Louisiana: Louisiana Violated Disabled Voter Rights, U.S. Says in Suit | Bloomberg

The state of Louisiana and some of its agencies and officials violated the National Voter Registration Act through their treatment of disabled residents and people on public assistance, the U.S. said in a lawsuit.

The U.S. Justice Department said in the suit filed today in federal court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that the state broke the law by failing to provide voter registration services at offices administering to residents on public assistance or state-funded programs serving people with disabilities. The law requires states to “identify and designate” these offices as voter registration agencies, the U.S. said.

Montana: New tools to help Montana absentee voters move | KAJ18.com

Montana’s legislators might have shot down a move to allow people to do all their voting by mail, but Secretary of State Linda McCulloch is taking steps to make it easier for absentee ballots.

GOP lawmakers led the move to squash a proposal to allow vote-by-mail during the recently completed legislative session. That opposition came despite support from elections officials in every Montana county and successful adoption of vote by mail by other states like Washington a decade ago.

However, the Legislature did agree to have voter registration cards to display an option for people to sign up for the Annual Absentee List. McCulloch has now issued the new enhanced voter registration card, as well as a postcard allowing currently registered voters to permanently switch over to absentee voting.

Ohio: State OKs paying lawyers in Ohio voting-rights case | Columbus Dispatch

The State Controlling Board approved Secretary of State Jon Husted’s request for more than $332,000 yesterday to pay attorneys’ fees for plaintiffs who sued the state in 2006 over alleged violations of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

The lawsuit, filed by two Cleveland-area residents and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, named then-Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell and Barbara E. Riley, then-director of the state’s Department of Job and Family Services, as defendants.

US Virgin Islands: Elections preparing to purge voter rolls | Virgin Islands Daily News

The St. Thomas-St. John District Board of Elections will begin cancelling about 4,700 voter registrations this week. According to law, if a voter misses two consecutive elections, that voter’s registration is cancelled, and he or she must re-register to vote in any future elections.

Following each election, the Elections staff sifts through the voter books and pulls out the registrations to be cancelled. Notices are sent out urging those voters to apply for reinstatement if they do not want to be pulled from the voter rolls.

Malaysia: Malaysia government fights criticism after rally chaos | The Brunei Times

Malaysian authorities sought yesterday to deflect criticism that the government was suppressing dissent after making mass arrests and unleashing tear gas against at least 20,000 demonstrators who marched for electoral reforms.

The political fallout from rare scenes of mayhem in Kuala Lumpur is certain to complicate efforts by Prime Minister Najib Razak’s ruling coalition to bolster its support ahead of general elections that many expect to be held within a year.

International rights groups and Malaysian opposition parties denounced the government’s response to the country’s largest political rally in four years, which resulted in the arrest of 1,667 people Saturday. All were freed without immediate charges by yesterday. Amnesty International called it “the worst campaign of repression we’ve seen in (Malaysia) for years,” while Human Rights Watch said it was “a maelstrom of the Malaysian authorities’ own making.”

UAE: Federal National Council announces full list of Emiratis eligible to vote | gulfnews

The electoral rolls, including more than 129,000 Emiratis eligible to vote in and run for the Federal National Council (FNC) elections, scheduled for September 24 was posted on the internet at uaenec.ae.

The rolls comprise 47,444 voters and possible candidates from Abu Dhabi, 37,514 from Dubai, 13,937 from Sharjah, 3,920 from Ajman, 3,285 from Umm Al Quwain, 16,850 from Ras Al Khaimah, and 6,324 from Fujairah.

The right to elect members of the Federal National Council (FNC) was extended to almost 20 times those enfranchised in 2006 elections, it was announced on Monday.

Fiji: Election Office prepares for electronic voter registration | Fiji Times

The Election Office is working to implement electronic voter registration in time for the 2014 general elections.

A Government statement said the office was exploring ways to facilitate it. “The work plan for the establishment of a system of electronic voter registration will be sent to overseas missions and multilateral organisations in Fiji for their assistance in implementing the work plan,” the statement said.

Ohio: Hold On Ohio, Rhode Island’s Voter ID Bill Isn’t the Same | Rock the Vote Blog

Today’s Columbus Dispatch suggests that there are efforts to revive the strict photo ID bill in Ohio in a special legislation session next week. Some Republican leaders are trying to push fellow Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted, who has beenopposed to the photo ID legislation, and members of the Ohio Senate to accept the bill. Their rationale is that Rhode Island, which has a Democratic legislature and an independent Governor, passed legislation that implements new voter ID requirements at the polls.

… Let’s be clear: the newly enacted Rhode Island law is different from the Ohio proposal in many important ways.

South Carolina: Critics challenge South Carolina ‘Voter ID’ plan | TheState.com

When Delores Freelon was born in 1952, her mother could not decide on a name for her. So the space on the birth certificate for a first name was left blank. In the decades since, the incomplete birth certificate did not prevent Freelon from getting her driver’s license and voter registration card in the various states she has lived, including Texas and Louisiana.

But a measure — already passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Nikki Haley — will create new hurdles for Freelon and others to vote.

Delores Freelon, 59, who has voted since she was 18 years old, worries she wont’ be able to vote under the new photo ID law. Although she has a Social Security card, a Medicare card, and an expired Louisiana drivers license the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles will not issue her a S.C. drivers license or S.C. identification card because her first name is not on her birth certificate.

Kentucky: Johnson plans legal action regarding homeless voters issue | Kentucky Politics

GOP Secretary of State candidate Bill Johnson said he will either file an ethics complaint or motion in court soon objecting to a memo sent from the state on the procedure for registering homeless voters.

The Kentucky Board of Elections sent a memo to county clerks identifying the need for clarification in voter registration applications from the homeless that have incomplete address information, due to a recent increase in the number of those voters.

Both Johnson and Boone County Clerk Kenny Brown have expressed concerns that the policy could lead to voter fraud.

Virginia: Elections board allows Virginians overseas voters to fax voter registration forms – legal concerns expressed| Richmond Times-Dispatch

The State Board of Elections made it easier on Wednesday for overseas voters, including military voters, to register to vote.

The board voted to allow overseas voters, which could also include embassy employees and contractors working in Afghanistan, to fax a voter application to a Virginia registrar.

“These people don’t have mail boxes on every corner,” said Charles E. Judd, chairman of the State Board of Elections. The proposed rules change would take effect Sept. 1, if approved by the U.S. Justice Department.

Maine: Same-day registration ballot wording released | The Morning Sentinel

Secretary of State Charlie Summers released the wording Wednesday for a people’s veto ballot question, marking the unofficial start of a campaign to repeal a law passed last month to end same-day voter registration in Maine.

A coalition of groups led by the League of Women Voters of Maine wants to gather at least 57,277 signatures to get a question before voters in November or next June. The bill to end same-day voter registration was supported by most Republicans in the Legislature.

The question released by Summers reads:

“Do you want to reject the section of Chapter 399 of the Public Law of 2011 that requires new voters to register to vote at least two business days prior to an election?”

Kenya: State goes hi-tech with launch of online data in Kenya – IBM to Help Set Up New Vote System‎ | Business Daily

Technology giants are scrambling to help Kenya digitise its processes to increase access to public information entrenched in the new Constitution. Internet giant Google has just unveiled an online access of more than 2,000 copies of the Hansard, a collection of parliamentary debates that date back to the past four decades, weeks after it did the same with the Kenya Gazette.

Another US tech giant, IBM has also announced that it is partnering with the government to propose a framework to support the development of an electronic voter masterplan, months after its delegation volunteered to boost operations of the Postal Corporation of Kenya, in what is emerging as a departure of the tech firms eying to grow their presence in the country from their heavy reliance on the private sector.

Pakistan: Voter lists to be ready by December: Election Commission | Associated Press Of Pakistan

Secretary Election Commission (EC) Ishtiaq Ahmad has said that the process of preparing voters list for the next general election is underway and it will be completed by December this year.Talking to Pakistan Television (PTV) he said, after completing its work, the EC would foward the entire data to NADRA for scanning and printing of the voter lists.“EC had introduced many reforms in the past one and a half year while more steps were also being taken to facilitate the voters”, he said.

The Secretary EC said to resolve the issue of dual nationality of the incumbent Members National Assembly, a case had been referred to the Law Ministry to formulate modalities.

Kentucky: County clerks worry Kentucky homeless voter policy could lead to fraud | FOX19

Kentucky election officials say there’s been an increase in the number of voter registration forms from the homeless so they felt the need to clarify a few rules. However, some local county clerks say the policy could lead to voter fraud.

Last week, State Board of Elections Executive Director Sarah Ball Johnson wrote all of the county clerks in Kentucky a memo, instructing them to approve all voter registration applications from people who are homeless — even if clerks can’t verify the addresses on the forms. The policy has been in place since 1998, but Johnson wanted to clarify it because of the number of applicants and newly elected county clerks.

California: Online voter registration moves closer in California | Central Valley Business Times

Legislation that would allow Californians to register to vote via their county’s election office website has been approved by the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee.

If the measure makes it into law, California would joins several other states that already offer online registration. California has lagged behind awaiting implementation of the statewide online database system known as VoteCal, which has been delayed until at least 2015.

SB 397, authored by Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, also puts into place greater safeguards to fraud than the current paper registration process.

Kenya: 2012 could be an electronic voting year in Kenya | Capital FM Kenya

The country may next year start full scale electronic voting after a team of international consultants arrived in Nairobi to assist in developing a master plan for e-voting in line with the Constitution. The team from IBM’s Corporate Service Corps Programme will volunteer their expertise for the next four weeks after which they will present findings and a plan to the government.

“IBM is partnering with the Government of Kenya to propose a framework that addresses Kenyan voting challenges,” said IBM Country General Manager Anthony Mwai.

“Our consultants will review the experience of the recent electronic voter registration pilot and compare this with global e-voter frameworks and evolving standards,” he added.

Ohio: Cuyahoga County purges 100,000 from voter records | cleveland.com

For the first time in years, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections will soon know just how many registered voters it should have. The county is in the middle of of its largest-ever purge of voter records. And when it is over, Elections Director Jane Platten expects her department will delete more than 100,000 inactive voters — just over one-tenth of the region’s current registered voting population.

Record purging has been a controversial topic for Cuyahoga, which gained attention in 2007 for being one of several counties that had more people registered to vote than people of voting age.

Platten, who was appointed as election board director the same year, said that the department historically had an “inconsistent practice” of updating registration records. As a result, there hasn’t been an accurate count of valid registered voters for years.

National: New study examines the impact of on-campus voter registration efforts on college student turnout | Election Updates

A paper was just published in PS: Political Science & Politics by Stacy G. Ulbig and Tamara Waggener, “Getting Registered and Getting to the Polls: The Impact of Voter Registration Strategy and Information Provision on Turnout of College Students.” Here is the study’s abstract:

Each election year, colleges and universities across the nation witness a plethora of on-campus voter registration activities. The results of these drives are most often assessed by tallying the number of voter registration cards collected. Little has been done, however, to more carefully investigate these results. As a first attempt to examine postdrive results more thoroughly, we ask two questions.

Malaysia: Election Commission produces booklet to explain issues related to elections | Malaysia Today

The Election Commission (EC) has produced a booklet to clarify issues raised concerning elections in the country. Its chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the commission opined that it was high time for an appropriate clarification be published to straighten things out following the allegations raised by certain quarters against the EC.

“With the clarification, it is hoped that all quarters will understand clearly the policies and actions taken by the EC in holding elections in an independent, transparent and fair manner,” he said in his message in the booklet entitled “Penjelasan Terhadap Isu-isu yang Dibangkitkan Mengenai Pilihan Raya” (Explanation on Issues Raised Concerning Elections) dated June 22.

Pakistan: Whopping 37 million ‘bogus votes’ removed from voter lists in Pakistan | Daily India

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has been informed that 37 million bogus votes have been excluded from voter lists.

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan also informed the court that 36 million new voters would be included with the assistance of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Earlier, ECP Joint Secretary Sher Afgan had said that 37 million votes in the electoral lists were not bogus, but unverified votes, and could not be removed until next year.

United Kingdom: Cabinet Office Unveils New UK Voter Registration Process | eGov Monitor

New steps voters will be required to take to be included on the electoral register are set out today by the Government.

The Individual Electoral Registration White Paper details the process for moving to individual voter registration, replacing the existing system of household registration. The change is designed to modernise the electoral system and tackle fraud.

Mark Harper MP, Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform, said Britain is almost alone in retaining a system of household registration, which is now widely considered to be outdated and vulnerable to fraud. Moving to individual electoral registration will help to ensure our system is more robust against fraud and gives every individual control over whether or not they are included on the register.

Congo: Democratic Republic of Congo election protests turn violent | Reuters

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo used tear gas on Monday to disperse hundreds of opposition supporters protesting outside the electoral commission against alleged irregularities in voter registration.

The clashes, confirmed by demonstrators and the police, were the first signs of tension in the capital Kinshasa as the vast central African country geared up for its second post-war poll.

Lesotho: No exact date for Lesotho elections | SABCNews

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Lesotho is still not sure of the exact date on which the local government elections will be held. It was earlier scheduled for September, but a new date is now being considered.

Meanwhile, main opposition political parties which earlier threatened to boycott elections, are now calling for a postponement saying they still have to register voters and many will be excluded if the proposed September date is honoured.

Zambia: Electoral Commission of Zambia will not extend the voter verification exercis – Mambilima | Lusaka Times

Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson Justice Irene Mambilima has maintained that the commission will not extend the voter verification exercise which came to an end June 12. This follows calls by political stakeholders for an extension to allow more registered voters to have their details verified before the final register is compiled.

Speaking in Lusaka today during the ECZ/political parties’ liaison Committee meeting, Justice Mambilima said the commission has little time left before the forthcoming tripartite elections and that extending the verification exercise will have a negative impact on the commission’s preparatory works.

Ghana: Electoral Commission to start biometric registration before end of year in Ghana, but no electronic voting in 2012 | Afari-Gyan

Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), on Wednesday announced that the commission would commence biometric voter registration before the end of this year. He, however, dismissed speculations that the EC would use the electronic voting process for Election 2012.

Dr Afari-Gyan was speaking on the third day of a public lecture, organized by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences with support from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, in Accra.

The three-day forum, which started on June 27 to 29, 2011, is on the theme: “Elections and the Democratic Challenges in Africa”.

Angola: Electoral commission learns about functioning of data processing office | Angola Press

The chairwoman of the National Electoral Commission (CNE), Suzana Inglês, on Tuesday here received detailed information about the functioning of the Data Processing Office of the Ministry of Territory Administration (MAT).

During a visit to the office, accompanied by the minister of Territory Administration, the chairwoman of CNE  checked the premises and watched a video on the steps that have already been taken in the process of updating the voters’ registration database, as well as the mapping of the location for the future voting stations.

National: Doubling Down on Dubious Claims of Voter Fraud | Brennan Center for Justice

As the push for restrictive voter ID legislation in the states continues, so too does the rhetoric surrounding voter fraud. Last week, New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran doubled down on her previous claims of voter fraud in her state. Not only did the number of the suspected cases of voter fraud balloon from 37 to 64,000, but Duran went a step further in turning over the alleged 64,000 cases to New Mexico State Police for investigation. Noting that law enforcement will be investigating what may largely amount to data entry errors, some have questioned if investigating 64,000 cases —5 percent of registered voters in New Mexico — is a wise use of state resources.

As was the case when Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler unveiled his findings of alleged voter fraud in his state, the conclusions drawn here are questionable. While Duran has not released her methodology and analysis, her description in March of how she and her staff discovered 37 cases of possible voter fraud is of great concern. As previously discussed, Duran claimed to have found 37 possible cases of voter fraud by “matching” the names and birthdays from voter registration lists with a list of foreign nationals. She further claimed to have uncovered 117 individuals whose social security numbers did not match their name. Duran has not explained how this number suddenly ballooned to 64,000.

Editorials: Nathaniel R. Jones: No evidence of voter fraud | Youngstown News

The legislation (House Bill 159) that would require Ohio voters to show various forms of identification in order to cast a ballot is not needed. It reflects a stunted sense of history, or most charitably, a form of electoral amnesia.

Where is the evidence of voter impersonation that might warrant such a requirement? This bill is simply an attempt to make it harder for certain citizens to vote. And many of those citizens are African-Americans.

As I said in my testimony before the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee on June 22, “throughout history, whenever those engaging in the strategy of voter obstruction were challenged, the answer was always a denial that racial motives were involved, just as those advancing this pernicious voter ID now contend.”

Rhode Island: Rhode Island among the 10 states least friendly to voting | WPRI.com

It’s not easy to rock the vote in Rhode Island. That’s according to a new scorecard from Rock the Vote that ranks Rhode Island’s voting system 10th-lowest based on 12 metrics related to voter registration; casting a ballot; and young voter participation.

Rhode Island scored a 30%, better than neighboring Connecticut (20%) and Massachusetts (28%). The top state was Washington at 68%; the worst were South Carolina and Virginia, both at 18%.

I asked Secretary of State Ralph Mollis for his reaction, and he sent along this statement highlighting his office’s efforts on these fronts: