Garland County Arkansas voters were turned away from the polls Saturday. With only 2 polling places instead of the usual 40, with 76,000 registered voters, a hotly contested primary runoff & other races,officials promised to open an extra polling place on Saturday. The polling place was not opened & voters were turned away..California to vote on election reform props 14 & 15 on June 8th…Saugatuck MI botched recount..82 un-scannable absentee ballots in Summit Ohio…Ballot error may taint NJ CD-11 DEM Primary..”Naughty Diebold directors get pwned”..India EVMs go Bollywood…The Ills of Privatized Elections..World watches as Dutch vote with pencil…
Editors note: Please send articles, screenshots etc about Tuesday voting problems as you see them to votingnews (at) earthlink.net
All this and more in today’s voting news below…
AL: Low turnout for Alabama primaries; Reed alleges voter fraud
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20100601/NEWS/100601037/
Low-turnout-for-Alabama-primaries-Reed-alleges-voter-fraud
http://is.gd/cGx0P The state’s chief elections official, Secretary of State Beth Chapman, said she received some complaints. They included a few people in Dallas County being unable to vote because someone had already cast absentee ballots in their names, and a complaint that someone in Bullock County was offering $10 to people willing to vote for a judicial candidate.
AL: Alabama: fewer provisional ballots than 4 years ago
http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/006394.html
AR: Hundreds of voters turned away from the polls
http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Hundreds-of-voters-turned-away-from-the-polls/dNEE5Lj9F0SzZFAPscEGzg.cspx?rss=315
Two hundred voters were turned away from the polls Saturday in Garland County after the election commission says it made a mistake by telling voters they could vote
AR: Making Sense of the Closed Polls in Arkansas * (text, video interviews & photos)
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/6/5/873287/-Making-Sense-of-the-Garland-County,-Arkansas-Runoff
So, after having promised the location would be open and the statement being printed in the local newspaper, they did not open the polling location.
AR: Garland County Election Controversy: Voters Turned Away * (video avail)
http://arkansasmatters.com/news-fulltext/?nxd_id=319175
So, he looked into opening up the location here for an extra day–which would have been Saturday.
At first, he said an attorney with the Secretary of State’s office advised him he could do it, so he made the announcement.
But he later came across an Arkansas law that requires him to give at least 5 days notice to the public when opening a polling location.
AR: Halter: Concerned about Garland Co. early voting
http://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12601276
Lt. Gov. Bill Halter’s campaign says it’s concerned that Garland County election officials reneged on their promise to allow early voting on Saturday.
AR: O’Brien plan to avoid vote fiasco
http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2010/06/07/obrien-plan-to-avoid-vote-fiasco
Pat O’Brien, in the Democratic primary runoff for secretary of state, steps forward with some sound legislative proposals to avoid future fiascos such as has occurred in Garland County
AR: Labor, Enviro Groups Use Arkansas Senate Primary As Citizens United Testing Ground http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2010/06/07/labor-enviro-groups-use-arkansas-senate-primary-as-citizens-united-testing-ground/
CA: UNANIMOUS CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT HOLDS NO RIGHT TO SECRET BALLOT IN SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICT ELECTIONS
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016163.html
CA: Weekly Wrap Up – On June 8th, California voters will weigh in on two election reform measures, Propositions 14 and 15.
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2010/06/06/weekly-wrap-up-24/
Proposition 14 would create a single ballot for primary elections…Proposition 15, also known as the California Fair Elections Act, would repeal California’s ban on public funding for elections…
CA: California Libertarian Candidate Produces Own Radio Ad Against Proposition 14, Pays to Get it On Air
http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/06/05/california-libertarian-candidate-produces-own-radio-ad-against-proposition-14-pays-to-get-it-on-air/
CA: Vote-By-Mail Ballot Turnout Low (Sacramento Co) Primary Occurs Tuesday
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37517331/ns/local_news-sacramento_ca/
CA: Some Peninsula residents still checking their mail for missing voter information guide (San Mateo County)
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15232502?nclick_check=1
CA: Complaints of election fraud in Community College District
http://www.highlandnews.net/articles/2010/06/07/news/
doc4c0d6243986b4852554648.txt http://is.gd/cGx3H The State Fair Political Practices Commission, after receiving a complaint of election fraud in the 2008 Community College District race, has “prosecuted” one of the winning candidates, John Futch and fined his campaign $6000.
CA: eVoter Established as California’s Comprehensive Voter Resource for the 2010 Primary Election http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/evoter-established-as-californias-comprehensive-voter-resource-for-the-2010-primary-election-95779509.html
CT: Registrar of Voters office: Missing cards, gossip and deputy fired *
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Registrar-of-Voters-office-Missing-cards-gossip-513674.php BRIDGEPORT…What started out as an investigation into a missing voter registration card a few months ago ultimately led to the unveiling of 50 voter registration cards stashed away in a desk drawer for years.
DE: “Delaware House passes bill to count incarcerated people at home“
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016160.html
GA: Justice Department OK’s precinct consolidation
http://www.wltz.com/news/local/95788564.html
The Muscogee County Board of Elections got word this morning, that the U.S. Department of Justice gave the OK to consolidate precincts from 48 to 28.
GA: Longtime elections official signs out (Gary Smith)
Smith plans to stay involved in process
http://www.forsythnews.com/news/article/5296/
IN: St. John wants map snafu fixed *
OFFICIALS HOPE ANNEXED RESIDENTS CAN VOTE IN TOWN PRECINCTS IN NOVEMBER
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_6608e0bf-e055-5ef9-812c-95be17b65873.html
ST. JOHN An election snafu that forced some recently annexed St. John residents to vote at their former unincorporated precincts still has not been untangled.
MI: Saugatuck’s botched recount *
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/opinions/x775083576/HITS-AND-MISSES-Botched-recount-sewage-spill-negative-campaign-ads The discrepancy that canceled the recount of ballots in the May 4 Saugatuck Township millage election was more than a “glitch” or a “clerical error.” The snafu (numbers on the seal of a bag of ballots didn’t match those in a poll book) was an embarrassment that calls into question the integrity of a highly controversial election that ended with a two-vote margin and fuels the imagination of conspiracy theorists.
MN: Ladies and gentleman, Elvis is on the Minnesota ballot
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_15227555
ST. PAUL, Minn. — An Elvis impersonator wearing a red jump suit has filed for office as the running mate of a gubernatorial candidate seeking Minnesota’s GOP nomination.
NJ: Ballot Error Could Taint Congressional District Democratic Primary
http://madison.patch.com/articles/ballot-error-could-taint-congressional-district-democratic-primary-2 Democratic candidate James D. Kelly, running for the NJ’s 11th district is incorrectly listed as a column one Democrat in Morris County.
NJ: Judge prepares for 13-defendant trial in voter fraud case involving Atlantic City Councilman Marty Small http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_0a670f5a-726d-11df-a9ea-001cc4c03286.html
OH: Summit certifies primary results * (Ballot on Demand problems)
http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/94995294.html
Elections board conducts hand count after errors with printer discovered
The Summit County Board of Elections was able to certify the May 4 primary Tuesday night, despite printer problems that forced employees to hand-count about 9,000 absentee ballots.
…
Teams of 20 to 28 people spent 20 1/2 hours between Thursday evening and Saturday night hand-counting the absentee ballots after printer errors were discovered May 19.
Deputy Director Ron Koehler said employees found problems with 82 ballots where the ballot-on-demand printer incorrectly had lined up the ovals that voters filled on the issues portion. This made it impossible for the scanners to read the ballots.
OH: Justice Department OKs consolidating Columbus voting precincts
Approval means different precincts for primaries, general election
http://www.macon.com/2010/06/07/1153586/justice-department-oks-consolidating.html
RI: Rhode Island activist says “Still time to pass the Residence of Those in Government Custody Act” http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2010/06/07/stilltime
VA: Former Grafton official pleads to lying on voter form
http://www.nvdaily.com/news/2010/06/former-grafton-official-pleads-to-lying-on-voter-form.php
National
Diebold Can’t Even Count Their Own Money Properly (great cartoon also)
http://politicalirony.com/2010/06/04/diebold-cant-even-count-their-own-money-properly/
Naughty Diebold directors get pwned
http://www.fcablog.org.uk/2010/06/naughty-diebold-directors-get-pwned/
Is Government Broken? Strengthening Democracy through Election and Governance Reforms http://www.brookings.edu/events/2010/0601_strengthening_democracy.aspx
Discussion transcripts and audio podcasts (listen)
Justice Department To Monitor Elections in California, New Jersey and South Dakota
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/justice-department-to-monitor-elections-in-california-new-jersey-and-south-dakota-95781834.html WASHINGTON, June 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on June 8, 2010… Riverside County, Calif.; Middlesex County, N.J.; and Charles Mix and Shannon Counties, S.D.
Citizens United
The Fight is On: Real People vs. Corporate “People”
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/06/04-10
Just as Dred Scott was only an extension of existing law, Citizens United merely extends law that has been developing for a long time. But, like Dred Scott, the Court’s conclusion makes clear to most people that the law is wrong.
DISCLOSE Act push when Congress returns
http://politicalactivitylaw.com/2010/06/06/disclose-act-push-when-congress-returns/
The Times preps reform troops for a DISCLOSE Act push when Congress returns from the Memorial Day recess
The Citizens United Effect
http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/06/citizens-united-effect
Some of the first exploiters of the campaign finance free-for-all aren’t corporations, but labor unions.
“CITIZENS UNITED AND THE ILLUSION OF COHERENCE” By Rick Hasen of ElectionLawBlog http://electionlawblog.org/archives/016158.html
Walk the Talk
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/opinion/06sun3.html
In its devastating decision to allow an uncontrolled flood of corporate money into federal elections, the Supreme Court tried to head off critics by endorsing full disclosure of fat-cat donors. It is not enough. But Congress can repair some of the damage by passing the “Disclose” campaign finance reform.
Internet Voting
Lithuania; a step closer to e-voting
http://www.lithuaniatribune.com/2010/06/07/lithuania-a-step-closer-to-e-voting/
Rop Gonggrip on Internet Voting Debate (Part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXF3WEaurz4&feature=player_embedded#!
Rop “loves technology…would like internet voting to be the solution…election results however need to come about in a transparent manner…I think this is paramount… Internet voting carries risks, these risks are different than postal voting….banks were mostly postal before they went to internet… there’s huge fraud depts handling bank transactions and credit cards…you can’t do that in a voting system.. there’s phishing….These new risks are badly understood.”
Scratch, Click & Vote: E2E Voting over the Internet (white paper)
http://www.springerlink.com/content/r7g421t600871351/
A Practical and Secure Coercion-Resistant Scheme for Internet Voting
http://www.springerlink.com/content/qg23012267328763/ (white paper)
International
Australia (we wrongly said Canada on Monday): Electoral Reforms In Victoria Will Increase Voter Participation
http://www.thegovmonitor.com/civil_society_and_democratic_renewal/electoral-reforms-in-victoria-will-increase-voter-participation-32811.html
Young Victorians will be automatically enrolled to vote in Victorian elections, and unregistered voters will be able to enroll on election day, under reforms to be implemented by the Brumby Labor Government.
India: ‘Rajniti’: EVMs in mainstream cinema, present and future
http://www.indianevm.com/blogs/?p=194
The film showcases all that ails politics today…That EVMs have now been added as yet another dimension of Indian politics shows the salience the subject has achieved.
India: Should India ban electronic voting machines?
http://news.ciol.com/News/News/News-Reports/Should-India-ban-electronic-voting-machines/136144/0/ A recent study by a collaborative team from University of Michigan and NetIndia raised questions about the security fallacies of the electronic voting machines
Netherlands: World watches as Dutch vote with pencil
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/world-watches-dutch-vote-pencil
The Netherlands is the first country to go back to voting with paper ballots, after making the transition to computers. Other countries are wondering if they should follow the Dutch example.
Philippines: The Ills of Privatized Elections
http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2010/06/05/the-ills-of-privatized-elections-2/
Philippines elections 2010: automated fraud?
http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/philippines_
elections_2010_automated_fraud/ http://is.gd/cGx5M United States voters worried about electronic voting should pay close attention to the recent Philippines elections.
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.Archives here at http://votingnews.blogspot.com/
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