The Voting News Weekly: The Voting News Weekly January 1-6 2013

The Obama Administration faces political challenges in fixing problems encountered in the November election. Internet voting problems forced an extension of the deadline for Academy Award votes. Electoral College votes from November’s election were officially accepted as the 113th Congress opened. The Washington Post considered the ineffectiveness of the Federal Election Commission. Proposed voter registration rules faced criticism in Iowa. Republican lawmakers publicly acknowledge that election law changes made in 2011 need to be revised. Voters in the Czech Republic prepare for their first direct Presidential election and Vladimir Putin made significant changes to Russia’s system for electing members of Parliament in a bid to solidify his party’s power.

National: Log-in problems confound Oscar electronic voting process | UPI.com

Some members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif., said online voting system bugs kept them from casting Oscar ballots. Electronic voting was a new option this year in Oscar voting. In response to problems with user log-ins and passwords, the academy extended the voting deadline for Oscar nominations by one day to Friday. Amy Berg, an Oscar-nominated member of the documentary branch, said the voting website rejected her password three times before locking her out, The Hollywood Reporter said.