The Voting News Daily: Attention Tennessee Election Officials, NC implemented ballot law in less than 8 months

TN officials could implement the paper ballot law in plenty of time if they were anywhere as competent or organized as officials in North Carolina. NC passed a paper ballot law in August 2005 and was ready for early voting beginning in April 2006. And this even includes the time I went to court against Diebold.

Here is the timeline:North Carolina Voting System Implementation and Timeline
August 26, 2005 NC’s Public Confidence in Elections signed into law http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2005/Bills/Senate/HTML/S223v7.html

September 26, 2005 NC State Board of Elections invites comments on request for proposal (RFP)process
http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/hava/voting_equ_memo.pdf

September 30, 2005 NC Verified Voting comments on RFP http://www.verifiedvoting.org/downloads/NC-RFP%20comments.pdf

October 11, 2005 NC State Board of Elections issues RFP, bids to be opened November 4, 2005
http://www.cs.duke.edu/~justin/voting/upload/Voting_Systems_RFP.pdf

Three addenda to the above RFP:
one, http://www.cs.duke.edu/~justin/voting/upload/04454101.pdf
two, http://www.cs.duke.edu/~justin/voting/upload/04454102.pdf
three, http://www.cs.duke.edu/~justin/voting/upload/04454103.pdf

December 1, 2005 the NC State Board of Elections certified Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia(conditionally).
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1895791,00.asp

December 22, 2005. Diebold withdraws as N.C. voting equipment vendor citing that itwasn’t able to meet the software code requirements.
http://www.ncvoter.net/dieboldnews.html

January 26, 2006. The NC Information Technology Services, the Attorney General and State Board Staff finalized an agreement with Election Systems & Software (ES&S).

The State Board of Elections also said it would do “acceptance testing” at a centrallocation before the counties received their equipment. (Counties would still beresponsible to test machines once received).“To facilitate User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and provide quality assurance, StateBoard staff will assist ES&S as soon as confirmed orders are submitted and machinesare received at the central warehouse in Raleigh. The State Board of Elections willuse HAVA funds to pay for acceptance testing of the iVotronic, iVotronic ADA,M100 and AutoMark.

This procedure will more efficiently use available time, reduceout of the box error rates and result in an approximate cost savings of $2.4 million tothe county boards of elections. County boards of elections will be encouraged to bepresent for the UAT to monitor or assist as deemed appropriate.”
http://www.ncvoter.net/downloads/The_State_Board_Training_Seminar_Jan26_06.pdf

North Carolina Voting System Implementation and Timeline (page 2)
February 2, 2006. The NC State Board of Elections advises counties that they need to have their voting equipment ordered and received in time for one-stop voting which begins April 13, 2006 and for the primary election scheduled for May 2, 2006.
The SBOE also provides counties a “Grant Acceptance Agreement” and an additional $30,000 in funds if they finalize all orders by April 1, 2006.
http://www.ncvoter.net/downloads/The_State_Board_of_Elections_HAVA_grants_Feb_2_06.pdf

March 28, 2006 list of voting machine orders for NC Counties.
http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/voterweb/Orders%20for%202006%20Primary.htm

One-stop voting begins April 13, 2006.May 3, 2006 First Time Rollout of Voting Machine Successful, Few Problems
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/NEWSREC0101/60503019/-1/NEWSRECRSSARKIVE

May 3, 2006 Turnout Mixed, New Equipment Worked Well
http://www.thepilot.com/news/050306voters.html

printable file of the above
http://www.ncvoter.net/downloads/NCVoting_Voting_System_Implementation_Timeline.pdf

The Voting News Daily: Tennessee paper ballot fight heats up, Indiana makes it harder to vote, lawsuit in WA over secret ballot

Tennessee fight brouhau gets wild with one county threatening a lawsuit, state’s GOP chair asks Democrats to recraft paper ballot law, and the SOS fights back using state rep’s own words, Indiana setsnew Drivers license requirements that will make it even harder to vote there. New York will not have undervote notification on machines. A federal judge ruled that Irving, TX’ system of electing City Council members at-large violates the Federal Voting Rights Act. This would make PR (proportional representation) illegal there. A lawsuit was filed in Washington’s superior court over violation of ballot secrecy there.

IN. July 15, 2009 Driver’s license rule draws critics: Democrats, AARP fear ID verification burdensome – Fort Wayne Journal Gazette [Ind.]
INDIANAPOLIS – A move to make Indiana driver’s licenses and IDs more secure will have an effect on more than driving:
It delays a legislative shift toward online renewals and complicates Indiana’s strict voter ID law.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20090715/LOCAL/307159994/-1/VID

NY. July 15, 2009 Most New York Voters Lose Undervote Notification. Howard Stanislevic
The NY State Board of Elections met today and unanimously adopted an emergency regulation to turn off undervote notification on all tabulating ballot scanners. The undervote notification on accessible Ballot Marking Devices will not be affected.
http://e-voter.blogspot.com/2009/07/ballot-counting-scanner-undervote.html

TN. July 14th, 2009 Sullivan eyes lawsuit to delay paper ballot rules.
BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County election officials are considering filing a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee to delay a state requirement for optical scan paper ballot voting by November 2010.
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9015243

TN. July 14, 2005. Davaney Asks Democrats Work To Recraft Voter Confidence Act
Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Davaney said Democrats should work to recraft the Voter Confidence Act.
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_154862.asp

TN. July 15, 2009 Secretary of State’s Office Fires Back at Democrats Over Voting Machine Dispute
“…They say Odom contradicts what he said on the House floor just last month.”
http://wdef.com/news/secretary_of_states_office_fires_back_at_democrats_over_voting_machine_dispute/07/2009

TX July 15, 2009 Federal judge orders Irving to adopt single-member districts for city council.
A federal judge has ruled that Irving’s system of electing City Council members at-large violates the Federal Voting Rights Act and ordered that the city not conduct any more council elections until a single-member district system is implemented.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/071609dnmetirvingcouncil.43908e5d.html

WA.Jul 14, 2009 Lawsuit to Protect Secret Ballot in WA Filed Today in Supreme Court (video available)
A lawsuit filed today in the state Supreme Court against Washington Secretary of State, White v Reed, claims that one million voters in Washington are deprived of the Constitutional right to a secret ballot.
http://www.washblog.com/story/2009/7/14/16104/8884

National. 7/15/2009 New York Times Fails to Correct Election Bill Endorsement; But Rep. Holt Does So…Sort of
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7303

National. 7/15/2009 A Senate panel approved legislation Wednesday designed to ensure that the votes of U.S. troops and other Americans living overseas are counted in upcoming elections. …. (S 1415) by voice vote in response to evidence that military and other overseas voters are being routinely disenfranchised by rules that too strictly limit their ability to cast absentee ballots…. “If the Department of Defense can get tanks, high-tech equipment and food to the front line of combat, we can figure out a way to deliver an election ballot as well,” Schumer said.

The Voting News Daily: Tennessee SOS in media storm, Calls for paper in India, Iran unrest

I’ve cobbled together some news for you today. I’ll think about whether to continue this. I don’t know if some of you see this, but I like to open with a picture first. Email me at joyce (at) ncvoter.net

The cost of freedom is very high in Iran.

 

Supporters of Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi march through Valiasr Street during riots in Tehran on June 13. Iran has arrested seven members of the main opposition group over the post-election unrest that swept the Islamic republic in June, the official IRNA news agency reported.
(AFP/File/Behrouz Mehri)

NEWS: Tennessee is in the news. The Gov of Tennessee is ignorant about the controversy swirling around the SOS efforts to delay paper ballot implementation, and also has fielded questions about the propriety of the Secretary of State sending field agents to the farm of an e-voting activist. The media storm is growing in severity due to pressure exerted by voting activist leader Bernie Ellis and fellow Tennessee activists on the ground. GA residents challenge evoting at State Supreme Court. NY voters test out Dominion machines. These machines were abysmal when used in Scotland in 2007. Calls for bringing back paper ballots in India. Iran – another report on stats indicating fraud and need for more investigation.

AK Yup’ik voters drop suit against city of Bethel
Jul 14, 2009 – Thanks to a court agreement requiring Yup’ik interpreters and other assistance at the polls, Yup’ik speaking voters have dropped their lawsuit against the city of Bethel, according to city clerk Lori Strickler. Alex Demarban, The Dutch Harbor Fisherman. Read More
http://www.thedutchharborfisherman.com/news/story/6603

GA Ga. residents challenge voting machines
July 13th 2009 – Electronic voting machines in Hall County Elections Office. (file photo) ATLANTA – Upset residents are launching the stiffest challenge yet to Georgia’s touch-screen electronic voting system, arguing that there’s no way to ensure ballots cast are recorded and tabulated correctly.
http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=221766

MO. PRESS RELEASE: New Case Study Documents Successful Turnaround of Missouri’s Public Agency Registration Program – Project Vote
…Project Vote and a coalition of voting rights groups filed lawsuits in Indiana and New Mexico, to compel public assistance agencies in those states to provide their clients with the opportunity to register to vote. Today, Project Vote is releasing a new report,Registering Low-Income Voters through Public Assistance Agencies in Missouri, which shows just how well this program can work.

PA. Gov Rendell signs bill affecting voting machine standards. Senate Bill 33 .. it bars the Secretary of the Commonwealth from approving a voting machine that does not comply with Section 301 of the Help America Vote Act
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-14-2009/0005059972&EDATE=

TN Election commissioners admit violation of sunshine law
Jul 14, 2009 – An attorney defending commissioners serving on the Cumberland County Election Commission admitted the group violated the state’s Open Meetings Act (Sunshine Law) in naming Sharon York as administrator of elections. Gary Nelson, Crossville Chronicle. Read More
http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/local/local_story_194174023.html

TN Democrats Continue to Pressure Secretary of State Over 2010 Voting Machines
July 14, 2009 – Last week, Tennessee democrats called for the ouster of Secretary of State, Tre Hargett.

Verified Voting Blog: Internet Voting – Not as Easy as You Think

Recently the Huffington Post published an article about Hawaii's recent Internet and phone-based elections ("America's Newest State Holds America's Newest Election"). The article presents an optimistic and patriotic view of the Everyone Counts (E1C) election system that allows voters to cast their ballots from their home computers or over the phone. It was written by E1C executive Aaron Contorer and is effectively a marketing piece for E1C that exaggerates the scope of the election, overlooks or insults other election methods, and glosses over the formidable technical challenges and dangers posed by the electronic submission of voted ballots.

The election in Honolulu was for neighborhood board members, and thus was not covered by Hawaii's public election laws. That matters because Hawaii's election laws, fortunately, require a voter-verified paper ballot and a post-election hand audit of a percentage of these ballots. Since such verification and audits are impossible with a purely Internet-based voting system, there is no legal way to use the E1C system under current Hawaii state law. Nevertheless, because this small election is being used to promote Internet voting generally, and because Internet voting schemes are being proposed across the United States, the issue demands thorough discussion. In response to multiple efforts to allow voting over the Internet in major elections, many of our nation's prominent technology experts have signed a statement cautioning against adopting Internet-based voting systems without first understanding and guarding against the numerous and well-documented dangers. This is not because, as Mr. Contorer suggests, those opposing Internet voting find "[t]he introduction of technology to any process ... scary". The signatories to this statement are not at all intimidated by technology; in fact many are established experts in voting systems who are most certainly aware of the major risks associated with Internet voting.

Michigan judge allows ‘Cyber Ninjas’ to refute report on election errors in lingering lawsuit | Gus Burns/mlive.com

A Michigan judge on Monday said he’ll allow a dozen tech and election experts, including the Florida firm Cyber Ninjas and others who alleged election fraud following the November presidential election, to refute a secretary of state election report that determined mistakes in Michigan voting results were caused by human error and didn’t signal vulnerability or tampering with election machines. Cyber Ninjas is the name of a Florida-based consulting firm owned by Doug Logan, who’s expressed support for election fraud “Stop the Steal” conspiracy theories on social media. The company was recently hired by the Republican-majority Arizona Legislature to conduct an audit of election results in Maricopa County. That audit began last week. Now the Cyber Ninjas, as well as other experts put forth by the plaintiff in an ongoing election fraud lawsuit, are likely going to weigh in on challenges to results in Michigan’s Antrim County. Many of the experts have been involved in other election challenges across the nation, sometimes espousing debunked data in support of their election fraud claims. Proposed experts include: Retires Col. James P. Waldron, a cyber security expert who during post-election hearings before Michigan lawmakers cited incorrect reports that indicated 100% or more eligible voter turnout in some Michigan precincts; Russell James Ramsland Jr., a cybersecurity analyst and former Republican congressional candidate who produced the erroneous voter turnout report after apparently confusing Minnesota cities as locations in Michigan; and Seth Keshel, a former Army intelligence officer who has alleged numerical voting anomalies that would suggest fraud.

Full Article: ‘Cyber Ninjas’ to refute Michigan report on election errors in lingering lawsuit - mlive.com

New Hampshire: Pilot ballot counting machines move forward in certification process | Jeongyoon Han/New Hampshire Public Radio

New audit reports from the Secretary of State show that ballot machines piloted in this year’s spring municipal elections counted votes accurately, moving all of the vendors forward in the process to certify new machines in time for elections in 2024. At a Ballot Law Commission meeting Wednesday, Eric Forcier, the Secretary of State’s constitutional deputy, said all the ballot counting devices used in the March elections had minor errors — but all within what are typical margins. “I think all the vendors are excited to show New Hampshire all the great things that the machines can do if we're willing to take her along,” he said. Four vendors are vying to gain certification from the Commission, which approves voting machines for elections in New Hampshire. The state wants to replace the current machines produced by AccuVote. Brad Cook, the chair of the Commission, said he hopes the group will select two machines at most. From there, municipalities would be able to decide which machines to purchase and use for their local races. Milford, Ashland, Winchester and Londonderry piloted ballot machines produced by three different companies: Election Systems & Software (ES&S), Clear Ballot and Dominion Voting Systems. The machines will continue to be piloted in future elections. May elections in Moultonborough and Hanover will test VotingWorks and ES&S machines, respectively. Full Article: Pilot ballot counting machines move forward in NH certification process | New Hampshire Public Radio

Opinion: The Greatest Threat to Our Elections Is No Longer Foreign | Senator Mark R. Warner/The New York Times

In the decade since President Vladimir Putin of Russia directed a sweeping campaign of hacking and social media messaging to try to tilt the 2016 presidential election toward his preferred candidate, the United States has rightly focused on shoring up our elections against foreign meddling. But I fear that foreign interference is no longer the most pressing danger to our elections. It is increasingly evident that the greatest threat now comes from inside our own government. For months, President Trump has made his intentions clear. He has called for the federal government to “take over” elections, impose national rules and override state authority. Now we are beginning to see how he may plan to do this. According to recent reporting in The Washington Post, allies of Mr. Trump’s working in coordination with people close to the White House have circulated a draft executive order that would declare a national emergency based on false claims of foreign interference in the 2020 election. That declaration would be used to unlock sweeping presidential powers over how Americans vote. Read Article