Open Thread! Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News, Saturday 01/19/08

[Melissa G]

Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News, Saturday 01/19/08

Open Thread! Please Help Post! We need a New Daily Editor for Saturdays! PM me if you are interested! In the the interim, Please lend a hand Spreading the news about election reform!
Best,
Melissa


Esteemed DUer's, please consider taking a moment (or more)
to graciously participate by posting Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News on this thread.




If you can:
1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web.


2. Post stories using the Spring 2006 Edition of "Election Fraud and Reform News Directory" listed here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x407240

3. Re-post stories and announcements you find on DU, providing a link to the original thread with thanks to the Original Poster, too.


4. Start a discussion thread by re-posting a story you see on this thread.




Please "Recommend" for the Greatest Page (it's the link just below).
Thank You!

[EFerrari]

1. SC: Polling sites out of paper ballots

Polling sites out of paper ballots

Several people have called The Sun News this morning to complain that they were not able to vote this morning because paper ballots were not available when the electronic voting machines malfunctioned.

Marie VanMeter of Surfside Beach was told when she went to her polling station at Lakewood Elementary School, ''They said they were out of ballots and none of the machines were working in Surfside. They had everyone write down their phone number and that they would call us when we could vote.''

She added, ''What an injustice to those candidates.''

Several other people have called to say that polling stations in Surfside Beach were out of paper ballots.


http://thesunnews.typepad.com/politicktock/2008/01/polling-sites-o.html

[Wilms]

22. South Carolina primary plagued by bad voting machines, snow

South Carolina primary plagued by bad voting machines, snow

snip

Malfunctioning voting machines plagued Horry County, which contains the cities of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, according to poll workers. Workers said the machines have been down since polls opened at 7 a.m., and they are not reading activation cards.

Workers were handing out paper ballots, but at least one precinct has run out -- it had only 23 on hand. Poll workers said the county has about 100 precincts, and all of them are affected.

snip

http://us.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/19/south.carolina.gop/index.html

LBN Discussion thanks to MGKrebs:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3147600

[EFerrari]

2. MD: Security of ballot not 100%

Security of ballot not 100%
Critics expect flaws as Md. switches systems

By Stephanie Desmon and Stephen Kiehl | Sun reporters
January 19, 2008

Outraged by the butterfly ballots and hanging chads of the disputed 2000 presidential election, political activists nationwide pushed for user-friendly voting systems that wouldn't lead to a repeat of the confusion that left the outcome in Florida - and the nation - in doubt.

Less than eight years later - after taxpayers in Maryland and other states spent hundreds of millions on easy-to-use, all-electronic, touch-screen voting machines - the debate has come full circle.

Fear of hackers and lost votes that can never be recovered is forcing out the new technology and giving new life to old-fashioned scanning machines that read tried-and-true paper ballots.


By 2010, four years before its $65 million touch-screen machines will be paid off, Maryland expects to be back on the paper trail, following states such as Florida and California, which have also decided that all-electronic systems make it too easy to compromise elections.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-te.voting19jan19,0,5667500.story?track=rss

[EFerrari]

3. CO: Vote machine bill on its way to passage

Vote machine bill on its way to passage
By CHARLES ASHBY
CHIEFTAIN DENVER BUREAU

DENVER - The House on Friday gave its preliminary approval to a measure that will help county clerks across the state in their appeals to use electronic voting equipment during this year's elections.

On a voice vote, several members of House not only approved the idea behind HB1155, but praised it as a common-sense way to deal with certifying the state's electronic voting machines and ballot scanners.

"A lot of hard work and discussions have gone into (getting) this bill forward, and it's very necessary," said Rep. Rosemary Marshall, D-Denver, who co-introduced the measure into the House with Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial. "We needed to act, and act quickly in order to have a safe and secure election in 2008. I think we've managed to do that."

Last month, Secretary of State Mike Coffman stunned county clerks across the state when he decertified thousands of voting machines and scanners, saying that many of them were not accurate or tamper-proof.

http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1200744001/3

[EFerrari]

4. OH: Elections boss backs off counting plan

Elections boss backs off counting plan

COLUMBUS (AP) - Changes are planned for Ohio voting procedures in the presidential election this November, but requiring precincts to send ballots to central locations before tallying them won't be one of them, Ohio's chief elections officer said Friday.

The boards will have enough on their hands in a statewide switch from touch-screen machines to machines that electronically scan paper ballots cast by voters, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said.

Currently, 57 of the state's 88 counties use electronic touch screens to record votes, but Brunner said an independent study released last month found the touch-screen systems could be more susceptible to tampering. She wants the switch to the optical-scan systems by November in a state that was crucial in President Bush's victory over Democrat John Kerry in 2004.

Making a second change this year — from counting votes at each precinct site to tallying several precincts' ballots at central locations — could put too much of a burden on local elections officials already coping with other changes, Brunner told a statewide meeting of those officials on Thursday.

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080119/UPDATES01/301190010

[EFerrari]

5. OH: Ashtabula County steams ahead with its voting system

Ashtabula County steams ahead with its voting system


By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - [e-mail]
Star Beacon

JEFFERSON — No news is apparently good news for the Ashtabula County Board of Elections, which believes the state has endorsed the use of its optical scanning machines to count ballots in the March 4 primary.

Unlike some other Ohio counties, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has not ordered Ashtabula County to consider a different type of tabulating system for the upcoming election, Richard Hornstein, election board director, said Friday.

“We’re still good,” he said.

Earlier this month, Brunner told counties that use touch-screen technology to count votes to return to a paper ballot system. Problems with Cuyahoga County’s equipment soured Brunner on the touch-screen method, she said.

http://www.starbeacon.com/local/local_story_019002744.html

[EFerrari]

6. SC: Justice Department won't monitor primary in Chester

Justice Department won't monitor primary in Chester
NAACP asked for oversight of voting machines
By Charles D. Perry · [e-mail]
Updated 01/19/08 - 12:35 AM |
Comment on this story

CHESTER -- The U.S. Justice Department will not monitor today's Republican presidential primary in Chester County, despite a request from the local NAACP president.

The department won't say if it plans to monitor the Jan. 26 Democratic primary until the day before the election, representative Jodi Bobb said Friday in an e-mail to The Herald. Bobb would not comment on the reasoning behind the decision not to monitor polls today.

The Rev. Bill Stringfellow, president of the NAACP branch in Chester, asked the department to monitor both primaries because of concerns about the reliability of the voting machines used in South Carolina.

Stringfellow said he knows of at least three times that the Justice Department has monitored elections in Chester. In 1996, a team of 10 observers from the department inspected a runoff election in Chester County for violations of the Voting Rights Act. That election included the District 17 state Senate race, the sheriff's race and the treasurer's race.

http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/304205.html

[EFerrari]

7. PA: Officials get set for new voting era

Officials get set for new voting era
Saturday, January 19, 2008
By SARAH CASSI
The Express-Times

EASTON | With Northampton County council signing off on a voting machine system, officials can now work on the logistics for the April 22 primary.

Administration Director John Conklin said Friday the order for 300 machines was already in.

"We wanted to make sure we got our order in before any other county," he said.

The county will receive 50 machines by the end of February and the rest should be shipped from the New York manufacturing plant March 10, Conklin said.

Conklin said April 10 is the last day workers can inspect the machines before they are delivered to polling places.

http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-15/120071912841020.xml&coll=2

[EFerrari]

8. National: Bill would give bonus for paper ballots

Bill would give bonus for paper ballots
Posted : Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:42:46 GMT
Author : General News Editor
Category : US (World)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 Legislation introduced in Congress would give cash bonuses to U.S. counties and states that switch to paper ballots by the November election.

The plan, introduced Thursday, calls for spending $500 million to reimburse local agencies that scrap their electronic voting machines in favor of paper.

''Voters should never have to leave their polling places wondering if their legitimate vote will be counted,'' said Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J.

New Jersey is one of 20 states that could benefit under the bill, The Miami Herald reported Friday.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/175642,bill-would-give-bonus-for-paper-ballots.html

[EFerrari]

9. OH: Washington County elections officials say they're pleased

Washington County elections officials say they're pleased with the operation of the optical scan voting machines they've been using for a few years.

The American Civil Liberties Union is trying to block Cuyahoga County from replacing its electronic machines with optical scan units, saying those units don't allow voters to correct ballot errors.

But Washington County's elections director says its systems allow voters to get a new ballot if they make a mistake.

"They can go back to the poll workers, and ask for a new ballot," says Election Board Director Tara Hupp. "They have the opportunity to do that three times and correct their mistakes, before they can't do it any longer."

http://www.wtap.com/news/headlines/13907122.html

[EFerrari]

10. Kenya: Electronic Voting Will Greatly Enhance Democracy

Kenya: Electronic Voting Will Greatly Enhance Democracy



OPINION
18 January 2008
Posted to the web 18 January 2008
Andrew Limo
Nairobi

The new Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Kenneth Marende, in his acceptance speech, said the voting process in Parliament would have been less tedious had the process been conducted electronically.

His remark has kept Kenyans thinking: can technology be used to enhance democracy? Will voting technology ensure transparency or will it be a conduit for flaws and fraud?

If used correctly, computer-based voting systems increase the integrity of an election while reducing costs. E-voting is easy and convenient and the results are instantaneous.

One of the most common online systems is the use of a Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) machine, where all a voter needs to do is walk to a polling station and key in a candidate of choice on a touchscreen terminal.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801180801.html

:crazy:

[EFerrari]

11. National: Military Absentee Voting 'Primary' Concern for Federal Voting Assistance Program

Saturday, January 19, 2008 :: infoZine Staff



Military Absentee Voting 'Primary' Concern for Federal Voting Assistance Program

Politics
By John J. Kruzel - For the Federal Voting Assistance Program, getting deployed troops and their families engaged in the current election season is a primary goal.

Ahead of the November general election, FVAP, which fosters voting participation by uniformed and U.S. citizens abroad, is assisting eligible absentee voters who wish to cast ballots in their states' primary election.

Washington, D.C. - American Forces Press Service - infoZine -"It's important that voters participate in the upcoming primary elections," said Polli Brunelli, the program's chief. "We have over 20 primaries occurring in February, so now is the time, if you've received your ballot, to vote and get it back by the state deadlines."

During an interview yesterday, Brunelli said registering to vote is a simple process. "Absentee voters fill out a federal postcard application form to request a ballot, send it into their local election official where the voter is legally authorized to vote," she said. The ballot will be sent to the voter, who then votes on the ballot and sends it back to the local election office.

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/26563/

[EFerrari]

12. FL: Lawyers Argue Law Could Bar Thousands of Floridians From Voting

Lawyers Argue Law Could Bar Thousands of Floridians From Voting
Posted: 7:45 AM Jan 19, 2008
Last Updated: 7:45 AM Jan 19, 2008

Lawyers say tens of thousands of Floridians will be barred from voting in the 2008 national election if a state voter registration law goes back into effect.

In a hearing held in Atlanta at the U.S. Circuit Court, lawyers asked that a temporary injunction against the 2005 law stay in place.

The law requires information on voter applications match driver's licenses or social security card databases.

Florida officials say the law is an effort to prevent fraud.

http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/13917567.html

[EFerrari]

13. AZ: Thousands re-registered in run-up

Thousands re-registered in run-up

By PAUL DAVENPORT/Associated Press

Thursday, January 17, 2008 8:28 PM CST

PHOENIX - Thousands of Arizona independent voters changed their registrations in time to participate in the state's Feb. 5 presidential primary, with more becoming Democrats than Republicans.

Figures from the state's two most populous counties indicate that more than 11,000 independents re-registered with a party in the run-up to the primary election voter registration deadline of midnight Jan. 7.

Of those who re-registered from independent, five of eight registered as Democrats.

Maricopa and Pima counties include the Phoenix and Tucson areas, respectively, and together account for three-quarters of Arizona's nearly 2.7 million voters. Maricopa County has more Republicans than Democrats, while smaller Pima County has the opposite.

http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2008/01/19/news/state/state2.txt

[EFerrari]

14. IA: Iowa caucusus create a voter registration bonanza

Iowa caucusus create a voter registration bonanza
By JOHN SKIPPER, [e-mail]

MASON CITY — Record participation in the Iowa caucuses generated a tidal wave of new voter registrations and changes in party affiliation, election officials said Friday.

“In my time, 15 years, I haven’t seen anything like it,” said Cerro Gordo County Auditor Ken Kline, who serves as county election commissioner.

Kline’s office received more than 1,200 registration forms. His staff has processed approximately 1,000 of the forms and found 92 new registered voters.

“Of the overall total, some are new registrations, some are people who changed party affiliation and some are people who filled out forms and didn’t need to,” said Kline.

http://globegazette.com/articles/2008/01/19/local/doc4791821194d1d810132304.txt

[EFerrari]

15. NV: Mitt Romney Wins Nevada Republican Caucus

Mitt Romney Wins Nevada Republican Caucus

By Sky News SkyNews - 22 minutes ago

Republican candidate Mitt Romney has won the Nevada caucus, early reports indicate.
(Advertisement)

The former Massachusetts Governor's win in the western state followed his breakthrough victory in Michigan last week after a series of disappointing second-place finishes.

It will give him momentum going into the "Super Tuesday" contests on February 5, when nearly half the 50 US states choose candidates to contest the presidential election.

Among Democrats in Nevada, rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are in a tight duel after splitting the first two contests

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080119/twl-mitt-romney-wins-nevada-republican-c-3fd0ae9.html

[EFerrari]

16. TX: Collins: "Chain, chain, chain …" The Texas Primary

Collins: "Chain, chain, chain …" The Texas Primary
Saturday, 19 January 2008, 11:27 pm
Opinion: Michael Collins
"Scoop" Independent News
Washington, D.C.

Forced Loyalty Oath Locks Out Kucinich



Dennis Kucinich may not win the Democratic nomination for president, but he's leaving a pro-democracy legacy across the country. To begin with, this candidate actually discusses critical issues demonstrating his respect for voters. With regard to the voters' right to know, he just asked for the first recount in memory for a presidential primary simply because it makes perfect sense. The New Hampshire results need a serious second look.

Kucinich struck another blow for democracy by challenging the restrictive loyalty oath required by the Texas Democratic Party to get on the primary ballot. He actually reads the contracts he signs. When presented with the loyalty oath required to run as a Democrat in the Texas primary, Kucinich prudently edited the document to reflect the requirements of free citizens living in a democracy:

"I, ______________ of __________________, __________ County/Parish, _____________, being a candidate for the Office of President of the United States, swear that I will support and defend the constitution and laws of the United States. I further swear that I will fully support the Democratic nominee for President whoever that shall be."

Rules of the Texas Democratic Party

Kucinich filed the marked up loyalty oath on Dec. 28 but wasn't informed that it was "defective" until Jan. 2, 2008. His campaign received verbal notice that he wouldn't be placed on the ballot unless he signed a clean copy of the oath. The new loyalty oath had to be faxed that day or no deal, according to the campaign. Rather than compromise, Kucinich said no. (Video at 3:59)

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0801/S00152.htm

[EFerrari]

17. NH: Human Error, Not Machine, Found During Recount

Human Error, Not Machine, Found During Recount
Ward 5 Clerk Adds Vice Presidential Votes To Presidential Total

POSTED: 4:22 pm EST January 18, 2008

CONCORD, N.H. -- New Hampshire's presidential primary recount has drawn national attention and a great deal of scrutiny from hundreds of voters across the nation who think there could be a conspiracy, but officials said the minor problems that have been found so far were the result of human error.

The state is recounting the Democratic votes at the request of candidate Dennis Kucinich. He said that online reports of dramatic differences between communities that hand-counted ballots and those that machine-counted them led to his request.
sponsor

Sally Castleman of the Election Defense Alliance is one of the observers of the recount and said she is concerned about the results for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

"The outcomes in the hand-counted cities and towns is closer to what the projections and exit polls were," she said.

http://www.wmur.com/politics/15087001/detail.html?rss=man&psp=news

[EFerrari]

18. Opinion: Last Night I Had The Strangest Election Day Dream...

January 18, 2008

Last Night I Had The Strangest Election Day Dream...
By Peter Barus

Those electronic voting machines have been sitting in warehouses since '04. Has anybody checked the settings? That's an awful lot of memory cards...

::::::::
Election officials across America were taken aback this morning when, contrary to every exit poll, the preliminary returns indicated a landslide victory for George W. Bush. An unnamed official from Diebold, the company that makes the voting machines, was quoted as saying, "Gosh, who knew? But The People have spoken. Exit polls have been wrong before. These things happen..."

The President, reached while "clearing brush" on his Crowford, Texas ranch, told reporters: "Heh heh. Ah guess the Lord works in mysterious ways!"

President Bush's press secretary confirmed that although the President had not made any effort to campaign for a third term, legislation had been passed by Congress last week, making Bush retroactively eligible to run. Apparently this new law was attached to the recent healthcare legislation, a three-ton document delivered to Congressional offices by forklift half an hour before they were to ajourn.

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=5688

[EFerrari]

19. Project Vote: EDR Emerging As Target of Voter Suppression Activists

January 18, 2008

EDR Emerging As Target of Voter Suppression Activists
By Project Vote

Barely noticed in the crush of attention paid to the Crawford v. Marion County Election Board case was coverage of what we think may be an emerging strategy to vilify Election Day Registration by using the same cries of voter fraud that typify arguments for voter ID laws.

This blatantly political connection between one election law that is being considered by the Supreme Court for voter disenfranchisement and another law that provides all eligible citizens the opportunity to exercise their given right as Americans, makes the Crawford case even more important for determining who can and cannot vote in future elections across the United States starting this November. Ultimately, the only similarity between the two laws is that low income, young, minority and elderly voters are affected, whether it means enfranchising or disenfranchising them.

To contrast, let's review the week in op-ed news regarding the nation's most controversial election administration case which was heard in the Supreme Court last week:

Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita and Crawford case defendant wrote in this Indianapolis Star op-ed that “the court quickly cut through the politics that brought the case there and asked profound questions on both sides of the issue. From the advocacy presented, it was evident that this common-sense law was designed to prevent vote fraud and thereby improve the overall confidence in our election process.”

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_project__080117_edr_emerging_as_targ.htm

[EFerrari]

20. Note to Melissa G: I'm keeping Sunday!

lol

:hi:

:kick:

[EFerrari]

21. SC: South Carolina primary plagued by bad voting machines, snow

(CNN) -- Republican presidential candidates seeking a win in South Carolina's primary -- and an edge in what so far has been a wide-open race -- were hoping voters would head to the polls despite bad weather.
art.rain.gi.jpg

Voters hurry through the rain to cast ballots Saturday at a senior center in Bluffton, South Carolina.

Rain and snow were falling in some places Saturday. CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said as much as 4 inches of snow could fall in the western and northern parts of the state.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who was victorious earlier this month in Iowa caucuses, said the snow was "something we hoped wouldn't happen."

But, Huckabee said, "We have to take the weather for what it is. We don't get to choose it. I just hope that our voters are so committed that it doesn't affect the fact that they are going to vote, because ... it's a mission that they have to deal with today."

Malfunctioning voting machines plagued Horry County, which contains the cities of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, according to poll workers. Workers said the machines have been down since polls opened at 7 a.m., and they are not reading activation cards.

http://us.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/19/south.carolina.gop/index.html

[Wilms]

23. LOL!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=495157&mesg_id=495183

[EFerrari]

24. This is why I don't square dance any more.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=494770&mesg_id=495185

[Melissa G]

25. sfexpat2000 is Queen of the Universe and absolutely rocks!

:yourock: Vote it up folks!