Thousands Face Mix-Ups in Voter Registrations

[Hope And Change]

Thousands Face Mix-Ups In Voter Registrations

In New Databases, Many Are Wrongly Flagged as Ineligible

By Mary Pat Flaherty

Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 18, 2008; Page A01

Thousands of voters across the country must reestablish their eligibility in the next three weeks in order for their votes to count on Nov. 4, a result of new state registration systems that are incorrectly rejecting them.

The challenges have led to a dozen lawsuits, testy arguments among state officials and escalating partisan battles. Because many voters may not know that their names have been flagged, eligibility questions could cause added confusion on Election Day, beyond the delays that may come with a huge turnout.

The scramble to verify voter registrations is happening as states switch from locally managed lists of voters to statewide databases, a change required by federal law and hailed by many as a more efficient and accurate way to keep lists up to date.

But in the transition, the systems are questioning the registrations of many voters when discrepancies surface between their registration information and other official records, often because of errors outside voters' control.

The issue made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which yesterday blocked a challenge to 200,000 Ohio voters whose registration data conflicted with other state records.


more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101703360.html?hpid=topnews

[mod mom]

1. "result of new state registration systems that are incorrectly rejecting them"

DOESNT STOP THE GOP, CHECK THIS NEW SUIT OUT:

GOP filed suit in Ohio SC yesterday seeking no opening of absentee enclosing envelopes until those from voters who registered since 1/01/08 are verified. http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/17/brunner_scotus.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Specifically, the lawsuit asks the Ohio Supreme Court to require Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to order county elections boards not to count any absentee ballot from voters registered after Jan. 1 without first checking the statewide voter registration database to ensure there is no mismatch. (Dispatch, 10/17/08)

Note that’s only voters who have registered since 1/01 AND requested absentee.

SC Docket

http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/clerk%5Fof%5Fcourt/ecms/resultsbycasenumber.asp?type=3&year=2008&number=2027&myPage=searchbypartyname.asp

I’m not sure what is actually going on with the state database. It’s manual indicates that notices of mismatch are sent to local BOEs (quoted in the 6th Circuit’s 3-judge panel decision, around 10/10). That would appear to jive with HAVA and Ohio law. BUT in Brunner’s memorandum in support of stay filed earlier with district court (ORP v. Brunner) she states:

that the previous Secretary of State, in June of 2006, decided to reprogram the Statewide Voter
Registration Database so that various error notifications from BMV's non-matches or
mismatches were not automatically sent to the boards of elections. Worley Affidavit.

Notification turned off by Blackwell prior to his run for Governor?

Brunner had asked for evidentiary hearing in District; denied.

[WillyT]

2. Big K & R !!!

:kick: