The sour economy is impacting election administration. WVa approved early voting but provided no funding to pay for it. PA activists need volunteers to audit their paperless elections. Woodbury County, Iowa dropped plans for Vote Centers when Sioux City threatened to sue. A Tennessee County took inventory and learned they were missing 1 voting machine and 3 card readers. Knox Co TN officials not likely to approve Vote Center Pilots which would eliminate neighborhood polls. *Vote Centers are being mislabeled as “convenience voting”. Tennessee still fighting over their paper ballot law. Oregon ok’s online registration. An Arizona lawmaker who broke AZ’s powerful clean elections act sues to keep job.
The EAC certified a Diebold/Premier system. 44 Years After Landmark Act, Voting Rights Still Needed says the Brennan Center for Justice. A report analyses the US election process. As early voting spreads in the US, how does it impact GOTV efforts?
India’s struggle against electronic voting heats up: India panel to hear debate on paperless voting machines. As her party boycotts the election, India’s AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa says: “In a democracy, every voter should know whether the vote cast has gone to the candidate or party it was meant for. In the absence of such certainty, the entire democratic process would be rendered a mockery.” Jayalalithaa also quotes Rice University associate professor Dan Wallach regarding problems with voting machines.
AZ. Arizona Legislator Sues to Retain Seat
August 6th, 2009 On August 6, Arizona Representative Doug Quelland filed a lawsuit in state court to retain his seat in the legislature. The Clean Elections Commission had voted 4-1 to remove him from office, back on May 15, 2009.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/08/06/arizona-legislator-sues-to-retain-seat/
CA. Election delays won’t save a dime
08/05/2009 OUR VIEW: Attempts to save money on 2010 elections show some didn’t do their homework. The San Bernardino County Board of Education set things right this week when it backed away from a foolhardy proposal to postpone its 2010 election.
…But when word spread that delaying the election until November 2011 would actually cost the district more – more than $1 million more – the movement quickly lost steam. The board voted Monday against rescheduling the election.
http://www.sbsun.com/editorial/ci_13000318
CA. Proposed Legislation: Post Canvass Audit Bill Language
04 Aug 2009 A bill proposal to move the Post Election Manual Tally (PEMT) to after the canvass period and rename it the “Post Canvass Audit.”
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ccrov/pdf/2009/august/09128jb.pdf
CO. Aspen mayor campaigning for two more years
Changing the term of mayor and the timing of the election would require an amendment to the charter, and a public vote. That could occur this fall or next spring. Voters will likely be asked an advisory question this November if Aspen should continue with IRV or have city officials find an alternative.
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20090806/VALLEYNEWS/908059987/1074
FL. Whopping cost increase could end early voting
August 5, 2009 PLANT CITY – Early voting in Plant City municipal elections could become the latest victim of the economic crisis.
http://plantcity2.tbo.com/content/2009/aug/05/pc-whopping-cost-increase-could-end-early-voting/
IA. Voter centers plan scrapped after city considers lawsuit
Aug 04, 2009 SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) – The Woodbury County Auditor has dropped plans to replace polling places with a handful voting centers…Fearing that voters would be disenfranchised in the upcoming city council election, City Attorney Andrew Mai says they considered suing the county.
http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10847742
NC. Elections board ouster JOURNAL EDITORIAL STAFF
August 7, 2009 …Elliott apparently ran afoul of the state board because he disobeyed two of its directives in the days leading up to the November election… The state board supervises local election boards, including by appointing their members. That’s the law that the local boards must accept.
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/aug/07/elections-board-ouster/opinion/
NC. Forsyth elections chairman removed by state board
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/aug/05/forsyth-elections-chairman-removed-by-state-board/
NJ. Law makes it simple for anyone in N.J. to vote by mail
06 August 2009
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/law-makes-it-simple-for-anyone-in-nj-to-vote-by-mail
NY. Finally, new voting machines
It took a lawsuit and federal court order to do it, but Delaware, Chenango and parts of Otsego counties are finally being dragged into the 21st century world of voting
http://www.thedailystar.com/opinion/local_story_217040104.html
NY. Another New York City Councilmember Off Ballot for Cover Sheet Error
August 6th, 2009 New York city councilmember Alan Gerson is running for re-election in the September 2009 Democratic primary. He is currently off the ballot. He needed 900 valid signatures and he submitted 7,000.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/08/06/another-new-york-city-councilmember-off-ballot-for-cover-sheet-error/
OR. Oregon To Offer Online Voter Registration
August 6, 2009 4:34 p.m.Oregonians will soon have the chance to register to vote online. Governor Ted Kulongoski Thursday signed a bill that will allow people to sign up in time for next spring’s primaries.
http://news.opb.org/article/5573-oregon-offer-online-voter-registration/
PA. PA Verified Voting needs volunteers for election integrity actions (Pittsburgh) http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/vol/1276537489.html
TN. Election commission to move voting machines to main office
The Cumberland County Election Commission appointed a new machine technician Tuesday evening and in a 3-2 vote decided to move all of its voting machines from the Community Complex to its office on Main St…Smart reported that after inventory was taken on the equipment it revealed that one machine was missing, three card readers were missing and 12 tally cards were missing.
http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/local/local_story_216230638.html
TN. Poll Workers Are Not Equipped to Reconcile or Verify Precinct Election Results
August 6, 2009 Mary Mancini… Although we may know, because of the systems in place that you describe, that the number of votes cast match the number of people who came in to vote, we don’t know how each of those votes is being counted.
http://www.liberadio.com/2009/08/06/poll-workers-are-not-equipped-to-reconcile-or-verify-precinct-election-results/
TN. There’s nothing wrong with voting machines (defense of paperless voting)
August 5, 2009
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090805/OPINION02/90804055/1008/OPINION01/There%E2%80%99s+nothing+wrong+with+voting+machines
TN. With support lacking, Knox County convenience voting in jeopardy
Aug 6. ..The approach would eschew the city’s 52 precinct polls by allowing city voters to cast ballots at any one of 10 centrally located voting centers during a 20-day window culminating on Sept. 22 and Nov. 3 election days
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/aug/06/with-support-lacking-knox-convenience-voting-in/
WI. City will help voters clear up registration records
8/05/2009 Staff from the city clerk’s office will assist city voters who’ve received notice from the state that their registration records don’t jibe with motor vehicle or Social Security information.
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/460894
WV. Satellite voting encourages wider participation
A money crunch may deter some counties from enjoying the added convenience of satellite voting. This year, West Virginia lawmakers passed a law allowing counties to establish early voting at locations throughout the state. However, no money was appropriated, so counties have to pay for it.
http://www.timeswv.com/editorials/local_story_216010753.html
US. What Will GOTV Look Like Ten Years From Now?
…But if campaigns are going to devote time and energy to such a “Get-Out-the-Early-Vote” operation, what will that look like?
http://whatareyoulookingatpolitics.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-will-gotv-look-like-ten-years-from.html
US. 44 Years After Landmark Act, Voting Rights Still Needed
Aug 6. Brennan Center for Justice.
Today marks the 44th anniversary of the landmark Voting Rights Act, passed to reverse the Jim Crow laws, which effectively denied African Americans the right to vote for decades.
http://www.brennancenter.org/blog/archives/44_years_after_landmark_act_voting_rights_still_needed/#When:14:00:00Z
US. Progress Reports on Election Reform and Voter Registration
Two reports review the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 and state-level election reform across the United States. The first report, released by Project Vote, examines the implementation of the NVRA, focusing on registration methods and the progress that has yet to be made.I n the second report, from the Center for Democracy and Election Management at American University, researchers review the election process across the United States.
http://www.electionreformproject.org/Features/77f88e39-01ee-4b39-99fa-507f12b9b9ba/r1/Detail.aspx
US. EAC Certifies Premier Assure 1.2 Voting System
WASHINGTON- The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) today certified the Assure 1.2 voting system by Premier Election Solutions, which includes optical-scan and direct recording electronic device (DRE) technology, to the 2002 Voting System Standards. It is the third voting system to achieve federal certification under the EAC Voting System Testing and Certification Program….Six voting systems remain in EAC’s Testing and Certification Program.
http://www.eac.gov/News/press/eac-certifies-premier-assure-1-2-voting-system/base_view
India. Poll panel convenes all-party meeting on voting machine
New Delhi, Aug 6 The Election Commission has convened an all-party meeting Friday to discuss the issue of the effectiveness of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) following doubts about their credibility from various quarters.
http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a70179.html
Jaya quotes US expert, wants EVMs scrapped
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_jaya-quotes-us-expert-wants-evms-scrapped_1280008
Jaya blames EVMs for poll boycott
06 Aug 2009 CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa on Wednesday observed that her party’s boycott of the coming by-elections was“to ensure that democracy in its true sense is brought back to the State.”
In a statement, the former chief minister, reiterated that the electronic voting machines could be tampered with. “In a democracy, every voter should know whether the vote cast has gone to the candidate or party it was meant for. In the absence of such certainty, the entire democratic process would be rendered a mockery. It is to ensure that democracy in its true sense is brought back that AIADMK decided to boycott the by-polls.’’ http://shrinkurl.com/IndiaEVMs