Tennessee officials claim it is impossible to implement the paper ballot law on time. NC was able to do this because they have highly organized and competent election officials. Rep Gary Odom (TN)also advises that legal experts say that no changes are needed to the state’s paper ballot law. Meanwhile, the Canadian company, Dominion will be taking over Sequoia’s contract with NY. India is now seeing increasing opposition to the use of paperless voting machines. Minnesota SOS an recount in news. Bloomberg reports on Iran’s post election death toll. Twitter and social media impact on election reporting. More push for paper ballots in India.
MN. July 16, 2009. Secretary of State Ritchie in GOP crosshairs.
http://minnesotaindependent.com/39533/secretary-of-state-ritchie-in-gop-crosshairs
MN. Video of Minnesota Experts on Lessons from U.S. Senate Recount
Learning from the 2008 U.S. Senate Recount Saga: Practical Reforms to Improve Minnesota Elections
http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/cspg/videos/recount071009.html
NV. July 16, 2009. Vegas judge sets date for ACORN evidence hearing
LAS VEGAS—A Las Vegas judge set an evidentiary hearing Sept. 29 in a criminal case against the advocacy group ACORN and two former employees accused of illegally paying canvassers to sign up voters in Nevada.
http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_12851730
NY July 16, 2009 Sequoia Voting Systems Assigns New York State Voting System Contract to Its New York State Partner and ImageCast Equipment Developer, Dominion Voting Systems http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090716005590&newsLang=en
TN July 16, 2009. The Response to The Response Over the Voting Machine Debate in Tennessee.
“After the session, we’ve received other legal advice that says there is no problem that needs fixing. We can legally buy optical scanners that will be available in a matter of weeks that will allow us to comply with the provisions of the 2008 Tennessee Voter Confidence Act and all Federal Laws and Regulations.
Rep. Gary Odom House Democratic Leader Gary Odom (D-Nashville)
http://www.wdef.com/news/the_response_to_the_response_over_the_voting_machine_debate_in_tennessee/07/2009
TN July 16, 2009 Washington County unlikely to file suit over new voting machine requirement
“I would be very reluctant for us to go down that path,” Ruetz said, adding he believes it would be a counterproductive move. “I think we want to be looking for every possible way of making it work before we ever get to that point.”
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9015276
TN July 16, 2009. Attention Tennessee Election Officials, NC implemented ballot law in less than 8 months.
TN officials could implement the paper ballot law in plenty of time if they were anywhere as competent or organized as officials in North Carolina.
http://votingnews.blogspot.com/2009/07/attention-tennessee-election-officials.html
India. By Elections on August 18.
In spite of vehement protests by many political parties in the State, the ECI said Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) would be used in all the polling stations.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/17/stories/2009071757770100.htm
Iran. July 16, 2009. Iran hides post-election death toll
LONDON, July 16 (UPI) — The number of demonstrators who died in post-election skirmishes with Iranian government forces may amount to a massacre, human-rights groups claim…. “if you put together the evidence of the families that have spoken, along with eyewitness reports and data from hospitals, there could be well over a hundred fatalities.”
http://www.upi.com/Emerging_Threats/2009/07/16/Iran-hides-post-election-death-toll/UPI-24461247779922/
Iran List of Dead, Detained Ballot Protesters Released in Paris
An international committee of lawyers released a list of 74 people that they said were killed by Iranian security forces during the clashes that followed Iran’s disputed presidential elections last month. …Also released at a Paris press conference today were the names of 913 people arrested during and after the massive street protests against the June 12 vote….include lawyers, students, a university director and an Islamic cleric arrested on June 28 during a service at a mosque.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=axiJORqjhjA0
July 16, 2009. Understanding Election Twitter.
What Internet search trends do and do not tell us about politics
This summer’s major elections in India, Iran, and Indonesia have happened in an increasingly online world where Internet penetration has grown to significant proportions. http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/briefings/data/000120