Author Archives: Warren Stewart

The Voting News Daily: Experts slams D.C. Internet Voting Plan as unsafe. Ottawa’s internet voting bugs

Hampden MA may end hand counting ballots..Benton Co MI Supervisor paid from $10 to $40 + case of beer for votes..VA Gov McDonnell outpaces Dems in restoring Va. felons’ voting rights..Internet voting spreads in Canada & so do problems. Ottawa voters blocked by “captcha” bug & some registered voters told they weren’t on the list…Experts pan D.C. Internet vote plan: “Return of marked ballots over the Internet is something we simply don’t know how to do safely. Exercises such as this are counterproductive, because they will provide a false sense of security..”

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AK: Murkowski: Uncertainty about vote-counting process
http://newsminer.com/bookmark/9654261-Murkowski-Uncertainty-about-vote-counting-process– U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who’s mounting a write-in campaign to hold onto her job, said considerable uncertainty remains over what criteria election officials will use to determine which write-in ballots would be counted.

CA: Every vote counts: Report, legislation seek more accountability for elections equipment manufacturers http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_16178656
Unlike an automobile, when a voting system fails in most jurisdictions across the country, manufacturers are not required to report the malfunction or failure to any government agency, there’s no agency that investigates alleged failures and there’s no entity that alerts election officials and the public of possible problems, a recent report from the Brennan Center for Justice found.

CO: Aspen Election Commission mulls actions if voters retain IRV
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100923/NEWS/100929925/0/FRONTPAGE
ASPEN — The Aspen Election Commission began talks Wednesday that could lead to a full hand count — a 12- to 15-hour process, said City Clerk Kathryn Koch — of ballots if instant runoff voting (IRV) is retained in the Nov. 2 election.

DC: Experts raise warning flags over D.C. Internet voting plan
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/debonis/2010/09/experts_raise_warning_flags_ov.html
A national good-government organization and a group of leading computer scientists are raising concerns about a new Internet voting initiative set to debut for District voters in the coming weeks

FL: Daytona leader faces absentee ballot probe
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2010/09/25/daytona-leader-faces-absentee-ballot-probe.html
A city commissioner who won re-election last month by a wide margin is at the center of a criminal investigation after nearly 80 absentee ballots were requested from a computer belonging to him, Volusia County’s elections supervisor said Friday.

IL: New Illinois law now permits ‘naked voting’ in Chicago
http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-chicago/new-illinois-law-now-permits-naked-voting-chicago To encourage Illinois voters to take advantage of new absentee ballot rules, Chicago-based Equality Illinois Education Project, in partnership with Rock the Vote and Roosevelt University, has launched “Vote Naked Illinois,” …

MA: Hampden mulls voting machine
http://www.masslive.com/chicopeeholyoke/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1285572058200950.xml&coll=1 Selectmen Chairman John D. Flynn said the town has had a tradition of counting the paper ballots by hand…

MD: Md. National Guard member sues elections board
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=2062412 GREENBELT, Md. (AP) – A member of the Maryland National Guard is suing the state board of elections because he says overseas voters have not been given enough time to obtain and return ballots for the upcoming November election.

MS: Benton County, MS supervisor found guilty of voter fraud * (vote buying)
http://wireupdate.com/wires/10479/benton-county-ms-supervisor-found-guilty-of-voter-fraud/
The case stemmed from the August 7, 2007 primary election and the August 27, 2007 runoff elections in Benton County
…
According to the investigation, King paid people to vote for him on two separate elections.

The Voting News Daily: DC internet vote hack test? Thoughts on NY Primary. Visit ‘Electionland’

With short notice, DC offers a public “test” of internet vote system from Sept 24-30…Bo Lipari has some thoughts & recommendations r/e New York’s primary..Houston Voting Machine Fire Update and Shouting ‘Voter Fraud’ in a Crowded Midterm Election..Visit Electionland to register to vote, find polling place & sign up for election reminders..”the threat of the Citizens United ruling to our democracy goes far beyond the narrow definition of corruption.” ~ John Bonifaz & Jeffrey Clements…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Judge Denies Discovery in Voting Rights Act Case
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/09/21/30485.htm
An Alabama county’s constitutional challenge to portions of the Voting Rights Act cleared a legal hurdle when a federal judge in Washington, D.C., rejected the government’s bid for further discovery.
In its federal lawsuit, Shelby County claimed that the “preclearance” requirements of the Act put undue pressure on its election process, raising costs and delaying at least one election.

CA: Woman pleads no contest in Fresno voter fraud
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/09/21/2087120/woman-pleads-no-contest-in-fresno.html
Authorities say Darlene Holland turned in 100 forged voter signatures on behalf of Cynthia Sterling, a Fresno City Council member running for the county Board of Supervisors, and Oliver Baines, a police officer running for Sterling’s seat on the council.

DC: DC Invites Public Testing of Internet Voting System (internet voting )
http://blog.verifiedvoting.org/2010/09/22/850
The announcement by the DC Board does not say how the test results will used, or if the decision to proceed with the pilot in November will be affected if flaws are discovered, only noting “After testing is completed, the service will be made available to overseas voters”.

MN: Judge Backs Minn. Disclosure Law on Political Cash
http://protectourelections.org/node/38 A federal judge refused on Monday to interfere with a new Minnesota law that revealed political donations from Target Corp. and other companies, saying the public has an interest in knowing who speaks and who pays for those messages as the election approaches.

NY: Port Chester board to meet with lawyers on voting rights appeal
http://soundshore.lohudblogs.com/2010/09/21/port-chester-board-to-meet-with-lawyers-on-voting-rights-appeal/
Could Port Chester’s four-year-old voting rights case, which yielded a cumulative voting system for village trustees in June, be destined for an appeal?
…
Ironically the trustees who were elected under the new method are the ones now exploring an appeal.

NY: THOUGHTS ON THE NY PRIMARY
http://www.bolipari.com/boblog/2010/09/thoughts-on-the-ny-primary/
Despite the impressions received from media reports, the September 14th primary was not the first time that New Yorkers voted on paper ballots and scanners. In the 2009 off-year election, 47 counties in upstate New York used the new systems as part of a pilot program. This trial run taught participants valuable lessons, and New York City’s decision to abstain led directly to many of the problems reported there

TN: Rutherford County officials escape disciplinary hearing for election error
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100922/NEWS02/9220368/Rutherford-County-officials-escape-disciplinary-hearing-for-election-error
Polls weren’t opened for early voting one Saturday

TN: 55 Apply For Elections Administrator Job (Davidson County)
http://www.wsmv.com/politics/25101181/detail.html

TX: Houston Voting Machine Fire Update and Shouting ‘Voter Fraud’ in a Crowded Midterm Election http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8082 Using Fraud to Declare Fraud

WV: Other Options?
http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/539350/Solution-offered-over-ballot-controversy.html?nav=5061

The Voting News Daily: 866-OUR-VOTE. NY fusion lawsuit, disabled access probs . AZ lawsuit update

Ruling in AZ election case…Disappearing Voters -No Penalties for Failing to Correctly Fill Out & Deliver Voter Reg.Forms…NC vote vendor does NOT want to break law..NY city disabled complain -voting places inaccessible & no ballot-marking devices..3rd party lawsuit against NY Fusion..Wisconsin Group alleges voter suppression..Why Your Toaster Works Better Than Your Voting Machine..1-866-OUR-VOTE is back..Ireland still storing 6 yr old voting machines..Vote buying mars Kenya polls..

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AK: Write-in rules need clarification before election, not after the fact
http://newsminer.com/bookmark/9598917/Write-in%20rules%20need%20clarification%20before%20election%20controversy
The counting of write-in ballots for Sen. Lisa Murkowski is probably going to become controversial.

AZ: Maricopa Judge Favors Misleading Testimony of Election Officials Over Election Law: Rules Partial Victory for Electors
http://audit-az.blogspot.com/2010/09/maricopa-judge-favors-misleading_21.html

AZ: Tea party T-shirt headed to court
http://www.yumasun.com/news/owens-64051-bolick-party.html
PHOENIX — A federal judge will decide whether tea party members who wear their hearts on their sleeves can wear their politics on their shirts at polling places.

CA: State online voter registration still years off
http://www.pe.com/politics/miller/stories/PE_News_Local_D_voterreg20.2fabe64.html
Vendors push hard to sell online voter reg

CA: Disappearing Voters -No Penalties for Failing to Correctly Fill Out and Deliver Voter Registration Forms
http://www.independent.com/news/2010/sep/21/disappearing-voters/
No. Steve Pappas has not yet managed to get his name inserted into the English language as a synonym for a clever form of massive voter fraud, but if he wins his lawsuit seeking to throw out votes in his race against Doreen Farr for 3rd District supervisor, he stands a good chance of ending up in the dictionary.
…
The fraud is simple: They (“oops”) forget to deliver the registration forms for a week, and they (“Oh my!”) neglect to fill out the box correctly. Under the law, these people cannot be punished.

CO: A shift in identity for Aspen Election Commission
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100921/NEWS/100929973/1077&ParentProfile=1058
The commission has met several times this month to establish mechanical operations meant to eliminate the complaints, including a set period for early voting and requiring that voted ballots are shuffled by election staff before voting data is compiled.

FL: Palm Beach County teachers approve $500 bonuses (internet voting problem)
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-teachers-bonus-vote-20100920,0,7102130.story
Teachers were given an extra day to vote because some were unable to vote Thursday because of an Internet security access issue.

GA: Ballots Delivered Electronically to GA’s Military & Overseas Voters
http://www2.wsav.com/news/2010/sep/20/ballots-delivered-electronically-gas-military-over-ar-853880/
(Blank only, no electronic return of voted ballots.)

Guam Election Commission Violates Move Act?
http://guamnewswatch.com/201009213104/Local-News/Guam-Election-Commission-Violates-Move-Act.html GEC still hasn’t received the card stock to print the ballots. The commission was told that military cargo has taken priority out of Hawaii.

IL: Illinois Votes Naked: Nude Campaign Spreads News About Changes To Absentee Voting Law (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/21/illinois-votes-naked-nude_n_733277.html
One effective campaign tool? Nudity. The “Vote Naked Illinois” folks made this informative video about the changes to the state’s early voting law: (Hat tip to Gapers Block for bringing this gem to our attention!)

IL: Justice Stephen Breyer Won’t Alter Special U.S. Senate Election in Illinois
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/20/justice-stephen-breyer-wont-alter-special-u-s-senate-election-in-illinois/
On September 20, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer denied the request by U.S. Senator Roland Burris to alter the special election for U.S.

The Voting News Daily: Md. needs to switch to paper ballots. A Decent Proposal – for voting machines

“if Maryland is truly concerned about election results that are not only verifiable but also available much more quickly on election night, we would move as quickly as possible to the optical scan voting system mandated in the law passed by the General Assembly in 2007.” ~ Rebecca Wilson, SAVEourVotes.org ..Shelby County Tennessee Election Commission, Democrats prepare for trial over voting irregularities…An Important New Proposal for Voting Machines – create a searchable national database of voting machine problems to be created and made available to the public.

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AK: Murkowski’s Write-in Bid Could Test Alaska’s Dubious Diebold E-Voting System
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8078 The three-way race, along with Democratic candidate and Mayor of Sitka Scott McAdams, could prove to be a serious challenge for Alaska’s historically-dicey optical-scan voting system made by Diebold. Given the shortcomings of the system which otherwise employs the concealed vote-counting of centrally tabulate ballots, the need to hand-review write-in votes this November could present a unique opportunity for citizens of the 49th state to oversee at least some of their own electoral system — for a welcome change.

CT: LGWCT: Voters Guide to Secretary of the State Candidates
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/lgwct-voters-guide-to-secretary-of-the-state-candidates/
The League of Women Voters have published a guide to the Secretary of the State Candidates, listing their qualifications and their responses to two questions

HI: Hundreds of Maui voters assigned to the wrong voting district *
http://www.staradvertiser.com/elections/2010/primary/Hundreds_of_Maui_voters_ assigned_to_the_wrong_voting_district.html http://tinyurl.com/27yncxh
Hoylman said the error could’ve affected yesterday’s election as well as previous elections. “It bewilders me that all these years went by and no one challenged it,” he added.

IL: Court fight possible over early-voting site on UI campus
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/politics-and-government/2010-09-16/court-fight-possible-over-early-voting-site-ui-campus.html

MD: Md. needs to switch to paper ballots
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-paper-ballot-letter-20100920,0,417348.story In response to your editorial, “How the Votes are Counted”

MN: Revamped voting procedures, meant to avoid 2008 recount hassles, begin today for general election
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2010/09/17/21534/revamped_voting_procedures_ meant_to_avoid_2008 _recount_hassles_ begin_today_for_general_election http://tinyurl.com/2a9b29j

Given the recent polls, and yet another three-way race for a statewide office, some officials are preparing for another 2008-style recount in an election that’s sure to attract 2 million voters.

NM: County Clerk concerned by lax third-party voter registration rules
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_16099262
LAS CRUCES – Doña Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins said this week he remains concerned about the laxity of a law that allows non-county groups to register voters.

NY: 71 New York poling stations opened late Tuesday *
http://blastmagazine.com/the-news/new-york-news/2010/09/71-new-york-poling-stations-opened-late-tuesday/ According to the New York Times, 71 polling locations opened late due to missing or malfunctioning machines. With polls scheduled to open at 6 a.m., some voters experienced a delay of up to 4 hours.

OH: Lawsuit seeks end to Cuyahoga voters’ edge in casting ballot by mail
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/lawsuit_seeks_an_end_to_cuyaho.html
They want to block counties like Cuyahoga and Franklin from mailing absentee ballot applications to all registered voters, from paying return postage on the applications and from paying return postage for the completed ballots. Or, they argue, the state should help pay to offer that same service in all 88 counties.

SD: Early voting in Shannon County encounters roadblocks
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_bf831c0e-c2df-11df-a9e0-001cc4c002e0.html

The Voting News Daily: Paper Ballots, Common Sense. Teacher pay online vote fiasco. Afghan vote violence

Common Sense: The Indispensable Role Of Voter Verified Paper Ballots..(NOT)Counting Votes in Shelby CO Tennessee..Why No Central Database Of E-Voting Problems?..Internet voting fiasco: Spam filter prevents many Palm Beach Co teachers from casting online ballot on new contract…Unlimited Political Speech For Corporations That Don’t Say Pledge Of Allegiance…Violence and fraud mar Afghan election..Burma Excludes Thousands From Voting..

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

Editor’s note: This voting news is dedicated to my nephew Nick who is on his first tour in Afghanistan, and to all of our troops here and overseas. Thanks also to Overseas Vote Foundation who helps our overseas military and families to get a ballot on time.

AL: Alaska teaches the nation about voter intent
http://www.earlyvoting.net/blog/2010/09/alaska-teaches-nation-about-voter-intent

CA: Whitman Tops Bloomberg’s Personal Spending ($119 Million)
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/09/15/whitman-bests-bloombergs-personal-spending/
Move aside, Michael Bloomberg. California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has just surpassed your record in personal spending on an election.

After giving her campaign another $15 million Tuesday, the Republican former eBay Inc. chief executive has now spent $119 million in the Golden State race.

CA: Los Angeles Times Features Story on a Small California City which does Not Allow Free Elections http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/19/los-angeles-times-features-story-on-a-small-california-city-which-does-not-allow-free-elections/

CA: State Sen. Roderick Wright indicted on voter fraud, perjury
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/state-sen-roderick-wright-indicted-on-voter-fraud-perjury-.html Wright listed as his residence a home in the district he wanted to represent, but county authorities allege that he did not live there.

CO: Aspen Election Commission: Votes will be shuffled
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100917/NEWS/100919870/1077&ParentProfile=1058
ASPEN — The Aspen Election Commission implemented measures Wednesday that it expects will prevent people from coupling data generated by municipal ballots with voter logs to find out how people voted.

The move was part of an investigation the group is conducting into the May 2009 election, which garnered controversy over alleged missteps in vote-counting procedures. Some say it is possible to determine how certain people voted, which goes against the Colorado Constitution.

FL: Teachers vote on $500 bonuses in Palm Beach County (internet voting)
Glitches reported by union as two days of voting commences *
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-teacher-contract-voting-20100916,0,3920795.story Computer glitches surfaced Thursday as Palm Beach County teachers began two days of contract ratification voting online.

FL: Voting For Teachers’ Contract Extended* (internet voting)
http://www.cbs12.com/news/contract-4728622-teachers-teacher.html
Apparently, there was a glitch in spam filters at the District, which held up the user name and passwords and link, for teachers to vote.

So very few teachers got to vote yesterday, so the voting deadline is extended until 5 p.m. Monday.

FL: Thousands of felons and dead people still registered to vote in Florida
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/thousands-of-felons-and-dead-people-still-registered-924518.html Roberts also said she will work to change state law to allow the Division of Elections access to death records nationwide. Currently, the division receives death notices every two weeks but only for people who die in Florida.

“Clearly what you’ve uncovered is there is still a problem, and it needs to be addressed,” said state Sen. Nan Rich, D- Weston, a member of the Ethics and Elections Committee. “Obviously, there is still an issue with the matching system.”

FL: Move to Amend Florida Tour (Podcasts)
Warren “Skip” Parish is a consultant in the U.S.

The Voting News Daily: New voting machines, angry New Yorkers. New arrest over India EVMs

Brennan Ctr: “Voting System Failures: A Database Solution”…Maryland officials blame voting machine failures on poll workers..The latest target of New Yorkers’ ire: new voting machines, which perplexed them, broke down and ate their primary election ballots…New Jersey Military/Internet voting pilot bill..Vote probs in DC, MA, MD…Pune India engineer held, cops say gave EVM to researcher…Why other countries have scrapped electronic voting…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

Editors request: help us make sure that we don’t miss important articles. Please email voting news articles, blogs and reports to go in upcoming editions. Send to votingnews (at) earthlink.net

CA: Jerry Brown wants Bell officials to resign, give up pensions; says they defrauded public http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/jerry-brown-bell-lawsuit-pensions-salaries.html
“What is clear is that the City Council and city administrator and other officials abused their public trust. They engaged in a collaboration that [amounted] to a civil conspiracy to defraud the public,” Brown said at a news conference Wednesday morning in announcing the lawsuit.
(City with officials involved in absentee ballot fraud)

CO: Constitution Party Will be Listed Closer to the Top of Colorado General Election Ballots if Tancredo Polls At Least 10% http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/13/constitution-party-will-be-listing-closer-to-the-top-of-colorado-general-election-ballots-if-tancredo-polls-at-least-10/

CO: IRV explained
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100915/LETTER/100919937/1020&ParentProfile=1061
In November Aspen voters will have a choice to keep the instant runoff voting (IRV) system, or return to the system in place before 2009. It may help to understand how IRV elects candidates with a majority of the vote, even if the slate has a good number of candidates.
…
To make sure your ballot was considered in the end you had to rank every candidate, even ones you really didn’t want. Only 20 percent of Aspen voters did so.

DC: Voting glitches reported in D.C. primary election*
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2010/09/13/daily13.html
WTOP reporter Mark Segraves said some electronic scanners are not operational so the ballots are not being scanned.
Initially, there were reports of problems at four polling places, but Gray spokeswoman Traci Hughes said their campaign has heard about problems from 15 different precincts.
…
Elections officials are collecting the ballots and storing them inside the scanner. They will go back later and scan those ballots.

DC: Live blog: D.C. Primary Day 2010 evening — Court rejects longer voting
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/09/live_blog_dc_primary_day_2010_2.html

DE: CASTLE DEFEATS O’DONNELL IN DELAWARE!
(According to the ballots that can be verified anyway)
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8073

DE: Delaware’s GOP Senate Primary and Its 100% Unverifiable, Faith-Based E-Voting Results http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8072

FL: Report: No election wrongdoing
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/west-volusia/2010/09/16/report-no-election-wrongdoing.html DELAND — A city investigation did not find evidence that Chisholm Center employees improperly influenced voters during the primary election, but changes are in store for the busy community center and polling place.

IL: Census: Voters may exceed residents in Ill. county
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois/article_807a5450-bfa6-11df-8c39-001cc4c002e0.html
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ southernmost county has more registered voters than it has residents who are old enough to vote, according to a Lee Springfield Bureau analysis.

MA: Problem at Lawrence polling precinct resolved; voter turnout slow*
http://www.eagletribune.com/breakingnews/x1950314457/Problem-at-polling-place-resolved-turnout-slow
for Mercier at E1 the day got off to a rough start. The Accu-vote machine that counts the ballots was malfunctioning at the start of the day and wouldn’t accept ballots.

The Voting News Daily: New York Voting machine problems. The ‘sovereign’ power of voting machines

“Voting machines have acquired the sort of “sovereign” power that only voters should enjoy in a true democracy. What would you call it but a travesty of democracy where the people are relegated to the background and the unverifiable machine records (which can be wrong, manipulated) become the sole basis for declaring elected representatives?” ~ G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, a leading election analyst and a political commentator in India…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Alabama: “I see dead people” on the voting rolls
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006439.html
TPMmuckraker reports: J. Christian Adams, the former DOJ lawyer at the heart of the New Black Panthers case, has sent letter to 16 states warning them that they are breaking voter law by not removing dead and ineligible voters from their rolls.

CA: Federal judge upholds city’s IRV system
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Federal-judge-upholds-citys-instant-runoff-voting-system-102831014.html

CT: Connecticut Democrat Sues Secretary of State Over Denial of Ballot Access Due to Lost Paperwork http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/14/connecticut-democrat-sues-secretary-of-state-over-denial-of-ballot-access-due-to-lost-paperwork/

CT: Hartford Courant joins in fighting last [election] war
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/courant-joins-in-fighting-last-election-war/

NC: Bladen County elections investigation update
http://www.wwaytv3.com/bladen_county_elections_investigation_update/09/2010
BLADEN COUNTY, NC… The candidates and campaign workers who were implicated, including McCrae Dowless and Levi Roberts, have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

State elections investigators are still looking into other allegations, including potential problems with absentee ballots.

NC: A Statewide Race To Use Instant Runoff Voting
http://www.ncnn.com/content/view/6368/26/ The Instant Runoff system is not without its critics, who say the equipment used for voting will have a hard time handling such a process.

NY: Update: E-voting machine woes stop some voters N.Y. * (various problems)
http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6776
Machine shutdowns reportedly cause long delays in casting votes in New York primary election

NY: Share Your Stories From the Voting Booths * (voters report problems)
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/share-your-stories-from-the-voting-booths/
Send us your comments and observations, so we can establish a water cooler on how New York’s latest democratic foray (with a small “d,” of course) played out.
…
Sample comment: “Something tells me my vote is going to end up in Raleigh-Durham like a piece of misrouted luggage.”

NY: NY Primary Program in the News
http://www.866ourvote.org/newsroom/news?id=0258

NY: Election Watchdogs Positioned to Record Voting Mishaps Caused By New Ballots
http://beta.wnyc.org/articles/its-free-country/2010/sep/13/election-watchdogs-positioned-record-voting-mishaps-caused-new-machines/
Advocates and election watchdogs say the new machines — and the new paper ballots they come with — set voters up to make several mistakes.

NY: New York State Makes Arbitrary Choice to Credit Over-Votes for a Fusion Candidate to the Democratic and Republican Parties
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/14/new-york-state-makes-arbitrary-choice-to-credit-over-votes-for-a-fusion-candidate-to-the-democratic-and-republican-parties/
the New York State Board of Elections has made a quiet decision to credit the votes to the Democratic and Republican Parties, when a voter votes for one candidate twice (once on the ballot line of one of the two major parties, and once on the line of a smaller party).

OH: Elections board reduces precincts to save money (Lucas County)
http://toledoblade.com/article/20100914/NEWS09/100919839
Voters are to receive a letter in the mail in the next few days telling them their new precinct number and voting location. That information also is available on the board’s Web site, www.lucascountyvotes.org.

Linda Howe, director of the board of elections, said yesterday that the board reduced the number of precincts from 495 to 397 last year and this summer further reduced that number to 354.

The Voting News Daily: NY’s ballot quirks. Shelby Tenn. elections – ‘There must be reforms.’ GOV2.0 elections

Why did Benton Co AR Election Commission meet in secret?…North Carolina: Potential mess looms in judicial election..NY voting machine quirk may be problem for fusion voters..Best audit ever! Columbia CO New York to do 100% hand count of new opscan ballots…Shelby Co Tennessee “screw-up cast doubt on the entire process of voting in Shelby County and will fuel distrust and animosity for years to come…There must be reforms.”..At GOV2.0 Summit: “Why We Need Open Source Electronic Voting Systems”…The sordid world of electronic voting…Deep problems trouble Afghan vote…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

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AR: HOW WE SEE IT Commission’s Action Veiled In Secrecy (Benton County)
http://www.nwaonline.com/mailfriend/61/244618/ec20f21954/
WHAT’S THE POINT? The Benton County Election Commission erred on the side of secrecy when it entered executive session to discuss its chairman.
…
A public body needs to err on the side of openness.

When it errs on the opposite side, we are left to wonder what that public body is trying to hide, and why.

AZ: Arizona Justices Nix Secret Ballot Measure
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/09/07/30150.htm
A proposed constitutional amendment protecting Arizonans’ right to cast secret ballots violates the state Constitution, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled.
…
The Arizona Supreme Court agreed that Proposition 108 violates this rule, because it attempts to modify both election law and labor law.

DC: Fenty campaign: Gray supporters lure voters with gift cards
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/09/fenty_campaign_gray_supporters.html
In the shaky video, one woman tells the woman with the hidden camera she has to “get on the van” if she wants a $10 gift card.

“We are going to buy you lunch,” the one woman says. “If you get in our van, and go vote, if you get back on, I will be right here.”
Video here:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/bbdf4cd58bf86ff24debc22a6c7656b8/video/18263269

HI: Isles on course for election
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100912_Isles_on_course_for_election.html
Budget cuts forced the elections office to eliminate 97 of the 331 polling places used in 2008.

HI: WHERE TO VOTE (since many polling places have been eliminated)
http://elections3.hawaii.gov/ppl/ To confirm your polling place and precinct number, go to elections3.hawaii.gov/ppl/ and follow the instructions, or call the Office of Elections at 453-8683 or 800-442-8683 from the neighbor islands.

KS: City charters out from state election legislation
http://www.augustagazette.com/newsnow/x863084905/City-charters-out-from-state-election-legislation Augusta City Council approved a Charter Ordinance Tuesday night exempting the community from state legislation regarding primary elections.

MA: Secret Ballot? Not!
http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2010/09/10/secret-ballot-not?blog=205
…it may come as a huge surprise that their party affiliation and address are on file, available to anyone with an internet connection.

NC: Potential mess looms in judicial election
Three choices for one appeals seat complicate Nov. 2 ballot.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/09/09/1679301/potential-mess-looms-in-judicial.html
In some respects, Instant Runoff Voting is at odds with state requirements for transparency in voting and for counting all votes at the precinct where they are cast. And a system for counting ballots in counties that don’t have optical scanners has yet to be determined.

NC: Subject: Not so quick: Instant runoff in N.C.

The Voting News Daily: Suing Sarasota Election Sup: the Sequel. Shelby Co TN lawsuits update

Shelby Co Alabama fight against voting rights act argued in DC..Arizona fake green pty candidates stay on ballot for now..Another election down, another accusation of misconduct against Sarasota Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent..Hawaii voters take note: many polling places have closed..Maryland early voting yields only 2% turnout, costs $3.4M…Ballot access in NC nearly impossible says lawsuit, officials say access would “clutter” the ballot..Harris Co Texas mulls non partisan election chief… Shelby Co TN plaintiffs seek to consolidate lawsuits…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Shelby County: VRA challenged argued in DC
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006437.html
The Birmingham News reports: Shelby County is intent on having key sections of the Voting Rights Act declared unconstitutional and ending federal oversight of elections across the South, not just in one Alabama county, the county’s lawyers said Friday.

AZ: Judge won’t kick Green Party candidates off ballot
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/politics/article_1513caa6-bc8c-11df-9a07-001cc4c03286.html
While the Green Party filed suit in federal court, the Arizona Democratic Party is attacking the problem elsewhere.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Maricopa County Superior Court, attorney Paul Eckstein said Arizona voters will be “deceived, misled and confused” about the true nature of the campaigns of the Green Party write-in candidates which will affect the “purity” of the general election. He wants Judge Robert Oberbillig to erase the candidates’ names from the ballot.
That, however, may come too late: Officials in the state’s two largest counties said printing will begin today.

CA: Former City Council Candidate Charged with Voter Fraud *
http://www.kpsplocal2.com/Content/Top-Stories/story/Former-City-Council-Candidate-Charged-with-Voter/rNJa45ROik-6JMpjm48Byw.cspx
A former Palm Springs City Council candidate who claimed she resided in the city when she allegedly lived in Arizona was charged with felonies, prosecutors said Thursday.
…
Eloise Garcia-Mohsin, 46, was charged with two counts of voter fraud, three counts of perjury and four counts of falsely filing election documents, and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office issued a warrant for her arrest.

DC: Gray camp responds to Fenty vote buying allegations
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2010/09/gray_camp_responds_ to_fenty_vote_buying_allegations.html http://tinyurl.com/28uv6dk An allegation of vote buying against Mayor Adrian Fenty’s reelection team has the Vincent Gray campaign calling for law enforcement to investigate and claiming the incumbent has undermined the integrity of the primary election.

DC: D.C. Jail inmates cast their primary ballots
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/debonis/2010/09/dc_jail_inmates_cast_their_pri.html
Getting them to vote, Stewart says, is the first step toward re-entering the community.

FL: Candidate sues Dent over recount refusal
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100910/BREAKING/100919992
SARASOTA COUNTY – Another election down, another accusation of misconduct against Sarasota Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent.

FL: Forums: Suing Dent for RECOUNT
http://forum.heraldtribune.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2131

HI: Hawaii voters take note: many polling places have closed
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13122695
There won’t be signs or anything else at polling places that have been closed informing people the location of their new polling place, so it’s important voters know where to go before election day arrives.

IA: Elections watchdog group sees problem with voter rolls in 7 Iowa counties
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/09/10/elections-watchdog-group-sees-problem-with-voter-rolls-in-7-iowa-counties/
An elections watchdog group believes seven Iowa counties have more more registered voters than citizens of voting age.

But the state’s top election official said today that group’s information is distorted, and that Iowa’s election rolls don’t need any extra cleanup.

The Voting News Daily: AZ election lawsuit begins. Hawaii cuts 97 poll sites. Mail ballots dont help turnout

Citizens’ suit against Maricopa Co AZ election office begins Sept 10..Los Angeles Co voters prefer that new voting system use paper ballots…Election watchdog report challenges Scott Brown election in Massachusetts…New Mexico SoS Herrera troubles: 4 election chiefs quit so far, Herrera fired 2 whistleblowers last week & SoS office swept for bugs..Virgin Isl voting machine lawsuit dismissed..Do You Know A Military or Overseas Voter? Act Now!!!..THE UGLY FACE OF THE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA (PART-2)

All this and more in todays voting news below…

AZ: This Case Is About Forcing Maricopa County Election To Follow The Law – Nothing More, Nothing Less. Trial begins Friday, September 10th 2010 at 8:15 AM.
http://audit-az.blogspot.com/2010/09/this-case-is-about-forcing-maricopa_1589.html
[Suit asks that mandated checks & balances be enforced, and voting software checked]

CA: Study to consider alternatives to InkaVote Plus (Los Angeles County)
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_16027251 “In general, there is a strong value placed by voters on having a paper record of their ballot,” Logan wrote. “The paper ballot provides them a sense of assurance that, if need be, things could be re-verified to demonstrate accuracy and security.”

DC: Dear Votemaster: If You Vote With a Special Ballot
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2010/09/08/dear-votemaster-if-you-vote-with-a-special-ballot/ Those who vote with such special ballots will have to complete a voter registration update/same-day registration form, and sign an “affirmation of eligibility.”

HI: Fewer polls raise fear over turnout
97 polling sites have been closed due to budget cuts
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews /20100908 _Fewer_polls_raise_fear_over_turnout.html http://tinyurl.com/37mfut4

MA: Election watchdog challenges Scott Brown election in Massachusetts over voting machine outcome (Jonathan Simon analysis)
http://www.examiner.com/progressive-in-boston/election-watchdog-challenges-scott-brown-election-massachusetts-over-voting-machine-outcome “No systematic audit of the count was performed. No spot-checks of the count were performed. There was no recount of any ballot. There were no exit polls performed. No actual ballots stored within the opscan equipment were examined or permitted to be examined.”

MI: Oakland court impanels grand jury to investigate election fraud
http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2010/09/08/news/doc4c8
847653fa9a974987918.txt http://tinyurl.com/326bytq
PONTIAC — Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Edward Sosnick has been selected as the one-man grand juror to investigate allegations of election fraud in filings related to the group The Tea Party, which made an unsuccessful attempt to appear as a political party on the Nov. 2 ballot.

MI: OUR VIEW — Allegan County election snafus are intolerable
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/opinions/x863086144/OUR-VIEW-Allegan-County-election-snafus-are-intolerable While the Bureau of Elections report has been forwarded to the state attorney general, it’s hard to imagine anyone would actually be prosecuted in this matter, unless evidence arises that something more than incompetence was involved. The task at hand now is re-establishing credibility in Allegan County.

NM: Herrera’s staff turmoil started early
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Herrera-s-staff-turmoil-started-early–
For her part, Herrera in recent weeks asked state police to conduct a sweep for electronic bugs — apparently no such listening devices were found — and filed public-information requests for e-mails of past and present staff members and certain political enemies.

NY: List Maintenance or Voter Purging?
http://reformny.blogspot.com/2010/09/list-maintenance-or-voter-purging.html
[Brennan Ctr urges all NY voters to check their registration record just in case]

NY: Voting scanners a problem for elderly
http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2010/09/08/news/top_
stories/doc4c87cfcb3189e108208913.txt http://tinyurl.com/35ko57e

OH: Security cameras approved for voting location
Action comes as Republicans on elections board urge new site, deny claims of hindering process http://www.ohio.com/news/102413909.html

The Voting News Daily: NM SoS fires critics. Moldova voter roll hacked. Military Voters get your ballot!

Lawyers’ Committee Condemns DOJ and Georgia’s Maneuvers to Preclear New Registration Procedures…Hinds Co Mississippi to buy 300 used optical scanners for $350 ea…New Mexico SOS fires whistleblowers…WA SOS office straight talk on military vote…Military & Overseas Voters, Submit your Ballot Request for the Gen Election!. Get big discounts on express delivery of voted ballots back to the US with help of Overseas Vote Foundation & FedEx Express…Hacker attack on Moldova’s digital voter rolls caused electoral confusion…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

Editor Note: If you have friends in military, or US friends overseas, please pass on this newsletter or the articles about military voting so that they can get their ballot on time. Thanks!

AR: Rural mail changes cause voting problems * (absentee mail ballots)
http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2010/sep/07/rural-mail-changes-cause-voting-problems/
Recent changes to rural residents’ mailing addresses led to a voting fiasco on Election Day when people arriving at the polls complained they never received early voting ballots.
…
County officials became aware of the problem when the recorder’s office started receiving returned ballots. Starting July 1, the post office stopped delivering mail to highway carrier (HC) addresses. Residents must use physical addresses.
…
All told, 1,414 registered voters had highway carrier addresses, and roughly 250 of those voters are on the permanent early ballot list.

During the election, those on the early ballot list had to vote provisionally, and then county officials had to make sure those voters hadn’t already cast ballots.

AZ: Republican Runs Street People on Green Ticket
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/us/politics/07candidates.html?_r=2&ref=republican_party
Arizona’s Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with local, state and federal prosecutors in an effort to have the candidates removed from the ballot, and the Green Party has urged its supporters to steer clear of the rogue candidates.

CA: Alameda County braces for ranked-choice voting
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15980147
Years after voters approved it, ranked-choice voting has come to Alameda County.
Voters in three cities — Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro — will use the new voting method in electing local officials, such as mayor and city council members.

DC: DC LEARNS ABOUT THE WEEK-LONG “ELECTION DAY”
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3296

GA: Lawyers’ Committee Condemns DOJ and Georgia’s Maneuvers to Preclear New Registration Procedures
http://www.lawyerscommittee.org/projects/voting_rights/page?id=0062
These maneuvers by the State and the Justice Department represent a departure from past practice and were apparently undertaken solely to prevent minority citizens of Georgia, as intervenors, from contesting preclearance.

MS: Hinds Hires New Administrator; Debates Voting Machines
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/hinds_hires_
new_administrator_debates_voting_machines_090710/ http://tinyurl.com/2v7lmyq
Supervisors also spent over half an hour discussing a request from the county Election Commission to purchase 300 used voting machines. Election Commissioners Lelia Rhodes and Marilyn Avery urged the board to approve buying the two-year-old machines, at a cost of $350 per machine. New voting machines can cost $3,000 each, Rhodes said. The machines would arrive by Dec.1, after the November congressional elections but in time to be used for the 2011 statewide elections, she added.

The purchase would come out of the $1.722 million remaining in a federal grant for election equipment. Supervisors approved the purchase of scanners for the Election Commission earlier this summer.

The Voting News Daily: NY ballots fine print. 1600 Hawaii ballots missing contest. Internet Voting Pt 3

CTVoter series on Common Sense Election Integrity…Sarasota FL election sup Kathy Dent shrugs of another lawsuit, no wonder since taxpayers foot the bill either way…Putting troops votes at risk: NJ lawmakers have two bills for internet/military voting…NY New Ballot Type Too Small…Paper V Plastic debate heats up in Tenn…Fox anchor accuses WA State of trying to disenfranchise military vote…Lawsuit over electronic voting in Virgin Islands…Verified Voting’s Internet Voting Part 3 is online…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

CA: Woman says her name was forged on voter cards
http://www.ocregister.com/news/-264906–.html
A political signature gathering firm that’s been accused of wrongdoing in seven states registered dozens of Orange County residents to vote in February under the name of a 69-year-old woman who insists she was in Puerto Rico the entire time.

CO: Election Commission seeking to allow more time for voters
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100903/NEWS/100909954/1077&ParentProfile=1058
Fellow Election Commissioner Bob Leatherman said all processes need to be formalized in Aspen city elections in light of a large number of extensive complaints the commission is reviewing about the May 2009 election…

CT: Common Sense Election Integrity
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/common-sense-election-integrity/

DC: 30 HELP/FIELD TECHNICIANS NEEDED FOR ELECTION DAY! (WASHINGTON, DC)
http://telecommutejoblist.com/30-helpfield-technicians-needed-election-day-washington-dc

FL: SRQ Elections Chief: Lawsuits part of the job
http://legal-ease.blogs.heraldtribune.com/10512/srq-elections-chief-lawsuits-part-of-the-job/?tc=ar “It’s sad that we citizens/ taxpayers don’t have a level playing field. We’re paying to protect our voting rights and candidate rights via this lawsuit that I initiated. Mrs. Dent will be using our taxpayer dollars to defend her actions. We pay for both sides”

Guam: 14% of Ballots Spoiled*
http://www.kuam.com/Global/story.asp?S=13105638
Despite public outreach encouraging voters to stay on one side of the ballot, more than 14% of those voters who came out spoiled their ballot by crossing-over.

HI: New absentee ballots to be sent after misprint (absentee ballots)
http://www.khon2.com/content/news/developingstories/story/New-absentee-ballots-to-be-sent-after-misprint/wLU51S7qkUyLtLqAAcU3Nw.cspx
The original ballot is missing all of the District 25 Senate candidates.
…
The 1,600 voters either live in Portlock or the Kokohead side of Lunalilo Home Road.

MD: Fake Democratic Ballots Circulating in Prince George’s County Maryland
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/fake-ballots-circulating-in-pg-county-090510
(Fake sample ballot)

MD: A silly signature rule stymies Montgomery petitioners
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/05/AR2010090502906.html
For years, this confusing jumble of words was interpreted by the Maryland State Board of Elections loosely but straightforwardly: Print your name and sign…

NJ: Bill: Let military vote via Web (never mind security or secrecy issues)
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20100906/NEWS01/9060326/-1/archive

NM: EDITORIAL: Secret Ballot ‘Cure’ Worse Than Problem
http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=10624937
Herrera wants to add blind eyes to the mix, closing the door to public inspection but opening it to myriad behind-the-scenes post-Election Day shenanigans. A public meeting is scheduled Sept. 15 on her proposed change. New Mexico’s voters should make sure she understands more secrecy doesn’t ensure election accuracy or accountability, much less protect voters.

NV: Online voter registration launched in southern NV
http://www.ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=13092145
Nevada is the 9th state to launch an online voter registration system.

NY: NY Candidate Says New Ballot Type Too Small*
http://www.longislandpress.com/2010/09/07/ny-candidate-says-new-ballot-type-too-small/
The print on ballots in next week’s New York primaries is so small the New York City Board of Elections will have magnifying glasses at polling places.

The Voting News Daily: New York warned of ‘Electoral Chaos’. Sarasota Fl – Recounts belong to the voters

On Sarasota FL: Tom Lyons says “Recounts belong to the voters” and not a tired candidate or election supervisor…New York Warned of ‘Electoral Chaos’ in Transition to Electronic Voting: In the Wednesday hearing..”It seems to me that these new machines are more prone to fraud on a mass scale than a lever machine,”~Chief Judge Dennis Jacobs…Harris County Texas Update on the dueling vote fraud press conferences…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

CA: Lawsuit over Identity of the Officers of the American Independent Party Moves Ahead http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/02/lawsuit-over-identity-of-the-officers-of-the-american-independent-party-moves-ahead/

CA: Berkeley council race draws three out candidates
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=5040
As San Francisco has seen, the implementation of IRV tends to draw more challengers to a race but has not hurt incumbents. And only rarely does the top vote-getter in the first round lose the election.

CO: Obama, McCain and IRV
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/142290

DC: Glitch affects 7,500 D.C. voters * (voter reg card)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/dc/glitch-affects-7500-dc-voters.html
The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics – grappling with early voting and new machines – announced that 7,529 voters in four precincts were issued registration cards that listed them as living in the wrong ward,

DE: Delaware prison-based gerrymandering bill signed
http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2010/09/01/de_signed/

FL: LYONS: Election recount belongs to voters
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100902/COLUMNIST/9021085&tc=email_newsletter
Of course Dent would rather not have to do a recount. Ever. What supervisor of elections would? It is extra work. There is some chance of an embarrassing result.

And Dent, especially, has long expressed too much confidence in her voting systems, including the virtually uncheckable touch-screen machines that voters made her get rid of because the public did not share her confidence.

GA: Former Twiggs sheriff, son being investigated for voter fraud (absentee)
http://www.macon.com/2010/09/02/1249522/former-sheriff-in-vote-probe.html
A former Twiggs County sheriff and his son, who ran unsuccessfully for that office in 2008, are facing allegations of voter fraud.
Former Sheriff Doyle Stone and his son Greg Stone have been investigated for allegedly interfering with absentee ballots from some of the county’s voters, according to state officials.

GA: Election officials probing vote fraud in 4 counties (absentee)
http://www.atlantaunfiltered.com/2010/09/02/election-officials-probing-vote-fraud-in-4-counties/
A dozen people, including a former sheriff, mishandled scores of absentee ballots cast in elections in four Georgia counties in 2008, state elections officials were told this week.

HI: Ninth Circuit Upholds Disparity in Hawaii Ballot Access Petitions
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/02/ninth-circuit-upholds-disparity-in-hawaii-ballot-access-petitions/ On September 1, the 9th circuit upheld the disparity in Hawaii’s petition requirements for the two different ways to get on the ballot for president. Nader v Cronin, 08-16444. Here is the 9-page decision…

NY: NY Warned of ‘Electoral Chaos’ in Transition to Electronic Voting
http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/09/02/30069.htm
MANHATTAN (CN) – In a hearing before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Nassau County Attorney John Ciampoli warned that the transition from lever-pull to electronic voting machines will cause “electoral chaos” in the primaries, and that all it will take to “fix” an election is a flash drive that anyone can buy at Staples. Ciampoli said a person with a flash drive would need “approximately 5 minutes of access” to fix an election.

RI: Judge refuses to ban party-line voting option
http://www.projo.com/news/content/HEALEY_HEARING_09-02-10_BVJONE4_v23.21ce431.html

The Voting News Daily: I-Voting, direct democracy. ‘Hack is Wack’. Sarasota Election Sup faces class action?

Snoop Dogg fights cyber crime, see ‘Hack is Wack’…Dr.Joseph Lorenzo Hall writes about Electronic Voting and Direct Democracy…Class Action Lawsuit Being Filed Against Sarasota Elections Sup Kathy Dent?…Missing ballot ovals confuse Billings Montana voters…New Jersey lawmaker wants military internet voting experiment…18,000 Wisconsin voters could be cut from rolls…Fox News article: Online Voting For Military Serving Overseas…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Ex-clerk guilty in voter fraud case* (absentee ballot)
Former Hale County official could spend up to a year in jail
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100839921/1007?Title=Ex-clerk-guilty-in-voter-fraud-case
Before Bryan, Tinker — through her attorney — admitted to falsely certifying the absentee ballots of five voters. The ballots, her attorney said, were notarized by her despite inconsistencies in signatures and spelling.

CA: RivCo and Postal Service near agreement to prevent election snafu (mail ballots)
http://www.swrnn.com/southwest-riverside/2010-08-31/news/rivco-and-postal-service-near-agreement-to-prevent-election-snafu Registrar of Voters Barbara Dunmore and the USPS regional district manager, Dallas Keck, have reached a tentative understanding as to how absentee ballots will be handled in the weeks and days leading up to the Nov. 2 general election, according to Executive Officer Bill Luna.

CA: San Joaquin County looking into absentee-only voting ballot
http://www.lodinews.com/news/article_719096da-59e7-5da5-afa0-09ad0c69c300.html
County officials are exploring the idea of a vote-by-mail-only system because it could save the county considerable money, Registrar of Voters Austin Erdman told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Co: Most counties deny Marks ballot inspection
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/142266 According to a statement released by a group advocating for disclosure of ballots, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Robert Balink supports public disclosure of ballots as a crucial oversight mechanism.

CO: Repeal Instant Runoff Voting (LTE)
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/142277
Richie argues that IRV produces 50 percent-plus winners for city council while the proposed traditional runoff requires only 45 percent support. Look at 2009 reality, not theory: 2,510 voters voted in the council race. Torre won with 1073 votes, or 42.7 percent of the 2,510, while Derek Johnson won with 49 percent.

DC: Voting Card Error Affects 7,500 Voters*
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/voting-101986473.html
The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics announced that a barcode error printed on voter cards affected 7,579 people, the AP reports. Though the voter card is not necessary to vote, the barcode speeds up the voting process.

FL: Class Action Lawsuit Being Filed Against Sarasota Supervisor of Elections?
http://redcounty.com/content/class-action-lawsuit-being-filed-against-sarasota-supervisor-elections (Kathy Dent again)

FL: Return to controversy (Sarasota SoE Kathy Dent)
Recount dispute shows elections are still subject to human error
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100901/OPINION/9011018/2198/OPINION&tc=email_newsletter?p=1&tc=pg
Dent, now in her third term of office, has known her share of controversies. Among them: She once championed touch-screen election machines that later were outlawed. She waged (and won) a legal battle against a voter-approved requirement for manual, post-election audits. In 2008, her office failed to quickly notify candidates whose names inadvertently had been left off several dozen absentee ballots.

GA: State election board sends Temple voter case to AG
http://www.times-georgian.com/view/full_story/9339940/article-State-election-board-sends-Temple-voter-case-to-AG?instance=TG_home_story_offset

IL: Preparing The Ballot This Year
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/08/31/preparing-the-ballot-this-year/
Champaign County Clerk…A few things have changed in the election law that are making the job of preparing ballots a little easier. At the same time, the number of referenda on the ballot is adding some complications.

The Voting News Daily: Virginia State Election server still down. DC internet vote experiment delayed

13 candidates file for statewide contest for NC appeals court, to be tallied by IRV and counties don’t yet have procedures…TrustTheVote announces that District of Columbia will delay their internet voting experiment that uses overseas troops as guinea pigs. DC has advertised this pilot as “Digital Vote By Mail Service”, but it still is internet voting, inherently insecure. Overseas military votes will instead be experimented with in November…NASS Designates September National Voter Registration Month…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AK: Senate race grows heated over ballot counting
http://www.adn.com/2010/08/30/1431794/miller-calls-for-trooper-guard.html
Elections officials said Roman did request access to the computer with the state’s voter registration system but was not allowed. Alaska Division of Elections Director Gail Fenumiai said he would have not been able to compromise the system anyway. “There is no GEMS server in the Wasilla office, so there’s no way the state ballot tabulation system was compromised,” Fenumiai said.

AR: Early voting controversy in Cabot gets heated (video available)
http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Early-voting-controversy-in-Cabot-gets-heated/8LM42oBqaUG9SEGy8ruT0Q.cspx?rss=315
One election commission chair says it was a big misunderstanding that actually had one commissioner fearing for her safety. After a heated meeting, voters in Cabot will keep their early voting, just not all of it.

AZ: Arizona Democratic Party alleges voter fraud
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/08/31/20100831arizona-democratic-party-voter-fraud.html
The state Democratic Party is alleging possible voter fraud in what it called a scheme to undermine its candidates by recruiting “sham” Green Party hopefuls.

CA: San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors will consider response to grand jury report
http://www.lodinews.com/news/article_ce5bb451-2869-5447-b524-69e1549116f5.html
…The Grand Jury recommends that the county seek state legislation allowing it to conduct elections by mail only…The Grand Jury also advised the county to reduce the number of precincts with voting machines for special-needs voters to five.

CT: Hand count in Brookfield shows voting machines were accurate
http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/Hand-count-in-Brookfield-shows-voting-machines-639226.php The results of audits will be analyzed by the University of Connecticut and then presented to the secretary of the state’s office and the State Elections Enforcement Commission.

FL: Edge to conduct own ballot review in Port St. Lucie mayor’s race *
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/aug/30/edge-to-conduct-own-ballot-review-in-port-st /
“I just have some issues with the care, custody and control of the ballots,” Edge said. “Where did we get 257 missing ballots all of the sudden? At the very least, there’s a problem with the issue of an accurate count. If we go with the numbers from Saturday night, they have to order a state-mandated manual recount

FL: Fla. Supreme Court Rejects Last-Minute Challenge to Redistricting Initiative
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016851.html

IL: Judge strikes down nonprofit’s bid to keep donors private
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0831-chicago-law-20100831,0,6013130.column Center for Individual Freedom had challenged Illinois law requiring disclosure of campaign contributions

NC: 13 candidates file for open NC appeals court job
http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/08/31/1666901/13-candidates-file-for-open-nc.html
Voters will receive optical scan ballots for this race even if they are in a county that uses touch-screen machines. (there is no legal software to tally IRV and North Carolina and counties do not yet have tallying procedures)

OH: 5,800 dead in Ohio still on voter rolls
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/08/30/copy/5800-dead-in-ohio-still-on-voter-rolls.html
The process to cancel a registration starts after a voter doesn’t cast a ballot for four years or two federal elections.

The Voting News Daily: VA Election Site IT outage. Kathy Dent recount flap. AK’s 11,200 iffy mail ballots

Luther Weeks on Connecticut elections: “State recanvass law inadequate for close elections”…Alaska mail ballots – Over 20,000 Votes Still To Be Counted, 11,200 are ‘question’ ballots…Sarasota FL Election Sup Kathy Dent accused of influencing election in recount…Virginia’s State Board of Elections still affected by IT outage that began last week in a data center run by outsourcer Northrop Grumman…Wasted opportunity: Harris County TX replaces paperless voting machines with more paperless voting machines….

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AK: Over 20,000 Votes Still To Be Counted *(absentee mail ballots)
http://www.ktva.com/ci_15917459
On Friday, the Alaska Division of Elections said there are more than 20,000 ballots that have not yet been counted. Over 11,200 are absentee ballots with much of the rest being question ballots.
…
All ballots have to be postmarked election day, and if it’s postmarked within the United States, it has ten days following the day of the election to be received, which would be September 3, and if it’s postmarked outside the U.S., fifteen days to be received, which is September 8,”

AK: Miller’s lawyer warns of vote tampering by Murkowski campaign
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/blogs/political-animal/6598-millers-lawyer-warns-of-voter-tampering-by-murkowski-campaign In the letter, Miller attorney Thomas Van Flein accuses the observer, who he calls Mike, of accessing the Division of Elections computer database for 20 minutes to “check voter records.” That Mike had access to private data was bad enough, Van Flein said in a letter, but the Diebold voter software used by the state is also vulnerable to voter hijacking.

The Voting News Daily: AZ, FL, TN vote probs. Harris TX voting equip burned up. EVM expert bailed out

“With less than seven weeks before early voting starts for the general election, the clock is ticking for Tennessee’s election officials’ efforts to get it right.” ~ Tennessean.com..Broward’s Disappearing Ink Before Election Day & Early Voting…MORE Lee Co FL ballot problems…Toast: Harris County Texas’ 10,000 eSlate electronic voting machines…DOD denies 4 states military ballot law waiver..Australia’s hung parliament…India EVM Security Researcher Released on Bail…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: More on Alaska and Australia: Is there a security issue in postmark states?
http://www.earlyvoting.net/blog/2010/08/more-alaska-and-australia-there-security-issue-postmark-states

AZ: Vote-by-mail ballots just delivered now being verified* (day after election)
http://www.kvoa.com/news/vote-by-mail-ballots-just-delivered-now-being-verified/
Pima County. Approximately 13,000 vote-by-mail ballots have been dropped off late at the polling locations and delivered by U.S. mail. These ballots are being signature verified this morning and will be transferred over to the Division of Elections for counting.

AZ: Late ballots being verified & counted * (KVOA Video available)
http://www.kvoa.com/news/late-ballots-being-verified-and-counted/
TUCSON – In Pima County, 13,500 mail in ballots were delivered this morning, and there are 3,500 Provisional ballots that still need to be verified.

The mail in ballots were supposed to be a part of “early voting.” But Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez says, for some reason they didn’t make it to the post office in time or were dropped off at the polling places.

CA: Lengthy ballot to cost voters time — and money
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_15903293
Alameda County voters may want to delay diving into that next novel soon, because a long read is on its way this fall — in the form of November’s general-election ballot.
…
However, voters in Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro are likely to see three pages because of the debut of ranked-choice voting, which eliminated the need for June primaries for those cities’ local races.
…
A type of “voters’ fatigue” or “voter roll-off” can set in if ballots are too long, said Robert Dudley, a professor at George Mason University in Virginia who studies elections.

CO: City Council gets it right
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100827/LETTER/100829867/1020&
parentprofile=1061 http://tinyurl.com/23vtzx3 The City Council properly deleted from the November ballot a referendum question on replacing instant runoff voting (IRV) with a winner-take-all election reform as a means of deciding both mayor and council contests, deciding instead to present to the voters a straightforward choice between IRV and the traditional runoff election technique.

FL: Audit This! Broward’s Disappearing Ink Before Election Day & Early Voting*
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electionreform/message/13849
All Federal and FL State Law require election records be held for 22 months. Broward’s Poll Tapes are already beginning to disappear before Election Day!

FL: 2 Volusia races getting recounts
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/west-volusia/2010/08/27/2-volusia-races-getting-recounts.html A county judge’s race is so close after a review of problem ballots that Volusia officials expect to need to recount the votes by hand, while a County Council race is close enough to warrant a second tally with voting machines.
…
A machine recount takes place when the margin is less than half of 1 percent. If that recount shows a difference of one-fourth of 1 percent or less, a manual recount is ordered

FL: Lee County judge race remains undecided; recount to continue tomorrow*
http://www.news-press.com/article/20100828/NEWS0107/100828017/1075/Lee-County-judge-race-remains-undecided–recount-to-continue-tomorrow

The Voting News Daily: India’s Electronic Voting Controversy. Suit seeks to void Shelby TN election

Democrats ask court to void Shelby County Tennessee’s August election. Vote-total discrepancies not mere error, suit alleges…On Australia’s national cliffhanger: “It’s not a good sign when the best way out may be a fresh election.”…Verified Voting “On India’s Electronic Voting Controversy”. India’s officials should address the voting machine vulnerabilities rather than punish experts who reveal them..

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

CO: Aspen changes course on election reform
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/142161
But on a 3-2 vote, the council decided to drop the winner-take-all method, making the question on November’s ballot an up-or-down referendum that will either retain IRV or go back to the 45/50 percent method, in which a runoff is held one month …

CT: Candidate files complaint in close election recanvass. Update: Another candidate complaint
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/candidate-files-complaint-in-close-election-recanvass/
Via CTNewsJunkie, Ken Green has filed a complaint in the Hartford election, where election night results had him winning by two votes and a close vote racanvass has him losing by two votes. His complaint alleges several questionable machine counts . irregularities, and potential chain of custody issues.

DC: Washington, D.C. On-Line News Source “Greater Greater Washington” Advocates IRV http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/26/washington-d-c-on-line-news-source-greater-greater-washington-advocates-irv/

FL: Volusia judicial race headed for recount (machine count?)
County Council District 3 race may also be recounted
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-volusia-judicial-election-recount-20100825,0,3809197.story

NV: Election official: Every vote counted (Mohave County)
http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2010/08/25/news/local/doc4c74b80359519079538495.txt
..It’s not that they’re not counting correctly but, every once in a while, a roller gets stuck and it’s not taking a ballot. Sometimes it’s as easy as turning it off and turning it back on,” Tempert said.

NY: Counties gear up for first statewide use of new voting machines
http://www.stargazette.com/article/20100822/NEWS01/8220328/Counties
+gear+up+for+first+statewide+use+of+new+voting+machines http://tinyurl.com/36ys49j
Bo Lipari of New Yorkers for Verified Voting says the message notifying people they have over-voted is cryptic and doesn’t explain the consequences of keeping the ballot — essentially that no vote will be counted for that office.

OH: Sheriff’s office: Hacking fears unfounded on Election Night (Butler Co)
http://www.journal-news.com/news/hamilton-news/sheriffs-office-hacking-fears-unfounded-on-election-night-880261.html?cxtype=rss_local-news
The sheriff’s office announced Wednesday, Aug. 25, that its investigation is complete into the May 4 special election in which elections servers were unable to deliver tabulated results to the website due to a large volume of IP addresses interrupting the system.

TN: Democrats ask court to void Shelby County August election*
Vote-total discrepancies not mere error, suit alleges
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/aug/26/democrats-ask-court-to-void-august-election/
They are asking a Chancery Court judge to declare the election void, to seize all equipment for further review, to make sure that winning candidates are not sworn in and to allow current elected officials to continue in their posts.
…
“Thus according to (the Election Commission’s) own records, 6,802 more votes were cast than individuals who participated in the August 2010 election,”

International

Australia: This tiptoe along the precipice has an awful lot of downsides
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/this-tiptoe-along-the-precipice-has-an-awful-lot-of-downsides-20100826-13u4n.html?rand=1282820514720
It’s not a good sign when the best way out may be a fresh election.

India:

On India’s Electronic Voting Controversy
http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6772
How this controversy plays out is conjecture, but the essential story – the early, almost under-the-radar concerns about electronic voting, followed by expert public demonstration of the ultimate dangers of e-voting, followed by more widespread outcry – should be familiar to American ears.

The Voting News Daily: Why Pac-Man voting hack matters.FL vote problems. Citizens United aftershocks

Broward FL elections sup Dr. Snipes neglects to tell voters about polling place change…The BRAD BLOG Informs NBC’s Chuck Todd That Ballots Are Not Actually Counted by Humans…Pac-Man for president: Hack highlights e-voting flaws.University researchers remind people that electronic voting machines are still easy to manipulate by loading the venerable Pac-Man video game…’Too close to call’ Australian election result…Afghan vote runs up against fear, disenchantment…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

CO: On Aspen’s November ballot: Runoff elections vs. IRV
Council rejects winner-take-all method
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100825/NEWS/100829906/1077&ParentProfile=1058

FL: Broward elections supervisor Dr. Snipes neglects to tell voters about polling place change* http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/08/broward_elections_supervisor_d_1.html
Dr. Brenda Snipes admitted Monday that her office did not advise voters in precinct R31 in Fort Lauderdale that they no longer vote at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center (GLCC) on Andrews Avenue

FL: Suspicious package closes Brevard precinct* (Brevard)
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/24/1789727/suspicious-package-closes-brevard.html
MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. — A precinct on Florida’ Space Coast was shut down for several hours after a suspicious package was found outside it.

FL: Three polling places report minor issues; voting not affected* (Alachua Cnty)
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100824/ARTICLES/100829745/1002
When Fred Posner walked up to the ballot machine at Precinct 22 at about 8 a.m. Tuesday, he was disturbed when a poll worker told him the machine wasn’t working and then slid his ballot into what’s known as an “emergency bin” inside the machine.
…
a metal bar on the ballot box, which was in place to prevent vote fraud, had not been unlocked. Once poll workers realized that, they switched the key to the proper position and ran through Posner’s ballot, along with several others that had not been counted.

FL: 4 Palm Beach County Voters Given Wrong Ballot* (at 6 or 7 precincts?)
Supervisor Of Elections Says Poll Workers Reassigned, Relieved Of Duties
http://www.wpbf.com/r/24747331/detail.html
“Regretfully, we have about six or seven locations where voters were supposed to be issued a partisan ballot and, unfortunately, they were issued a non-partisan ballot,” Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher told WPBF 25 News’ Meredith McDonough.

FL: Elections Chief Edwards Rolls to Victory in Primary
http://www.theledger.com/article/20100824/NEWS/8245068/1338?p=1&tc=pg
BARTOW Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards refrained from handling ballots Tuesday night, but she manhandled her opponent in their primary race for a congressional seat.

FL: Audit to help decide ‘two very close races’ (PANAMA CITY — Bay County)
http://www.newsherald.com/news/panama-86444-audit-races.html
… Andersen said the county didn’t know how many provisional ballots were out.
“That’s what tomorrow’s audit is for,” Andersen said.

IL: Auditor Referendum Will Not Be on November Ballot
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/08/24/auditor-referendum-will-not-be-on-november-ballot/ Champaign County Clerk
I have determined that the County Board’s action to place a referendum on the ballot eliminating the elected County Auditor’s office does not conform to the requirements of Illinois Election law and will thus not be on the November Ballot.

This is a difficult decision because refusing to certify a question or candidate is an extraordinary remedy. However, no other one exists.

KY: Two Kentucky Republicans Sue to Remove Libertarian and Constitution Party Nominees http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/08/25/two-kentucky-republicans-sue-to-remove-libertarian-and-constitution-party-nominees/

NC: A few more reasons not to elect judges
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/08/22/1636392/a-few-more-reasons-not-to-elect.html

The Voting News Daily: DOJ approves GA voter check system. Rutherford TN election official fired

Brennan Center report: “Voting After You Move: A Guide”…Hawaii cuts 97 polling places..Tennessee mis-fires: The Rutherford TN election chief was fired for not having early voting on 1 Saturday, but has anyone been fired for the Shelby Co fiasco where e-poll books blocked thousands of voters?…Deputies of “Houston Votes” submitted thousands of fraudulent voter registration apps…

all this and more in today’s voting news below…

AZ: Are Arizona’s Political Leaders Deliberately Blocking Electronic Voting Machine Transparency? http://www.truth-out.org/are-arizonas-political-leaders-deliberately-blocking-electronic-voting-machine-transparency62569
Bill Risner, Democratic Party attorney for Pima County, is no stranger to election procedure battles. In 41-years of practice, he says the central problem of the current computerized systems is they are easy to cheat. “When the fact of ‘easy to cheat’ is combined with the ‘impossibility of challenge’ and ‘nobody is looking,’ the seriousness of the present vulnerability of our election system is obvious,” he says.

CA: Ballot creates security fray (SAN FRANCISCO)
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Ballot-creates-security-fray-101356429.html
The Sheriff’s Department could be barred from protecting November ballots because the results of a measure could effect the personal income of the deputies

CO: Aspen narrows in on how voters will vote
Runoff and ‘winner-take-all’ likely options for November ballot question
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100824/NEWS/100829929/1077&ParentProfile=1058

CO: Voting on how to vote, again
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/142147

FL: A few glitches reported as Floridians cast votes*
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/24/1789548_p2/few-glitches-reported-as-voting.html
Problems surfaced first thing in the morning in Miami Shores, where a mix-up delayed a precinct’s opening, and again throughout the day.
At Arcola Park in Miami, 46 voters waited into the early evening in an unmoving line for 90 minutes, delayed by what at first was said to be technical problems, Michael Graham said.
Then at about 6:30 p.m., a voter in the front of the line announced the precinct was out of ballots, he said.
…
n Miami Shores, the Catholic Community Center polling place located at 9900 NE Second Ave. was up and running normally after a morning mix-up that delayed its 7 a.m. opening.
…
But Miami Shores resident Christopher Bellows said he went to the polling place at about 7:20 a.m. and it was still closed, with no voting booths set up inside.
“They’re lying,” Bellows said of elections officials. “There was a lady there who was leaving, who said she’s not going to be able to vote now.”
…
Some voters in South Florida complained Tuesday that they were given the wrong ballot.
Richard J. Curry, a Democrat from Dania Beach, said he was given the ballot for unaffiliated voters.

FL: CBS4 I-Team Reveals Early Voting Is Costly
http://cbs4.com/local/early.voting.florida.2.1874936.html

GA: Justice Department clears Ga. voter checks system
http://www.sfexaminer.com/nation/doj-clears-ga-voter-checks-system-101309359.html
ATLANTA — The Justice Department has given Georgia approval to again verify voters’ identity and citizenship, Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced on Monday.
…
The modified plan that won DOJ approval includes all first-time voter registration applicants, including those seeking to register in person. It eliminates those who’ve already registered but are seeking to make changes, Carrothers said.

HI: Hawaii: State cuts 97 polling places
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20100823_State_cuts_97_polling_places.html

MI: County clerk claims McManus pressured her to approve flawed election forms
http://michiganmessenger.com/41220/county-clerk-claims-mcmanus-pressured-her-to-approve-flawed-election-forms

The Voting News Daily: Florida voter alert! After India EVM expert arrest. Dan Rather on voting machines

CTVoter on reforms intended to tweak turnout -“Fighting the last [election]war – Be careful what you ask for!” Florida Voter Alert: 2008 Absentee Voters May Have Problems at Polls…Dan Rather on Chris Matthews today, “Electronic voting machines still alot of problems…”…India electronic voting machine update: The ‘story’ behind Hari Prasad’s arrest and its aftermath

News is brief today, we’ll catch up tomorrow…

AK: Primary election features three ballot choices for some voters
http://newsminer.com/bookmark/9238126-Primary-election-features-three-ballot-choices-for-some-voters FAIRBANKS — As an election-week reminder, don’t forget there are three ballot choices for some voters Tuesday during the state primary election.

CO: Ask for single question to repeal IRV
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/142140

CT: Fighting the last [election]war – Be careful what you ask for!
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/fighting-the-last-electionwar-be-careful-what-you-ask-for/
There are several recent stories about the low turnout in the August 10th primary and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz suggesting the primary date be changed from August to June
…
This is not a voting integrity issue, yet we place it in the category of “Fighting the last [election] war” (i.e. Changes/reforms that look good when attempting to correct a recent, assumed election problem, without looking at all the consequences. )

FL: Voter Alert: 2008 Absentee Voters May Have Problems at Polls*
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electionreform/message/13848
If you voted absentee in the 2008 general election, but were planning to vote at the polls this Tuesday, you may be in for a surprise when you get there. You may be told that you cannot cast a regular ballot because you have already received an absentee ballot in the mail. This could happen even though you didn’t specifically request an absentee ballot for this election and even though you haven’t actually received one in the mail.

FL: Ballot mess still casts pall over election
http://www.bocabeacon.com/?p=4893
Calls have stll been coming into the Lee County elections office in connection to scores of mail-in boomerang ballots that were returned to sender.
…
If you believe your voting rights have been violated, contact Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, (877) 868-3737. To check the status of your ballot, go to BocaBeacon.com and click on the link provided.

NC: Instant runoff voting, here we come … ready or not
http://www.news-record.com/blog/54431/entry/97310
When they see the ballot for this special election, voters will wonder what the state legislature was thinking when it created this system. It’s going to be a joke, and not only for voters who will be asked to mark a first, second and third choice on their ballots. The election workers don’t know how to handle these ballots, either.

NC: Time to Shorten the Ballot
http://www.carolinajournal.com/jhdailyjournal/display_jhdailyjournal.html?id=6746
Every two years, the state asks millions of voters to choose among candidates for North Carolina’s supreme court and court of appeals. The vast majority of voters have no personal experience with the lawyers or judges in question. They have no significant information about the candidates’ qualifications and legal philosophies.

TN: Rutherford election official says no coverup
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100821/NEWS02/
8210343/1009/NEWS02/Rutherford+election+official+says+no+coverup
http://tinyurl.com/2d239va Rutherford County’s top election official says there was no attempt to cover up the fact that the county failed to hold early voting for the Aug.

The Voting News Daily: India E-voting expert arrested. TN voters deserve answers. Australia Bush v Gore?

CTVoter on India’s arrest of Hari Prasad: “So as governments do to whistle blowers and those who bring uncomfortable facts, they have arrested the Indian member of the research team in an effort to determine the source of the voting machine and to intimidate.”..Sarasota FL voting machine meltdown proves value of paper ballots, no thanks to Kathy Dent..LTE: “Tennessee needs to join the 21st century with the majority of the rest of country and move to a verifiable, auditable paper trail/ballot.”..2010 Australian Election Results a Bush vs. Gore Repeat…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

Editor’s note: The PacMan Voting Machine story and video has become viral.
One voting news reader writes: “My hair exploded about the pac man program!!”

AZ: Maricopa County Elections Sued Over Alleged Voting Violations
http://weeklyintercept.blogspot.com/2010/08/maricopa-county-elections-sued-over.html
A group of diverse individuals including Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Barry Hess, former Republican state Senator Karen Johnson, and voting activist John Brakey are suing Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell, alleging that Maricopa County Elections is involved in various voting shenanigans.

CA: California’s online voter registration plan on hold
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-voter-registration-20100821,0,3294207.story
The start of the program has been pushed back to June 2014 as the secretary of state seeks a new contractor.
…
She (SOS Bowen) said other states’ efforts are not comparable to California’s. “There is no precedent in any other state for this, because California is enormous,” she said.

CT: Greenwich picked – yet again – to audit primary results
http://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Greenwich-picked-yet-again-to-audit-primary-622620.php Six of the seven times since the state started mandating audits three years ago, the town has been picked for a recount, irking its two registrars of voters.
…
Despite the hassle of conducting frequent audits, DeCaro said it was much better than the alternative of no checks and balances.
(Fred DeCaro III, Stamford’s Republican registrar).

FL: Early-voting machine malfunctions* (Sarasota – Dominion opscan machines)
http://www.yourobserver.com/news/sarasota/Front-Page/081920107656/Early-voting-machine-malfunctions …One of the inspectors noticed this week that the system count on the machine was different than the number of ballots that had been inputted.
…
But Joe Gruters, chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota County, said he is concerned.

“This proves the need to have paper ballots, so there’s concrete evidence, so no one could question the outcome,” he said. “Two thousand votes could decide a race.”

Rita Ferrandino, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Sarasota County, said issues such as this are why she has election observers watching every step of the process.

NV: The incredibly true, bizarre story of Tea Party candidate Scott Ashjian and $35
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2010/aug/19/incredibly-true-bizarre-story-scott-ashjian-and-35/ …
Wrong. Colorado ain’t nothin’; in Nevada, Ashjian needed only need 250 signatures to get his name on the ballot for national office.

NY: Democracy, the Hard Way *
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/nyregion/22critic.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
The new system compounds the shortcomings of print media with those of electronic media — and makes matters worse with hard-to-read, hard-to-understand instructions and a lot of extraneous nonsense.

OH: Cuyahoga County Board of Elections posts bilingual ballots
http://www.cleveland.com/cuyahoga-county/index.ssf/2010/08/cuyahoga_board_of_elections_posts_bilingual_ballots.html
In response to a recent U.S. Department of Justice push for bilingual ballots, 70 precincts in council districts 2, 3, 4 and 7 will offer instructions, political parties and offices in both English and Spanish.

The Voting News Daily: Shelby CO TN certifies flawed election. Are election audits worth it? Pac-Man II

Bell, CA may give ballot control to county after investigation into massive corruption and election fraud…CTVoter answers question: “Greenwich Audit: Is it worth $1,200?”…Shelby Co Tennessee election board voted 5-0 to certify flawed election after blaming all problems on a single “human error”. Some lawsuits in the works and TBI is investigating…Moreon impact of Citizens United -see “Pay 2 Play – Democracy’s high stakes”..Probe into Philippine’s May poll irregularities ongoing…No tamper seals were broken in programming the AVC Edge voting machine to run Pac-Man…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

CA: Bell council discusses reforms as residents continue angry protests *
(absentee ballot fraud)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bell-reforms-20100817,0,1083036.story
City must roll back property tax hike that the state controller says was illegal and cut its ‘retirement tax.’ Amid alleged election fraud, council also considers giving ballot control to the county.
…
The potential for fraud in Bell is heightened because of of low voter participation in the largely immigrant town of 40,000. Fewer than 400 voters cast ballots in a 2005 special election that cleared the way for council members to significantly increase their salaries, for example. More than half were absentee ballots.

CT: Greenwich Audit: Is it worth $1,200?
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/greenwich-audit-is-it-worth-1200/
Greenwich registrars and Secretary of the State debate value of audit and random selection of Greenwich

CT: Ballots from 2 polling places to be recounted
http://www.thehour.com/story/490462 Overall, 73 or 722 voting precincts — 10 percent of all polling precincts statewide — from the Aug. 10 primary election will have ballots hand-counted and matched against machine totals to ensure the integrity of voting, and comply with the Act Concerning the Integrity and Security of the Voting Process, according to the Secretary of the State’s Office.

FL: 200+ Absentee Ballots Disqualified * (absentee ballots)
Absentee Voting Down, But Early Voting Up 20% Over 2006
http://www.news4jax.com/politics/24691862/detail.html
JACKSONVILLE, Fla…Channel 4 has learned that nearly 250 of absentee ballots have been thrown out, mostly because they lack signatures, or the signature doesn’t match the one on file at the Supervisor of Elections Office.

NC: ‘Instant runoff’ injects more mystery into judicial elections
http://nclawyersweekly.com/oyez/2010/08/18/%E2%80%98instant-runoff-injects-more-mystery-into-judicial-elections/#comment-209 It’s yet another electoral process that I’m unfamiliar with. And in a system where there are ridiculous things called hanging chads that can lead to court battles, I really hope that this instant runoff thing doesn’t exacerbate the problem that voters don’t know Judge X from Judge Y.

NJ: Atlantic City vote fraud suspects seek dismissal of charges
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_20729af6-a983-11df-a945-001cc4c03286.html
Most of the defendants were indicted on nine counts, including conspiracy and four counts of election fraud. Small and three others were also accused of lying to law enforcement in an effort to cover up their crimes.
In October, Ronald Harris, 24, of Atlantic City, admitted he and others conspired to submit false documents involving messenger ballots in the primary. Harris, a registered Democrat, later told a reporter he only pleaded guilty out of fear.

NY: Design a Better Ballot
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/design-a-better-ballot/
This is where you come in. City Room, in partnership with the New York chapter of the AIGA, the professional association for design, invites you to imagine a better format, or to just have fun completely reinventing it.

The Voting News Daily: Touchscreens recycled as PacMan games.Verified Voting Internet Voting Pt 1

Florida Voters Coalition encourages citizens to observe poll closing procedures…Shelby Co TN blames technician for election fiasco, local DEM party launching own investigation…J. Alex Halderman has found a good use for touchscreen machines – reprogram them as PacMan consoles…Mason County WV to volunteer overseas vote for internet vote experiment…Bo Lipari has Part I of Verified Voting’s new series on concerns with Internet Voting…

All this and more in today’s voting news below…

AL: Bessemer, Ala: mayoral candidate uses fake photo and endorsement; campaign manager confesses to hoax http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006428.html

FL: Spend an Hour – Make a Difference on Election Night
http://floridavoterscoalition.blogspot.com/2010/08/spend-hour-make-difference-on-election.html
Hot dog! This is your chance to spend an hour on election-night to help secure Florida’s elections. Observe poll-closing procedures in any precinct near you, and help gather important compliance data we can use to improve future elections.

NC: Local judicial candidates at odds over fall election ballot
http://www.mountainx.com/news/2010/local_judicial_candidates_at_odds_over_fall_election_ballot
Dreher takes the position that all five candidates should be included under only one ballot listing “without designation as to vacancy.” The state’s instant-runoff voting system would then be implemented to determine two winners from the list of five.

PA: Team 4: Non-US Citizens Removed From Voter Rolls
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/r/24679152/detail.html

PA: Editorial: Cash clouds image of judges
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20100819_Editorial__Cash_clouds_image_of_judges.html When it comes to spending money to elect state Supreme Court justices, Pennsylvania is No. 1.
Unfortunately, this is not a top ranking to boast about. That’s because the river of money that flows into judicial elections creates the perception for many that justice isn’t always blind.

TN: Shelby County Election Commission Releases Its Findings On Election Day Problems * http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Shelby-County-Election-Commission-Releases-Its/gpBzJPliuk2KvChu9lvK3g.cspx
Commissioners say on August 5th, Computer Analyst Dennis Boyce loaded the wrong data files into the Electronic Polling Books (EPB). The data he loaded reflected people who voted in last May’s election and as a result people like Thompson went to vote on August 5th, only to be told they voted already.
…
Turner says he’s come across voters who say they didn’t vote in the May election, but were still turned away on August 5th. The Shelby County Democratic Party is also conducting an investigation and will release its own report and recommendations.

TN: Democrats Claim Voting Machines Can Be Altered
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Democrats-Claim-Voting-Machines-Can-Be-Altered/nDhkxvpg50q8aJOlSQvtpw.cspx
MEMPHIS, TN—The Head of the Shelby County Democratic Party believes investigators have found a way to change votes after they have been cast. Investigators for the Democratic Party have been at the election commission digging for information since the August 5, 2010 election.

“We’re pulling down databases, records, looking at machines and trying to figure out what is going on,” said party chairman, Van Turner, “what records reveal, I think is just the tip of the iceberg.

TN: Pair of votes on same day no problem
Morgan County prepared for concurrent special, general elections Nov. 2
http://www.decaturdaily.com/detail/66788.html A special election in Hartselle on the same day as the Nov. 2 general election will not cause problems for Morgan County, officials said.

TX: New election ordered in commissioner race* (absentee ballot fraud)
http://www.delrionewsherald.com/story.lasso?ewcd=40438f4ce48b3ec6