Congratulations to the Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections – the Florida Supreme Court upheld two amendments to Sarasota’s county charter, one requiring voting systems to have a voter verified paper ballot and the other requiring a manual audit….In New York – “Federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into how the city’s Board of Elections awarded a $50 million contract for electronic voting machines” following the indictment of a lobbyist for ES&S on another matter… internet voting continues to spread in municipal elections in Canada in spite of statements by computer technologists that it cannot be made secure at this time…..
All this and more in today’s voting news below…..
AZ: Accusations of ballot tampering, voter fraud *
http://www.wmicentral.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20408072&BRD=2264&PAG=461&dept_id=505965&rfi=6
A crowd of about 150 Whiteriver Apache Tribe members confronted Tribal council members Tuesday after 54 absentee ballots were reportedly found in the possession of a single individual at the Whiteriver Commercial Center parking lot the day before.
CA: Testimony from SoS hearing on the Future of Voting in California
Kim Alexander of CalVoter
http://bit.ly/8YCrJO
CA: PPIC study of open primaries in California
http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/?p=3109
CO: Colorado interrogatories to State Supreme Court on Citizens United
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/?p=7981
February 11, 2010 I’ve previously noted that Colorado is taking steps to address the impact of Citizens United on the state constitution.
Fla. justices uphold local election law
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/1475004.html
FL: Supreme Court issues ruling in elections case
http://bit.ly/b09EOq
February 11, 2010 Local governments have a right to make some of their own laws when it comes to conducting elections, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in connection with a Sarasota County case.
…
the court found that some of the provisions of the 2006 change to Sarasota County’s Charter directly conflicted with state law. In particular, the court found that the ballot question’s process for certifying elections was in conflict with state law and unconstitutional.
KS: Allegations against Kansas Secretary of State candidate, Kris Kobach
http://bit.ly/cSjg4y
A group out of Arizona claims Kansas Secretary of State candidate, Kris Kobach, has ties to anti-immigration and hate groups.
MT: Secretary of State cuts spending by 18 percent in a year
http://bit.ly/aXhMpa
Montana has received $17 million in HAVA funding, but has only $3 million in these funds remaining. That money is expected to be exhausted by 2012 unless Congress appropriates more money.
NY: Feds Suspect City May Have Been Bribed on Voting Machine Vote
http://gothamist.com/2010/02/11/city_bribed_on_voting_machine_vote.php
…The suspicion comes after the indictment of Anthony Mangone, a lawyer who allegedly bribed Sandy Annabl, a member of Yonkers city council, to change her vote on development projects. Mangone was hired as a lobbyist for ES&S, and was arrested on January 6th, the day after the BOE voted 6-1 on ES&S.
NY: Bronx GOP Chair, Elections Commissioners Subpoenaed »
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/02/bronx-gop-chair-elections-comm.html
Two Republican elections commissioners confirmed receiving subpoenas seeking information about the Jan. 5 vote that gave Election Systems and Software of Omaha a more than $50 million contract to replace the city’s lever voting machines with new, electronic models in time for the September primaries.
NY: Whiff of scandal hits vote gizmos
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/machine_politics_Twa2UNqLYO6kzDkTenkZ5K
February 11, 2010 Federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into how the city’s Board of Elections awarded a $50 million contract for electronic voting machines, The Post has learned.
NY: Arguments Heard In Albany
District 7 Case Now Before Court Of Appeals
http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/551011.html?nav=5018
February 11, 2010 ALBANY …the court’s decision on how to deal with two ballots which went unscanned could set election law precedence.
NY: Wind moratorium to continue in Bath
http://www.steubencourier.com/news/x2077693423/Wind-moratorium-to-continue-in-Bath
In other action, the board agreed informally to offer its old, lever-style voting machines to the village.
TN: Senator hopes to make voting easier for troops
http://bit.ly/cWRvmd
February 11, 2010 The biggest change will allow county election commissions to e-mail ballots to each member of the military and citizens temporarily outside the U.S. who are entitled to vote and have submitted an application for a ballot.
TX: Three Jim Wells County women charged with voter fraud *
http://www.caller.com/news/2010/feb/11/three-jim-wells-county-women-charged-with-voter/
Illegally possessing other people’s ballots is a misdemeanor offense
…About 2,300 mail-in ballots were sent and only 1,500 were returned. Many people who came in to vote were told they already had cast their ballots by mail, county officials said
WA: Electronic signatures needed for some voters *
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/896159.html
Benton County Auditor Brenda Chilton said a handful of voters will have to submit new voter registration signatures before their votes can be counted in Tuesday’s special election.
That’s because about 40 people’s electronic signatures were lost when the auditor’s office converted to a new voter registration system in December, she said.
WA: McGinn school-levy ballot arrives too late to be counted
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011049093_webmcginnballot12.html
Mayor Mike McGinn was an outspoken supporter of Seattle’s school levies, which passed after Tuesday’s special election. But his own ballot didn’t get counted, because it arrived late and through King County interoffice mail.
Citizens United
Supremely misguided
http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1369071
…The Saudi Arabian government, for example, which owns Houston’s Saudi Refining, could have as much influence on American elections as they’re willing to spend.
National
ACORN Calls NYT Sr. Editor’s Email on Misreported O’Keefe ‘Pimp’ Story ‘Troubling and Disturbing’
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7694
Exclusive: New York Times Editor ‘Stands Behind’ Contested ‘Pimp’ Reporting on James O’Keefe
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7689
Although Mr. O’Keefe appeared in all videos dressed as a pimp, in fact, when he appeared at each and every office, he was dressed like a college student – in slacks and a button down shirt.
International
E-Voting.CC (Competence Center for Electronic Voting and Participation) (2009): Map of Electronic Democracy. In: Modern Democracy (2)/1. pp.8-9.
http://e-voting.cc/files/e-voting-map-2010
Canada: Electronic ballots earn council’s vote
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2444552
The Township of Leeds and Thousand Islands council is introducing Internet and telephone voting for this fall’s municipal election.
Ghana: Can the Ghanaian voters trust Electronic Voting?
http://www.modernghana.com/news/263320/1/can-the-ghanaian-voters-trust-electronic-voting.html
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
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