12/4. Internet Voting Virus threatens Hawaii, CTs ballot custody issues, Clay Aikens voter reg case

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

last minute edit. sorry about that. :)

Internet Voting Virus threatens Hawaii, CTs ballot custody issues, Clay Aikens voter registration case

December 4, 2009

The most troubling story today is that Hawaii is proposing 100% internet voting. Internet voting was bust in Honolulu Hawaii this May - voter turnout was only 6.3 percent.. Experts say that internet voting can not at this time be made secure or transparent....Meanwhile, a reminder! The FCC wants comments on internet voting by Thursday,Dec. 10 of this year. Speak up or watch democracy erode...

In Connecticut "stronger chain-of-custody protections for our ballots are required" says Luther Weeks of CTVoters Count...A month after the lowest turnout election in over 100 years, Minneapolis first "instant" runoff election results certified...Clay Aiken case was heard today in Wake County, North Carolina...
Greed was motive for forged ballots in Montgomery CO Ohio...

In Texas, a patent case: Franklin Inventions, LLC v. Election Systems & Software, Inc. et al
...Election judges are the 'unsung heroes of democracy': "It's a tough job that requires patience, intelligence, personability and stamina," Orr said. "Election judges are critical to an efficient Election Day."...Report examines Civil Rights during Bush years...

All this and more in today's voting news below....

CA: Our View: City elections need protection of a third party
12/03/2009 ...While many cities conduct their own city council elections in either March or April, and often do a fine job, we lean in favor of consolidating city elections with those held in November and contracting with the Los Angeles County
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk to conduct the election.
...
La Puente is also going in the wrong direction by moving its city election from November to April in even-numbered years. As Councilman Dan Holloway said, who voted against the move, it will reduce voter turnout and unnecessarily extends the terms of city council members.

And we would add that moving back to a city-run election adds the specter of conflict of interest to the most precious of all democratic principles - the right to vote.
http://www.sgvtribune.com/opinions/ci_13920589

CT: More On Chain-Of-Custody
December 4, 2009 Last month we commented on reports of chain-of-custody problems in Haddam and on a Courant Editorial on the need for two people of opposing parties whenever ballots are accessed. The problem goes deeper
...
For voters to have confidence there must be no opportunity for compromise; it is critical that ballots be protected from clandestine access.
http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=2655

HI: OPPOSE PROPOSED ELECTIONS RULES (total internet voting)
The Office of Elections is in the process of issuing new Administrative Rules that will govern future elections. To read the proposed new rules, please go to www.hawaii.gov/elections. This is their home page, and they are at the top of the page.
Section 3-172-93 of these proposed new rules will LEGALIZE sending votes over the INTERNET.
If you are as concerned as I am about these new proposed rules, please e-mail the Office of Elections with your testimony asking them to ban the use of the internet. Their e-mail address is: [e-mail]... more at the link
http://www.lahainanews.com/page/content.detail/id/500407/LETTERS-for-December-3-issue.html?nav=18

HI: Low turnout mars Hawaii's digital vote (Repost -Hawaii's one internet election)
May 28, 2009 They built a new digital voting system, but the voters didn't come.
There was some disagreement Wednesday over why only 6.3 percent of eligible voters used a new, first-in-the-nation digital voting procedure to cast ballots for Honolulu neighborhood board seats via the Internet or by touch-tone phone.
http://www.physorg.com/news162707525.html

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGISTS’ STATEMENT ON Internet Voting
Election results must be verifiably accurate — that is, auditable with a permanent, voter-verified record that is independent of hardware or software. But several serious, potentially insurmountable, technical challenges must be met if elections conducted by transmitting votes over the internet are to be verifiable.
http://www.voteraction.org/files/Computer%20Scientist%20Internet%20Voting%20Statement.pdf

RELEASE OF RESEARCH REPORT ON “CHINESE CYBER WARFARE & ESPIONAGE” Oct 22, 2009:
...The government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a decade into a sweeping military modernization program that has transformed its ability to fight high tech wars. Read THE PDF REPORT http://tinyurl.com/ygcmh9b

IA: Officials discover uncounted Waterloo ballots *
December 3, 2009 WATERLOO --- Black Hawk County officials say 24 absentee ballots from Waterloo did not get counted on Election Day.
http://www.wcfcourier.com/news/local/article_6d6ef762-df96-11de-9928-001cc4c002e0.html

IA: Additional Ballotts Counted in Waterloo Mayoral Race
Dec 3, 2009 WATERLOO - The Black Hawk County Special Precinct Board met Thursday to consider provisional and absentee ballots.
...
These numbers will not be final until Special Precinct Board meets Tuesday morning to consider any additional runoff ballots that arrived by mail with the Nov. 30th postmark.
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/78455492.html

IL: Election judges the 'unsung heroes of democracy'
...In suburban Cook County alone, about 11,500 election judges are called in to staff more than 2,300 polling sites.

Lake County will likely need about 1,800 election judges for the upcoming Feb. 2 primary. DuPage County uses more than 3,000 judges, Kane County needs about 1,140 and McHenry County may use up to 1,060...
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=339815&src=3

MN: Minneapolis election results certified today
The final, certified results held no surprises when compared to the unofficial results announced last month.
December 4, 2009 A month after a low-turnout election, Minneapolis City Council members made the results official today.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/local/78525272.html?elr=KArks:DCiUo3PD:3D_V_qD3L:c7cQKUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

NC: Clay Aiken case to be heard Wednesday
12/04/2009 - Clay Aiken's voter registration status goes before the Wake County Board of Elections on Wednesday.

The county board will hold a preliminary hearing to decide whether a more formal hearing is needed at a later time. If it continues, the board could remove Aiken from the voter rolls.
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/wakeed/clay-aiken-case-to-be-heard-wednesday

NC: Columbus Co. Board of Elections hope to educate voters
Dec 03, 2009 COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) - Earlier this week, the Columbus County Board of Elections met to discuss a dispute regarding the Fair Bluff mayoral race.

Incumbent Randy Britt says several people may have voted in towns where they do not reside
....
Now, county board members are trying to determine how to educate their residents so that the same mistakes don't happen again. McPherson says education is the key and needs to be a priority.
http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=11617266

NJ: Keyport recount reveals council race ended in tie *
Boro headed to runoff election between Burlew and Bolte
...
Leah Falk, chairwoman of the board, said the voting machine failed to read a vote for Burlew because the voter made a check mark next to Burlew's name instead of filling in the circle.
http://independent.gmnews.com/news/2009/1203/front_page/003.html

NJ: Guest Opinion: Upholding the Integrity of the Ward C Election
By Norrice Raymaker • Dec 3rd, 2009 ...we must demand that outgoing Gov. Corzine do something during his last days in office to overthrow this culture of corruption. Gov. Corzine, I ask you to sign an Executive Order changing campaign finance laws to stop candidates and elected officials from using money raised during their campaign to buy gifts for their constituents.
http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2009/12/03/guest-opinion-upholding-the-integrity-of-the-ward-c-election/

NY: Federal Judge in New York Hears Reform Party Lawsuit
December 4th, 2009 On December 4, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bianco heard oral arguments in MacKay v Crews, a lawsuit involving the identity of the national Reform Party officers
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/04/federal-judge-in-new-york-hears-reform-party-lawsuit/

OH: Greed was motive for forged ballots * (absentee ballot application fraud)
Sullivan, 27, of Montgomery, pleaded guilty in October to five counts of filing false signatures on absentee voter ballot applications to the Hamilton County Board of Elections. At his Thursday sentencing, Sullivan was placed on two years of probation by Common Pleas Court Judge Pat DeWine.

Sullivan worked for a contractor hired by a pro-casino group that ultimately helped bring casino gambling to four Ohio cities. Sullivan's job was to sign voters up with absentee ballot applications. He admitted he filed some with forged signatures, something his attorney Mike Allen called "illegal and stupid."
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091203/NEWS01/\912040323/Greed+was+motive+for+forged+ballots
or use this url http://twi.cc/pWTx

OH: Moscow village council vote tainted * (absentee ballot tracking software failure, double voting)
December 4, 2009 MOSCOW - Possible election fraud has tainted the outcome of last month's close race for Village Council.
Even though what happened might have been an honest mistake, the matter has been referred to the Clermont County prosecutor's office for investigation, said Rick W. Combs, chairman of the county Elections Board.

Moscow resident Terry D. Gorth voted early in the Nov. 3 election for Village Council. The board learned Wednesday that he voted more than once, Combs said.
...
A computer glitch prevented the board from catching the duplicate secret ballot before it was mixed in with others.

"We had ballot-counting software in place that keeps track of the absentee ballots," said Dave Lane, a member of the Elections Board. "This software tells us if there is a duplicate that comes back from the same person. ... Before the election, we upgraded that software. A glitch allowed two absentee ballots from this one voter to come back in."
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091204/NEWS0108/\912050326/Voting+twice+may+have+turned+election
or use this url http://twi.cc/Wh5Y

VT: Field of 2010 ballot questions narrows
Fri Dec 04, 2009 Burlington - Sponsors of five potential 2010 ballot questions have filed signatures with the state Wednesday and appear to have amassed enough support to stay on track for next year's ballot, according to a spokesman for Secretary of State William Galvin.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/burlington/news/x2072231833/Field-of-2010-ballot-questions-narrows

TX: Franklin Inventions, LLC v. Election Systems & Software, Inc. et al
Plaintiff: Franklin Inventions, LLC Defendant: Election Systems & Software, Inc., Hart InterCivic, Inc., Premier Election Solutions, Inc. and Sequoia Voting Systems, Inc.
Case Number: 2:2009cv00377 Filed: December 4, 2009
Court: Texas Eastern District Court Office: Marshall Office < Court Info >
County: XX US, Outside State
Nature of Suit: Intellectual Property - Patent
Cause: 35:271 Patent Infringement
http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court-txedce/case_no-2:2009cv00377/case_id-120026/

National

The FCC wants comments on internet voting by Thursday,Dec. 10 of this year...
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/index.do?document=294676

Report examines Civil Rights during Bush years
December 2, 2009 WASHINGTON — When the Bush administration ran the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department, career lawyers wanted to look into accusations that officials in one state had illegally intimidated blacks during a voter-fraud investigation.
...
Congress is set to release that report, which did not identify the state in question, on Thursday as the House of Representatives takes up its first oversight hearing of the Civil Rights Division under the Obama administration.

The 180-page report, obtained by The New York Times, is densely packed with statistics about civil rights enforcement by the division’s sections.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/us/politics/03rights.html?_r=1

Both Sides: Instant Runoff Voting won't save money and discourages debate
Post-Bulletin It's a preferential voting system called Instant Runoff Voting (IRV). This "new" system has been around 100 years. It comes in various forms and counting ...
http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=12&a=427981

Both Sides: Instant Runoff Voting will save money, insure fairness
Post-Bulletin Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is one election method that has become popular in Minnesota because it offers a number of advantages over our current system
http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=12&a=427980

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