Election Equipment Certification Delivers Poor Results says the Champaign County Clerk, Mark Sheldon. Sheldon says: “If we want a system that earns the trust of every voter we need to institute post election audits, more extensive testing, and a certification process that is more open and flexible.”
In Washington State, two bills of note: a bill to allow military to vote by fax or email has cleared the house, and a bill to force Pierce Co Washington voters to vote by mail….As officials consider putting our military’s votes and associated data online, please read “Cyber War Wake Up Call” over at DefenseTech.org…
All this and more in today’s voting news below….
AK: State settles lawsuit, agrees to offer voter aid in Yup’ik
http://www.adn.com/2010/02/19/1148117/yupik-elders-win-right-to-elections.html
The state has settled a lawsuit brought by Yup’ik-speaking elders and tribal councils demanding that the Division of Elections provide ballots and voter assistance in Yup’ik.
AZ: Election officials use GPS devices to track equipment
http://bit.ly/930O9h
Program aims to lift voter confidence
Maricopa County elections officials are starting a new program that will track all 17,000 pieces of voting equipment through GPS technology.
CA: Federal Court in San Diego Issues Clarification: Independent Expenditure Committees May Accept Unlimited Sums from Corporations, Labor Unions, and Others
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/015328.html
Disclosure: I am co-counsel for the City of San Diego in this matter.(Rick Hasen)
CA: Two Legal ‘Situations’
http://democracycounts.blogspot.com/2010/02/two-legal-situations.html
Humboldt County Election Transparency Project
CA: DA investigates allegations of voter fraud in Montebello
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_14438007#ixzz0gJIxeN7n
“I actually went to someone’s door regarding an absentee voter and I learned the person hadn’t lived there for two years,” Veneziano said. “It seems like there is a lot of voter fraud concerning absentee ballots.”
CA: State Chief Justice Calls For Reform Of Initiative Process
http://www.ktvu.com/news/22618847/detail.html
STANFORD, Calif. — California Chief Justice Ronald George told a Stanford University symposium Friday that the state’s voter initiative process has helped to make the state government dysfunctional and “is sorely in need of reform.”
CO: Editorial – Voting changes make sense (Editorial in favor of 100% vote by mail)
http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/fort-morgan-opinion/ci_14410371
FL: Court: Petition Signatures Cannot Be Revoked
http://bit.ly/bW2CAo
The Florida Supreme Court said Thursday that a petition-signature revocation law, passed in 2007, substantially burdened the rights of citizen-led efforts to change the Constitution
IL: Election Equipment Certification Delivers Poor Results
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/02/22/election-equipment-certification-delivers-poor-results/
Champaign County Clerk…Election equipment manufacturers and election officials are prevented from implementing even common sense changes to the software and hardware running elections because of the costly and lengthy certification process.
KY: Insider Fraud In Kentucky
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2904
We have blogged in the past about the fuzzy line between retail and wholesale vote fraud…
ME: Residents invited to discuss proposed city voting changes ; A special meeting on Tuesday in Portland seeks feedback on changes in government.
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3885912
Should Portland voters elect a mayor? Should the city allow non- citizens to vote? Should voters rank candidates in order of choice rather than pick just one?
OH: Voter fraud case dismissed
http://www.toledofreepress.com/2010/02/22/voter-fraud-case-dismissed/
The board found that Lisa Cherry, as a student who has “every intention of returning home,” has the right to be registered in Lucas County and denied the challenge against her voter registration.
VA: Virginia Bill Advances, Would Expand Groups That May See List of Which Voters
http://bit.ly/bJWHn9
Virginia law already lets political parties, candidates, PAC’s, and elected office-holders obtain the list of which voters voted in the last election. A bill is moving through the legislature that adds a new category to the list, namely, groups that encourage voter turnout. It is SB 624
TX: Hidalgo County’s mobile voting unit could lessen politiqueras’ influence
http://www.themonitor.com/articles/machines-35686-voting-lessen.html
The crew that handles mobile voting meets by 6 a.m. every morning at the elections department.
They load up the rented van and travel to the location of the day. After manning early voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., they pack up the voting machines and get ready to do it again the next day.
VA: Many ‘hot’ bills move from House to Senate
http://bit.ly/ax8FVm
HB 390: State Board of Elections and voting equipment requirements – chief patroned by Del. Rosalyn R. Dance; The bill would exclude absentee voters from the calculation of registered voters. It would be used to determine the number of direct recording electronic voting devices as required in each precinct.
VA: Nosy neighbors could know your votes
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/02/nosy-neighbors-could-know-your-votes
A bill, SB624, sponsored by state Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax County, would allow the lists to be obtained by “nonprofit organizations that promote voter participation and registration “
WA: Election bills staying alive
http://bit.ly/9uVTjW
HB 2483 military email/fax voting, SHB 1572 forces Pierce County to Vote By Mail,
HB 1880 removes the requirement that mail ballot return envelopes must have a secrecy flap to conceal the voter’s signature and telephone number, HB 2495 allows ballots to be tabulated starting at 8 a.m. on the Monday before the Primary…
WA: The Legislature Fights Back: Citizen Initiatives in Washington State
http://electls.blogs.wm.edu/2010/02/22/the-legislature-fights-back-citizen-initiatives-in-washington-state/
This past January, for the second time in two years, a bill has been filed with the Washington State legislature to amend the State Constitution, removing the provisions allowing for citizen initiatives and referendums.
WI: DA finds no problem with primary vote count at nursing home
http://www.greenfieldnow.com/news/84978262.html
National
Giles Confirms (Again, This Time on Video) the O’Keefe-Breitbart ACORN ‘Pimp’ Lie
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7714
Cyber War Wake Up Call
http://defensetech.org/2010/02/19/cyber-war-wake-up-call/
Given the U.S. dependence on computers, the Internet and the entire information infrastructure, our adversaries see our vulnerability to acts of cyber aggression as our soft under-belly and that makes it a prime target in their eyes.
USENIX EVT/WOTE ’10 Call for Papers
http://eventseer.net/e/12469/
Submissions are due April 16, 2010
EAC seeks comments on proposed Maintenance of Expenditure (MOE)
http://www.eac.gov/blog-postings/eac-seeks-comments-on-proposed-maintenance-of-expenditure-moe
EAC is accepting public comments through March 24 on a proposed Maintenance of Expenditure (MOE) policy. Read the proposed policy and instruction for submitting comments here.
International
Canada: Is Internet Voting Headed to Thunder Bay?
http://bit.ly/bYorIB
Thunder Bay City Clerk John Hannam is working to seek ways to encourage greater voter participation in this fall’s civic election. Over the next week, the City will be issuing Requests for Proposals seeking to offer Internet voting and other electronic voting options. In addition, the city is issuing an RFP for new vote tabulators.
Canada: Voting via Internet
http://www.tbnewswatch.com/news/82363/Voting-via-Internet–
Thunder Bay’s next municipal election may feature an online polling station
The decision on whether or not the city will adopt online voting for the Oct. 25 election is a few steps away from becoming a reality.
Iraq: Fears of Iraq poll boycott after Sunni party pulls out
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/21/fears-iraq-poll-boycott-sunni
Head of National Dialogue Front withdraws from election, raising concerns of repeat of 2005
Iraq: Secular party withdraws from Iraq’s elections
Xinhua
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-02/20/c_13181117.htm
An Iraqi secular party led by Sunni prominent politician dropped out of the country’s March elections, protesting the ban of hundreds of candidates, a statement by the group said Saturday
Sri Lanka: Measures taken for recount of presidential votes: Ravi
http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2010/02/measures-taken-for-recount-of.html
“All necessary measures are being taken for a recount of the votes cast at the Presidential Election,” said the former UNP Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake addressing an interactive public meeting in the Kesbewa area.
Ukraine: Tymoshenko drops court challenge against Yanukovych
http://bit.ly/bMC6BT
Voting News by Joyce McCloy.
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Disclaimer: Articles and commentary included in “Voting News” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Voting News,or its allied organizations. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers’ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news,research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.