Author Archives: Warren Stewart

The Voting News Daily: Internet Voting, totally owned. TX Court hears evoting lawsuit

New: radio interview with Dr. David Jefferson, Livermore Natl Laboratories, computer scientist and cyber security expert and VerifiedVoting.org’s Internet Voting expert with NEW UNREPORTED BOMBSHELLS on breath-taking D.C. Internet Vote Hack. Iranian, Chinese Computers tried to hack D.C. Board of Elections…NY BOE survey finds thousands of voters have ‘major issues’ with new machines…Paper Trail for E-Voting Machines Goes Before TX Supreme Court…

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

Find voting news on the internet at http://votingnews.blogspot.com

CA: Candidates exploit ranked-choice endorsements
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/11/BA2M1FQEAC.DTL

CA: Voters again having trouble sealing absentee ballot envelopes
http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/politicsanyone/62032
Voters are, again, improperly sealing their absentee ballot envelopes and it’s causing problems at the Kern County elections division, Chief Deputy Registrar Karen Rhea said.

FL: Wrong Absentee Ballots Sent To Voters*
http://www.wftv.com/countybycounty/25361496/detail.html
SANFORD, Fla. — The Seminole County Supervisor of Elections admitted Monday that his office made a mistake, sending the wrong absentee ballots to an entire district of Sanford voters.
“It’s only 89 voters, but for those 89 voters it’s, you know, it’s the most important ballot they’re going to get for this year, so we need to make sure that they get it right,” said Michael Ertel, the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections.

Guam: GEC prepares for day in federal court
http://www.kuam.com/Global/story.asp?S=13305521 The agency as we reported violated federal law when it didn’t send absentee ballots to uniformed and overseas voters 45 days prior to the election. As a result the U.S. Department of Justice took GEC to court.

IL: Email No Panacea for Our Military
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/10/12/email-no-panacea-for-our-military/
For military voters, we emailed 42 ballots and just a single one has been returned. A rate of 2.4%. On the other hand, we have mailed 204 ballots, and already 33 have been returned. A rate of 16.2%.

Now other factors certainly enter into this. Many of these military ballots are sent within the country. The final determination of the effectiveness of this method will be decided two weeks after the election when we do our final canvass.

IN: Early Voting Begins, But Not Without Glitches* (video available)
http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=206425
A line of voters had to wait several minutes for machines to get up and running.
County Clerk Susan Kirk says the system must have lost connection over the weekend, but a computer tech was fixing the problem.

IN: 2 special prosecutors chosen in Charlie White investigation
http://www.indystar.com/article/20101011/NEWS05/10110389/2-special-prosecutors-chosen-in-Charlie-White-investigation?odyssey=tabtopnewstextIndyStar.com
White, a Republican, used his ex-wife’s address to vote in the May 4 primary election. Initially, he said his actions were a mistake and didn’t warrant a criminal investigation. He’s maintained his actions were legal.
…
White already has left his seat on the Fishers Town Council as a result of the residence change that led to questions about the legality of his actions.

MO: Royster Claims New Proof Of Voter Fraud
John Joseph Rizzo Bested Will Royster In House Race By 1 Vote
http://www.kmbc.com/news/25359417/detail.html

NC: New online absentee voting ballots ease process for local troops
http://www.jdnews.com/articles/voting-83379-absentee-online.html

ND: Spirit Lake takes Benson County polling dispute to court
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/178891/

The Voting News Daily: Dangers of Internet Voting Confirmed. Foreign $ in US Elections?

Verified Voting’s Pres.interviewed by Fox D.C. about DC Internet Voting Pilot. In spite of experts saying otherwise, DC’s BoE still thinks they can make internet voting secure. Really? Then Google & DoD may wish to hire DC officials to teach them how. The video testimony is up on YouTube, making it easier to share on Facebook & blogs…Early voting centers at colleges teach students…Big Spending by Outside Groups, but No Disclosure..Pakistan pilot program for electronic voting…

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

Do you like Voting News? Tell a friend. We’re on the net at http://votingnews.blogspot.com also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews

CA: Voting by mail can result in unintended consequences
http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/columns/oped_contributors/Voting-by-mail-can-result-in-unintended-consequences-104551994.html Early voting has changed the arc of campaign planning and lowered the value of late campaign developments.

CA: Solano County’s mail-in ballots could be delayed
http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_16296563 Delays at the postal distribution center in Sacramento are holding up the delivery of some vote-by-mail ballots to voters in northern and eastern Solano County, elections officials said Friday.
…
People registered to vote by mail who have not received their ballots by Wednesday should contact the Registrar of Voters Office at 784-6675.

CO: INSIDE THE BLACK BOX …..YOU VOTE … BUT “WE” COUNT …
OH, BY THE WAY “WE” DOES NOT INCLUDE YOU…
http://authenticallywired.com/2010/10/09/nside-the-black-box/

CO: Weld clerk to post deputies at vote centers
Some worry about voter intimidation
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20101009/NEWS/101009690/
1002&parentprofile=1001 http://tinyurl.com/29num2h

DC: D.C. Council hearing sums up election: Poor training and preparation
http://www.wikiusnews.com/3044/d-c-council-hearing-sums-up-election-poor-training-and-preparation.html

LA: Election night returns slowed by computer problems
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/10/election_night_returns_slowed.html
Jacques Berry, a spokesman for the secretary of state, said there were two problems.
One was “very, very slow” transmission of data from a computer at the office of Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal District Court ArthurMorrell, where Orleans returns are collected, to the secretary’s officein Baton Rouge.

The other problem was a lack of adequate bandwidth on election night for the secretary’s website, which was overwhelmed when, among otherthings, more people than expected logged on seeking election returns.

MI: Ottawa County clerk apologizes for second costly election ballot printing error in four years* http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/10/ottawa_county_clerk_apologizes.html
The glitch — the office’s second ballot error in four years — affected ballots sent to about 1,400 voters and carries a $48,570 cost for ballot reprints.
The clerk’s office omitted the names of Natural Law Party candidates Stacy Kohmescher, candidate for the state Board of Education, and Doug Dern, candidate for Wayne State University’s Board of Governors.

NC: You would think voting would be easy for a servicemember….nnnope
http://www.onemarinesview.com/one_marines_view/2010/10/you-would-think-voting-would-be-easy-for-a-servicemembernnnope.html I hope you take the opportunity to vote this year and every year offered. I, being one of many servicemembers deployed overseas that desire to vote via absentee voting wanted to vote but wasn’t successful. (sorry Walter B Jones North Carolina 3rd you didnt get my vote because our absentee system is all jacked up)

NC: Campaign cash, flowing from where?
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/10/729577/campaign-cash-flowing-from-where.html

NJ: Judge finds no evidence of voter fraud in Paterson
http://www.northjersey.com/news/crime_courts/104622224_Judge_finds
_no_evidence_of_voter_fraud.html http://tinyurl.com/2d4z7tx The election day results showed McDaniel leading Rodriguez by 25 votes.

The Voting News Daily: Video Cure for Internet Voting. Ireland voting machines to be traffic cones?

Must see video testimony! DC’s Board of Elections detected the hack of their internet voting system BECAUSE Professor J. Alex Halderman & U. of Michigan students wanted the hack detected. “A real attack might be completely invisible and could have run on undetected much, much longer…”. Halderman’s team also changed the BoE password to protect it foreign hacker attempts..Files stolen from NM’s SoS whistleblower..Ireland to turn €50m voting machines into ‘traffic cones or fleeces’ (with video)…

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

Like voting news? Tell a friend that we’re on internet at http://votingnews.blogspot.com Sign up online for emails, also use our handy search box…

AL: Bessemer, Ala: mayor fires city clerk over absentee ballots
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006447.html
When Brooks refused to go off-site, the mayor fired him about 5:30 p.m., forced him to turn over his keys to the mayor and had a police officer escort him out of Bessemer city hall, Brooks said. The absentee ballots for today’s election were locked in the city clerk’s office, and Brooks said the mayor, who is a candidate in today’s election, had the key to the office.

CA: andidate’s DOB an issue for voters (Orange County)
http://www.ocregister.com/news/voters-269915-candidate-dob.html
When Miller Oh filed to run for City Council in Buena Park, he dutifully put down his correct age: 52.
…
Oh admits his registration says he’s 46, as do his Social Security records, his passport, and every other legal document he has.

CT: Probate judge to run as write-in candidate after ballot glitch
http://www.theday.com/article/20101006/NWS01/310069852/-1/NWS

CT: State to Tackle Ann Coulter Voter Fraud Allegations Next Week
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/politics/State-to-Tackle-Ann-Coulter-Voter-Fraud-Allegations-Next-Week—104509789.html
Whether conservative pundit Ann Coulter falsely used her parents’ New Canaan address as her voting address is up to the state Election Commission.

DC: DCBOEE Lessons Learned from Digital Vote by Mail Hacking (internet voting)
http://dcboee.us/dvm/ps_hacker_response.htm
[DC BoEE idea of lesson learned is to ignore computer scientists overall warning that
internet voting can not be secured period, at least for 10 years and not this internet.]

See Internet Voting Watch section for more on the DC internet voting pilot hack

GA: Election law change approved by feds (early voting on touchscreens)
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/headlines/Election_law_change
_approved_by_feds_104546754.html http://tinyurl.com/23zo3vw
Electronic voting, as well as paper absentee ballots, must be provided for at least 45 days before elections starting next year.

Guam: BREAKING NEWS: Justice Department Sues Guam Election Commission: Overseas Citizens Must Have Right To Vote! http://guamnewswatch.com/201010063240/Local-News/Justice-Department-Sues-Guam-Election-Commission-Overseas-Citizens-Must-Have-Right-To-Vote.html The Department of Justice filed their complaint today in the U.S. District Court of Guam following news that the Guam Election Commission had failed to deliver timely ballots to overseas service members and citizens who are registered to vote on island.

Guam: Justice Department Announces Lawsuit to Protect Rights of Military and Overseas Voters in Guam http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/October/10-crt-1122.html

IL: Cahokia voter fraud plea deal
http://www.ksdk.com/news/regional/story.aspx?storyid=219627&catid=16
Wiggins pleaded guilty to 43 counts of voter fraud, but 39 of those counts were dismissed. Brown, 27, who worked in the Cahokia Streets Department, originally received 22 counts of voter fraud but 19 of them were dismissed. Wiggins, 44, is married to the village clerk.

The Voting News Daily: Internet voting faces the music. SC voting machine bugs. Ireland trashes EVMs

About the DC Internet vote hack, Dr. David Jefferson says “Let there be no mistake about it: this is a major achievement, and supports in every detail the warnings that security community have been giving about Internet voting for over a decade now.”..The U. of Michigan team changed cast ballots to write-ins like HAL 900 of “2001: A Space Odyssey” …MAJOR writeup about SC’s voting machines, computer scientist says machines would get an ‘F’..Election expert testifies at trial on Shelby Co TN election irregularities..Ireland scraps EVMs, tired of paying storage fees…

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

CA: “SURGE IN EARLY VOTING UPENDS ELECTION PLAYBOOKS”
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/017254.html

CA: County’s mail ballot will need 61¢ postage
http://www.modbee.com/2010/10/06/1370533/countys-mail-ballot-will-need.html
Sacramento County’s registrar of voters is warning that extra postage is required to return vote-by-mail ballots.

CT: Ann Coulter to Face Vote on Voter Fraud Charges in CT by State Elections Enforcement Commission http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8110
“This case is scheduled to appear on the October 14, 2010 public session. We expect the Commission will vote on this matter at that time.”

KS: Should the state require you to show ID?
http://www.kansas.com/2010/10/05/1527367/should-the-state-require-you-to.html

MD: Early votes to be tallied earlier
http://www.somdnews.com/stories/10062010/indytop172101_32402.shtml
Early-voting totals must be processed and submitted two hours before polls close on general election night, according to an emergency regulation the state elections board approved last week.

MI: APPEALS COURT TO HEAR BARROW SUIT TO REMOVE BING NOV. 2
Former candidate seeks Bing’s immediate removal due to massive irregulaties in vote
http://voiceofdetroit.net/?p=923 “This law suit is not sour grapes or a refusal to accept an election loss, rather it’s about 59,135 of 114,718 ballots which the public does not know were un-recountable and irregular….”

ND: Benson County won’t have polling site on reservation
http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/543535.html?nav=5010
MINNEWAUKAN The Spirit Lake Reservation will be the only reservation in North Dakota without an on-reservation polling site this election.

NJ: HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE CAN STILL VOTE
http://www.nbc40.net/news/14916/

NY: Voter was right to be skeptical
http://registerstar.com/articles/2010/10/05/opinion/letters/doc4caa73ff
66e3e840177490.txt http://tinyurl.com/2vgnvwa By Virginia Martin, Democratic Commissioner of Elections. I and my counterpart, (Republican) Commissioner Nastke, believe that the only way we can be confident that we’ll know how the voters voted — which we must know before we can certify the results — is by counting every single vote on every single paper ballot that was scanned. Therefore, while what the scanner might show the voter on its screen might be interesting, no voter should be reassured by what that screen reveals, because it could be wrong.

NY: Libertarian Party, and Anti-Prohibition Party, Sue New York Over Refusal to Print Nominees’ Name Twice on Ballot http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/10/06/libertarian-party-and-anti-prohibition-party-sue-new-york-over-refusal-to-print-nominees-name-twice-on-ballot/

NV: RNC mails 200,000 absentee ballot request forms to wrong county, has to do
robocall to inform voters* http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/ralstons-flash/2010/oct/06/rnc-mails-200000-absentee-ballot-request-forms-wro/ The Republican National Committee recently mailed an estimated 200,000 absentee ballot request forms into Clark County – but a warning on the form instructs people who have never voted in “Washoe County” that they can only use the mail ballot under strict circumstances. (form and flyer posted)

OH: Morgan County suit seeks money to pay for election
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/10/05/copy/suit-seeks-money-to-pay-for-election.html

The Voting News Daily: India to get paper trail? DC Internet Voting Pwned – update. NY voter feedback poll

D.C.’s internet “Voting System Pwned by Michigan Wolverines” in public test. Great. What would experts find if allowed to “test” W.VA.’s military/internet voting system, or other states’ email balloting?..The NY State Board of Elections is conducting a voter feedback poll. So is the New York Daily news..Trial against Shelby Co TN Elections Commission starts Wednesday..Voting by mail? Check the postage!…Will The World’s Largest Democracy beat the U.S. to full VVPR?…

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

Also see voting news on the web, use our search box or sign up for email at http://votingnews.blogspot.com Thanks!

AZ: Voter registration goes too far for some
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=13261134
Bils pointed out that Arizona law requires name, address, birth date, a “yes” answer to citizenship, and the number a driver license or state ID, or last four digits of the Social Security number.

“They should put it someplace telling you what items are mandatory and what items are really optional which is the majority of the document,” Bils said.

CA: THE SMOKING TOILET
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/017242.html LA City Councilman Richard Alarcon has been indicted on charges that he didn’t really live in the home that allowed him to represent his district According to this report, the evidence against him includes utility bills showing that the home was only using 8.2 gallons of water

CA: Some Vote-by-Mail Ballots Delayed, More Pricey
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2010/10/04/some-vote-by-mail-ballots-delayed,-more-pricey Some voters in the Sacramento region may have to wait an extra week to receive their vote-by-mail ballots. And some will have to put extra postage on their ballots to make sure they’re delivered when they send them back.

CA: County Cuts Dozens of Polling Location Sites
http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story/County-Cuts-Dozens-of-Polling-Location-Sites/Qcq1BVI2ukSLdcznNb4UtA.cspx

IN: Election offices unaware of mobile registration site (for mobile phone)
http://www.wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=13264449

KS: Clerical error leads to voter registration mixup between Barton, Douglas counties
Woman had been listed in wrong county for 2 years
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/oct/01/clerical-error-leads-voter-registration-mixup-betw/

NC: Key election dates ahead
http://www.wdnweb.com/articles/2010/10/05/news/doc4caa4f729f818142119334.txt
Wynn’s replacement will be selected by means of an “instant runoff,” which lets voters rank their preferred candidates in three columns — first, second, third.

NY: Board of Elections conducts voter-feedback poll to learn about ‘complications’
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/10/05/2010-10-05_you_like_us_dont_you_board_of_elex_conducts_voterfeedback_poll.html
The city Board of Elections thinks it did a great job running last month’s problem-scarred primary election – so it’s paying for a poll to prove it. (NY Daily News has poll up too)

NY: Why Some Polling Places Were Tardy on Primary Day
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/why-johnny-couldnt-vote-on-primary-day/

NY: Late poll openings, paper jams mar New York City primary
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700070966/Late-poll-openings-paper-jams-mar-New-York-City-primary.html About 6 percent of New York City’s polling sites did not open on time for last month’s primary election and thousands of poll workers had not been trained to operate new voting machines that debuted that day, the city’s Board of Elections acknowledged Monday

TN: Trial Against Elections Commission Starts Wednesday (video also available)
Had intended to start Monday, but both sides fought over information not being released http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-court-election-democrat-challenges,0,7924646.story Attorneys for the Shelby County Elections Commission and Democratic candidates and others have fought hard since August 5th. This day wasn’t going to be any different.

The Voting News Daily: DC Internet Vote Test Oddities. Shelby TN: ‘Was this any way to hold an election?’

DC Internet voting trial suspended on Oct 1 citing “usability issues”. Oddly the Univ of Michigan fight song played in voter’s browser after vote cast. This may be the tip of the iceberg..Shelby County Election-“Was this any way to hold an election?”..Interest Group Spending Is Up and Anonymous..Make sure your vote counts; cast it in the right place..USENIX: “Security blunders dumber than dog snot.”…A Canadian soldier in Afghanistan will pay $241.21 to mail absentee ballot home, US troops have free express mail ballot return…

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

Do you like voting news? Then tell a friend we’re on the internet at http://votingnews.blogspot.com

AZ: Make sure your vote counts; cast it in the right place
http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_df63170c-2d3e-5d1a-a9ad-4a8408330914.html Attention voters: Late this month you will receive a postcard in the mail from the Pima County Elections Department. You’ll probably be tired of mail from politicians by then, but do not toss this card. It is not junk. It lists the name and address of your polling place.
If you vote at the wrong place, you risk having your ballot invalidated. That’s what happened to 3,230 Pima County electors in 2008, according to a new report…

CA: Vote-by-mail ballots headed to California voters
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16234857?nclick_check=1
Voters have until 8 on election night to turn in ballots at their polling places.

CA: Fresno County cuts polling sites in half
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/10/03/2103656/fresno-county-cuts-polling-sites.html
Fresno County’s budget crisis is bringing an ugly new reality to next month’s election — a massive cutback in the number of voting precincts

CO: The politics of election quality
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20101004/LETTER/101009943/1020&ParentProfile=1061
Starting with cordial private meetings and advisory e-mails we have gradually and patiently escalated our criticisms to appropriate authorities. As if to punish us, citizens with no power have been tarred and feathered with unwarranted blame and denigration.

CO: Colorado Republican Party May Lose Status as a Qualified Major Party
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/10/04/colorado-republican-party-may-lose-status-as-a-qualified-major-party/

IL: Can Rahm Emanuel Run for Mayor of Chicago?
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2010/10/04/can-rahm-emanuel-run-for-mayor-of-chicago/

NJ: Jury selection in voter fraud trial of former Atlantic City councilman Marty Small begins http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/jury_selection_in_voter_fraud.html

NM: RECLAIMING Their VOICE: The Native American Vote in New Mexico
http://www.concentric.org/reclaiming/ Native Americans living on reservations were the last ethnic minority to have been granted the right to vote in the United States.

PA: Right call on the Black Panthers (Editorial)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/03/AR2010100303620.html
Far from acting recklessly, the Justice Department did what every law enforcement entity is ethically obligated to do: press only those charges that are supported by evidence.

SC: Scary Video: Who Builds South Carolina’s Electronic Voting Machines?
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheGoodFight/archives/2010/10/03/scary-video-who-builds-south-carolinas-electronic-voting-machines
“The Trouble With Touchscreens”

TN: The Gang(s) That Couldn’t Shoot Straight* (Shelby County Election)
Wild charges and careless accounting: Was this any way to hold an election?
http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/the-gangs-that-couldnt-shoot-straight/Content?oid=2320888 What else might have gone wrong besides the glitch with early-voting data on Election Day? A good deal, say the litigants, their supporters in the Democratic Party and elsewhere, and, notably, Black Box Voting consultants Bev Harris and Susan Pynchon, residents of Washington state and Florida, respectively, who have served as the principal investigators for the plaintiffs.

The Voting News Daily: A Citizen’s Audit of S.Carolina’s Voting System. Is there ‘a ghost in the machine?’

The results of Frank Heindel’s FOIA: “Citizen’s Audit of South Carolina’s Voting System October 2010″…The Aspen Times has one of best articles I’ve ever seen on e-voting issues in “Unlocking IRV in Aspen”…Florida Case Puts Focus on Issue of Absentee Ballot Fraud…Hawaii’s eGov website listed wrong date for Nov General Election…2nd-tier parties sue New York State Election Board…Reminder-Monday is last day for half the states to register, visit Rock the Vote for help..India EVMs-“Is there a ghost in the machine?”..

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

The Voting News Daily: D.C. halts test of internet voting pilot. Shelby Co TN election trial starts Monday

The District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics has suspended the public examination of DC’s internet voting pilot…NY Senate Elections Committee held a hearing on the recent primary. Lawrence Norden with Brennan Ctr for Justice makes recommendations…Judge won’t dismiss lawsuit against Shelby County TN Election Commission – “You might want to start preparing for yet another election, Shelby County.”..India police want to question 3rd person over voting machine “theft”…

All this and more in todays voting news below…

CA: OC Registrar of Voters Prepares Vote-by-Mail Ballots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur4nHvhXuxY (Youtube video of process)

CA: Ranked Choice Voting Opponents Appealing Dismissal Of Case
http://sfappeal.com/news/2010/09/ranked-choice-voting-opponents-appealing-dismissal-of-case.php

DC: Public Examination Period Suspended (internet voting for overseas/military)
http://www.dcboee.us/dvm/ “Due to usability issues brought to our attention, we have temporarily suspended the public examination test. Thank you for your intereste and participation in improving the functionality of this pilot project.”

GA: A troubling side to early voting
http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia_elections_news/2010/09/29/a-troubling-side-to-early-voting-which-by-the-way-ends-monday/?cxntfid=blogs_georgia_elections_news

GUAM: Overseas Vote Foundation New FY budget start enabled Guam Elec Comm to buy stamps and send overseas absentee ballots http://ow.ly/2MPoA

MA: Town clerks say red and blue ballots confuse voters
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100930town_clerks_
say_red_and_blue_ballots_confuse_voters/ http://tinyurl.com/2eakgzh
Statewide, the top of Democratic primary ballots are red and the Republican primary ballots are blue. This has been the norm for 50 years, said Brian McNiff, spokesman for the secretary of state, who oversees Massachusetts elections.

ME: Clerk faces fine – Ross pleads ‘no contest’ to ballot mishandling charge
http://www.timesrecord.com/articles/2010/09/30/news/doc4ca4c0bee0c87875860437.txt
The Maine Attorney General’s Office filed a complaint in West Bath District Court on March 31 alleging that on or about Feb. 2, Ross “in her capacity as town clerk in processing absentee ballots in the town of Bowdoinham election for selectman, did unfold one or more absentee ballots at the time she removed the ballots from the absentee ballot envelopes,” in violation of Maine law regarding …

MS: Clerks seek to stop write-in only election
http://www.sunherald.com/2010/09/27/2507662/clerks-seek-to-stop-write-in-only.html
The Laurel Leader-Call reports the lawsuit was filed last week in Jasper County Circuit Court.
The only person who signed up to run for the 13th District was incumbent Judge Robert G. Evans who died of cancer in July, after the candidates’ qualifying deadline..

NH: READER OPINION: Make sure vote counts, by Deborah Sumner
http://sentinelsource.com/articles/2010/10/01/opinion/letters_editor/free/id_413526.txt

NY: Testimony of Lawrence Norden before the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Elections http://www.brennancenter.org/blog/archives/testimony_of_lawrence_norden_
before_the_new_york_state_senate_standing/ http://tinyurl.com/27dct7r

NY: REPORT FROM THE SENATE HEARINGS ON THE NYS PRIMARY
http://www.bolipari.com/boblog/2010/10/report-from-the-senate-hearings-on-the-nys-primary/
On September 29th Senator Joseph Addabbo, chair of the Senate Elections Committee held a hearing on the recent New York State primary when new paper ballot and optical scan systems were used statewide for the first time. The hearing focused on reported problems that occurred in New York City, the largest election jurisdiction in the country with almost 4.5 million registered voters.

OH: Secretary Brunner Issues Directive Regarding Voting Rights And Foreclosures; Refers Specific Cases Of Notary Abuse To Federal Prosecutors
http://www.progressohio.org/blog/2010/09/secretary-brunner-issues-directive-regarding-voting-rights-and-foreclosures-refers-specific-cases-of.html

TN: Judge won’t dismiss lawsuit against Shelby County Election Commission
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/oct/01/judge-wont-dismiss-lawsuit-against-shelby-county-e/ You might want to start preparing for yet another election, Shelby County.

The Voting News Daily: CNN analysis of US election accuracy. NY Primary vote problems update

ACLU faults Pima county AZ for invalidating 18% of 2008 provisional ballots..Candidate for California SOS has voted once in his life.. NYC Elections Chief Attacks Reports of Primary Day Chaos..Vote Centers for Ohio?..Dave Schechter, CNN Senior National Editor has a wide ranging analysis of today’s election systems and challenges… FVAP blogs on military vote updates…

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

AL: Some troops may not get ballots in time
http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/local_news/some-troops-may-not-get-ballots-in-time

AZ: ACLU faults county for invalidating ’08 ballots
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/article_acad50e1-f065-5b34-8068-f3850189c1f3.html
Pima County was the worst offender in disenfranchising voters in 2008, according to a new report by the American Civil Liberties Union, which determined the county invalidated 18 percent of provisional ballots because voters went to the wrong polling place.
…
The organization’s study, which covered Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai and Coconino counties in the 2008 election, found that of about 131,500 provisional ballots, almost 40,000 ended up invalidated, for reasons as varied as the person didn’t have the right identification or was ineligible to vote.

CA: Challenger who rarely voted seeks California elections post
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16215223?nclick_check=1
Damon Dunn wants to lead the office that oversees elections and voting systems in the nation’s most populous state — a rather large leap for someone who never voted until last year’s statewide special election.

CO: Campaign finance complaint filed against Colo. Secretary of State
http://www.kdvr.com/news/sns-ap-co–colorado-bueschercomplaint,0,3108272.story
A Denver attorney has filed a complaint against Secretary of State Bernie Buescher claiming Buescher violated state law by using state workers to coordinate his campaign for re-election

CT: Lose home but not right to vote
http://www.newbritainherald.com/articles/2010/09/29/life/doc4ca 34f2aeab84763696821.txt http://tinyurl.com/27qxx4q HARTFORD – Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz sought today to reassure Connecticut foreclosure victims that they will not be denied the right to vote.

DE: Delaware Supreme Court Will Hear Fusion Lawsuit Filed by Libertarians, After Election http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/09/30/delaware-supreme-court-will-hear-fusion-lawsuit-filed-by-libertarians-after-election/

FL: Court halts penalties for Fla. election violations
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/30/1850152/court-halts-penalties-for-fla.html
Florida election law violators can avoid civil penalties by simply opting for a hearing before an administrative law judge owing to a glitch in legislation passed three years ago, an appeal court ruled Thursday.

FL: Election talk on fantasy Lane (comedy video about Sarasota FL saga)
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7233883/

IA: Churches to host early voting during Sunday worship
http://www.amestrib.com/articles/2010/09/29/ames_tribune/news/doc4ca3
7f68a5950099539305.txt http://tinyurl.com/2bc4xs8

IL: County election board hears case*
Candidate’s husband says his wife’s name off ballot; lack of training cited
http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/2755118,elections0929.article
County Elections Board Attorney Jim Wieser explained that there were four machines sent to the Boys & Girls Club, two for each precinct. However, the two reportedly programmed for EC-31 weren’t out when the day’s first voters arrived, but within a short time, a mechanic found the machines and set them up.

IN: Election board meets about clerical mistake; clerk doing mailing to possible affected absentee voters* http://gcdailyworld.com/story/1668630.html Nearly 200 Greene County registered voters may have received duplicate absentee ballot cards in the mail during the past two weeks

MS: Local voter fraud case ends
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Local-voter-fraud-case-ends/2PP_KOgYnUarUCfB8qLxcw.cspx
A long-running voter fraud case has come to an end in Benton County.

The Voting News Daily: Brennan Ctr to vote vendors- report malfunctions. SC cnty stalls election FOIAs

California’s new law SB1404 requires vote vendors to report problems…Bo Lipari’s testimony on NY primary…Brennan Ctr letter asks vendors to self report probs…South Carolina Straight ticket warning..Charleston Co SC election office drags feet on FOIAS..Mary Mancini’s “The Worst Legislation in Tennessee!”..Fox says 7 states violating the MOVE act, may disenfranchise overseas & military voters. But FVAP Director says “To date, all states have complied with their waiver requirements.”..Violence & Fraud in 2010 Afghanistan Elections..

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

AR: Ballot fixed after voter spots error*
http://arkansasleader.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-story-ballot-fixed-after-voter.html
The 80 Jacksonville residents who mistakenly received absentee ballots without all four aldermanic races have been sent supplemental ballots, according to Melinda Allen, Pulaski County election director

CA: Governor signed SB 1404 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Santa Monica) – Elections: ballot cards and voting systems. http://www.gov.ca.gov/press-release/16072/
The Bill here http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/sen/sb_1401-1450/sb_1404_bill_20100927_chaptered.html

CT: A Tale In Three Ballots
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/a-tale-in-three-ballots/
Luther Weeks compares CT, MN & NY ballots and issue of ballot design

DC: Experts Warn Against D.C.’s Planned, Insane Internet Voting Scheme
As if U.S. elections aren’t disastrous enough as is…
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8097

IN: General election ballots are incorrect ($ to subscribe/read full article)
http://www.carrollcountycomet.com/news/2010-09-29/Front_Page/General_election_ballots_are_incorrect.html
The Carroll County Election Board… a special meeting was scheduled for Thursday to discuss a problem that was also an issue in the May primary election. It was discovered that ballots are incorrect as printed.

NC: Hand count may be needed for some NC ballots
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/8373469/
The State Board of Elections finalized details Wednesday on the method used to identify the Court of Appeals race winner being decided through instant runoff voting.

The board decided workers in 24 counties with electronic machines will have to read the register tape generated by each electronic vote should second and third choices be counted. Optical scan ballots used elsewhere will be run through their usual tabulation machines. (editor note-optical scan tally will not be usual)

NY: TESTIMONY ON THE PRIMARY TO THE SENATE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
http://www.bolipari.com/boblog/2010/09/testimony-on-the-primary-to-the-senate-elections-committee/ By far the largest number of problem reports were administrative and legislative issues. These reports broke down into a few main categories – Privacy Issues; Poll Worker Training; Late Poll Openings; Machine Problems; and Hard to read Ballots.

OR: Oregon voters can register on state website
http://www.kcby.com/news/local/103955764.html

OR: Cutting off voters for no good reason (opinion)
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/09/cutting_off_voters_for_no_good.html

SC: More Emails, More Foot-Dragging from Election Officials
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheGoodFight/archives/2010/09/29/more-emails-more-foot-dragging-from-election-officials Addendum to my Sept. 29 City Paper column on problems with Charleston County voting machines:

SC: Marilyn Bowers’ Letter of Resignation from Board of Elections
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheGoodFight/archives/2010/09/29/marilyn-bowers-letter-of-resignation-from-board-of-elections (Charleston County)

SC: ‘Straight ticket’ voting could cause problems in November elections
http://www2.scnow.com/news/2010/sep/29/straight-ticket-voting-could-cause-problems-novemb-ar-895519/ Voters who use electronic voting equipment have the option to select only candidates from one political party by choosing a “select all” option. However, if voters do so, they must make sure to view non-partisan ballot items, such as questions or local races where a political party affiliation is not required.

TN: “The Worst Legislation in Tennessee!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KoQShuQQYQ Mary Mancini on the bill that gutted and delayed the “Tennessee Voter Confidence Act.”

The Voting News Daily: Travis TX judge nixes paper ballots. Philippine source code disclosure ordered

DoD Announces Absentee Voting Week..The Persistence of Partisan Election Administration..Shelby County TN expands whistleblower law, but leaves out reference to elections..Overseas Vote Foundation AK, MI, VI overseas voters: Want to #vote in Nov.? Oct. 3 is your Registration deadline…Court orders Philippine Elections Commission to Disclose source code used in May elections…

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

AL: Federal judge keeps Voting Rights Act challenge moving
http://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/2010/09/27/federal-judge-keeps-voting-rights-act-challenge-moving/ A federal district court judge ruled Sept. 10 the federal government must move quickly in contesting Shelby County’s challenge against the constitutionality of sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

CA: Obstacles challenge election reform bid (City of Los Angeles)
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_16181638
Several council colleagues have already voiced qualms about some of the proposals.
They are particularly concerned about the instant runoff process – in which voters rank candidates in a weighted system instead of holding separate primary and general elections – fearing the top-spending candidate would get the most attention.

CO: Mixed prognosis
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100928/LETTER/100929848/
1020&parentprofile=1061 http://tinyurl.com/2467d5s
“Why spend so much energy on election integrity issues?” “Why not focus on something popular then run for office?” After all, it’s “not nice” to raise these issues so very publicly.

Until fair and transparent elections can be restored in Aspen, I believe that we are stuck with the status quo. Without major reform, running for office merely adds unearned legitimacy to an illegitimate process.

FL: Lawyer: Voter Fraud Accusations Against Client Unfounded
http://www.wesh.com/news/25198192/detail.html (video available)
Daytona Beach City Commissioner Under Investigation
…The supervisor of elections said that before the primary, she got a request for dozens of absentee ballots from an e-mail address traced to Henry.
The request included names and addresses for each voter.
Damore said his client didn’t realize the requests were against the law and that the form doesn’t make that fact clear.

IL: The Hotsheet of the Illinois Ballot Integrity Project
http://ballot-integrity.org/hotsheet

IN: Parker: I’m convinced White committed voter fraud (with video)
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/politics/parker-i-am-convinced-white-committed-voter-fraud
The current Secretary of State, Todd Rokita, has made voter fraud prevention a priority and Dan Parker thinks he should get to the bottom of it.

IN: Hoosiers can use cell phones to register to vote this year for the first time
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/67f027f7466045ca92815eae1b14e179/IN–Mobile-Voter_Registration/ Residents have to have a valid Indiana driver’s license or state-issued ID to use either registration service.

MA: Committee will make recommendation on electronic voting machines for Hampden
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/committee_
will_make_recommenda.html http://tinyurl.com/28ec4k5 At a selectmen’s meeting on Monday James Gillen, former city editor of The Republican, echoed the sentiments of Selectman Vincent Villamaino that the town follows an antiquated process in counting the votes by hand.
…
Wiseman said the only complaints she has ever received about Hampden’s late results have come from the media.

MD: Guardsman, D.C. group sue Md. elections board
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/2010/09/guardsman
_dc_group_sue_md_elec.html http://tinyurl.com/2cb2cqx Ross Goldstein, deputy director of the elections board, declined to comment directly on the lawsuit. But he said the Justice Department and military authorities signed off on the office’s plan to send out ballots for congressional offices quickly after the primaries.

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…

Like voting news? Please tell a friend..
Read online at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
You can share with your Facebook friends, see http://www.facebook.com/VotingNews
and at Twitter http://twitter.com/VotingNews

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.