The Voting News Weekly: The Voting News Weekly – December 23-29 2013

thailand_260Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Boston have shown that legislation restricting access to voting is designed to suppress the votes of voters more likely to vote Democratic: poor and Black. The Overseas Vote Foundation announced the launch of a new project aimed at taking a research-based approach to the question of whether or not absentee ballots can be securely cast over the Internet. Proposals for two-tiered voting systems in Arizona and Kansas have drawn criticism from voters. Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz has indicated he will not develop contingency plans in case the Election Assistance Commission determines that his office misused federal funds in a voter fraud investigation. An year-long investigation in Ohio found little evidence of voter fraud in the State. The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office has made nearly $90,000 off fees during the past five years by selling voter information to political parties or campaigns and, sometimes, to private corporations who turn around and sell the data for a profit. Both candidates in Madagascar’s Presidential election claimed victory and fraud, while election protests in Thailand turned violent as the government rejected a call from the Election Commission to postpone a February vote.