Arizona: Court dismisses challenge to Arizona congressional maps | Arizona Daily Star

Arizona voters have a constitutional right to wrest control of drawing congressional boundaries from the Legislature, a federal court ruled late Friday. U.S. District Judge Murray Snow acknowledged the arguments by Peter Gentala, an attorney for the Republican-controlled Legislature, that the U.S. Constitution spells out that the “times, places and manner” of electing members of Congress “shall be prescribed in each state by the Legislature thereof.” But Snow, writing for the majority of the three-judge panel, said he reads nothing in the Constitution that precludes the voters, as the ultimate lawmakers, from deciding that legislative chore and instead giving it to the Independent Redistricting Commission, which is what they did in 2000. That makes the lines the commission drew for the state’s nine congressional districts legal and enforceable, he said.

Editorials: Four things the District of Columbia can try to send election turnout through the roof | Norman Ornstein/Washington Post

Voter turnout in the District is generally abysmal. With rare exceptions — a presidential election with an African American at the head of the ticket, for example — turnout in the city falls at the lower end of a national spectrum that is pretty poor to begin with. In some ways this is no surprise; for those of us living in the District, voting can be a drag. First, we have no voting representation in Congress. Second, the general elections are almost always pro forma; the District is so overwhelmingly Democratic that the only contest that matters is the Democratic primary. Those issues aren’t likely to change anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean turnout has to remain at such low levels. The District is ripe for a dramatic experiment that could show how changing the rules and processes could significantly increase voter participation. Unlike North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas, where lawmakers have tried multiple ways to suppress votes to maintain partisan political advantage, the climate here isn’t hostile to voters. Rather, there is every reason for political figures, election officials and citizens to work together to create a healthier democracy. This creates a great opportunity to use the District as a laboratory for cutting-edge ideas.

Kentucky: Rand Paul backs House version of felon voting bill | The Courier-Journal

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said Friday that he prefers a Kentucky constitutional amendment that would restore the voting rights of convicted felons without strings attached, rather than one backed by Senate Republicans that puts numerous restrictions them. “The bill in the House, which I support, would let you, once you served your time for a nonviolent felony, would let you get your voting rights back. I support that,” Paul, R-Ky., said while attending a Jefferson County Republican Party fundraising event that was focused on broadening the party’s appeal. But Paul said he still hopes some agreement between the House and Senate is in the offing, and that a bill can be passed by the end of the 2014 session of the General Assembly.

Editorials: Senate made mockery of Kentucky voting rights amendment | Lexington Herald Leader

Imagine if two-thirds of people living in Lexington just disappeared. Their houses sat empty, their jobs unfilled and taxes unpaid. When it comes to our country’s most basic democratic right — voting — that is what’s happening today. Nearly 200,000 Kentuckians living and working in our communities cannot vote because of antiquated laws excluding them from our democracy. When someone is convicted of a felony, they can never vote again unless the governor individually allows them to do so. It does not matter how long ago the crime was, how old the person was when he did it or how long he has been living productively among friends and neighbors. This year, the legislature, and every citizen, had a chance to change that, but it looks as if the Kentucky Senate is squandering that opportunity. The legislature is considering House Bill 70, which would allow voters to decide on a constitutional amendment that would automatically restore voting rights for people with criminal convictions who have fully completed their sentences.

North Carolina: Judge delays ruling on voting law | Winston-Salem Journal

A federal judge this afternoon held off on ruling whether 13 North Carolina state legislators should comply with subpoenas requesting documents in connection with a trio of lawsuits challenging a voting law passed last year. Magistrate Judge Joi Elizabeth Peak also told parties in the suit to develop a plan to produce electronic documents from the state, and told defense attorneys to produce documents related to how the law is being implemented. The U.S. Department of Justice, along with a group of plaintiffs that include the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and the League of Women Voters, is contesting the Voter Identification Verification Act (VIVA).

Ohio: Kasich signs both elections bills; ‘livid’ FitzGerald may take action | The Columbus Dispatch

With Gov. John Kasich’s signature now on two Republican-sponsored bills that reduce early voting, eyes turn toward his likely Democratic challenger to see if he follows through on a threat to challenge the new laws in court. Yesterday, Kasich signed Senate Bill 238, which eliminates “Golden Week” — when Ohioans could register and vote on the same day — and shortens early voting by a week. He also signed Senate Bill 205, which makes legislative approval a requirement before the secretary of state can mail out absentee-ballot applications statewide. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald, who also is the elected Cuyahoga County executive, said he has asked his county law director to review the two new laws for possible legal action. “We’ve done that before,” said FitzGerald, who emailed supporters after Kasich signed the bills to say he was “livid.”

Ohio: Husted: BOE can move, but locals choose early voting site | Cincinnati.com

Hamilton County leaders can move elections operations to Mount Airy, but the issue about where to put early voting remains unsettled in the wake of Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s tie-breaking vote on the matter. The decisions have national implications. Ohio – and Hamilton County in particular – are key battlegrounds in presidential elections, and how elections are conducted here can affect whose votes get counted. In the 2012 presidential election, more than 24,000 people voted early, in-person, at the Downtown location. “They need to find a place everyone can live with,” Husted told the Enquirer. “I’m not trying to tell anyone in Hamilton County where their early voting should be.” Husted added: “Honestly, the current location is not the best location.”

Australia: Electoral Commissioner Ed Killesteyn resigns after bungled WA Senate vote | Sydney Morning Herald

The head of the Australian Electoral Commission, Ed Killesteyn, and his most senior colleague in Western Australia have quit in the wake of the state’s bungled Senate election. Special Minister of State Michael Ronaldson announced on Friday that Mr Killesteyn had formally tendered his resignation to Governor-General Quentin Bryce. The High Court this week declared last September’s West Australian Senate result void – paving the way for a fresh election in the state – after more than 1300 ballot papers went missing during the counting process. Mr Killesteyn is currently on personal leave and will remain on leave until his resignation takes effect on July 4. Deputy electoral commissioner Tom Rogers will act as commissioner. ”Events in Western Australia mean that the Australian Electoral Commission must regain the confidence of the community,” Senator Ronaldson said in a statement. ”The government will in due course announce a new electoral commissioner who will be charged with the restoration of that confidence.”

Fiji: 85% eligible voters are registered: Fiji Electoral Commission chairman | Islands Business

Approximately 85% of eligible voters are registered, which is an extremely impressive figure and represents the largest number of registered voters in Fiji’s history, says Electoral Commission chairman Chen Bunn Young. And the Elections Office is focusing on providing as many locations as possible around the country where Fijians can register to vote. Young said the Commission is determined to pick up the pace of opening registration centres in convenient locations across Fiji.

Iraq: Iraq begins handing out elections ID cards in Baghdad as unrest rages on across country | Associated Press

Iraqi election officials began handing out new, computerized voter identification cards Saturday across the capital as the country prepares for its first nationwide election since the withdrawal of U.S. troops. But the more than $100 million push to modernize voting comes as officials can’t distribute cards in embattled Anbar province, where al-Qaida fighters seized control of parts of two cities, and as militant attacks rage on unabated, killing at least 14 people alone Saturday and wounding nearly two dozen. The new voter cards, which include a computer chip, will allow election officials to check a voter’s identity and try to halt fraud. Several Iraqi political blocs alleged that some people voted multiple times in the last vote in 2010, although the results of the election were not widely disputed.

Thailand: Election Commission rejects ‘impossible’ re-run demand | Bangkok Post

Pheu Thai, Chartthaipattana, Chart Pattana and Phalang Chon parties stepped up calls on Friday for the EC to wrap up the incomplete election process, warning that the country faces the threat of huge economic damage in the absence of a government. But election commissioner Somchai Srisuttiyakon yesterday dismissed the request, saying the EC was required to act within the law. He was speaking at a meeting of chairmen and directors of provincial election committees to discuss preparations for the Senate election on March 30 and the poll re-runs. Mr Somchai, who is in charge of election management, said it was impossible to hold a fresh election in the 28 southern constituencies which had no registered candidates as the caretaker government and the EC still could not reach a clear conclusion on how to proceed.

The Voting News Weekly: The Voting News Weekly February 17-23 2014

holt_260Four years after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the supposed barrier between candidates and unrestricted super PACs is flimsier than ever. Voting rights advocates are concerned that efforts to stop strict voter ID laws could provide the conservatives on the Roberts Court the opportunity to strike down or significantly narrow Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The Kentucky State Senate passed a constitutional amendment intended to restore voting rights for some ex-felons after making significant changes to the version passed in the House. Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ), who has advocated measures to increase the transparency and security of voting technology, has announced that he will not run for re-election this November. A federal judge tried Friday to speed up the flow of documents in three lawsuits challenging North Carolina’s voter ID and elections overhaul law. In a party-line vote, the Republican controlled Ohio House passed two bills that make changes to the mailing of absentee ballot applications and cut six days from Ohio’s 35-day early, in-person voting period. A court has voided a Senate election in Western Australia, marred by the loss of 1375 ballots during a recount, forcing a re-vote and voters in Libya braved polling place bombings to vote on a new constitution.

National: Bill mandates no-excuse absentee ballots in federal elections | NBC

Voting-rights activists are hoping the hype around this year’s midterm elections will give new energy to a bill intended to make it easier to vote. The bill would mandate no-excuse absentee voting in federal elections, a provision currently allowed for voters in 30 states. Twenty others only allow absentee ballots to be cast if certain excuses are offered. “We think this is fundamentally unfair and invasive to people’s privacy,” says Deborah Vagins, senior counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Arizona: Senate repeals 2013 election law | Associated Press

The Arizona Senate has voted to repeal a sweeping 2013 Arizona election law that included trimming the state’s permanent early voting list and a host of other provisions that incensed voter-rights advocates. Majority Republicans who pushed House Bill 2305 through last June voted Thursday to repeal the law 17-12. The House passed an identical bill last week. The bill will now go to the governor. Republicans pushing the repeal say they are following the will of the voters and expressed worry that the many provisions in the bill could not be changed without a supermajority vote of the Legislature if it is repealed by voters. Democrats worry the provisions will be re-enacted. Repealing the law will cancel the voter referendum.

California: Padilla, Yee looking at 3rd party ballot access issues | CalNewsroom

Two Democrat state Senators, who are running for Secretary of State on the promise of free and fair elections, are looking into the new ballot qualification rules that are keeping third parties off the June ballot. Under new election rules established with the state’s Top Two primary, it would take the Green Party of California more than 16 years to raise enough money to pay the filing fee for all of its candidates in the June primary.

Connecticut: Malloy to unveil new online voter registration feature | Monroe Courier

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today joined Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to officially unveil Connecticut’s new online voter registration system.  The link to the new voter registration feature can easily be reached online at ct.gov and will be  featured on every Connecticut state agency website. Connecticut now becomes the 15th U.S. state to provide  the complete ability to register to vote online.  The new online voter registration feature will be available to eligible Connecticut voters – residents of the state who are both American citizens aged 18 and older – who hold a valid Connecticut driver’s license or other ID issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.  The system is designed to have the voter enter their personal information for voter registration online, information which then populates a form that is sent via email to the registrar of voters where the new voter or voter changing address wants to register.  The registrar of voters must then check the entered information and verify that it is accurate before adding the new voter to the Connecticut Voter Registration System statewide database.  Secretary Merrill’s office worked with the Connecticut DMV to implement a new law requiring online voter registration that was enacted in 2012.  Under the law, a new voter registering online agrees to add their electronic signature – already on file with the DMV – to the voter registration form online.  With the electronic signature, the new voter attests online that all of the information contained in the voter registration form is true and accurate.  In addition to new registrations, voters can also change their current registration online.

Editorials: GOP Senate makes farce of Kentucky voting rights amendment | Lexington Herald-Leader

In the annals of cynical politics, Kentucky’s Republican Senate has reached new heights, or depths. It has thumbed its collective nose at 180,000 Kentuckians who have served their time for felony convictions but still aren’t allowed to vote, and the thousands of people who have worked for years to restore their voting rights — and told them they should be thankful. The House should refuse this farcical rewrite. The Senate has a long history of rejecting felon voting rights but the twist this year is the upper chamber manipulated the process so it could appear to be expanding rights without actually doing so.

Nevada: Lawsuit filed to block voter-identification petition | Las Vegas Sun News

A lawsuit has been filed in District Court to block attempts at a petition initiative that would require voters to show identification before casting ballots. The suit, filed in Carson City on Wednesday, is aimed at stopping former U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle and her supporters from gathering signatures to qualify the petition for the 2014 election. It argues the proposed constitutional amendment illegally commands the Legislature to enact the law and intrudes on powers reserved for the legislative branch.

Ohio: Republicans move to curb early, absentee voting | Washington Post

Ohio voters will have shorter windows in which to cast early ballots under a proposed measure headed to Gov. John Kasich’s desk this week after the Republican-dominated legislature moved to cut almost a full week off the state’s early voting window. The House on Wednesday passed a measure that would end what’s known as “golden week,” the six days of early voting during which a voter can both register to vote and cast an in-person absentee ballot at the same time. Democrats and voting-rights groups opposed the measure, which passed the state House on a party-line vote. The Senate had passed an identical bill in November, so the proposal now heads to Kasich, who is likely to sign it.

Oregon: Senate approves Internet voting study | Associated Press

The Oregon Senate on Thursday set the wheels in motion for studying the possibility of Internet voting, with proponents arguing the state could become a national pioneer as it did with vote by mail. Doubters pointed to the troubles of Cover Oregon’s website as an argument against tackling large Internet projects. Lawmakers approved a bill that would order the secretary of state to name a work group to examine issues surrounding a possible statewide Internet voting system. It gives the group until Dec. 1 to report its findings, including any estimated costs or savings and what would be needed to comply with federal elections laws.

Oregon: Internet voting study approved by Oregon Senate | OregonLive.com

Despite concerns about ballot security, the Oregon Senate on Thursday approved 18 to 11 a bill to study the feasibility of Internet voting. Senate Bill 1515 would establish a work group to study the issue and submit a report to the Legislature by Dec. 1. The bill now goes to the House. Opponents brought up the botched rollout of the Cover Oregon health insurance exchange and this month’s data breach of the Oregon Secretary of State’s website that continues to keep elections and business databases offline. The record, they said, made them question the state’s technological ability to ensure ballot security.

Oregon: Secretary of State contacts FBI over website hacking | KATU

More than two weeks after the Oregon secretary of state’s office said it detected and stopped an intrusion into the agency’s website, the breach could now be the subject of a federal investigation. Spokesman for the secretary of state’s office, Tony Green, told the On Your Side Investigators that the agency reached out to the FBI after its campaign finance portion of the website was compromised in early February. They also contacted the Oregon State Police, which investigates cybercrimes. “This appears to be an orchestrated intrusion from a foreign entity and not the result of any employee activities,” according to the agency’s website.

Washington: Extending online voter signup | Spokesman-Review

Procrastinating voters who delay registering as the election approaches would have a little more time to sign up on-line before an election under a bill moving through the Legislature. But those who would prefer to go to the elections office and fill out the form would have a little less. Washington currently has two deadlines for eligible residents to register to vote: 29 days before an election for filling out a form and mailing it in or filling out the online registration form and pressing the send button; eight days before the election for those willing to go to the county elections office and fill out the necessary paperwork.

Australia: Electoral Commission boss resigns over WA Senate vote | News.com.au

The boss of the Australian Electoral Commission has resigned in the wake of the fall-out over the bungled West Australian Senate recount that has prompted a new election costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Commissioner Mr Ed Killesteyn today wrote to the Abbott Government stating that he had formally tendered his resignation to Governor-General Quentin Bryce. Special Minister of State Michael Ronaldson said Mr Killesteyn had a long and distinguished career in the public service and he wished him well for the future. “Events in Western Australia mean that the Australian Electoral Commission must regain the confidence of the community,’’ Mr Ronaldson said.

Canada: NDP wants to force consultation on ‘unfair’ election law changes | CBC

The New Democrats are forcing a debate in the House over whether to hold cross-Canada consultations on the government’s proposed changes to federal election laws. The party is using its opposition day, a day set aside for it to set the subject of debate in the House, to present a motion that would instruct the procedure and House affairs committee to travel the country and seek input from Canadians. NDP Deputy Leader David Christopherson called the Conservatives a “serial-cheating government” that’s trying to “pre-cheat” the next election through the proposed changes. New Democrat MP Craig Scott called the bill the “unfair elections act,” playing off the government’s title for the bill, the fair elections act.

Libya: Voters hope for some stability with election of constitutional panel | Middle East Online

Libyans went to the polls Thursday to elect a panel to draft a new constitution in the latest milestone in the chaotic political transition following the overthrow of Moamer Gathafi. There was none of the voter enthusiasm that marked Libya’s first free election in July 2012 as public frustration mounts over the weak central government’s failure to restore order in the wake of the Arab Spring uprising. At Fatma al-Zahra school in the capital’s Hay al-Andalous district, less than 100 of 2,760 registered voters had cast their ballot two hours after polls opened. “It’s still early and it’s a holiday (for the vote). People are having a lie-in,” said Ali Hassan, the official in charge of the polling station. Houda Bouzid, a woman in her 30s, said: “I’ve come to vote for a candidate to push for women’s rights in the new constitution.”

Thailand: Caretaker Government Beseiged | Establishment Post

The caretaker government of Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra continues to maintain its fragile grip on power two weeks after a general election failed to yield sufficient parliamentarians to enable the formation of a new government in Southeast Asia’s second largest economy. The People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand (NSPRT) and the Dhamma Army continue to protest daily in the streets of the capital, Bangkok.

National: Firewall Between Candidates and Super PACs Breaking Down | Roll Call

When the Supreme Court deregulated independent political spending four years ago, the court reasoned that unrestricted money posed no corruption risk because a firewall separates candidates from their outside benefactors. As Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission: “By definition, an independent expenditure is political speech presented to the electorate that is not in coordination with a candidate.” Such expenditures, the court concluded, “including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption.” Four years after that ruling, the supposed barrier between candidates and unrestricted super PACs is flimsier than ever. As midterm elections approach, complaints are rolling into the FEC from both parties about super PACs that share vendors, fundraisers and video footage with the politicians they support.

Editorials: Voter ID cases could let John Roberts destroy Voting Rights Act | MSNBC

After the Supreme Court wiped out the most important plank of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) last summer, a broad range of experts told msnbc that the law’s key remaining pillar may now be at risk from the court’s conservatives. And lately there’s concern that efforts to stop strict voter ID laws could, perversely, give Chief Justice John Roberts and co. the chance they’ve been looking for.  Striking down or significantly narrowing that key pillar, known as Section 2, would essentially render the most successful civil-rights law in U.S. history a dead letter. In a nutshell, Section 2 prohibits racial discrimination in voting. Though it’s a less effective tool than Section 5—which, until it was neutered by the Supreme Court, required certain regions to get federal approval before their election laws could go into effect—it’s still an important protection. The Justice Department is using it to challenge Texas’ voter ID law, as well as North Carolina’s sweeping voting law.

Kentucky: Senate passes measure seeking to restore voting rights for some felons | Associated Press

A proposed constitutional amendment aimed at restoring the voting rights of some felons cleared the Kentucky Senate on Wednesday after being rewritten to include a five-year waiting period. The measure returns to the House. It passed a much different version last month that proposed automatically reinstating voting rights for eligible felons after completing all conditions of their sentences. The proposal, which cleared the Senate on a 34-4 vote, would go on Kentucky’s fall ballot if it clears the Legislature. Some senators said they voted for the stricter Senate version in hopes of advancing it toward a better product crafted by House-Senate negotiators. They said the waiting period amounts to another punishment for people who paid their debt to society and should be eligible to vote. “Why do we want to punish them again, put another five years on them?” said Democratic Sen. Jerry Rhoads of Madisonville.