Never believe one vote does not matter. Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Friday, 1/25/2008

Hearing on election lawsuit rescheduled

A hearing scheduled for Wednesday in the Muncie mayor special election lawsuit has been postponed until Jan. 30.

Attorneys from both parties met in Jay Superior Court on Wednesday, asking Special Judge Joel D. Roberts for more time.

snip>

During a recount, 19 absentee ballot votes from Precinct 46 were disqualified on a technicality, costing Democratic nominee James Mansfield 18 votes -- and the election.

Republican Sharon McShurley, winner of the recount by 13 votes, has since taken office.

http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/NEWS01/801240359/1002/NEWS01

Needs more comments:

Seriously, when does Mansfield (or more accurately the D party) just call it a day and wait for the next election that they can "manipulate"?? Instead of trying to "steal" this one on a technicality (as they have accused the R party of), they should put the time to use to make an "iron-clad" AVB plan for 2011!!!

The Democrats are quick to say that the Republicans stole the office, and that McMayor should step down due to not being the "popular" winner, and that all the legal proceedings that put the Republicans if office was horrible!

snip>

Web Voter Registration Still Bogged Down

By JESSICA MINTZ

SEATTLE (AP) — Arizona began allowing voters to register online in 2004. Three years later, Washington became the second state to do so.

Given the migration to the Web of so many administrative tasks, like banking, what's with the holdup in other states?

Primarily, the roadblocks are technical. There is no national voter database and, until very recently, there weren't even statewide ones.

Voter rolls were kept in county offices, each with its own computer set-up. Funding for technology upgrades at the county level was scarce, according to Edgardo Cortes of the Election Assistance Commission.

The Help America Vote Act in 2002 promised states more than $3 billion to improve elections administration and mandated the creation of state voter databases by 2004.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hKeHRdL_rj6OJJGMOBBs5gstwzyQD8UBR8981

January 25, 2008

Group visiting jails to help inmates vote

By Andre Coe


County officials said they support an effort to restore voting rights to inmates in the Montgomery County and Montgomery City jails, but the inmates must decide themselves if they want to vote.

Members of the "Let My People Vote" campaign, led by the Rev. Kenny Glasgow of Dothan, visited the jails Tuesday and dropped off restoration of rights and voter registration forms.

Glasgow said that last year the campaign collected between 10,000 and 20,000 voter forms from across the state. Reaction has been positive this week at most jails his group has visited, he said, but some have not allowed the group to leave forms.

The group will travel to Birmingham today and Mobile on Thursday, Glasgow said. The goal is to get as many forms filled out as possible before the Jan. 25 voter registration deadline, thus allowing inmates to cast ballots in the Feb. 5 presidential primary.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080123/NEWS/801230350/1001

SC Keeps Tabs on Voting Machines

Catherine M. Welch

WILMINGTON, NC (2008-01-25) While political junkies monitor results in the South Carolina democratic primary, election officials will be keeping a sharp eye on the voting machines hoping to avoid the same troubles that plagued the GOP primary.

Florence and Horry County both had problems with voting machines closing down during the GOP primary. The problem was worse in Horry County where 80% of the county's machines were offline, and poll workers were reportedly scrambling for paper ballots and scraps of paper.

John Bonifaz with the watchdog group VoterAction.org says his group and others are calling for South Carolina to use only paper ballots for this weekend's primary.

We ought not to go through yet another hotly contested election where voters at the end of the day are wondering whether or not their votes were properly counted.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/whqr/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1217143§ionID=1

Paper ballots standing by
State says it’s ready for any problems at polls Saturday

By JOHN O’CONNOR - joconnor@thestate.com

A voting-watchdog group is urging state and county election officials to make sure they are prepared for problems during Saturday’s Democratic presidential primary.

If the state’s electronic voting machines fail — as they did last week in Horry County — polls should have ample backup paper ballots. Voters, said Brett Bursey with the South Carolina Progressive Network, might want to plan ahead.

“I’m going to take a pencil and a piece of paper to my polling place,” Bursey said, “and I will vote before I leave.”

Problems arose during the Republican primary last Saturday because the electronic machines were not reset after voting test runs. The machines, said Chris Whitmire, spokesman for the State Election Commission, will not turn on if votes have been recorded.

http://www.thestate.com/choosing/story/294859.html

Officials working to fix voting machine problems

By KATRINA A. GOGGINS - Associated Press Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. --
State election officials were working Wednesday to make sure voting machines work properly in Saturday's Democratic primary as advocacy groups met at the Statehouse to call for backup paper ballots at polling places.

In the Republican primary, more than 80 percent of the voting machines in Horry County didn't work and some residents there had to use paper ballots. Others were told to return later to make their picks, but should have been allowed to use any scrap paper to cast their votes, the State Election Commission said.

Also, counting votes in Horry and Florence counties were delayed for several hours because the machines had not been properly programmed to close and count ballots.

"Every election is a learning experience," South Carolina Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said Wednesday by telephone. "We identified the errors that were made in the Republican primary and we've taken steps to address those errors. Our focus now is on conducting the Democratic primary."

http://www.thestate.com/scpolitics-wire/story/294599.html

Campaigns to use own poll watchers

By Janelle Frost - The Sun News

Local volunteers will not be needed as poll watchers for Saturday's primary, but they will be used for other tasks.

The Horry County Democratic Party is using its volunteers to hand out literature at the polls after people vote.

The Georgetown County Democratic Party has asked volunteers to provide transportation to anyone who needs a ride to his or her polling place.

The Democratic candidates' campaigns are staffing the polls for the presidential-preference primary with their own poll watchers, which election officials say is not uncommon.

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/story/326895.html

Clerical error deletes voters' registrations

By Morgan Booth

More than 1,400 voters might appear at polling places for the March 4 primary, only to find out they are not registered to vote.

Clerical errors with the new voter database deleted registered voters for what appears to be no reason. Poll worker Mike Conwell said many voters' registrations were canceled correctly; the system purged voters who had moved. The 545,833 registered voters in Travis County are advised to double check their registration before the Feb. 4 deadline.

Conwell is working as a volunteer to notify voters who were deleted from the database and determine the source of the problem.

"It turned out there are people who did the right thing and took the right steps, but the bureaucracy failed them," he said. "At this point, anyone could have been removed."

http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2008/01/23/StateLocal/Clerical.Error.Deletes.Voters.Registrations-3162968.shtml

Who can cast votes in Feb. 9 elections?
Registrar says some voters may get confused

January 24, 2008


By John Andrew Prime
jprime@gannett.com

The elections Feb. 9 could confuse a lot of voters since parts of them are just open to voters in either of the two major parties and some parts will be open to all voters who live in certain areas, regardless of party affiliation.

"We have had a lot of voters call who are independents call our office to check on their voting in the presidential preference primary as they do in other states," Caddo Registrar of Voters Ernie Roberson said.

"Louisiana has a true closed primary, where only members of the party can vote on that party's candidates. Independents, members of other parties and no party voters will not be eligible to vote in either the Democrat or Republican party primaries."

Many voters may not understand the significance of how that will affect their eligibility to vote in these elections, Roberson said.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/ELECTION/801240332/1002/NEWS

Colorado’s 2008 elections still hang in the balance

By Elizabeth Guest, staff writer
The Daily Planet
Thu Jan 24, 2008, 07:52 PM MST

Hillary, Huckabee, Obama, oh my. Many Americans are unsure of who to vote for in November. In Colorado, voting uncertainties run deeper, as several widely-used electronic voting machines were decertified in December, leaving next year’s elections in the balance.

And now in counties that range from Denver to San Miguel, the big question is how people will vote. Right now, two methods are in the running — a mail-in election or an all-paper-ballot election.

Gov. Bill Ritter backed all-paper ballots on Wednesday, but county clerks favor mail-in elections. And with voting machines decertified — including San Miguel County’s eScan optical vote counter — the election process is still problematic.

On Dec. 17, Colorado Secretary of State Coffman announced that many of the state’s electronic voting machines are deficient. Machines were decertified, and Colorado started looking for a new voting method for the upcoming presidential election. Last Thursday, the Colorado County Clerks Association, at their winter meeting in Pueblo, proposed a mail-in ballot.

http://www.telluridenews.com/news/x1151553450

Hearings To Review Voting Machine Performance
Lawmakers Want To Hear About Optical Scan Machines

POSTED: 2:26 pm EST January 24, 2008
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Lawmakers plan to hold hearings in each of the state's five congressional districts to find out how new voting machines worked in the November election.

Members of the Government Administration and Elections Committee want to hear from voters and local election officials about any problems people might have had with the new machines.

This was the first time new optical scan voting machines and paper ballots were used statewide instead of the old lever machines.

Voters used pens and ballots that resembled standardized high school multiple-choice tests. The ballots were then fed into a scanner, which read and counted votes and deposited the ballots into a secure box.

http://www.wfsb.com/politics/15129405/detail.html

Feds approve Florida voting changes


Tallahassee, Florida - The U.S. Department of Justice has blessed some, but not all, of Florida's latest voting changes, despite protests from civil rights groups.

The impact for now: none. Wednesday's letter of approval arrives so close to the state's Jan. 29 presidential primary that Secretary of State Kurt Browning already told county election supervisors to conduct Tuesday's vote under old laws.

"It's much too close to change before a statewide election, and votes have already been cast," said Browning's spokesman, Sterling Ivey. "Voting started in Florida on Jan. 14, so it definitely does not make sense to change the laws at this point."

The approved changes range from deadlines for voter registration groups to turn in their files to a shorter list of what passes for a photo ID on Election Day.

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=72436

Florida to unplug its touchscreen voting machines

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY
Associated Press
Published on: 01/24/08

SARASOTA, Fla. — After next week, voting in Florida will be less like withdrawing money from an ATM and more like taking the SAT.

After less than six years, the state is pulling the plug on most of its 25,000 touch-screen voting machines — once heralded as a way to prevent messy, embarrassing elections.

Instead, the technology proved expensive for the 15 counties that adopted it after the 2000 presidential election thrust Florida into the national spotlight for the pregnant, hanging and dimpled chads on its paper ballots.

Officials promise the new method will be better. Most voters will fill in ovals on a paper ballot and a scanner will verify their vote before they leave the precinct.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/01/24/floridaprimary_0124.html

Absentee ballots absent in some counties
Six are waiting for overdue election forms

Associated Press
Published: 1/25/2008 12:17 AM


SPRINGFIELD -- Everywhere in Illinois, voters are heading to polling places early to pick their candidates ahead of the Feb. 5 primary election.

However, at least six Illinois counties -- Kendall, Hancock, JoDaviess, LaSalle, Wabash and Woodford -- have had significant delays in receiving their ballots for the rapidly approaching election. Some received their ballots this week, while a couple are still waiting.

The delay has forced election officials to either use new software to print out ballots for early and absentee voters "on demand" or turn them away altogether. It's also compressed election preparation time, making officials nervous about getting everything done with only 12 days before the polls open.

"It's a lot of different situations that are occurring," Kendall County Clerk Rennetta Mickelson said. "It's not easy."

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=120804&src=109

Some Watertown voters wary of election mechanics

By Jillian Fennimore, staff writer
Thu Jan 24, 2008, 09:04 AM EST

WATERTOWN - Watertown voters registered in droves for Super Tuesday, but some of them are wary of the town’s voting system.

Fourth-hundred fifty more people registered for the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary than did so for the last election.

The mechanics of the upcoming vote will be under close scrutiny, given the controversial Nov. 6 vote, recount and court battle that ended with Town Councilor Marilyn Devaney retaining her seat.

Liza Ketchum of Arthur Terrace told the TAB & Press that people are worried about their votes being properly counted.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/watertown/news/x1059365509

County sets record for voter registration
Interest driven by undecided presidential races in both parties

By THOMAS BARLAS Staff Writer, 609-272-7201
Published: Thursday, January 24, 2008

Contested Democratic and Republican presidential primaries with no clear front runners - but plenty of apparent citizen interest - helped Atlantic County reach a record number of registered voters.

The 159,664 Atlantic County residents who can vote in the Feb. 5 primary eclipses the old record set in the 2006 general election - a gubernatorial election year - by 2,462 people.

"It really jumped after the New Hampshire primary," Atlantic County Superintendent of Elections John Mooney said. "We were swamped with registrations that came in the last week before the (Jan. 15 voter registration) deadline."

Voter registration numbers in Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties increased from last year and exceeded the figures for the 2004 presidential election year. Voter registration generally spikes in presidential election years.

Like their counterparts in Atlantic County, election officials in Cape May and Cumberland counties said their offices were very busy.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/campaign/story/7530494p-7432347c.html

State picks optical-scan machines

On the last day it could decide before having the decision made by a federal judge, the state Board of Elections Commissioners today chose optical scan ballots for handicapped voting for the November elections, according to Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, who’d advocated this type of machine as a member of an Assembly committee and a statewide citizens’ advisory panel.

By federal court order, the Board of Elections had until today to decide on a method to allow voters with handicap accessible needs to vote without assistance as part of the Help America Vote Act passed by Congress. These machines must be in place in time for the 2008 September primary elections. It is widely believed that the method the board decided on will become the standard voting mechanism for all of New York starting in 2009.

The board eventually decided to allow three companies to sell their machines to counties. They are Sequoia Imagecast, Premier Automark and the ES&S Automark. All three are optical scan ballot machines. Their backers said that because they have paper ballots filled out by voters, they leave a record that can help verify results and settle disputes. The board decided to forego any machines known as DRE’s or touch-screen voting machines, which may not provide such a paper trail.

“Optical scan has been proven time and time again to be the most reliable and accurate method of casting votes and now New York State has taken steps towards becoming HAVA compliant by choosing the best option for worry-free voting,” said Lifton, D- and Working Families-125th Dist.

http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/NEWS03/80124002

County previously opposed to voting change now in compliance

Updated at 11:04 a.m.

COLUMBUS, O. (AP) – A county elections board that previously voted against complying with an elections directive from Ohio's top elections official has changed its vote.

The Hardin County Board of Elections voted 3-1 Wednesday night to comply with Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's demand that counties using touch-screen voting machines have a certain number of paper ballots available for the March primary. After a previous 3-1 vote against Brunner's directive, she sent the board a letter asking for compliance.

By November, Brunner wants all 57 counties that use touch-screen machines to switch to a system in which paper ballots are read by machines. The majority of Ohio's local election officials say they are resistant to this change.

http://www.timesreporter.com/index.php?ID=78519&r=0

County to address voting machine complaints


By John K. Manna
New Castle News

The Lawrence County Board of Elections plans to take steps to prevent any problems with the operation of voting machines.

Responding to a complaint filed by Shirley Sallmen, the board and the elections office staff said yesterday that most of the voting machine problems that had occurred in the November election were a result of human error.

They agreed that the way to prevent or eliminate the problems is to review what happened in that election with poll workers when the county conducts its training sessions before the April 22 primary.

“We’re going to bring these people here to explain what they did wrong,” elections director Marlene Gabriel said.

http://www.ncnewsonline.com/local/local_story_023102553.html

Paper ballot voting system may be purchased

By Amy Zalar, Herald-Standard
01/25/2008
Updated 01/25/2008 01:07:08 PM EST

Voters in Fayette County unhappy with the electronic voting system in place for the past few elections may have an option in November, although the issue of long lines at the polls may not be addressed prior to the April 22 primary.

Although several voting machine options were discussed during Thursday's commissioners meeting, the end result was a motion to formulate a plan that could mean the future purchase of a paper ballot voting system.

Commission Chairman Vincent Zapotosky and Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites approved a motion to develop a plan to purchase eScan machines from Hart Intercivic. Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink voted against the action, instead making a motion to purchase 50 additional eSlate machines with the money the commissioners previously set aside for such a purchase.

The motion to purchase addition eSlate machines did not receive a second. Zapotosky said he thinks such a purchase would be throwing good money away.

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19230804&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6

State: Paper Ballots Will Be Used In This Year's Elections
Electronic Voting Equipment Was Disqualified In December

POSTED: 2:37 pm MST January 23, 2008
UPDATED: 7:32 pm MST January 23, 2008

DENVER -- It may be a step backwards in technology but lawmakers say it's the only way to make sure your vote really counts.

Gov. Bill Ritter and state legislative leaders said voters should be able to cast paper ballots in person in this year's elections after most of the state's electronic voting equipment was decertified.

Under a plan announced Wednesday, voters in the primary as well the November presidential election would be able to cast their ballots in polling places on Election Day or vote through early voting and by mail.

That's the opposite of what a majority of county election officials had asked for, citing problems with the machines and concerns about a computerized voter registration database. County clerks had asked for an election conducted mostly by mail.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/15121967/detail.html

Brunner wins fight with Hardin County elections officials

Posted by Mark Rollenhagen January 23, 2008 22:21PM

In Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's first showdown with a county elections board since she issued a report on voting machine problems, the Hardin County Board of Elections blinked.

By a 3-1 vote Wednesday, the board in northwest Ohio reversed itself and agreed to print extra paper ballots for the March primary as Brunner directed earlier this month.

"It is a directive and they wanted to do what we needed to do," said Sandy Bookmyer, the board's director.

Brunner three weeks ago ordered county elections boards to print extra paper ballots for the March 4 presidential primary so that voters who didn't want to vote on touch-screen machines could vote on paper instead.

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/01/brunner_wins_fight_with_hardin.html

A Student's Guide to Absentee Voting

Jada Smith
1/24/08

With the majority of students being old enough to vote, 18 years of age or older, and the 2008 Presidential elections right around the corner, absentee voting will be a major concern in the upcoming months.

According to College Board, 93 percent of the students attending Howard University are from out-of-state, leaving just 7 percent as native Washingtonians.

Students who are registered to vote in any state outside of the District will be required to submit their votes via an absentee ballot upon request from local election officials in their respective hometowns.

Amal Bennett-Judge, co-chairman for the Howard chapter of Students for Barack Obama said, "In order to vote in the November elections, you need to begin registering now. I encourage students to use because it's easier and more effective. I also think it's more important for students to register in the state they're from instead of D.C."

http://media.www.thehilltoponline.com/media/storage/paper590/news/2008/01/24/NationWorld/A.Students.Guide.To.Absentee.Voting-3166520.shtml

Douglas County teens learn by serving as election judges

By Meg Thilmony
Thursday, January 24, 2008 11:52 AM CDT


TUSCOLA – When 32 high school juniors and seniors from around Douglas County gathered in Tuscola last week to train to become election judges and technicians, they did more than help the county in a pinch.

Douglas County Clerk Jim Ingram's program to get students to serve as election judges gets students involved in their local government, teaches them the election laws and links the county with younger generations.
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"We want them to actually be a new voter and understand what's going on so they can more or less preach that word to everybody else that it's A-OK," Ingram said. "And it's a way to show those students that they are trusted and they can take on adult responsibilities."

Janet Cox of Tuscola first started working with Ingram about eight years ago, when state law allowed high school seniors to work as election judges if enough adults weren't available.

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2008/01/24/douglas_teens_learn_by_serving

Have coffee with your state and county reps
Posted 1/24/2008 11:19 AM CST on Des Moines Register

The Windsor Heights Chamber of Commerce invites the public to attend its second annual Legislative Coffee from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Feb. 9 at the 3E headquarters, 953 73rd St.

Officials elected to represent Windsor Heights residents and surrounding areas at the state and county levels have been invited to attend. Those invited include State Sen. Pat Ward (R-Senate Dist. 30); State Representatives Dan Clute (R-House Dist. 59); Libby Jacobs (R-House Dist. 60); Jo Oldson (D-House Dist. 61); and Janet Petersen (D-House Dist. 64); and Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly (D-Dist. 5)

Each representative will have 10 minutes to give an update, followed by questions from the audience.

The Legislative Coffee gives citizens the opportunity to learn more about the issues before the state legislature this session and about issues facing Polk County.


The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Kris Gregersen, 279-3618 or kris@ps-promotions.com.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckPersona&U=33ec3d7f028e4fc382b970ad1139df39&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckUserId=33ec3d7f028e4fc382b970ad1139df39&plckPostId=Blog%3a33ec3d7f028e4fc382b970ad1139df39Post%3a41b7842e-2423-4302-97df-f0f4fe54d519&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest

Poll Workers Sought For D.C., Maryland, Virginia Primaries

POSTED: 2:20 pm EST January 24, 2008
UPDATED: 7:24 pm EST January 24, 2008

WASHINGTON -- An increased significance of the D.C. area's presidential primaries probably means more voters will be at the booths, causing concern about the number of poll workers.

News4's Cheryl Butler reported that election boards in D.C., Montgomery County, Md., and Loudoun County, Va., are in desperate need of poll workers before the Feb. 12 primaries.

The D.C. Board of Elections needs 1,500 poll workers to man 142 precincts. The greatest need is in Wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6.

"The most important thing is that they're enfranchising our residents of D.C.," said Bill O'Field of the D.C. Board of Elections. "They are checking them in at precinct, making sure names are in the master index. If it is, then they're processed."

http://www.nbc4.com/politics/15129325/detail.html

Election judges needed -- voter turnout likely to be big

Published: 1/24/2008 12:08 AM


If Kane County election officials could, they'd put up "Help Wanted" signs from one border to the next.

In the next two months, they will need more than 1,000 people to serve as election judges in a regular primary, a special primary and a special election.

"We don't have anywhere near what we need. We can always use more" said Linda Mitchell, the county's director of elections. "We have 223 precincts to staff. And we would like to have five judges for each precinct."

In the past, the majority of judges have been retired people. In the winter, many move to Florida and Arizona and return in the spring after the primaries.

"I have a feeling the turnout is going to be higher than usual for a primary," she said.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=119534&src=109