Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Sunday, July 9, 2006

[MelissaB]

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.

Link to previous Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x438989

[MelissaB]

1. New election machines turn the page (TN)

New election machines turn the page

By BYRON HENSLEY
[e-mail]
— Byron Hensley 278-5162


If you always vote on Election Day, you will find something different and perhaps a bit intimidating, at the polls Aug. 3 — a new voting machine and a lengthy ballot.

Ballots will be cast for the first time in a general election and state primary on the MicroVote Infinity voting machine, a small, table-top size electronic machine that replaces the large, familiar Shouptronic voting machines that have been used for several years, said Hooper Penuel, administrator of elections for the Rutherford County Election Commission.

The new machines have been used for early voting for the past three years, but this will be their first time for use on Election Day, Penuel said. The election commission is using the new machines to comply with mandates of the federal Help America Vote Act, part of which deals with helping people who have vision problems.

"For those who have never early voted, it will be a new experience," Penuel said. "We will have machine operators standing by to answer any questions the voter might have."

The machine features 18 buttons each on the left and right sides of a liquid crystal display screen. Next to some of the buttons are names of candidates in a particular race.


More: http://dnj.midsouthnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060709/NEWS01/607090318/1002

[MelissaB]

2. Perhaps, we could have been done with GW Bush sooner rather than later...

Perhaps, we could have been done with GW Bush sooner rather than later...

VHeadline.com commentarist Mary MacElveen writes: The United States of America always prides herself as being the land of democracy, but when it comes to elections we fail on so many fronts. Either Americans are too apathetic to vote, or worse those that do vote wonder if their vote even counted through the use of computerized voting machines.

When many feel that an election has been stolen from the people, we wonder when the people shall rise up in protest.

These AP photos show the mass protests by the Mexican people that felt that their presidential election was stolen.

I was amazed at the numbers and the passion seen in these many photos. What the numbers tell me is that these Mexican citizens do take their democracy seriously. The pictures should shame all of us living in the United States who believe in democracy yet do nothing.

To accept an outcome of any election when the results are questionable is morally repugnant.
When the Bush v. Gore decision was handed down ... after former Vice President Al Gore fought in our courts for 37 days ... the same number that showed up in Mexico City should have stormed the Supreme Court building to tell the five of the nine Supreme Court justices that their decision was un-Constitutional.


More: http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=63020

[MelissaB]

3. Indiana is one of 17 states at “high risk”

...snip

Voting in question

Indiana is one of 17 states at “high risk” of having election results compromised because of problems with its direct recording electronic voting machines, according to a recently released nationwide report.

Common Cause – a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization – concludes that the push to use such machines has resulted in serious security and reliability concerns and should be reversed.

Nearly 40 percent of voters in 37 states expect to cast ballots on these machines this fall and Common Cause President Chellie Pingree said Congress must act.

“We need legislation passed that would mandate random manual election audits of voting machines and require voter-verified paper trails, and citizens need to come to the polls knowing how to safeguard their vote,” Pingree said.

Indiana is in the high-risk category because its DRE electronic machines have no paper backup. Another 23 states are at midlevel risk because they use a voter-verified paper trail but not manual audits.

Only 11 states require both.


More: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/15000764.htm

[MelissaB]

4. MS: Save machines for high-turnout elections

Save machines for high-turnout elections

By JAIMEE GOAD-BISHOP
SUN HERALD

PASCAGOULA - Melton Harris, chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Executive Committee, talked with the Sun Herald last week about the recently completed U.S. Senate primary.

Q: How do you feel the Democratic primary election ran in Jackson County?

A: Turnout was low and we didn't encounter too many problems, just a few pin problems with the machines, but nothing that really grabbed my attention in a bad way. So, no serious problems.

...snip

Q: Do you feel the fight to keep paper ballots in Jackson County for the election was worthwhile, and why?

A: Yes, that's the reason we fought for it. We felt the turnout was going to be very small. I've been chairman since 1988 and know my county. I knew this primary would be affected by the hurricane. I knew folks had very little interest in it. I knew this election was with a high-profile incumbent. Plus the candidates were virtually unknown. Being aware of all of these things, knowing that there was no problem with using paper ballots, and because there was such confusion over who was supposed to be doing the various tasks with the new voting machine, we thought we'll forgo this election and go with the paper ballots. I want to thank Representative Billy Broomfield and Jackson County Circuit Clerk Joe Martin. They supported us in this and they were the main reasons we were able to prevail.

Q: What about the future? When do you think the electronic voting machines should be used in Jackson County?

A: I think any time you are going to have a very high turnout, voting machines could be very beneficial to you. I think the county committee or anyone who's running that election knows what's going to happen and should have the right to decide what you should be using. I compared this election and using the voting machines to taking an 18-wheeler to California to pick up a gallon of water. You could use a Volkswagen and get there just as fast with less hassle. I think 2007 is when we should be testing these machines and training on them because the turnout will be much higher.



More: http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/local/14998274.htm

[MelissaB]

5. Oregon: INSECURE ELECTIONS

INSECURE ELECTIONS
Don't fool yourself: Oregon not immune to vote-tampering

Sunday, July 09, 2006
David Sarasohn probably has introduced many Oregonians to a couple of new ideas: That there is substantial evidence that there was a systematic strategy in Ohio to thwart John Kerry voters in the 2004 presidential election, and that the three most widely used electronic voting machines have serious problems with security and reliability ("In a country where your vote is supposed to count, you should be worried about someone stealing your vote," July 2).

Sarasohn is writing about the very foundation of our democracy, folks. Listen up.

Oregonians should not sit back, smug with the knowledge that our mail-in paper ballots save us from all the problems of electronic voting machines. Those paper ballots are counted by optical scan machines, which have repeatedly been shown to be unreliable and vulnerable to hacking (see www.blackboxvoting.org).

My own elections director in Clackamas County patronizingly told me that there are "checks and balances in place" that assure the integrity of the elections system, but she did not identify them.

Canada and many other countries hand-count paper ballots. It is the only way to assure that this country will return to a democracy.

SANDRA DUFFY Lake Oswego


Link: http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1152298516251690.xml&coll=7

[MelissaB]

6. Boyd case could get 2nd grand jury

Boyd case could get 2nd grand jury
Nine issues identified from May primary election

By Lee Mueller
EASTERN KENTUCKY BUREAU

CATLETTSBURG - A special prosecutor says he may ask a judge Monday to seat a special grand jury to continue an investigation into Boyd County's May primary election, where the number of votes cast outnumbered the voters.

...snip


The prosecutor said he suspects residents in some precincts were permitted to vote twice, once on each machine.

"I don't think that happened," Boyd County Clerk Doris Hollan said.

She blamed the error on a program that was supposed to combine voting machine totals from both new and old models. It did not work properly in counting the total public vote, she said, but "worked fine" when counting the separate votes that candidates received.

Plenty of things went wrong in the Boyd County Courthouse on Election Day, officials concede.

...snip

The grand jury also asked its successors to examine "the reasons" why both the news media and candidates were barred -- with a strip of yellow tape across a hallway -- from the counting process.

Hollan said that decision by the county's election commission -- of which she is a member -- was a mistake. "I made a wrong decision in not letting the press in," Hollan said. "A bad mistake."

But she blamed the decision, and some other matters identified by the grand jury, on complications created by new voting machines in the county's 47 polling places.

In addition to the old machines, each precinct was required to provide the new machines for disabled voters, she said. The grand jury asked whether the new machines had compromised the vote count.


More: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/state/14998200.htm

[MelissaB]

7. Utah: Paper trail: Lieutenant governor dropped the ball on election recoun

Paper trail: Lieutenant governor dropped the ball on election recounts

Tribune Editorial

After disputed recounts snarled the 2000 presidential election for more than a month, Congress wrote new election law that ushered in touch-screen voting systems. Given that experience, it is hard to believe that the Utah elections office would drag its feet about setting statewide standards for recounts using the new voting technology.

Then again, maybe not.

The Tribune reported Thursday that Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert's office, which is in charge of elections administration for the state, is still working through the details of how a recount should occur using the new touch-screen machines. This despite the fact that a primary election already has occurred, there may be recounts necessary in three counties, and Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen has been asking the lieutenant governor for guidance on the recount issue for nearly a year.


More: http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_4028266

[MelissaB]

8. PAUL JACOBS: The people can exercise their power

The people can exercise their power

By: PAUL JACOBS - For The Californian



I have largely avoided the subject of electronic voting in recent columns while the SAVE R VOTE (Safe And Verifiable Elections Require Voter Observation of Touchscreen Equipment) project of Democracy for America ---- Temecula Valley (DFA-TV) has been in operation. The project report will be released this week.

In January, Jeff Stone and the other county supervisors declined DFA-TV's recommendation of forming a citizen's voting integrity commission, so it became necessary for citizens to independently organize an unofficial observation of the June 6 primary election. The SAVE R VOTE report will be presented to the supervisors at their Tuesday meeting.

More than 50 volunteers participated in a coordinated effort exercising their legal right to observe the electoral process. Individuals and members of various civic groups monitored eight polling places, working together toward a solitary goal of protecting and preserving our democracy.


Virtually every aspect of voting was evaluated, from early voting at The Promenade mall to the roving voting vehicle. Polling places were monitored from election-eve setup to closing on Election Day. Voting cartridges and the new VeriVote printers were followed from the polling place to the pickup location for delivery to the Registrar of Voters office. A portion of the counting of early, absentee, paper, provisional and electronic ballots was observed.

I have been involved in the SAVE R VOTE project and privy to a preview of some of the data collected. The report reveals that although voter turnout was extremely low, the failure rate of the brand-new voting and printing machines approached 20 percent. While it was reported that most poll workers diligently handled Election Day activities, there were egregious gaps in the chain of custody of election cartridges after the polls closed, including the disappearance of 17 voting cartridges that were accounted for days later.


More: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/07/09/opinion/jacobs/18_45_537_8_06.txt

[MelissaB]

9. Discussion

here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x439164

[Peace Patriot]

10. Sacramento Bee says election fraud activists are "NOT KOOKS"!

Peace Patriot (1000+ posts) 
Fri Jul-07-06 04:47 PM
Original message

________________________________________

"The threat to democracy is very real." --Peter Schrag, Sacramento Bee

----------------------------------

Sacramento Bee: July 5, 2006

"ELECTION 2006: LOOMING, DIRE QUESTION OF TRUST"
by Peter Schrag (regular columnist)

-----


"Last month's race in California's 50th Congressional District in San Diego County between Republican Brian Bilbray and Democrat Francine Busby was regarded by many observers as an indicator of whether the Democrats could recapture the House in November.

"But the response to the election may foretell as much or more about the level of confidence Americans will have in the reported results in November as they do about who controls the House in January. If you Google the words Bilbray, Busby and Diebold, you'll get 67,000 hits, most of them casting doubt on whether the reported results -- 78,000 votes (49.5 percent) for Bilbray, 71,000 (45 percent) for Busby, according the San Diego registrar of voters -- could really be trusted. Diebold's electronic voting machines are the X factor.

" The seat, as almost everybody knows, was vacated by Randy "Duke" Cunningham, the high-living felonious congressman who was forced to exchange his seat in one institution for a term in a much less pleasant one.

"The 50th has long been a safely Republican district that Bilbray ought to have won easily. It shouldn't have been a bellwether for anything. But this is not an ordinary year for reasons too numerous to list. Cunningham was just one example of the long list of crooks and other shabby characters -- members of Congress and the administration, staffers, lobbyists and various influence peddlers -- who've disgraced Washington in this new Gilded Age.

"Bilbray almost certainly won the election. But you'll never convince thousands of Californians, not all of them Democrats, most of them not kooks, that the reported results were accurate.

The chief piece of evidence is those electronic Diebold machines, whose reputation as eminently hackable and whose other problems, political and mechanical, have dogged them for years. Combine that with the fact that San Diego election officials allowed poll workers to take the machines home for what one critic called "sleepovers" -- some of them for more than a week -- and you have a pretty good case for suspicion.

(snip)

"...two new reports, one from Common Cause, the other from the nonpartisan Brennan Center in New York, reinforce the special doubts about the security and reliability of electronic voting systems. The most widely used systems, including Diebold's, said the Brennan report, "have significant security and reliability vulnerabilities, which pose a real danger to the integrity of national, state and local elections." Common Cause says 17 states, not including California, are at "high risk" for compromised election results.

(snip)

Given laws recently passed by GOP-controlled legislatures in Ohio and Georgia that effectively discourage or block voters -- minorities especially -- likely to cast ballots for Democrats, the fears about rigged elections are not out of line.

(snip)

The doubters about Bilbray-Busby are probably wrong; the threat to democracy is very real.


http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/columns/schrag/story/14274746p-15084490c.html
Discussion: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2713970
Discussion: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x438940
------------------------------------------------

From Peace Patriot: I've lived in California all my life and I'm very familiar with the Sacramento Bee. I can't tell you how amazed I was to read this column this morning, from one of the Sacto Bee's veteran columnists. The Sacto Bee is a corporate rag, if there ever was one. My stunned brain just kept repeating the phrase: "The election fraud issue has ARRIVED! We've ARRIVED! The most important democracy issue in modern American history has ARRIVED in the corporate news monopoly press!" Then I immediately became suspicious. (Why are they doing this NOW? To suppress the vote?) But I think, rather, that RFK Jr.--in his Rolling Stone article on the stolen election '04--has broken something loose. The taboo is off! The "Iron Curtain" has a major crack in it! Brad Friedman, Bob Koehler and Lou Dobbs all get mentioned--and credited--by name, for crying the alarm. Schrag of course pooh-poohs the idea that any fraud occurred in the Bilbray/Bushby CA-50 (s)election (typical Bee--typical corporate media--why say this? Hm? How do they KNOW?!) And, of course, no mention of WHO OWNS and CONTROLS the "trade secret" vote tabulation code in these machines (major Bush corporate supporters). (That always amazes me--secret vote tabulation by partisans, and this doesn't smack 'em in the eye?!) And the article has not yet been carefully scanned for disinformation (always a danger with the corporate press). Nevertheless, this sure seems like a breakthrough--and a very surprising one. I mean, the Sacto Bee is saying we're "not kooks"! People who want transparent vote counting ARE NOT KOOKS! Think about THAT!

:applause: :party: :silly: :freak: :crazy: :wow: :wow: "NOT KOOKS!" :wow: :crazy: :patriot: :freak: :silly: :party: :applause:

[MelissaB]

11. Old voting machines to nurture democracy in West Africa

Old voting machines to nurture democracy in West Africa

Posted: 07/08/2006 04:52 pm
Last Updated: 07/08/2006 06:39 pm

Old voting machines like these will be sent to the West African nation of Benin.

Hundreds of old Indiana voting machines that otherwise might have ended up in landfills will now be sent to the West African nation of Benin.

Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita says he hopes to spread the idea of using old voting machines from around the United States to help nurture democracy in the third world.

Old voting machines will be gathered from Indiana counties for shipment to Benin, where paper ballots have been used since the current democratic system was formed in 1991.

U.S. law requires states to switch to electronic voting systems.

The machines will be stored until about 1000 are ready for shipment.


Link: http://www.wndu.com/news/072006/news_51186.php?PRINT_VERSION=1

[MelissaB]

12. Secretaries of state meet in Santa Fe

Secretaries of state meet in Santa Fe

Last Update: 07/08/2006 2:10:30 PM
By: Associated Press

SANTA FE (AP) - Top election officials from 30 states are to meet in Santa Fe.

The annual convention of the National Association of Secretaries of State opens Sunday with social events.

Officials will hear presentations starting Monday, and the convention wraps up Thursday.

The secretary of state serves as the chief election officer and also is responsible for maintaining state records.

New Mexico Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron says she’s interested in hearing from officials from states that have gone to a paper ballot system.

Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita has said he hopes to spread the idea of sending old voting machines from around the U.S. to Third World countries to nurture democracy.

Link: http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=26673&cat=NMTOPSTORIES

[MelissaB]

13. Lessons from Stanford A Republic or an Empire? By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

Lessons from Stanford
A Republic or an Empire?

By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

Gentle reader, did you know that in April President Bush went to Stanford University to speak to the Hoover Institution fellows at the invitation of former Secretary of State George Shultz but was not allowed on campus? The Stanford students got wind of it and blocked Bush's access to the campus. The Hoover fellows had to go to Shultz's home to hear Bush's pitch for war and more war.

A person might think that it would be national news that Stanford University students would not allow the President of the US on campus. It happened to be a day that hundreds of prospective freshmen were on campus with their parents, many of whom joined the demonstration against Bush. I did not hear or read a word about it.

Did you? I learned of it from faculty friends in June when I attended Stanford's graduation to witness a relative receive her degree. The June 16 edition of The Stanford Daily reprints its April 24 report of the episode.

...snip

With the electronic voting machines supplied by Republican firms and programmed by Republican operatives, Bush can control election results. Don't bet very heavily that Americans will regain the constitutional protections and democratic accountability that they enjoyed in the 20th century.

Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He was Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page and Contributing Editor of National Review. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: [e-mail]


More: http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts07082006.html

[MelissaB]

14. Discussion

here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x439171

[MelissaB]

15. New Fights Over Who Gets to Vote

New Fights Over Who Gets to Vote

By Scott Michels

Posted Sunday, July 9, 2006

As Georgia's political parties gear up for the July 18 primary, they're locked in a long-term, bitter dispute over a basic question: Who will get to vote? Democrats and voting-rights activists say a Republican-backed voter ID law could disenfranchise thousands of poor and minority voters. Last week a state court agreed, temporarily blocking enforcement of the law--and adding fodder to a debate that has divided states across the country.

Election rules have always been politically contentious, but recent allegations of fraud and mismanagement--combined with shifts in voter demographics--have set off a wave of new voting laws in the states. While Congress has set some minimum standards, several states have passed much tougher laws, often along partisan lines. Laws that rein in registration drives or require voters to show photo identification or proof of citizenship have rived state legislatures; legal challenges are pending in at least six states.

Fraud or access? Republicans argue that restrictions are needed to prevent voter fraud, while Democrats say such laws disenfranchise the poor, minorities, and the elderly, who are thought less likely to have photo IDs--and more likely to be Democrats. "Both parties have become wedded to a single concern about voting: Republicans with ballot security and Democrats with access," says Robert Pastor, director of last year's Commission on Federal Election Reform. "You cannot have a free and fair election without both."

The immigration debate only lessens the chances of bipartisan reform. Opposition to multilingual ballots from House Republicans derailed, for now, renewal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. And worries about noncitizen voting are prompting calls for stronger voter ID laws, with proof of citizenship.


More: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060709/17voting.b.htm

[MelissaB]

16. Just because a charge is incendiary doesn't mean it's big news

Just because a charge is incendiary doesn't mean it's big news

David Hawpe

One of my regular preachments is that no journalism is "objective," at least in the scientific sense.

We can't measure, as scientists do, with carefully and universally calibrated instruments, in order to decide which stories merit the front page.

Our goal is work that is scrupulously accurate, as well as thorough, fair and balanced. But producing it is more art than science.

I was thinking about this as I scanned a letter from a local dentist, a certain Dr. P, who had just read a story by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and political writer Tim Dickinson in the June 15 Rolling Stone and wondered why "virtually all media have ignored it."

...snip

Why was this not bigger news in the mainstream press? In part, because the Democratic Party hasn't embraced Kennedy's conclusion with confidence and zeal. And why is that? Because party leaders fear proposing reform in a GOP-dominated Congress?

Kerry says, "The real reason there is no appetite up here is that people are afraid the Republicans will amend (the Help America Vote Act of 2002) and shove something far worse down our throats."

...snip

In fact, the Kennedy article has not been ignored. It has been debated on Salon.com, with Farhad Manjoo attempting to discredit it and the authors of a new book (Was the 2004 Presidential election Stolen? Exit Polls, Election Fraud and the Official Count, by Steven Freeman and Joel Bleifuss) punching holes in Manjoo's arguments.

Mark Leibovich noted in The New York Times that Kennedy "roiled the blogosphere and cable news shows" with his Rolling Stone piece. Meanwhile, commentary in three major Ohio papers dismissed it. In Cleveland's Plain Dealer, reader representative Ted Diadiun said, "Rest assured, we checked out Election 2004 thoroughly." Dayton Daily News columnist Martin Gottleib said Kennedy is pushing a delusion.

There you have it, Dr. P. Journalism isn't science. The public decides which journalism it considers credible. The historians wait their turn.

More: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060709/COLUMNISTS08/607090351

[MelissaB]

17. FL: Voter ID law still in limbo, but will it affect election?

Voter ID law still in limbo, but will it affect election?

Our views
OPINION

The on-again, off-again state voter ID law is off again. And with the July 18 primary just nine days away, it's unclear when or if it might ever take effect.

The law, first passed in the 2005 legislative session, requires voters to produce a photo identification card at the polls, in the form of a driver's license, school or military ID or state-issued card that includes a photograph. After the law was challenged in federal court last year, the legislature amended it this year to make ID cards free to anyone needing one.

It appeared that would be the law's last hurdle, but not so. A challenge in Fulton County Superior Court, led by former Gov. Roy Barnes, resulted in a retraining order Friday from Judge Melvin Westmoreland. The state has vowed to appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court, but the case isn't likely to be settled in time for the primary.

Meanwhile, a federal challenge to the law is pending as well, with a ruling possible this week.

Despite all the legal haranguing, we have to wonder: Does this law really matter either way? Are fears of voter fraud on one side and voter discrimination on the other both overblown?


More: http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/stories/20060709/opinion/109379.shtml

[rumpel]

18. NM: Candidate had her voter registration in order

Alamogordo Daily News
Sunday, July 9, 2006

The suit that Otero County Commissioner Doug Moore filed to remove Janet White from the November ballet is truly unfounded.

Doug Moore wants to have Janet White's name removed from the November ballot based on the fact that she was registered to vote in precinct 27 of District 3, residing at 2348 Union on the day she filed for a declaration of candidacy on June y. The clarification requested by County Clerk Robyn Silva states the requirements for the declaration of candidacy for an independent are different than those required by a major candidate.

While the major candidate is required to be a registered voter and reside within the district he or she is running for prior to the last Monday in January 2006, the independent candidate must establish residency by the day after the primary election. There are no requirements for the independent candidate to establish a change in voter registration prior to the declaration of candidacy.

http://www.alamogordonews.com/opinion/ci_4029103

[rumpel]

19. WV: HELEN GIBBINS: Congress must reapprove Voting Rights Act

Herald-Dispatch

OPINION | Sunday, July, 9, 2006

The League of Women Voters of the Huntington Area strongly supports the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, H.R. 9, the "Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006".

Since our founding in 1920, protecting and promoting the right of every citizen to vote has been a guiding principle of the League of Women Voters. The Voting Rights Act has institutionalized that principle by outlawing discriminatory practices in elections and protecting the rights of minority voters.

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution has held extensive hearings on the Voting Rights Act and found significant evidence that there are still major barriers to equal minority voter participation. Unfortunately, some minority voters still face obstacles to voting, whether from attempts to dilute the strength of minority voters in unfair redistricting or from the lack of bilingual ballots for citizens who are limited English proficient -- the contemporary equivalent of the last century's literacy test.

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060709/OPINION/607090327/1034

[rumpel]

20. MN: FLAWED SYSTEM?

Twin Cities Pioneer Press

Posted on Sun, Jul. 09, 2006

You can't make a case for the Royals' Mark Redman over Twins phenom Francisco Liriano, but opinions differ about whether the all-star selection process is broken.
Jason: I was looking forward to watching the All-Star Game on Tuesday night until Francisco Liriano got jobbed this past week on that last-chance vote. Just one more thing that's wrong with the selection process.

Gordon: There you go again. I get your point on Liriano — I think he deserves to be there, too. But so do a lot of other guys, including some who started the whole season, not just the past seven weeks. There's nothing wrong with the selection process that's any worse than any other format.

Jason: What do you mean?! The fan voting in itself is ridiculous. It favors the big-market players. But the last-chance fan vote is a real farce. The fact that you can vote an unlimited number of times is stupid. What's the point of that? The player who has the most fans with no lives gets an all-star berth. What genius came up with that?

Gordon: Geez, somebody run over your puppy? The system's not perfect, but even having that extra fan vote for the final roster spot on each team is pretty cool. I think it keeps the interest up and makes the final rosters a little easier to take, snubs and all.

Jason: How does that solve the biggest snub — Liriano? Are you trying to tell me you don't think that whole last-chance vote thing looks a little fishy? They don't even release voting breakdowns. We're supposed to take Major League Baseball's word for the one update they give near the end of the process and then the final rankings, without any numbers to back it up? I mean, what's with, "Liriano leads a tight race'' one day, and A.J. Pierzynski overtakes him in "one of the closest races ever'' the next day? Sounds pretty convenient to me.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/14996953.htm

[corbett]

21. Thanks For The Cartoon!

I needed a good laugh with so much bad news surrounding us!

http://www.democrats.org/democracybonds.html

[rumpel]

22. OR: No wonder voters toss ballots aside

Published: Sunday, July 9, 2006

It is supposed to be an old political joke in election-ridden Oregon: "What if they held an election and no one came?"
It nearly happened. Only 39 percent of the registered voters cast ballots in the May primaries - the third lowest turnout of the last 40 years. Only turnouts in 1994 and 1998 were lower, according to an analysis recently published by The Oregonian.
The analysis was conducted using the first statewide voter database required by the misnamed Help America Vote Act of 2002. Among voters between the ages of 30 and 45, barely one in four cast a primary ballot. The 30- to 35-year-old voters were no more likely to cast ballots than 18- to 19-year-olds. By contrast, voters 57 years and older cast ballots at twice the rate of voters in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
The Oregonian's analysis confirms the older you are, the more likely you are to vote. The news is in the breakdown of the age groups. Middle-age primary voters are as likely not to vote as the youngest voters.
Commentators worry about "apathy, indifference, lack of civic duty and the pathetic turnouts." Wrong conclusions.
Years of asking nonvoters why they did not vote has yielded some unsettling conclusions.

• Many people I interview insist their "vote does not count." They are not wrong.

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/07/09/ed.col.sadler.elxn.0709.p1.php?section=opinion

[rumpel]

23. BradBlog: Busby/Bilbray Registrar's Office Quotes Three Different Prices

for Cost of Hand Count to Voters, Media; No Explanation Given for Disparities!



BLOGGED BY Brad ON 7/9/2006 6:05AM
Election Integrity Advocates told Hand Count Fees to be $6000/day, While Media told Fees Would be $2000-3000/day
ALSO: No Documents for Ballot Chain of Custody, Machine Audit Logs, 1% Random Audit, as Requested by Hand Count Filing, Have Been Produced by San Diego County Registrar's Office Despite Demand for $6000 Payment Due Tuesday…
The San Diego County Registrar's office seems to be playing games with the amount they are attempting to charge for the cost of a manual hand count request as filed for accountability in the June 6th Busby/Bilbray U.S. House special election.

As well, the office has so far refused to produce any of the documents requested by the voter who filed for the hand count as required by California state law.

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3045&print=1

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24. DC: Election Corrections

America's voting machinery was supposed to be fixed, but the road to reform has been slow going


By Silla Brush
Posted Sunday, July 9, 2006


That messy 2000 election was supposed to be the jolt America needed. After chronic flaws in the country's voting process became painfully public, an ambitious reform effort was supposed to make hanging chads and butterfly ballots relics of election nightmares gone by.
But nearly six years later, it hasn't turned out that way. In the state of Washington, the 2004 governor's election took more than six months to resolve--again before a court. And some liberal activists still believe that vote tampering and dirty tricks handed Ohio to the GOP, enabling President Bush to win re-election. Now, heading into the midterm congressional elections, despite the expenditure of billions of dollars, a litany of problems remains.
"We've made some substantial progress," says House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat who cosponsored a 2002 election reform law, "but there is a lot left to be done."
Overhaul. On the heels of the Florida debacle, the National Commission on Federal Election Reform, led by former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, called for new voting machine technology, statewide voter registration databases, and voter identification provisions (box). What emerged from Congress was the Help America Vote Act, a $3.8 billion effort--$800 million of which still hasn't been appropriated--to revolutionize elections by January of this year.

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25. Around the Globe:Turkey SEC does not accept any of the reviewed complaints

Sunday , 09 July 2006

The State Election Commission at Sunday's session does not accept any of the reviewed complaints submitted from the five electoral districts by submitters of the list of candidates for election of MPs in the Macedonian Parliament.

The SEC currently debates the submitted complaints from the sixth electoral district and one of VMRO-DPMNE, 11 complaints of DPA and six complaints of DUI.

The SEC also reviewed and did not accept the 12 complaints submitted by DPA, 2 of DUI, 1 of Democratic Renewal of Macedonia, 1 of the SDPM and 11 of VMRO-DPMNE.

http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=34654

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26. Mexico: Losing Mexican Presidential Candidate Draws Huge Protest Crowd in

Mexico City
Voice of America

By Greg Flakus
Mexico City
09 July 2006
Flakus report - Download 489k
Listen to Flakus report

he man who ran a tight second place in the official count from last Sunday's presidential election in Mexico drew more than 100,000 people to Mexico City's main plaza, known as the Zocalo, Saturday to protest what he claims was a fraudulent process. Leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador asked his supporters to refrain from acts of violence while he pursues legal channels to contest the election results.

They came by the tens of thousands, cramming the narrow streets of Mexico City's old central district, waving flags and banners and chanting their disapproval of the official vote result that gave the victory to ruling party candidate Felipe Calderon.

Many carried signs condemning Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute for having, in the view of the protesters, conspired with the ruling party to steal the election from Lopez Obrador. International observers called the July second voting process exemplary and representatives of every party were on hand at every voting station in the country to observe the process, which was mostly carried out by volunteers.

Still, in his address the crowded Zocalo, Lopez Obrador said he and the millions who Demonstrators on truck in Zocalo,Mexico City, July 8, 2006 support him were victims of a massive fraud.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-07-09-voa17.cfm

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27. Bulgaria: Introduction of e-voting system at SMC Is Unnecessary Expense

Museum of Natural History Director

Focus i-News

Sofia. If an e-voting system is introduced at the Sofia Municipality Council (SMC) this would allow the members to vote with someone else’s card, just like at the National Assembly. This is what the Director of the Museum of Natural History and Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Municipal Councilor Professor Bozhidar Dimitrov told FOCUS News Agency. He was asked to comment on Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria demand an e-voting system to be introduced, as it was not clear with the majority of which political groups the decisions at the Council are being adopted or rejected.
“I think that now we can still see how one has voted and whether they have broken the party’s will. Unfortunately, if the SMC members vote with cards we will witness the same situation as at the Parliament,” Professor Dimitrov commented.
“The introduction of an e-voting system is an unnecessary expense. We are not 240 people like in the Parliament, we are only 60,” Professor Dimitrov added.

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?catid=75&newsid=91904&ch=0

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31. Nepal's controversial chief election commissioner quits

DailyIndia.com

By Sudeshna Sarkar, Indo-Asian News Service

Kathmandu, July 9 (IANS) Caught between parliament that started proceedings for his impeachment and a high-level commission that summoned him for questioning, Nepal's Chief Election Commissioner Keshav Raj Rajbhandari, who faced criticism for holding elections under King Gyanendra's absolute rule, quit his job Sunday.

Rajbhandari has been accused of helping the king continue his authoritarian rule by holding the municipal elections in February, even though they were boycotted by Nepal's major parties and triggered fresh violence by the Maoist guerrillas.

The international community too condemned the February polls as a farce and after the king's reign ended three months ago, the new government declared the exercise invalid. Though on the verge of bankruptcy, the royal regime spent Nepali Rs.280 million on the elections that saw the seats bagged by two splinter parties headed by royalist ministers and independent candidates propped by the palace.

Several posts went uncontested due to the absence of contestants while a large number of winners hastily resigned after receiving threats from the Maoists.

However, despite the low turnout of voters and the farcical aftermath, under Rajbhandari the Election Commission was readying to hold general elections by April 2007 and legitimise King Gyanendra's power grab last year through a bloodless coup.

After the king was forced to step down in April following nationwide protests against his 15-month authoritarian rule, Nepal's reinstated parliament began clamouring for Rajbhandari's resignation.

When he refused to heed the demand, MPs last week began collecting signatures to impeach the official and were scheduled to start the motion in parliament Sunday.

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/40797.php/Nepals_controversial_chief_election_commissioner_quits

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32. Qatar: Drive soon to update voter list

Published: Sunday, 9 July, 2006, 10:35 AM Doha Time
Staff Reporter
DHAKA: The election commission (EC) has finally decided to go door to door to update the voters’ list, said an EC announcement here yesterday.
The commission said it has relaxed the rule 20 (1) of the Electoral Roll Rules 1982 and added a new provision to it through an amendment that allows the EC to take the decision to go door to door alongside the existing arrangements for updating the voter list.
In amending the rules, the commission referred to the opinions given by different political parties, professionals, social and cultural bodies that the task for updating the voter list will be completed successfully by going door to door.
It said that before the amendment, the EC had no scope for going door to door to collect information for inclusion, revision and exclusion of voters from the existing voter list.
Earlier, the commission had decided to update the electoral roll from the offices of registration/assistant registration, union/municipal, wards or city Corp wards, triggering protests by the opposition and ruling parties, civil society and watchdog bodies.
They urged the EC to revise its decision and go door to door to collect information about the voters and update the list for holding free and fair elections.
But opposition Awami League and Jatiya Party (JP) leaders have said the present Election Commission headed by chief election commissioner (CEC) Justice M.A. Aziz lost its credibility and confidence of the people through their controversial activities and demanded the formation of a credible commission for fair elections.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=96361&version=1&template_id=44&parent_id=24

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33. New Zealand: E-voting pushed back to 2014

10 July 2006

By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER

The Chief Electoral Office has scratched a proposal to let people vote over the Internet in the general election scheduled for 2008.

Chief electoral officer Robert Peden says voters are likely to have to wait till at least 2014 to vote online.

Plans for a trial of e-voting in 2008 were dropped because of ongoing concerns about security and the difficulty of proving people who voted online were who they said they were.

There is a high level of confidence in the current voting system and the introduction of new technology should not be rushed, he says.

Mr Peden first raised the prospect of piloting e-voting in an electorate in "middle New Zealand" in 2008 three years ago, when he was deputy Chief Electoral Officer.

His former boss, David Henry, said the trial would be subject to parliamentary approval and practicalities being addressed.

A study carried out in 2003 estimated the technology to let people vote from home over the Internet would cost $915,000 to buy and $174,000-$264,000 a year to run.

The Chief Electoral Office estimated at the time that half of all votes cast in 2014 could be cast over the Internet, by phone or via text messaging.

It estimated the number of polling stations could be cut back from 2825 in 2002 to 2409 by the election scheduled for 2017 to pay for the investment in technology, though Mr Henry conceded the business case was, "in conventional terms, quite weak".

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3726380a28,00.html

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28. OR: Why is voter turnout so low?

blue orgeon

Russell Sadler

It is supposed to be an old political joke in election-ridden Oregon: “What if they held an election and no one came?”

It nearly happened. Only 39 percent of the registered voters cast ballots in the May primaries -- the third lowest turnout on the last 40 years. Only turnouts in 1994 and 1998 were lower, according to an analysis recently published by The Oregonian.

The newspaper’s analysis was conducted using the first statewide voter database required by the misnamed “Help America Vote Act” of 2002. Mining this database reveals voting patterns that were unobtainable when voting statistics were kept county-by-county.

Among voters 30-45 years old, barely 1 in 4 cast a primary ballot. The 30-35 year old voters were no more likely to cast ballots as 18-19 year olds, already notorious for not voting. By contrast, voters 57 years and older cast ballots at twice the rate of voters in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

The Oregonian’s analysis confirms the older you are, the more likely you are to vote. The news is in the breakdown of the age groups. Middle-aged primary voters are as likely not to vote as the youngest voters.

The Oregonian is concerned about the “disproportionate influence” of older voters. The poli-sci types wring their hands about the “shocking” lack of participation. In the wake of the May primaries the commentators worry about “apathy, indifference, lack of civic duty and the pathetic turnouts.” Wrong conclusions.

Other than an anecdotal interview, (“Gee, I was so busy I didn’t make time to vote,”) no one seems to have asked non-voters why they did not vote.

http://www.blueoregon.com/2006/07/why_is_voter_tu.html

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29. WAPO: In Voter Database, Seek, and Seek, and Seek, and Ye Shall Find

Washington Post

By Daniel de Vise and John Wagner
Sunday, July 9, 2006; Page C05

Montgomery County elections director Margaret Jurgensen was virtually alone in the office Monday, so she began experimenting with the new statewide voter database that had been giving her staff trouble.

Workers were having a hard time using the search feature to find voters in the database. So she typed in the first four letters of her name, J-U-R-G, and the age range of 50 to 55, and hit the search button.

"My name did not come up," Jurgensen said, recounting the episode last week in a meeting with the State Board of Elections.

That was not welcome news. The primary election is two months away, and it will be Maryland's first real test of the new voter database, called MDVOTERS.

County election workers discovered problems in the database when they used it to check the validity of signatures in a petition drive to overturn early-voting laws. In Montgomery, workers were initially unable to find 121 registered voters in the database. They discovered the error when they looked up the same names on the old county voter rolls. When they searched again, using broader criteria, they found the 121 voters on MDVOTERS.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/08/AR2006070800878.html

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30. IA: Plumbing Iowa for Democratic Caucus Votes? Bring Money

Wahsington Post

By Zachary A. Goldfarb and Chris Cillizza
Sunday, July 9, 2006; Page A04

To most people, all the national Democrats beating a path to Iowa this month look an awful lot like presidential candidates. But to the state Democratic Party, they look like something else: revenue enhancers.

Showing its entrepreneurial spirit, the state party is offering potential candidates access to its detailed voter database -- for a price. Specifically, they can mine the valuable data for $50,000 (act now, urges the party, and get a discount from the usual fee of $75,000). The details were reported by the political newsletter the Hotline and the Des Moines Register.

For an additional $50,000 next year, candidates can secure access to a database buttressed by information derived from the 2006 primary and general elections. Or campaigns can ignore the current offer and purchase the full database next year for $85,000.

Candidates have until Saturday to decide whether to take advantage of the discount.

Eighteen months before the often-pivotal Iowa caucuses, potential candidates are already swarming the Hawkeye State.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/08/AR2006070800774.html

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34. GA: Avoid the line, crowd vote early

Status of state's voter ID law still undecided 9 days before primary
By HARRIS BLACKWOOD
The Times (Gainesville)

Local News - Sunday, July 9, 2006

Early voting begins Monday across Georgia, but it begins with an uncertain future for Georgia's voter ID law. A judge on Friday issued a restraining order that blocks enforcement of the new law.

The weeklong early voting process gives voters an opportunity to cast their ballots in advance of the July 18 primary.

The state immediately announced its intention to appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court.

In a sharply-worded ruling, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melvin Westmoreland said Friday that Georgia's voter ID law "unduly burdens the fundamental right to vote rather than regulate it."

"And irreparable harm will result if the 2006 Photo ID Act is not enjoined," Westmoreland wrote.

Westmoreland added that "where the right of suffrage is fixed in the Constitution it cannot be restricted by the legislature, but only by the people through an amendment to the Constitution."

Voters wishing to vote early can present one of 17 forms of ID, some with photos and some without, that had been allowed in previous elections. The accepted forms of ID range from a driver's license to a utility bill. Voters who lack one of those IDs also can continue to attest to their identity under oath.

However, if Attorney General Thurbert Baker is successful in getting an expedited ruling from the Supreme Court reversing Westmoreland's decision, the rules could change again before the Democratic and Republican primaries.

The early voting in Hall County will take place at the Election's Office at 275 Dawsonville Highway, in the corner of the Colonial Lakeshore Mall parking lot. Voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/stories/20060709/localnews/109430.shtml

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35. GA: Voter ID law still in limbo, but will it affect election?

The Times (Gainesville)

Opinion - Sunday, July 9, 2006

Our views

OPINION
The on-again, off-again state voter ID law is off again. And with the July 18 primary just nine days away, it's unclear when or if it might ever take effect.

The law, first passed in the 2005 legislative session, requires voters to produce a photo identification card at the polls, in the form of a driver's license, school or military ID or state-issued card that includes a photograph. After the law was challenged in federal court last year, the legislature amended it this year to make ID cards free to anyone needing one.

It appeared that would be the law's last hurdle, but not so. A challenge in Fulton County Superior Court, led by former Gov. Roy Barnes, resulted in a retraining order Friday from Judge Melvin Westmoreland. The state has vowed to appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court, but the case isn't likely to be settled in time for the primary.

Meanwhile, a federal challenge to the law is pending as well, with a ruling possible this week.

Despite all the legal haranguing, we have to wonder: Does this law really matter either way? Are fears of voter fraud on one side and voter discrimination on the other both overblown?

The Republican majority in the legislature passed the law to address fears of voter fraud. There is no evidence that widespread fraud has occurred in Georgia, specifically the idea of someone casting a vote under someone else's name. It's certainly possible, yet may be hard to prove. Even such a fraudulent act would affect only a single vote here and there and likely not have much of an impact on an election.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/stories/20060709/opinion/109379.shtml

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36. OK: County residents wishing to vote absentee should apply now

The Tuttle Times

Published: July 09, 2006 12:42 am

The Tuttle Times
CHICKASHA — Voters in Grady County who want to have absentee ballots mailed to them for the July 25 Primary Election should apply now, County Election Board Secretary, Denise Robinett, has announced.

Although the County Election Board can accept applications for absentee ballots until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19, Robinett urged voters who want to vote by absentee ballot to apply early. Absentee ballot application forms are available at the County Election Board office located in the District Attorney Complex, 307 W. Pennsylvania Ave. in Chickasha. The forms may also be downloaded from the Oklahoma State Election Board website: www.elections.state.ok.us.

“At least two mail transactions must be made,” Robinett said. “The County Election Board must mail the ballots to the voter and the voter must return the voted ballots by mail.” Ballots must be in the hands of the County Election Board by 7 p.m. on election day in order to be counted.

Robinett said that any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot in any election in which he or she is eligible to vote.

It is not necessary to give a reason - or excuse - for voting absentee.

“While anyone can vote absentee without giving a reason, the law still provides several excuses and it is to the advantage of some voters to use one of them,” Robinett said. By stating one of the following reasons on their applications, these voters can activate some special conditions that make it easier for them to use absentee ballots. The reasons are:

http://www.tuttletimes.com/local/local_story_190004244.html?keyword=topstory

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37. UT: Republicans demand recounts in three races

The Daily Herald

Sunday, July 09, 2006

The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Republican Party has requested state elections officials for recounts in three primary election races.
In a letter to Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert on Friday, GOP Director Jeff Hartley asked for recounts in Rep. Peggy Wallace's West Jordan race, and in county commission races in Wayne and Piute counties, where five or fewer votes separate winners from losers.

Wallace, who trails 24 votes behind challenger Jim Bird, had not asked for a recount. Nor had Piute county candidate Bill Sudweeks, who fell three votes short of Travas Blood.

In Wayne County, Newell Harward waived his right to a recount in his 291-286 loss to Derae Fillmore.

By law, no one can petition for a recount until the election is certified. And it's unclear if the Republican party can even make such a request. But Hartley contends the recounts are warranted.

"The margin of victory was narrow enough that it could determine the outcome. And that merits a recount," Hartley said.

Hartley is also alleging voter irregularities in one Salt Lake County precinct, where poll judges failed to check voters' names against the list of those registered.

The county's Chief Deputy Clerk Jason Yocom said the office has heard no complaints of irregularities.

"We've gone to great lengths to educate our poll workers. I think we've done everything we can to ensure that wouldn't happen. And if it did happen, we'd certainly like to know about it," Yocom said.

Also in his letter to Herbert, Hartley claims three Democrats were mistakenly allowed to vote in the closed primary in Piute County. He alleges similar mistakes in San Juan and Iron counties and said county clerks should validate voter registration while conducting recounts.

"It's worth verifying and checking," Hartley said.

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/185540/4/

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38. Candidate criticizes Blackwell's conduct

http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/315293282264367.php

Published: Friday, July 7, 2006

A Blackwell spokesman called the candidate a 'walking conspiracy theory.'

THE VINDICATOR

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Jennifer Brunner, the Democratic nominee for secretary of state, says the actions of the current occupant of that post, Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell, "does real damage to the office."

In an interview Thursday with The Vindicator, Brunner sharply criticized the way Blackwell, the GOP gubernatorial candidate, runs the secretary of state's office.

"I'm questioning how Ken Blackwell is doing his job," she said. "There's too much politics in his office."

Brunner said it wasn't appropriate for Blackwell to serve in 2004 as a co-chairman of President Bush's Ohio campaign while being the state's top election official...

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39. Voinovich hearts Blackwell

Senator lauds oratory, service of Blackwell

http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/301370596827047.php

Published: Saturday, July 8, 2006

Voinovich praised the candidate's experience but questioned some of his proposals.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — U.S. Sen. George V. Voinovich, a former governor, said fellow Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell is an excellent gubernatorial candidate because "the state needs someone with new ideas to solve current problems."

But Voinovich disagrees with Blackwell's proposal to privatize the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. In addition, while Voinovich said he doesn't know enough about Blackwell's proposal to lease the Ohio Turnpike, he'd be concerned that the company leasing it would raise rates to "whatever the market dictates."

Those two proposals are among Blackwell's five major job-creation and economic stimulus initiatives.

Blackwell estimates a 99-year lease agreement for the 241-mile turnpike would bring about $4 billion to $6 billion to the state...



DeWine, Brown trade barbs

http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/300897505116340.php

Both men campaigned in the Valley on Thursday.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — With gas prices hitting record highs, incumbent U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine and U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown, his Democratic opponent in the November general election, said they have plans to ease the country's dependence on foreign oil.

But there is no quick solution, they say.

The Mahoning Valley was ground zero for the Senate race Thursday with DeWine, a Cedarville Republican seeking his third six-year term, in Cortland, and Brown, of Avon, in Youngstown. The two face each other in the Nov. 7 general election.

DeWine said a bill he re-introduced in the Senate would permit the U.S. Department of Justice to sue foreign oil producers for price fixing. The bill passed the Senate two years ago, but died in the U.S. House...

[Wilms]

40. Paper trail: (UT)Lieutenant governor dropped the ball on election recounts

Paper trail: Lieutenant governor dropped the ball on election recounts

Tribune Editorial

07/08/2006

The Tribune reported Thursday that Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert's office, which is in charge of elections administration for the state, is still working through the details of how a recount should occur using the new touch-screen machines. This despite the fact that a primary election already has occurred, there may be recounts necessary in three counties, and Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen has been asking the lieutenant governor for guidance on the recount issue for nearly a year.

The federal Help America Vote Act requires each state to adopt uniform standards that define what constitutes a vote and what will be counted as a vote for each voting system used in the state.
HAVA further requires that each voting system produce a permanent paper record with an audit capacity, and that it be available as an official record for any recount. What the law does not say is how that permanent paper record should be used in a recount.

When a Tribune reporter asked Herbert's office about this, his chief of staff said that county clerks would decide how to handle recounts. He later amended that to say that the state elections office was still working on guidelines.

Letting each county clerk decide how to proceed does not jibe with HAVA's requirement for statewide uniform standards of what constitutes a vote. Under Utah law, the paper ballot, meaning the audit tape, may be the official ballot.

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_4028266


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x439282