The “Un-Merger” is a step in the right direction. But there’s more work to be done. ES&S election monopoly blocked. Still at least 17 ways to steal or botch your next election…Ballot brouhaha in Aspen Colorado….Hans A. von Spakovsky appointed to Fairfax VA election board…
“How can Florida, North Carolina and so many other states already have op scan, but we can’t do it here in Maryland?” ~ Gail Ewing of Potomac is a retired at-large Montgomery CO. Council member. The answer is – Linda Lamone. Maryland had the money to buy the optical scanners back in 2006. Then Governor Ehrlich allocated $28.5 million for optical-scanners in March 2006. But State Election Chief Linda Lamone spent the money on Diebold electronic poll books instead, causing nothing but problems for judges when the poll books malfunctioned. Lamone was later censured by the next Governor O’ Malley for allowing Diebold to use her picture and endorsement in sales literature featuring the poll books.
All this and more in today’s voting news below….
AK: Lessmann resigns from election commission
http://thecabin.net/news/local/2010-03-12/lessmann-resigns-election-commission
In a second news release issued by Lessmann on Friday, he calls for the resignation of Faulkner County Clerk Melinda Reynolds, stating that, “He felt (Reynolds’) admission of violation of election laws relative to absence ballots (left him with) no choice,” and that, “Her partisan politics have driven his decisions.”
AZ: Official: Voters Given Wrong Ballot *
http://www.kpho.com/news/22804460/detail.html
CA: Pen And Paper Signatures v. Electronic Signatures
http://bit.ly/ctnUlL
CA: Proposal would divert funding for voter education
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14658959
“…we question whether Oakland should be spending extra money on a separate voter education effort,” (League of Women Voters opposing)
CA: Spanjian Exits District 8 Race – Who Benefits?
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=7903#more
But Prozan’s success depends largely on how much District 8 voters use Ranked Choice Voting. It’s easy to see Prozan and Wiener split the “moderate” vote with Mandelman squeaking ahead, but enough voters casting a second-choice vote for the same candidate could upend the conventional wisdom.
CO: Ballot brouhaha
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/139658
Why has the city been so aggressively holding back anonymous May 5 images of ballots?
CO: Letter to Aspen City Council regarding Dismissal of Marks v. Koch and attached letter to editor http://bit.ly/dfv4Mb Harvie Branscomb
CO: Be mindful when voting
http://bit.ly/8YiJNY
If a citizen receives a mail ballot, he or she must use that ballot to vote
IN: Bill to continue vote centers hits snag
Amendment could bring down measure to keep 3-county pilot program going
http://www.pal-item.com/article/20100311/NEWS01/3110305/1008
KY: Kentucky’s Disturbing Disenfranchisement Numbers
http://bit.ly/aQEu18
A new report by the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights finds that nearly one-in-four African Americans has lost the right to vote in Kentucky.
MD: Gail Ewing: Accountable voting put on hold
http://www.gazette.net/stories/03122010/policol175947_32553.php
Op scan advocates such as Rebecca Wilson, co-founder of Save Our Votes, cry foul, saying the state Board of Elections “low-balled the cost of keeping the touch screens and overestimated the costs for op scan” for the governor last fall. They purport that bringing the new system on board actually would cost less than keeping the touch screens…
MI: Court: Voting rolls are public record
http://www.record-eagle.com/statenews/local_story_070072546.html
The Michigan secretary of state’s office can’t refuse to show individual voting records from the state’s 2008 presidential primary to an East Lansing political consultant or anyone else, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.
MS: Senate OKs bill allowing felons to clear records
http://bit.ly/904Xpd
NC: N.C. Supreme Court will hear historic Libertarian ballot access lawsuit
http://bit.ly/aqhTAL
NJ:Council Report: Budget Brouhaha Continues, Elections Move Denied and More
http://bit.ly/9w9Qi8
…The consolidated ballot “would confuse the average voter,” said Borace.
NM: Herrera says Salazar resigned because she denied leave
http://newmexicoindependent.com/49532/herrera-says-salazar-resigned-because-she-denied-leave-request
NM: Former elections employees confirm contentions that office is mismanaged, KUNM reports http://bit.ly/9kq0wn In a report that will air on tonight’s evening news, several former state elections employees tell KUNM’s Jim Williams that allegations made by A.J. Salazar are true. Read the full text of the story,
NY: Owego Brings Paper Ballots Back (hand counted paper ballots)
http://www.wbng.com/news/local/87393852.html
Instead of pulling a lever on a machine, voters in Owego will mark a single X or a single check.
…
Mieczkowski says no one in Tioga County is trained to run programming on new electronic machines.
NY: Officials train on new voting machines
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20100311/NEWS04/303119983
OH: Feds seek further sale of voting-machine systems
http://bit.ly/ajjMYE
For the second time in less than a year, the voting systems used in more than half of Ohio’s counties are expected to be sold to a different company.
TX: Eastland recount an unusual one
http://bit.ly/dBNr5m
Since Funderburgh requested a manual recount, the technicians will “data mine” the ballots for the county clerk race and then physically print them out.
VA: Pick of Bush administration official for Fairfax elections board riles Dems
http://bit.ly/9pwjwY …the Republicans’ choice of Hans A. von Spakovsky, a former
assistant attorney general for civil rights and member of the Federal Election Commission under President George W. Bush, has set the stage for political acrimony with Democrats, who say his controversial background will only create more tension in already tight local races.
Internet voting articles
Online ballots cancelled for this year’s USG elections
http://www.theticker.org/about/2.8215/online-ballots-cancelled-for-this-year-s-usg-elections-1.2190115
Baruch College NY…This change comes after last year’s controversial student government elections, when presidential candidate Ben Guttmann contested the results, claiming that the winning party, New Baruch Alliance coerced students into voting for them on laptops that they provided.
National
ES&S election monopoly blocked. Still at least 17 ways to steal or botch your next election.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/2/ES-S-election-monopoly-blo-by-Lani-Massey-Brown-100311-404.html
The Times: They are a Antitrust’n, but it is not enough
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2955
Citizenship Checks Denied
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/03/12/citizenship-checks-denied/
‘The Times botched the story,’ says John Atlas, author, president of National Housing Institute ‘The act of defunding ACORN by Congress is a national disgrace’…
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7743
International
Russia heads to polls on Unified Election Day
http://rt.com/Politics/2010-03-12/voting-russia-election-regional.html
The Central Election Committee is also going to try out a system of electronic voting in several electoral stations
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
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