote. She envisions the electronic system statewide — some 1200 precincts with fewer than 100 voters would be exempt. Read More

NY: Decision near in ballot fraud probe – Times Union

A Rensselaer County grand jury ended nearly seven hours of deliberation Wednesday in its probe of alleged absentee ballot fraud by nine city Democrats in the 2009 city primary election. The grand jury was behind closed doors Wednesday without any witnesses seen entering to testify.

The Voting News Daily: AK election review under way; MN lawmaker extolls e-pollbooks

AK: APNewsBreak: Election review could be done soon: AP Alaska | adn.com

An internal review of the 2010 election that left Alaska’s historic U.S. Senate race in limbo for nearly two months should be mostly completed within 45 days, Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell said Tuesday. Read More

CO: Ranked Voting Method Request for Written Comments

The Colorado Secretary of State is developing a report that will be provided to the 2011 Colorado General Assembly on issues relating to conducting elections using ranked voting methods. We want to thank you again for submitting your comments and information regarding ranked voting. We have posted copies of your submissions online at the Secretary of State website. Read More

CT: CO Chain-of-Custody: Rest assured, we would never see this in Connecticut | CTVotersCount.org

We have no law or chain-of-custody requirement similar to the video requirement in Colorado. We have no standards for the facilities where ballots are stored. In most Connecticut municipalities it is easy for one official, to obtain and use a single key, to access ballots alone, undetected, for hours at a time. Ballots are stored in hallways, schools, closets, under desks, and abandoned classrooms. Read More

IL: The BRAD BLOG : Memo to Rahm: ‘Appear On the Ballot’ May be Somewhat Misleading in Chicago

Over the years, we’ve covered specific failures of the very same Sequoia e-voting systems that are used in Chicago and elsewhere across the country, as well as the remarkable duplicity of the company’s top officials. So it seems like this would be a good moment to remind folks of the most disturbing Sequoia/Chicago related incidents. Read More

IL: Emanuel Ballot Appeal to Be Heard by Illinois Supreme Court – Businessweek

Rahm Emanuel, President Barack Obama’s former chief of staff, won an expedited review by the Illinois Supreme Court of his disqualification from Chicago’s Feb. 22 mayoral election. Read More

MA: Pittsfield to redraw voting precincts – Berkshire Eagle Online

City officials have begun the process of “re-precincting,” which requires Massachusetts communities with 6,200 or more inhabitants to ensure each precinct has nearly an equal number of residents based on the 2010 federal census. Read More

MN: GOP offers major overhaul to Minnesota’s voting system | Minnesota Independent: News. Politics. Media.

Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake and Sen. Warren Limmer of Maple Grove unveiled the Republican plan to overhaul the state’s voting system at a press conference on Wednesday. Among the proposed changes are the elimination of vouching, implementation of a photo identification system, a ban on health care workers assisting voters in the booth, and massive changes to the recount process. Most of the changes reflect complaints by the conservative group Minnesota Majority, which Kiffmeyer ran several years ago. Read More

MN: Kiffmeyer presents voting reform legislation | Hometown Source

Kiffmeyer, as Republicans have for years, wants voting in Minnesota to require a Photo ID.

But Kiffmeyer is also proposing the use of a so-called “electronic roster” system, an approach that could allow voters to merely swipe their driver’s license or state identify cards, sign and vote.

The Voting News Daily: TX Photo ID opponents point to rural burden; UK’s e-voting experiment recalled

There is an extremely high volume of coverage both of the Illinois Supreme Court’s order regarding the Chicago mayoral election and of the photo ID debate in the Texas Senate. We have included a small sampling of articles on each of these issue.

Photo ID legislation appears to be a fait accompli in Texas, though opponents raised the argument that the proposed bill would burden remote areas. In the United Kingdom, consideration of voting system reforms prompts a partisan skeptic to revisit the country’s e-voting pilots of the early 21st century.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below.

GA: Press Releases – Newsroom – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law | National Voting Rights Groups Put Georgia Secretary of State Kemp on Notice of Voting Rights Violations

Citing clear evidence that low-income Georgia residents are being denied a legally-mandated opportunity to register to vote, attorneys from Project Vote, Demos, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL), the ACLU Voting Rights Project, and the law firm of Dechert LLP sent an official notice letter today to Secretary of State Brian Kemp, on behalf of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, demanding that the Secretary immediately act to bring Georgia into compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Read More

IL: Clout St: Chicago election official: Might want to hold off on early voting

If the Supreme Court rules in Emanuel’s case or lower courts rule in any of the others, early voting would be halted at the affected locations so touch-screen voting machines could be swapped out, most likely overnight, he added. Read More

IL: Court halts ballots without Emanuel’s name – AP News Wire, Associated Press News – Salon.com

The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered election officials not to print any mayoral ballots without Rahm Emanuel’s name while the justices consider whether to hear an appeal from the former White House chief of staff. Read More

MO: Voter ID Bill Under Scrutiny in Missouri Senate – Yahoo! News

If Republicans have their way in the Missouri Senate, the state will have a tough new voter ID law. Senate leaders are calling for a photo identification requirement for voters at polling places by a vote of the legislature and leaving it up to voters in Missouri. The Kansas City Star reports a hearing of the Senate elections committee drew opposition to the law from voting rights groups. No one spoke in favor of the measure. Read More

NE: Voices, scenes from the polls – Omaha.com

A sampling of voters’ voices and scenes from polling sites from today’s recall election of Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle: Read More

NY: Mayor Marvin’s Column: Voting Machines and Village Elections – Bronxville-Eastchester, NY Patch

Even assuming the machines are released to villages, we have no idea of the rental fee. In addition, we are required to purchase three scanable ballots for every anticipated voter, since the new election law (HAVA) allows two mistakes per voter. At one dollar per ballot, the cost is not inconsequential.

The Voting News Daily: TX Senate to take up photo ID Tuesday; SC audit raises questions; Pakistan eyes EVMs

A busy couple of days for voting news. In Texas, the State Senate will debate photo ID legislation tomorrow, and is expected to pass the bill. An citizen audit of South Carolina election results raises questions about ballot reconciliation. A bill to allow all Indiana counties to utilize vote centers is expected to pass, and in international developments Pakistan eyes electronic voting machines.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below.

CA: Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Sample Ballot Released for First California “Top-Two” Election

The purpose of listing “party preference” on the ballot in the top-two systems of Washington and California is to help the candidate communicate a message, and to help the voter know something about the candidate. The U.S. Supreme Court, and the California Supreme Court, have ruled in the past that it is unconstitutional to discriminate for or against candidates, relative to labels on the ballot. Read More

CA: Oakland mayoral runners-up rehash race and look to the future : Local: In Oakland

At a public forum put on by Oakland’s John George Democratic Club, City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan outlined her assessment of the city’s first go at ranked choice voting, while political commentator and professor Joe Tuman announced his plans to pressure the city to reform all employee pensions and police staffing. Read More

CA: Tuteur: Voting only by mail would save $35,000

If Napa County conducted special elections using mail-in ballots only, it could save an estimated $35,000 per election, John Tuteur, the county’s registrar of voters, said. Read More

CO: Secret count preceded Saguache election ‘retabulation’ – Colorado Springs Conservative | Examiner.com

Examination of election videotapes reveal that the Saguache County Clerk’s office and two judges conducted a secret vote count Nov. 4 from 2 p.m. to about 7:12 p.m. prior to the Nov. 5 “retabulation.”

The video recording copies were obtained through a Colorado Open Records Act request Nov. 16. The county clerk’s office is required by law to keep continuous recordings of all election areas and activities, beginning two months before the election, up to and including any recounts, for two years. Read More

DC: Democracy’s high price

ELECTION OFFICIALS in the District are worried they can’t afford the costs of the city’s upcoming special election for an at-large D.C. Council seat. Among the ideas to save money is limiting the places where people can vote. But changing the rules so close to the election comes with its own cost to the integrity of the process. It’s important that Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) and the council ensure that there is sufficient money for election officials to do their jobs. Read More

IL: Chicago ballots ordered printed with no Emanuel – CNN Political Ticker – CNN.com Blogs

The Chicago Elections Board on Monday placed an order for the printing of two million ballots for next month’s mayoral election without the name of former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel after an Illinois appeals court ruled his name could not be included because he failed to meet the residency requirement.

The Voting News Daily: TX photo ID legislation declared emergency measure; Colorado SoS announces plans to pursue private legal practice

In Texas, the Governor has declared that photo ID legislation is an emergency measure, and the Texas Senate has made an exception to a two-thirds-majority requirement for a photo ID bill. Colorado’s Secretary of State has announced that he will engage in a private law practice during his term. Photo ID legislation is being sharply debated in Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. And the EAC calls attention to a discussion of vendors and election officials last month. The panel looked at voting system life cycles, state and local budget cuts; and other critcal voting system issues.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below. Enjoy your weekend!

CA: Ledger-Dispatch.com | Gaines introduces measure to cut election costs

“My bill will help cut the costs counties incur to conduct special elections by eliminating the mandate to open polling places and hire staff for these elections,” Gaines said. Read More

CO:Colorado’s top elections official taking side job, says $68,500 salary too low for his family – KDVR

Colorado‘s newly elected secretary of state says the job doesn’t pay enough and he’ll take a side job with his old law firm. Scott Gessler insists the side job won’t conflict with his official job overseeing state elections. Read More

CO: Secretary of State plans to moonlight with old firm – The Denver Post

Less than two weeks on the job, Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler says the $68,500 a year salary doesn’t pay enough.

That’s why Gessler, a Republican, says he is going to be moonlighting as a lawyer for his old law firm – a firm known for representing clients on elections and campaign law issues, the very areas Gessler is now charged with policing as secretary of state. Read More

CO: Secretary of State Gessler’s plan to moonlight as private attorney sounds ethics alarms | Colorado Independent

Attorney General John Suthers, who is tasked to work with Gessler to help him avoid Hackstaff-related conflicts of interest, said attorney-client privileges prevent him from speaking on the topic.

This legally proscribed silence is a big problem and points to the bigger problem going forward, according to Luis Toro, director of government watchdog group Colorado Ethics Watch and a man who has argued cases against Gessler in the past. The public is being forced to simply accept that the secretary of state will be acting in good faith without any way to really ask questions or get answers to confirm that’s the case, he said. Read More

IA: Bill would require photo ID to vote in Iowa

The change is necessary to protect the integrity of elections, according to House File 8 floor manager Rep. Renee Schulte, R-Cedar Rapids. Current law allows election officials to ask for a photo ID. HF 8, Schulte said, will remove that subjectivity from state law. Read More

IA: 2011 Legislature: Leaders want jobs focus, but social issues likely to pop up | The Des Moines Register | DesMoinesRegister.com

Under this Republican proposal, photo identification would always be required to vote.

The Voting News Daily: Legislators told that confusion about voting machines still reigns – The Daily News Online: News

AZ: Arizona court urged to decide redistricting issue – KSWT

A former Arizona Supreme Court justice is urging current justices to decide whether three nominees for the state redistricting commission are eligible for appointment. Former Justice Stanley Feldman represents supporters nominee Paul Bender, an Arizona State University law professor. Republican legislative leaders say Bender is ineligible because he’s a tribal judge. Much of a Supreme Court hearing Tuesday on the challenge to Bender and two other nominees centered on whether the court should let the dispute go to court later based on challenges made to actual appointments. Read More

CA: OpEd – RCV lessons for the SF mayor’s race | San Francisco Bay Guardian

Elections using ranked choice voting (RCV) in both San Francisco and Oakland contain important lessons for the upcoming SF mayoral election. Rather than rely on traditional endorsements and funding advantages, winning candidates need to get out in the community, meet people, and build coalitions. Jean Quan became the first Asian American woman elected mayor of a major city by coming from behind to beat the favorite, former state Senate president and powerbroker Don Perata. Perata outspent her five to one, but Quan countered by attending far more community meetings, forums, and house parties. She would knock on the door of a voter with an opponent’s yard sign and say, “I know I’m not your first choice, but please make me your second or third choice.” Read More

CO: Secret count preceded Saguache County election ‘retabulation’ – Colorado Springs Conservative | Examiner.com

Examination of election videotapes reveal that the Saguache County Clerk’s office and two judges conducted a secret vote count Nov. 4 from 2 p.m. to about 7:12 p.m. prior to the Nov. 5 “retabulation.” The video recording copies were obtained through a Colorado Open Records Act request Nov. 16. The county clerk’s office is required by law to keep continuous recordings of all election areas and activities, beginning two months before the election, up to and including any recounts, for two years. Video recordings show that some type of report was run on the M650 voting machine the afternoon of Nov. 3. Then on Nov. 4 clerk’s office staffer Christian Samora, Elections Clerk Renee Hazard and County Clerk Melinda Myers sat in on a teleconference call from 10:31 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. After lunch Hazard operated a black laptop and seemed to be working with ballots, then helped a customer reconcile a rejected vote. Read More

DE: Delaware Looks to Restore Felons’ Voting Rights – WBOC-TV 16

There is a new push in Delaware to restore voting rights to convicted felons who have finished serving their time behind bars. In Delaware felons must wait five years after being released from prison to vote again, but some lawmakers said that’s simply not fair. Legislation has been filed in the General Assembly to allow felons to vote without having to wait five years. Read More

IA: Bill would require showing a photo ID to vote – Radio Iowa

A bill that would require all voters in Iowa to show a photo I.D.

The Voting News Daily: Photo ID bills advancing; India court grants bail to Hari Prasad; Canadian Internet voting debate continues

In the Carolinas, Texas, Wisconsin, photo ID legislation is on the move. In New York State, a robust debate continues over the conduct of recounts and routine audits. Another Canadian jurisdictions is eyeing online voting in 20011, and in India, computer technologist Hari Prasad has been released on bail.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below.

CA: Gaines moves on Senate bill to cut special-election costs – Rocklin

State Sen. Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, has introduced a bill that could cut the cost of special elections in smaller California counties.

CA: SB109 aims to cut Special Election costs – Roseville California News including Rocklin & Placer County

Senator Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, today announced that he has introduced a bill that will help cut the cost of special elections in smaller California counties.

Senate Bill 109 will give counties with populations under 400,000 the option to hold solely vote-by-mail elections in situations where a special election is called. Read More

CA: Gautam Dutta: California’s Humpty-Dumpty Law

A few weeks back, the California Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal about a core part of Proposition 14 (aka, the “Top Two” Primary). As a result, a state appeals court in San Francisco will soon hear legal arguments on two troubling flaws of what we affectionately call the Humpty-Dumpty Law: Senate Bill 6, which fleshes out crucial details of Prop 14. Read More

CT: Merrill not sure about ballot reform – Norwich, CT – Norwich Bulletin

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill told municipal leaders this morning that she isn’t sure calls for local communities to provide 100 percent ballots, one for every registered voter, is the appropriate answer to the problem in Bridgeport where election officials ran out of ballots at the last election. Read More

DC: Cheh battling to open all precincts for special election | Freeman Klopott | DC | Washington Examiner

Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh wants to keep all 143 of the District’s voting precincts open for the special election to elect an at-large council member scheduled for April, and she’s asked the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics to dig deep on cost-saving opportunities. Read More

FL: Change in law could reduce absentee voting in Tampa elections – St. Petersburg Times

Absentee ballots for the city’s March 1 elections are starting to go into the mail, but a change to state law means many Tampa voters expecting a ballot will not get one — unless they act soon. Read More

IN: Vote center option passes Senate, heads to House | pal-item.com | Palladium-Item

Legislation that would allow all Indiana counties the option of using vote centers was approved by the Indiana Senate on Tuesday on a 49-0 vote. Read More

IN: Make voting early easier | The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN

Voting early is becoming more popular with Allen County voters. It’s unfortunate voters will have to wait until the fall election to enjoy the convenience of more early voting sites. But few can argue with the Election Board’s reasons for rejecting a plan to increase the number of early voting sites during the spring election.

The Voting News Daily: Internet voting debated on Canadian editorial pages; UT discusses voter registration modernization; voter ID bill moves in SC

There are several noteworthy Internet voting stories today. In Canada, two opinion pieces demonstrate increasing knowledge of the challenges of Internet voting: the Vancouver Sun acknowledges the security and ballot-anonymity issues and concludes that both Internet voting and the successful resolution of its challenges are inevitable; in the Globe and Mail, journalist Robert Matas notes the same complexities and points to the ambiguous data on the effect that Internet voting has had upon voter turnout. The European Consortium for Political Research has issued a call for papers on Internet voting for a panel to be held at its August 2011 conference.

In other news, voter ID advances in South Carolina Senate committee; and in California, Indiana, Michigan, Louisiana, and West Virginia, election costs spur discussion of diverse solutions including precinct consolidation, vote by mail, and vote centers.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below.

AK: AP Interview: Miller would back election law shift: AP Alaska | adn.com

Joe Miller said he would support a voter intent standard in Alaska election law so long as the state no longer has discretion to determine which votes should count. Read More

Senator Ted Gaines, R—Roseville, today announced that he has introduced a bill that will help cut the cost of special elections in smaller California counties. Senate Bill 109 will give counties with populations under 400,000 the option to hold solely vote-by-mail elections in situations where a special election is called. Read More

CA: Placer County facing $3.25 million in special election costs this year – Granite Bay

The price tag for elections is sky-high in Placer County in 2011.

Estimates are that as many as four special elections could take place before the start of summer and cost the county nearly $3.25 million.

County Clerk-Registrar of Voters Jim McCauley pays the bills when an election occurs in Placer County. This year, with one special election for state Senate District 1 already on the books and costing $600,000 to $650,000, three more could be in the offing for voters by the end of the spring. Read More

CT: The Republican-American Reassurance on state voting

Last week, in one of her first official acts, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Connecticut’s chief elections official, convened a panel to study Connecticut’s voting system and recommend changes if necessary. Ms. Merrill’s decision to convene this forum was a direct result of the chaos surrounding voting in Bridgeport during the election last Nov. 2. Read More

DC: 3 special elections loom in D.C. – Washington Times

An unusual turn of events means D.C. voters will hit the polls for an unprecedented three special elections this spring, but the consequences run beyond who wins or loses in the three races.

In play as well are the cost of the elections, the failure of Mayor Vincent C. Gray to nominate a third member to the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics (BOEE) and whom Republicans will field as candidates.

The Voting News Daily: WA lawmaker expects e-mail voting bill to pass; party officials in British Columbia look at online voting; new Ohio SoS takes office

In British Columbia, Canada, some Liberal Party officials are calling for online voting in upcoming provincial elections. Iowa’s new Secretary of State is urging the Governor-elect to rescind an order restoring the voting rights of ex-felons, and Ohio’s new Secretary of State took office today.

And in Washington State, sponsors expect passage of a bill allowing all overseas and military voters to cast their ballots via fax or e-mail.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below.

CA: Humboldt County officials prepare for the budget hits

Crnich said she’d like to bring the board a formal request for the option to do a vote-by-mail special election in order to save about $100,000 — about 40 percent of what it could cost to hold the election. Read More

CO: Attorney general opens election probe

Saguache County swore in six newly elected officials Tuesday while the Colorado Attorney General’s office confirmed they were investigating complaints about the election. Read More

IA: Ex-felons may have a tougher time voting in Iowa

Secretary of State Matt Schultz wants Governor-elect Terry Branstad to void an order automatically restoring felons’ voting rights after serving time. Read More

KS: Kan. election bill to cover mail – El Dorado, KS – El Dorado Times

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach said Wednesday he will include provisions dealing with mail-in ballots as part of his plan to enact the nation’s toughest election fraud law. Read More

LA: Civil rights group: La. violating voting law | shreveporttimes.com | Shreveport Times

Louisiana departments aren’t complying with a federal law that requires public assistance agencies that serve low-income residents to offer them voter registration, a civil rights group said Wednesday. Read More

MN: Legislature needs to pass measure to fund recount on Faribault Daily News

During the recount after the November election, the state and local governments came up with a plan for the counties to do the recounts and to be reimbursed by the state at a rate of 3 cents a ballot. It didn’t cover the cost of the recount, however, a fact that has led the Secretary of State to push the Legislature to pass a bill funding the full cost. Read More

MT: Online Exclusive: Legislative Roundup – TheWesternNews.com: Local/State News

Hearings are also slated for bills to raise the age of compulsory school enrollment, to allow electronic voter registration and to legalize hunting with a hand-thrown spear. Read More

MT: Washburn wants more stringent rules to vote – The Bozeman Daily Chronicle: News

As the law now reads, people can prove they are eligible to vote in Montana by showing bank statements, paychecks or similar documents. Washburn’s bill, House Bill 152, would require people to present a Montana driver’s license, Montana identification card or tribal photo ID to register to vote. Read More

NC: Be skeptical of both sides in debate over N.C. voter ID law

Although the empirical evidence does not tell us whether voter ID laws are good or bad, it does suggest that we should be leery of the major arguments from both sides of the aisle.

The Voting News Daily: E-mail voting clears WA House committee; CT watchdogs issue report; Internet voting pushed in Vancouver

In Washington, a bill to allow all military and overseas voters to vote by fax or e-mail cleared cleared its House committee. Connecticut watchdog groups have issued a report on the Bridgeport recount, and Vancouver looks at Internet voting for November municipal elections.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below.

CT: Bridgeport Recount Report and Recommendations | CTElectionAudit.org

Luther Weeks of CTVotersCount states, “We found evidence suggesting just about every type of counting and calculation error one would imagine from officials who worked extended days and counted under pressure. We also found differences between numbers of ballots cast and numbers of voters checked-in at the polls.” Read More

IN: Satellite early-vote centers on hold till fall | The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN

Allen County residents will still only have one place to vote early this spring, but those options are likely to grow in the fall. Read More

LA: What’s Geauxing On: Everybody’s Copying Louisiana

In 1976, Louisiana adopted a non-partisan blanket primary system for both its state and its congressional elections. Read More

MN: Republicans pay bill for governor race recount | Alexandria Echo Press | Alexandria, Minnesota

Douglas County can clear an unpaid bill of $204.05 from its books.

That was how much the county charged the Minnesota Republican Party for its request for copies of documents during the recount of the Mark Dayton-Tom Emmer race for governor. Read More

NY: O’Mara named chairman of elections panel | stargazette.com | Star-Gazette

State Sen. Tom O’Mara, R, Big Flats, has been named chairman of the Senate Elections Committee and as a member of 10 other Senate committees. Read More

NC: Voters Continue to Demand Requiring Photo ID to Vote | The Lincoln Tribune

There continues to be overwhelming support among North Carolina voters for requiring photo identification to vote, according to a new poll released yesterday by the Civitas Institute. Read More

NV: Miller appoints elections official – The Political Eye – ReviewJournal.com

Secretary of State Ross Miller appointed Scott F. Gilles to serve as Deputy for Elections, replacing Matt Grifin who resigned in December to go into private practice.

Gilles, 34, is an attorney in Reno and senior associate at Fahrendorf, Viloria, Oliphant & Oster since February, 2006. Read More

NJ: Democrat McCarthy apparent winner in Manasquan | APP.com | Asbury Park Press

A recount of the ballots was conducted in November and when the results came under scrutiny, the case went before Superior Court Judge Lawrence M. Lawson on Dec. 8, who decided there should be a run-off election. Read More

NJ: Democrat wins special election in Manasquan | APP.com | Asbury Park Press

The voters have spoken — again.

Two months after originally casting their ballots in the municipal election, residents broke an Election Day tie by choosing 37-year-old Democrat Owen McCarthy. Read More

OH: Judge choice thrown into chaos | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com

A federal judge ordered Hamilton County election officials on Wednesday to count more than 150 disputed ballots in the race for juvenile court judge – more than enough to potentially change the outcome.

The Voting News Daily: Missouri Considers Tigheter Thresholds for Recounts, New President of Hart, Provisional Ballots Controvery in Ohio

CA: Report Finds Ranked Choice Voting Causes Confusion, Fatigue In SF’s District 10: News: SFAppeal

Ranked choice voting, otherwise known as instant run-off, has been used in San Francisco elections since 2004. This past November’s elections marked the first time it was used in Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro. California Watch analyzed the voting data from this district, which includes both Bayview/Hunters Point Housing Projects and middle class homes in Potrero, and came to the conclusion that RCV causes voter fatigue and confusion in especially low-income neighborhoods. Read More

IN: Bill would allow vote centers in all Indiana counties » Evansville Courier & Press

Every Indiana county could ditch neighborhood polling precincts in favor of centralized “vote centers” under legislation the Senate Elections Committee endorsed Monday. If Senate Bill 32 becomes law, it would extend the use of centralized polling places in Tippecanoe, Wayne and Cass counties, which have piloted the use of vote centers since 2007, while giving the state’s other 89 counties the same option. Read More

MO: Missouri bill would tighten threshold for election recounts – Columbia Missourian

A Missouri lawmaker has proposed legislation requiring that elections be closer to tied before the loser can request a recount. Currently candidates for public office in the state can request a recount if they lose by less than 1 percent of the total vote. The proposed legislation would lower that to one-half of 1 percent. Sponsoring Rep. Tony Dugger said Tuesday that recounts generally have little effect on election outcomes, and he is concerned about how much they cost local officials. Dugger, the House Elections Committee chairman and a former county clerk, said that local election authorities suggested the legislation. “There’s no change normally after you have a recount, and so, it’s all associated with the cost of doing the recount,” said Dugger, R-Hartville. It was unclear how much money could be saved by lowering the threshold for requesting recounts. Read More

NJ: New Jersey drops required poll-worker training for mechanics following Atlantic County complaint – pressofAtlanticCity.com: Atlantic County News

The state has dropped its requirement that voting-machine mechanics undergo poll-worker training, following a complaint from Atlantic County that the requirement is an unfunded mandate. The state Council on Local Mandates made its announcement Friday, following a complaint from Atlantic County that the requirement is an unfunded mandate. The order said that the council will consider whether the requirement — which states that “any individual whose job duties encompass access to the internal components of a voting machine is mandated to attend training” — is in fact an unfunded mandate, as Atlantic County argued in its complaint. Read More

NM: Legal Issue May Alter Absentee Voting – ABQJOURNAL NEWS/METRO:

Thousands of voters will now have to pick up the phone or turn on their computer to request an absentee-ballot application. Citing legal concerns, the Bernalillo County clerk and some other county clerks around the state will no longer send the applications out automatically before every election. About 6,000 voters in Bernalillo County were on the list to receive the applications automatically, County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver said.

The Voting News Daily: Indiana Senate takes step toward vote center approval; new Kentucky SoS named; voter ID debated

We at Verified Voting extend our thoughts and prayers to the victims of the tragedy in Arizona and their loved ones.

Tonight’s edition includes an important story about the Department of Labor’s new guidelines for electronic voting in union elections; several editorials on the question of voter ID [Editor’s Note: the editorials on voter ID in tonight’s edition express the same general point of view; please note that we include editorials expressing diverse points of view as they appear]; and news regarding Kentucky’s new Secretary of State.

CA: Report: Ranked Choice Voting Causes Confusion, Fatigue In SF’s District 10: News: SFAppeal

Ranked choice voting, otherwise known as instant run-off, has been used in San Francisco elections since 2004. This past November’s elections marked the first time it was used in Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro. Read More

CT: Our View: A Better Way to Vote?

In the aftermath of November’s election, with a ballot shortage snafu in Bridgeport that delaying naming a new governor for days, newly elected Secretary of the State Denise W. Merrill has started a discussion about how the voting process can be improved. Read More

CT: Special elections mean more expenses, more rhetoric – Connecticut Post

If you thought you had your fill of political elections, think again.

Nine more are slated for March involving 18 municipalities. And if incumbents from other offices seek to elevate their political standing, there will be another round of special elections in May. Read More

IL: Chicago military first to receive municipal election ballots

United States Armed Forces members from Chicago serving around the world were the first to receive ballots on Saturday for the upcoming municipal general election, the Chicago Election Board announced. Read More

IN: Senate Takes Step Toward Authorizing “Vote Centers” Statewide | Indy’s News Center – 93.1 WIBC Indianapolis – Live. Local. First.

The Senate Elections Committee voted unanimously Monday to give all counties the vote-center option if local election boards give unanimous approval.

Former Secretary of State Todd Rokita spearheaded the push to test the concept in Cass, Tippecanoe and Wayne Counties. Those counties say they believe discarding multiple precincts in favor of a handful of centralized locations has improved turnout and polling-place accessibility. Read More

KY: Kentucky to Receive New Secretary of State

Governor Steve Beshear has announced that Grayson would be replaced by Bowling Green Mayor Elaine Walker. According to Beshear, Walker will take the position for the final eleven months of Grayson’s term and then file to run in the next election for a regular term as Secretary of State. Read More

LA: Federal approval of Louisiana open primaries expected within a month | NOLA.com

Louisiana is still waiting for federal approval to return to open primaries in the state’s congressional and U.S. Senate elections beginning in 2012, though aides to Attorney General Buddy Caldwell say they do not believe the delay suggests the U.S. Department of Justice will reject the request. Read More

MD: Military Spouses Get Residency Relief – Odenton, MD Patch

Now, spouses of active duty military can choose to change their state of residency for taxes and other purposes like voting and car registration.

The Voting News Daily: Oklahoma chooses Hart Intercivic, Kentucky SoS to depart, Connecticut panel advocates reforms

“In many cases, we see security devices or electronic voting machines where we really have to wonder, ‘Did anybody spend 60 seconds figuring out the security issues?” That question was posed by an Argonne National Laboratories security expert in an interview published today.

There is a good deal of news to share today: Oklahoma has chosen Hart Intercivic to supply its next generation of optical scan ballot tabulators (the state currently uses the IVS Vote by Phone system for accessibility); Washington State considers moving up the deadline for mail ballot receipt to Election Day; Kentucky’s Secretary of State Trey Grayson announced plans to leave office for a position at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government; and Connecticut considers state takeover of ballot procurement.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below. Enjoy your weekend!

AR: Ex-Globetrotter allowed to join Ark. House | TheCabin.net

Smith was one of two incoming House members who were cleared by fellow lawmakers to be sworn in next week. The House also voted to recommend seating an incoming Democratic representative who won after her Republican rival was declared ineligible to serve in the House because of a bribery conviction. Read More

CO: Saguache County election debacle still unresolved even as officials set to be sworn in | Colorado Independent

[Jan. 6] A disputed election in a sleepy county in south-central Colorado has erupted into a cacophony of bipartisan complaints that the clerk and recorder is improperly certifying its results for her own benefit.

So far, six citizens have filed grievances with both the 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office alleging official misconduct and multiple criminal offenses in sparsely populated Saguache County, where the census shows just two residents per square mile. Read More

CT: Recipe For Voting Reform Offered In Connecticut – Courant.com

Early voting, automatic registration, “no-excuse” absentee ballots, and better training for poll workers.

Connecticut should consider these and other measures to improve the voting process, according to a panel organized by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill. Read More

CT: Merrill: Changes needed to avoid another Election Day fiasco | The Connecticut Mirror

The state’s new chief elections officer says she plans to promote changes to ensure that the Election Day fiasco of 2010, when polling place in Bridgeport and a half dozen other communities ran out of ballots on Election Day, doesn’t happen again. Read More

CT: After Bridgeport fiasco, ballot fix proposed – Connecticut Post

Merrill, speaking after a two-and-a-half-hour hearing Friday on Election Day problems, said she will also submit legislation to the General Assembly requiring the state to take over the purchase of ballots, so towns and cities can take advantage of bulk-buying power and save money. Read More

FL: Secretary of State Browning is Scott’s first double-dipper hire – St. Petersburg Times

Retirement was going as former Secretary of State Kurt Browning figured it would: a lot of working in the yard, loving on his grandbaby, padding around the barn at his Dade City home.

The Voting News Daily: Montana’s vote by mail legislation expected to move, New Jersey election dispute rekindles

Montana’s Legislature will once again consider vote by mail legislation, Missouri’s will consider early voting, and unopened ballots may change a recount result in New Jersey.

All this and more in today’s Voting News below.

AR: Martin names top aids for secretary of state’s office

Martin announced his leadership team Thursday, including Family Council lawyer Martha Adcock as elections director and Alice Stewart as deputy director of public affairs. Read More

CO: Saguache County clerk complaint sent to AG – Colorado Springs Conservative | Examiner.com

In answer to objections that she should “butt out” of the election controversy in Saguache County, Marks pointed out that according to state statue, any person may file a complaint with the appropriate district attorney. The fact that she resides in Pitkin, not Saguache County, Marks said, has no effect on her strong conviction that elections must be fair and uniform throughout Colorado.

“As a Coloradan, I’m not only interested in competency and fairness in the Saguache clerk’s office for the conduct of future elections, but given the big questions on water, energy and the environment facing the BOCC, I know that decisions of Saguache BOCC impact the entire region,” she explained. “The election of those officials should truly reflect the will of the Saguache voters.” Read More

CT: Journal Inquirer Politics & Government Forum on ballot shortage

The forum, at 10 a.m. Friday in the Capitol Old Appropriations Room, will allow policy experts and members of the public to offer ideas on preventing such problems. Registrars of voters, town clerks, and voting rights advocates are expected to weigh in on the issue. Among those in attendance will be Manchester Town Clerk Joseph Camposeo, president of the Connecticut Town Clerks Association. Read More

FL: Browning Returns as Secretary of State

Kurt Browning, a former local official who was widely respected for his knowledge of running elections, will return to lead the Department of State, which oversees the Division of Elections, from which he recently retired, Gov. Rick Scott announced late Wednesday. Read More

IN: [SoS] White sworn in despite controversy

White is still answering the charges that his victory came despite listing his ex-wife’s address on voter registration forms for the May 2010 primary. Two special prosecutors are looking into the allegations that White acted intentionally to mislead voters but White said he hasn’t spoken to investigators.

“We’re just waiting on them and we’ll cooperate when it’s time,” White said. Read More

IN: Charlie White sworn in as Indiana secretary of state

Charlie White was sworn in today as Indiana’s newest secretary of state, but a cloud hung over the Statehouse ceremony as special prosecutors in Hamilton County continue to investigate whether White committed voter fraud. Read More

IN: Embattled White says investigation won’t affect Secretary of State’s office

The Republican said he believes the investigation “will work itself out” and won’t interfere with his ability to administer an office that regulates elections, business charters and the securities industry. Read More.

MA: Recount loser says he’ll stay in house until court fight ends – Sharon, MA – Sharon Advocate

Citing provisions in the state Constitution, Rep.

The Voting News Daily: International Observers Report on Mid-Terms, MN SoS Ritchie to Lead NASS

AK: Miller Will Not Appeal Federal Ruling; Concedes Alaska’s U.S. Senate Race to Murkowski – The BRAD BLOG (Dec. 31)

In a press conference held this afternoon in Juneau, Alaska’s GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate, Joe Miller, finally conceded the election to write-in candidate and incumbent Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski. He has decided not to appeal his federal case as dismissed by a U.S. circuit court judge on Tuesday. See AP’s coverage for more on today’s announcement. Read More

CA: Low-income voters struggled with ranked-choice voting | California Watch

Voters from low-income neighborhoods had a tougher time with the complexities of the ranked-choice voting system in November’s election.That’s the bottom line of a California Watch analysis of voting data from the electoral district that arguably faced the most complicated ballot in California: San Francisco’s Supervisorial District 10. Read More

IA: Activists to Branstad: Keep current voting rights rule | The Des Moines Register

A coalition of about 20 activist groups asked Gov.-elect Terry Branstad on Monday not to follow through on a pledge to rescind an executive order that automatically restores voting rights to ex-convicts. The groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa and the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, sent a letter to Branstad expressing support for a statewide policy adopted in 2005. That’s when Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack issued a blanket order restoring voting rights to about 50,000 Iowa felons who had completed their criminal sentences. Read More

MO: St. Clair County Clerk explains military ballot snafu – STLToday.com

Bob Delaney said today he acted with diligence when he mailed 1,207 military ballots on Oct. 4, 16 days after a federal election law deadline and 31 days late by Illinois election standards. Testifying before an Illinois House Elections and Campaign Reform committee, Delaney said he was trying to avoid reprinting costs, in case pending litigation threw candidates off the ballot. Read More

MT: Vote-by-mail bill has bipartisan support

Montana lawmakers will be asked to approve a bill with bipartisan support that would set up vote-by-mail elections for all federal, state and local elections in Montana in 2012, Secretary of State Linda McCulloch said Wednesday. “Vote-by-mail elections increase voter participation, enhance voter protection and save taxpayer money,” said McCulloch, a Democrat and the state’s chief election officer. House Bill 130 is the product of a working group commissioned by McCulloch that represented a variety of organizations and county governments. Rep. Pat Ingraham, R-Thompson Falls, a former county clerk and election administrator, is sponsoring the bill. Read More

NY: Troy vote probe gambit rejected by judge – Times Union

An acting state Supreme Court justice has dismissed questions raised about the status of a Rensselaer County grand jury investigating ballot fraud and a judge overseeing it. Attorneys for City Councilman Michael LoPorto and county Democratic Elections Commissioner Edward McDonough attempted in December “to intervene regarding the proceedings” of the grand jury probing allegations of absentee ballot fraud in the 2009 Working Families Party primary in Troy, according to a court document.