Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Wednesday 6//11/08

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1. States:

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4. AK:State in court over Yup'ik ballot demands

The state of Alaska was in federal court this morning, fighting against demands that it provide voting ballots and other election materials in Yup'ik as well as English to residents of the Bethel area.

The Native American Rights Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit last year on behalf of Yup'ik elders and four tribal councils in Western Alaska. They are suing the state and the city of Bethel.

Lawyers for the elders and the tribal groups say the state and Bethel are violating the federal Voting Rights Act of 1975 by failing to provide ballots and other materials in Yup'ik to villagers and Bethel residents who don't speak English well or at all. Voters struggle especially to understand complicated ballot measures.

The state responded that Yup'ik is historically an unwritten language and therefore exempt from requirements that written translations be provided of voting materials. Lawyers for Bethel say that city already is doing a good job of providing translators and other help and that the case against it should be thrown out.

Anchorage Daily News

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5. AL:AG subpoenas voting records from Bullock County

Agents from Attorney General Troy King's office served subpoenas for voting records in Bullock County after complaints of alleged improprieties there during last week's election, according to a release from the office. The request also comes after a report in the Montgomery Advertiser.

The subpoenas were served to election officials in the county including Probate Judge John H. Williamson and Sheriff Raymond Rogers, whose records included information the agents had already received from Circuit Clerk Wilbur Jernigan.

Those officials were directed in the subpoenas to provide immediately “any and all records regarding: June 3, 2008 election (which) records should include, but not be limited to, applications for absentee ballots, poll list, identification accompanying absentee ballots, affidavits accompanying absentee ballots, record of elections, ballot accounting sheets, sign in sheet from each polling place, and clerk's book for each polling place.”

The release from King's office stated no other information would be disclosed.

Montgomery Advertiser

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6. AL:Still Trying To Sort Out Voting Mix-Up

Republican Party members and voting officials are trying to settle the score after voting irregularities happened during last weeks primary.

Challenger Angie Swiger edged out incumbent Margaret Long tby just a few dozen votes. But Baldwin County's probate judge confirmed to News 5 that some voters did not have the District 5 school board race on their ballots. Today Probate Judge Adrian Johns looked at 29 provisional ballots that were cast. Officials checked only 13 of the 29 ballots in question. Over the 13, only 3 ballots were included in the District 5 voting area. 2 votes were added to Angie Swiger's total, and the other ballot had no vote cast in the race. News Five has also learned that Margaret Long's camp says there were voting problems at an Elberta Precinct and that as many as 30 ballots may have been affected. So far no formal challenge has been filed. Neither Long or Swiger were at today's meetings.

The Probate Office has until June 20th the get anything new on the July 15th run-off ballot.

WKRG

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7. AL:Who Really Won?

Both candidates in the Baldwin County District 5 school board election believe they won the race. Challenger Angie Swiger beat incumbent Margaret Long by 65 votes in the Tuesday June primary but Long says don't count her out yet.

"I'm not going to secede," says Long. "I don't think I've lost the election."

Late Tuesday night, Baldwin County Probate Judge Adrian Johns discovered a huge problem. Voters in two precincts within the District 5 area did not get ballots for the school board race when they voted. 142 voters didn't get to choose a candidate.

"At this point I've won the election," says Swiger. "But I do think those 142 people need to have their say."

WKRG

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20. AL:DA requests investigation of county absentee voting

Fifth Judicial District Attorney E. Paul Jones has confirmed he has requested an investigation of absentee ballots in last Tuesday's primary but said his letter has been mailed so recently the attorney general's office may not have received it.

"I have had complaints from citizens regarding absentee ballots in Randolph County but I and my office don't have the resources and expertise to investigate allegations of this sort," Jones said.

"I have asked the AG's office to look at it. They have the knowledge, resources and expertise to investigate and are investigating an incident in Perry County," Jones said.

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Of the county's 15,455 registered voters, in uncertified results a total of 3,856 votes were cast or almost 25 percent in a light turnout for a primarily local election. There will be no Democratic runoffs July 15; only two statewide Republican races will be decided.

Randolph Leader

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8. CA:Assembly speaker moves to stop 'ghost voting'

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass took the necessary first step toward ending the practice of "ghost voting." In a closed-door caucus Tuesday, she instructed Assembly Democrats to pull the keys out of their electronic voting machines when they leave the chamber.

The speaker's edict comes in response to evidence that legislators were voting for each other - in open violation of the rules - in the rush to beat a late-May deadline for bills to clear their houses of orgin. In one case, Assemblyman Kevin de León, a Los Angeles Democrat who serves as assistant majority floor leader, voted "yes" for Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi, D-Castro Valley, on a housing-related bill she opposed. Hayashi was elsewhere in the State Capitol at the time. Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, intervened to switch Hayashi's vote to "not voting," which has the effect of a no vote.

Bass said she reminded her colleagues of Assembly Rule 104: "A member may not operate the voting switch of any other member."

However, Bass did allow some leeway for members to leave their keys in - and to operate a voting switch on another's behalf, with permission - when they are "on the green carpet." That would include areas within line of sight of their desks: The Assembly floor, the members' lounge and adjoining hallway.

SF Gate

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9. IA:Mitchell County Voting Error Changes Election Results

Democratic candidate who though he was a winner primary election night, lost the race after auditors found a voting error.

Mitchell County Auditor Lowell Tesch announced Wednesday County Supervisor District 2 candidates received votes from a wrong precinct in last week’s primary election.

Because of a error by the company that programs memory cards for the voting equipment, County Supervisor District 2 appeared on the ballot in one extra precinct.

The vendor mistakenly programmed the supervisor race on the Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines for the Stacyville-Union precinct which does not lie in Supervisor District 2.

KIMT

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10. IN:Voting machine vendor gets 18-month suspension

INDIANAPOLIS | An Indianapolis company that provided faulty voting machines to more than half the state, including Lake County, caught a break Tuesday from state regulators.

The Indiana Election Commission whittled the five-year suspension an administrative law judge had recommended for Microvote General Corp. down to 18 months. But the bipartisan panel warned that it could impose the full five-year penalty if the company doesn't honor service agreements with the 49 Indiana counties already using its machines.

Microvote provided electronic equipment it knew could not handle split-precinct and straight-ticket voting in the May 2006 primary, an election law violation that drew $363,000 in separate penalties the company is contesting. Microvote attorney John Price said the problems didn't jeopardize the integrity of the election and did not warrant further punishment from the commission.

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But commission members said Microvote wasn't candid with them about delays in getting their equipment certified prior to the primary two years ago. Commissioner S. Anthony Long, a Democrat, said the company put the credibility of the 2006 contest at risk by distributing unauthorized equipment to counties "on a gamble they would get certification approval in time for the election."

NWI

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11. MT:More Montanans voting absentee

More people are choosing not to vote at the polls, and that may lead to Montana going to an all mail ballot election.

Secretary of State, Brad Johnson, says the recent primary went well with no major problems reported. He says it didn't appear voters had to wait long to register to vote. Though fewer people are heading to the polls, his office has seen a steady increase in people voting absentee. It's up to about 45% of votes.

"The legislature is doing, working on proposed legislation to move us towards an Oregon state mail ballot process. My belief is the question is not if we're going to go to mail in ballots, it's when."

A bill being discussed in Helena would set some trial all mail-ballot elections for 2010.

Montana News

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12. NJ:ACLU, press groups seek to open voting case

Judge asked to reconsider ruling barring disclosure of machine test results

The American Civil Liberties Union and press associations from throughout New Jersey are asking a Superior Court judge to reconsider her ruling barring computer experts from publicly revealing the results from their tests of Sequoia voting machines.

Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg is expected to rule June 20 on the requests from the civil liberties and press groups to join the 4-year-old case that is examining the reliability of the state's electronic voting machines.

The ACLU argued that the conditions Feinberg set for testing the machines manufactured by Colorado-based Sequoia Voting Systems are "too restrictive," according to motion papers filed yesterday in Trenton.

The judge had said her order was designed to protect Sequoia's trade secrets. Feinberg precluded the experts from discussing their findings until the case is completed.

NJ Star Ledger

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13. OH:New Voting Machines Could Lead To Cuts, Layoffs

CLEVELAND -- Installing new voting machines in Cleveland and its Cuyahoga County suburbs could lead to county government budget cuts.

County Board of Elections Director Jane Platten has proposed spending up to $13 million for new equipment for the Nov. 4 election. As a result, County Commissioner Tim Hagan said budget cuts and possible layoffs in other county agencies would be needed.

The elections board is preparing to use its third voting system in the last three major elections. The money is likely to come from the county government's general fund.

The board was briefed on the voting machine options on Tuesday.

Newsnet

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14. OH:Decision Expected This Week on New Voting Equipment

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections this week expects to pick new voting machines for the fall election and beyond.

All votes in Cuyahoga County’s March primary were counted in one central location. But state lawmakers rejected that option, saying that doesn’t allow voters to fix their mistakes. So county elections officials are now scrambling to choose a new system that can count votes in the individual precincts. Here’s what they’re considering. They could rent an optical scan system, and then make a final decision next year. Or, they could purchase new machines outright. Then the decision is whether to use trusty, low-tech optical scanners, or new digital scanners that have advantages, but less of a track record.

With memories of past problems still fresh, and time running out to implement something totally new, elections director Jane Platten this week urged the board to decide quickly.

WCPN

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15. OH:Brunner offers plan for secure Nov. 4 voting

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner wants all county elections boards to prepare detailed security plans for state approval and have them all conduct post-election audits to ensure the Nov. 4 vote is protected and accurate.

Those items were among the recommendations in a 23-page post-primary report Brunner issued today to recap the primary and to look ahead to what is expected to be a record voter turnout for the presidential race this fall.

Brunner concluded that the March primary in Ohio went well, despite flooding in several counties, ice storms, bomb threats, ballot shortages in some areas and other scattered problems.

The primary also provided a chance to test new administration tools Brunner instituted, including a revamped election-night reporting system, “chain-of-custody” instructions for handling voting equipment and her Voting Rights Institute outreach program for voter concerns, Brunner said.

Columbian Dispatch

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16. SC:Battery back-up allows voting despite outage

A limb fell on a power line off Beechwood Drive near Fernwood Drive on Spartanburg's east side Tuesday night, knocking out power to about 1,400 Duke Energy customers for just over an hour.

While leaving many homeowners without air conditioning for a little while, the outage, which occurred about 6 p.m., did not create a significant problem at a nearby Spartanburg High School precinct, according to election officials, although the precinct did lose power.

The new electronic voting machines are equipped with battery back-ups, allowing poll workers to finish the day and close the precinct on time.

Go UpState

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18. TX:13 Nueces Co. delegates face credentials challenges

HOUSTON — A committee at the state GOP convention has allowed two more credentials challenges, bringing the total to 18 against 13 delegates from Nueces County, including four against county Chairman Mike Bertuzzi.

The challenges, if approved by the temporary credentials committee later today or Thursday, would prevent those delegates from attending the convention and voting on party business.

The challenges were filed by voters from Nueces County, who have become a prominent part of a statewide group of activists challenging Republican party stalwarts at the convention, which runs through Saturday in Houston.

The group has a Web site, fairconvention.org, and members are wearing T-shirts at the convention advertising the slogan “The GOP Rules – let’s follow them.”

Caller

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21. AR:Audit reveals human error caused election debacle

An audit of the May 20 primary election revealed that human error caused an incorrect outcome in the unofficial results announced election night in the District 45 race.

Also, Bruce Haggard has resigned as chairman of the Faulkner County Election Commission for reasons he said was unrelated to the election.

Regarding his resignation, Haggard would only say that his decision had to do with the amount of time the position demands.

On election night, Dr. Terry Fiddler was thought to be the winner of the District 45 race by a narrow margin. Linda Tyler, who was running against Fiddler for the Democratic nomination, asked for a recount. In the process of the recount, uncounted ballots were discovered, as well as the error, and Tyler was found to be the winner.

The Cabin

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22. AR:Ark. senators to vote on ouster of member over '06 election

Little Rock -The Arkansas Senate will consider ousting one of its own members for the first time in 34 years Thursday as it weighs whether a lawmaker should remain in the chamber despite accusations that fraud and irregularity marked his 2006 election.

The full Senate will vote on whether it agrees with a legislative panel's recommendation that Sen. Jack Crumbly, D-Widener, keep his seat despite its conclusion that his victory in a Democratic runoff was marked by "flagrant" fraud that should be probed by federal and state officials.

That recommendation came from the Senate Agencies and Governmental Affairs committee in April after hearing claims of ballot fraud and voting problems in Crumbly's victory over former state Rep. Arnell Willis in the 2006 Democratic primary runoff.

Crumbly won the Senate District 16 seat by 68 votes. Willis was initially declared the winner but Crumbly was declared the victor aftert a recount. He did not face a Republican opponent in the fall.
After hearings before the Senate, the legislative panel voted 4-3 to recommend that Crumbly keep his seat but unanimously declared that fraud existed in the election.

Daily World

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23. FL:Poll Workers Train On Optical Scanners

Pasco poll workers saw a sample paper ballot today, Wednesday, for the new optical scanner voting machines.

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Several hundred county poll workers got a sneak peek today, Wednesday, at the optical scanner voting machines Pasco voters will use during the Aug. 26 primary.

It will be the first countywide rollout of the new system, Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley explained at the training session.

The demonstration was held at the Pasco Schools Center for the Arts, on the River Ridge Middle-High School campus.

The DS200 scanning equipment from Omaha, Neb.-based Election Systems & Software will replace the county's former touch-screen voting systems. The Legislature ordered touch-screen systems scrapped in counties in which they were in use.

Sun Coast

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24. ND:N.D. primary elections this week, some will see changes

ND:N.D. primary elections this week, some will see changes in voting process with “vote by mail”

The North Dakota Primary Election will be held on June 10, 2008. This year, there are changes to the way that some counties will conduct the voting process. In Adams, Burke, Dunn, Emmons, Grant, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, McHenry, McKenzie, Mercer, Nelson, Pembina, Ramsey, Ransom, Sargent, Sheridan, Steele, Towner and Walsh counties, the primary election will be a “Vote By Mail Election.”

In Dunn, Kidder, McIntosh and McKenzie Counties, when the primary election is over, the process for the general election will be determined based on the public’s response to the Voting By Mail system.

Two counties are using vote centers (Stark and Stutsman), and five counties utilized early voting (Stark, Stutsman, Cass, Ward, and Grand Forks).

Just as there are some changes, other things remain the same in North Dakota’s electoral process. Automark voting machines will be available to make the voting process accessible to individuals with disabilities and all polling places will be accessible. North Dakota continues to be the only state that DOES NOT require voter registration in order to vote. Voters will continue to be asked to provide a form of identification, and must vote for only one political party in the primary election or their ballot will be disqualified for this election.

Devils Lake

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25. SC:Some Florence voters confused at voting booth

Some Florence voters have said they were confused at the voting booth Tuesday as city residents participated in two separate primaries — one for the city and one for federal, state and county contests.

A voter was able to cast a ballot in the Republican federal, state and county primary and in the Democratic city primary, or vice versa.

But because no Republicans are running for mayor, a city resident couldn’t vote in the mayoral contest if he or she had chosen a Republican city ballot.
Only Democratic candidates are seeking the office.

A voter who chose a Democratic ballot, however, could vote in the mayor’s race as well as for Democratic city council candidates.

SC Now

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2. National:

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3. Commentary, OP-Ed, etc.

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17. Children's Books Delve Into Voting, Campaigns And Life In Washington

Parents in search of teachable election-year moments with their kids as the presidential race sizzles in schools and around dinner tables need only depend on a duck, some dogs or a girl named Grace.

New children's books cover the voting process, life in the White House and the nation's star-spangled failure to give women the vote until 1920. With Chelsea Clinton stumping for her mom and Jenna Bush just married, there's also a book or two on what it might feel like to be a presidential offspring.

Helen Thomas, dean of the White House press corps, has teamed up with award-winning editorial cartoonist Chip Bok on "The Great White House Breakout," for release in August (Dial Books, $16.99, ages 6-up).

First boy Sam, whose mom is president, enlists the help of his pet rat and cat to escape his Secret Service nannies and go in search of a Washington, D.C., beyond the White House gates. The trio takee in the sights and have an unusual encounter with Abraham Lincoln before homesickness sets in.

The Ledger

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19. Tapping Computer Science For A More ACCURATE Vote

ScienceDaily (Jun. 10, 2008) — Inspiring campaign rallies. Whistle-stop stump speeches. Intense debates. This year's presidential elections have already exhibited a number of time-honored traditions in American democracy. Unfortunately, recent presidential elections have included a new ritual--questions and controversies over the accuracy of voting technologies Americans use to cast and count their ballots.

Enter A Center for Correct, Usable, Reliable, Auditable and Transparent Elections (ACCURATE), a team of computer scientists and other academic researchers from across the country who are working to help bring the latest research, insights and innovations from the lab to the voting booth.

Created in 2005 with a $7.5 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF), ACCURATE is part of NSF's Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate's CyberTrust program, a multi-year initiative that seeks to make the nation's underlying computer networks and infrastructures reliable even in the face of cyber attacks.

The project is headed by Avi Rubin, a professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University. An expert in information security, Rubin was intrigued by the challenges associated with improving voting technologies. "There was a perceived need," Rubin says, "that these systems were not secure enough." Once they began examining the issue from a scientific perspective, Rubin and his colleagues discovered that a more holistic approach was needed to understand how the computers, touch screens and other technologies are interrelated in elections.

ScienceDaily