Election Reform, Fraud and Related News. 05/30/08

[EFerrari]

Return to paper ballots? Not so fast.
History shows that the US gave them up for good reason.
By Bryan Pfaffenberger

from the May 30, 2008 edition

Charlottesville, Va. - The paper ballot is making a comeback. Across America, election officials are ending their experiment with electronic touch-screen voting machines – a failure in the view of most experts – and replacing them with computerized tallying of paper ballots.

Some want to push the machines out entirely. To restore public confidence, they say, let's count the ballots by hand and allow citizens to observe and videotape the process.

But wait a minute. Today, fewer than 1 percent of America's votes are counted by hand. If hand counting is so great, why did we give it up?

History gives a clear answer and a sharp warning: We gave up hand-counted paper ballots (HCPB) for good reason – and resuming their use might be a very bad idea.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0530/p09s01-coop.html

Election Reform, Fraud and Related News. 05/30/08

1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web. Here's the link to the News Directory:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x371233

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

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


Recommendations are much appreciated. :hi:

[EFerrari]

1. National.

[EFerrari]

22. DNC To Meet About Fla., Mich. Delegates

DNC To Meet About Fla., Mich. Delegates
States Were Stripped Of Seats For Moving Up Primaries

POSTED: 8:28 pm EDT May 30, 2008


WASHINGTON -- Democratic Party officials struggling with the question of what to do with delegates from Michigan and Florida are grappling with a more complicated issue: how to resolve an election when front-runner Sen. Barack Obama wasn't even on the ballot.

The fate of Michigan's 128 pledged delegates is a matter of fierce debate between the Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigns ahead of Saturday's decisive meeting of the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws panel. Michigan's Jan. 15 primary was not recognized by the national party, so Obama and other candidates took their names off the ballot.

Clinton left her name on and won with 55 percent of the vote to 40 percent for "uncommitted."

http://www.local10.com/politics/16441415/detail.html?rss=mia&psp=news

[EFerrari]

24. Former prosecutors side with Congress in White House subpoenas

Former prosecutors side with Congress in White House subpoenas
Friday, May 30, 2008
MARY ORNDORFF
News Washington correspondent

WASHINGTON - Birmingham lawyer Doug Jones is one of several former federal prosecutors who sided Thursday with Congress in its battle to hear testimony from White House employees about problems at the Justice Department.

The House Judiciary Committee sued in federal court after President Bush claimed his former legal counsel Harriet Miers and chief of staff Josh Bolten are covered by executive privilege and shouldn't be forced to testify. The committee is investigating allegations of partisanship in the Justice Department that began with the firing of several U.S. attorneys under former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The group of former prosecutors who filed written arguments with the Washington, D.C., court Thursday were appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents over the years and said they are not advocating a partisan agenda.

"It is a matter of the utmost importance to ensure that Congress can conduct a complete investigation to determine whether White House officials have injected, or attempted to inject, partisan considerations into a process that must be rigorously insulated from such considerations," their lawyer wrote.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1212135419120590.xml&coll=2

[EFerrari]

2. By State.

[EFerrari]

6. Arkansas Election Officials Baffled by Machines that Flipped Race

Arkansas Election Officials Baffled by Machines that Flipped Race
By Kim Zetter EmailMay 29, 2008 | 1:15:40 PMCategories: E-Voting, Election '08


Bruce Haggard, an election commissioner in Faulkner County, Arkansas, is baffled by a problem that occurred with two voting machines in this month's general state elections. The machines allocated votes cast in one race to an entirely different race that wasn't even on the electronic ballot. The problem resulted in the wrong candidate being declared victor in a state House race.

"I don't understand how it could possibly happen," Haggard told Threat Level.

The problem occurred with two touch-screen voting machines made by Election Systems & Software, which were the only machines used in Faulkner County's East Cadron B voting precinct.

Haggard says the night before the election, officials noticed that the electronic ballot on two machines slated to be used at East Cadron B was missing the State House District 45 race. So officials printed up paper ballots to be used just for that race in that precinct.

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/05/arkansas-voting.html

[EFerrari]

7. CA: Voter fraud lawsuit is dismissed

Voter fraud lawsuit is dismissed
By Paul Eakins, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 05/29/2008 03:34:14 PM PDT

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge threw out a lawsuit Tuesday that alleged Rep. Laura Richardson and the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder had committed voter fraud during the special election that put Richardson in Congress last year.

The lawsuit had been filed by Lee Davis and Felicia Ford, both of whom were among 17 candidates, including Richardson, that ran for the 37th Congressional District seat in June.

The lawsuit alleged that citizens -- many of them seniors -- were denied the right to cast their vote for reasons including that many candidates' names were missing from the ballots in some precincts, and that only Richardson's name appeared in some cases.

Davis said she had 50 statements signed by voters that support her claims. She demanded in the lawsuit that Richardson be recalled and that the county hold a new election.

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_9418244

[EFerrari]

8. CO: **Mock election finds problems with new Colo. voter database**

Mock election finds problems with new Colo. voter database

Associated Press - May 30, 2008 2:24 AM ET

DENVER (AP) - No catastrophic problems in Colorado's new voter database system were found during a mock election last month, but a report on the test says the system did have greater connectivity and performance problems than expected.

System project director Trevor Timmons says the state is working on solving glitches before the August primaries.

The system is designed to connect Colorado's 64 counties to one voter database used to check in voters at the polls.

In a mock election, county clerks reported delays logging into the system or checking voters. Some reported problems printing reports or linking with their vote-counting systems.

http://kjct8.com/Global/story.asp?S=8399650

[EFerrari]

9. CO: Number of vote centers dwindles

Number of vote centers dwindles
By Robyn Lydick, Staff Writer
05/29/2008

Douglas County Clerk and Recorder Jack Arrowsmith developed super precincts to handle the expected demand for paper ballots this election season.

Super precincts are groups of four or five precincts with one polling place.

Within the county, 225 different ballots will be printed. If the election were run completely on electronic voting, the vote centers would still be an option.

Because Secretary of State Mike Coffman requires clerks to offer paper ballots, each location would have to have adequate copies of all 225 ballot styles.

http://www.lonetreevoice.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19730660&BRD=2713&PAG=461&dept_id=559879&rfi=6

That'll work. :crazy:

[EFerrari]

10. FL SWFL Using New Voting Machines

SWFL Using New Voting Machines

Reported by Stephanie Tsoflias
Posted on: Thursday, May 29, 2008

LEE COUNTY: Though a new voting system is hitting Lee County, it's not new to the State of Florida. The Department of Elections unveiled Scantron voting machines which uses a paper ballot. Voters can try out the new machines on Friday.

Voter Bob Knickman says he wants to see a paper trail backing the ballots.

"I'm opposed to the ballot-less voting system because manipulation case happens with that process," said Knickman.

The new Scantron machine is replacing the old touch screen voting system. All Florida counties are now required to use this system under a state mandate. It's a method that combines paper and technology.

http://www.abc-7.com/articles/readnews.asp?articleid=19553&z=2

[EFerrari]

11. FL: Activists Target Internet Voting

Activists Target Internet Voting
By CATHERINE DOLINSKI

The Tampa Tribune
Published: May 30, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Voting activists demanded Thursday that state officials stop one Florida county from experimenting with Internet voting this fall.

If Secretary of State Kurt Browning allows Okaloosa County to go ahead with the project, the issue could wind up in court, said Dan McCrea, president of the Florida Voters Coalition.

"Taxpayers are still reeling from the costly mistake of allowing DRE touch-screen voting before that technology was secure," McCrea said in a letter he sent to Browning. "We mustn't repeat that mistake by allowing cyberspace voting when that technology is not secure."

McCrea referred to the Operation Bravo pilot project in Okaloosa County, which Supervisor of Elections Pat Hollarn plans to launch this fall specifically to serve overseas voters in the military.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/may/30/me-internet-voting-targeted/

[Wilms]

27. Related story posted by DogPoundPup

Web vote offered to military abroad

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x503358

[EFerrari]

12. GA: Democrats sue over voter ID law

Ga. Democrats sue over voter ID law

By STEVE VISSER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/29/08

Georgia Democrats just can't take no for an answer.

Despite a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of requiring voters to produce state-issued picture IDs at the polls, the Democratic Party of Georgia has filed a new lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state's voter ID law.

The Supreme Court ruled in an Indiana case on April 28 and the decision was cheered by Georgia Republicans because it seemed to protect the state's 2006 Photo ID Act.

Emmet Bondurant, attorney for the state Democratic Party, said that Indiana case actually opened the door to get the Georgia law declared unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court.

"Contrary to everything you've read in the newspapers, the Indiana cases is not fatal to the Georgia case — it helps us," said Bondurant who filed the lawsuit last Friday.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/2008/05/29/voter_id_lawsuit.html

[EFerrari]

13. IN: Election cases forwarded to grand jury

Election cases forwarded to grand jury

By Kate Braser (Contact)
Friday, May 30, 2008

Three individuals accused of election-related violations will face a grand jury.

Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Stan Levco has confirmed a grand jury will hear the cases on June 12.

During the May 6 primary, poll worker Kim Minor, a Democrat, was caught by WTVW-FOX7 on videotape calling a polling place "Obama's house."

Also on the tape, Republican poll worker Leon "Big Man" Collins called the polling place at Zion Missionary Baptist Church "McCain's house."

Both apologized during a recent Election Board meeting in which board members Tom Massey, David Shaw and County Clerk Susan Kirk voted 3-0 to turn over WTVW-FOX7's unedited tape of the incident to the prosecutor's office for investigation.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/may/30/election-cases-forwarded-to-grand-jury/

[EFerrari]

14. IA: VOTER REGISTRATION LAW CHANGE

Effective with the June 3 primary election, a new law allows same day voter registration.

To register and vote on election day, you must provide proof of identity (photo ID); provide proof of residency (your current address in the voting precinct); and sign an oath attesting that the information you give is true.

Acceptable forms of identification must include a photo and expiration date. These are: Iowa driver's license, Iowa non-operator's ID, United States passport, United States military ID, identification card from an employer, Iowa student ID, out-of-state driver's license, out-of-state non-operator's ID.

If the photo ID presented does not contain your current address in the precinct, you are required to present one of the following documents that includes your name and current address in the precinct: residential lease, utility bill, paycheck, property tax statement, bank statement, government issued check, other government issued document.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19729084&BRD=2020&PAG=461&dept_id=231738&rfi=6

[EFerrari]

15. NJ: Official tells about voting glitch (2006)

Official tells about voting glitch

By Kirk Moore • TOMS RIVER BUREAU • May 29, 2008

TOMS RIVER — A 2006 election night computer bug that switched 72 votes for U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., from Barnegat to Lakewood was caused by reporting software in Ocean County's election system, though officials for the county Board of Elections never did learn exactly why the malfunction happened, a former executive supervisor for the board testified Wednesday in court.

"The (voting) machines and the tapes that printed out were correct," recalled Robert Giles, who left the county post in April to become director of the state Division of Elections. "Only in the reporting software, the 72 votes went to Lakewood."

That malfunction ultimately led former Barnegat Township Committee candidate Rose Jackson and Waretown activist Michele Rosen to file a lawsuit alleging the Board of Elections operates in ways that effectively deprive county residents of their constitutional right to vote. Giles testified on the second day of a nonjury trial presided over by Superior Court Judge Edward M. Oles.

Today, election board chairman and county Republi-can party chief George R. Gilmore could take the stand and talk about how the board handled the discovery of wayward votes and the subsequent recheck of ballot totals.

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080529/NEWS02/805290608

[EFerrari]

16. Ohio lawmakers change law on absentee ballot postmarks

Ohio lawmakers change law on absentee ballot postmarks

By Stephanie Warsmith
Beacon Journal staff writer

POSTED: 02:03 p.m. EDT, May 29, 2008

The Ohio House of Representatives approved a bill this afternoon that would require absentee ballots postmarked before the election — and that arrive within 10 days after — to be counted.

This would avoid a repeat of what happened in Summit County in 2007, when the U.S. Postal Service delivered 200 ballots late to the elections board and they weren't tallied. The City of Akron sued to have the ballots counted, but the case was thrown out for a lack of standing.

Included in the 200 were 17 ballots in Akron's Ward 4 — enough to possibly swing a close council race the other way.

After this incident, state Rep. Steve Dyer, D-Green, introduced legislation requiring absentee ballots received late to be counted. His bill didn't make it out of committee, but an amendment with this provision was added to other legislation.

http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/19357864.html

[EFerrari]

17. SC: Florence County elections director suspended without pay

Florence County elections director suspended without pay
By Charles Tomlinson

Published: May 29, 2008

Florence County Voter Registration and Elections Director Mike Young has been suspended without pay nearly a month after he was allowed to stay on the job following a federal indictment.

Steve Love, who serves as a technician and programs the county’s voting machines, is the acting director.

The county voter registration and elections commission voted Wednesday to suspend Young immediately, pending the group’s next regularly scheduled meeting, scheduled for July 10, commission chairman James Tanner said.

Tanner said he couldn’t comment on the “highly personal” matters that led to the decision.

http://www.scnow.com/scp/news/local/pee_dee/article/florence_county_elections_director_suspended_without_pay/6931/

[EFerrari]

18. TN: set to change voting machines

Tennessee set to change voting machines
Published 05/29/2008 By J.H. Osborne

BLOUNTVILLE — Paper ballots could be on their way back to a polling place near you, albeit with a technological twist.

And those electronic voting machines purchased just a couple of years ago — in order to meet then-new federal guidelines — will be abandoned, maybe save one per county precinct.

New voting guidelines approved by both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly — but not yet signed into law by the governor — call for all of the state’s 95 counties to go to optical scan voting no later than November 2010, Sullivan County Administrator of Elections Gena Frye said this week.

“It will change how we will be voting in the future,” Frye said.

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9006577

[EFerrari]

19. TX: Democrats, AG both declare victory in voter fraud lawsuit

Democrats, AG both declare victory in voter fraud lawsuit
By AMAN BATHEJA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Both sides declared victory Wednesday when Texas Democrats and Attorney General Greg Abbott settled a contentious federal lawsuit regarding voter fraud investigations.

The settlement was announced shortly before the trial was scheduled to begin in Marshall.

What was the lawsuit about?

The lawsuit focused on aggressive prosecution by the attorney general's office of reports of voter fraud involving mail-in ballots. Abbott's office said it has won more than 10 convictions statewide against people accused of illegally handling ballot applications and mail-in ballots that belonged to other voters.

http://www.star-telegram.com/elections/story/669723.html

[EFerrari]

20. WV: Voting machines raise concerns

Voting machines raise concerns
May 29, 2008 @ 11:53 PM
By CHRISTIAN ALEXANDERSEN
The Herald-Dispatch

HUNTINGTON -- The Cabell County Commission certified May's primary results on Thursday, but Wayne County totals have yet to be certified amid concerns raised about voting machine inaccuracies.

The iVotronic Touch-Screen Voting System has come under fire from some Wayne County residents who said the county's voting machines malfunctioned during the May 13 election. Wayne County Clerk Bob Pasley said the Wayne County Commission has concerns with the voting machine inaccuracies and the performance of the hand-count.

Both Pasley and Cabell County Clerk Karen Cole said they plan to address the hardware concerns with the iVotronic vendors at the annual county clerk convention in June. Simply expressing their concerns to the Secretary of State's Office will not aid the clerks and their staff on election day, Cole said.

"The Secretary of State's Office and the vendors don't use the system like how our voter registration staffs do," she said. "The people to have to deal with the machines need a voice."

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/elections/x1314812311

[EFerrari]

21. WV: Tabloid reporter charged with election law violation

Tabloid reporter charged with election law violation

By RON GREGORY
Staff Writer

HAMLIN — A reporter for The Lincoln Standard tabloid newspaper had been charged with committing a misdemeanor election law violation, according to a filing in Lincoln County Circuit Court.

According to the “information” filed by Lincoln County Prosecutor Jackie Stevens, tabloid reporter Richard Tipton is charged with violating Section 3-9-6 of the West Virginia Code by “unauthorized presence in election room” prior to the May 13 primary election.

As detailed in an earlier Lincoln Journal story, County Clerk Donald Whitten and other election officials became alarmed when they learned that Tipton had gone into the early voting precinct across the street from the Lincoln County Courthouse in Hamlin.

With the filing of the information, Stevens has formally charged Tipton with committing the misdemeanor. Sources have said that Tipton later admitted he violated the law, but said he was not aware of a prohibition against electronic equipment in polling places.

http://www.lincolnjournalinc.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=1492&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2186&hn=lincolnjournalinc&he=.com

[EFerrari]

3. International.

[EFerrari]

23. Opposition leader claims mantle of ruling party in Zimbabwe

Opposition leader claims mantle of ruling party in Zimbabwe

ANGUS SHAW
The Associated Press
May 30, 2008 at 7:25 PM EDT

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe's main opposition group declared itself the country's new ruling party on Friday and convened what it called a session of parliament, in defiance of President Robert Mugabe.

In a self-proclaimed “state of the nation” address, Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai said Zimbabwe was about to witness “a new and different era of governance.”

Mr. Tsvangirai asked his party's newly elected legislators, gathered at the Harare International Conference Centre, to stand for a minute's silence for more than 50 people who have died in violence since the March elections. Tens of thousands of opposition supporters have been driven from their homes.

He described Mugabe's ZANU-PF party as now in opposition.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080530.wzimbabwe0530/BNStory/International/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080530.wzimbabwe0530

[EFerrari]

25. Zimbabwe: Police Take Charge of Poll

Zimbabwe: Police Take Charge of Poll
Zimbabwe Independent (Harare)

29 May 2008
Posted to the web 30 May 2008

Constantine Chimakure

THE police have been told to take charge of the "whole voting process" during the June 27 presidential run-off between President Robert Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

The move, analysts said, was likely to compromise not only the independence of ZEC by usurping its role, but also the fairness of the election.

According to a confidential police circular the directive was meant to secure the voting process and prevent recurrence of irregularities that allegedly marred the March 29 harmonised election.

The circular dated May 2 was sent by Police Chief Staff Officer (Operations), Senior Assistant Commissioner Faustino Mazango, to police officers commanding provinces, districts and officers in charge.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200805300873.html

[EFerrari]

4. OpEd.

[EFerrari]

5. How do you like having your intelligence insulted by Scott McClellan?

How do you like having your intelligence insulted by Scott McClellan?

By Ed Martin

Scott McClellan's book, Oh Migosh, I Just Figured Out That George Bush and His Henchmen and Henchwoman Were Lying About a Whole Lot of Things, makes me so goddam mad I could bite a nail in two. Where has Scotty been all this time? Where is any mention that we've known what he's telling us before he knew it? Where does he get the arrogance and ignorance to presume to preach to us about what we already knew? It's insulting to the intelligence of those who read and write for OEN.

Some will say that they're so glad that Scotty, at last, has joined with us. But, we should save our sympathy for those who were misled and deceived by Scotty and his ilk, and properly direct our ire at those who did the misleading and deceiving, like Scotty. Scotty had access to more information than we did, and we figured out that Bush was lying and he didn't. It was all right there to be seen, and he didn't see it. We did. He has no excuse. I can forgive the misled, but not the misleader, the deceived, but not the deceiver.

Take a look at some of the "revelations" Scotty has for us:

Bush is guilty of a "failure to be open and forthright on Iraq and of rushing to war with inadequate planning and preparation for its aftermath."

http://www.opednews.com/articles/How-do-you-like-having-you-by-Ed-Martin-080528-407.html

[EFerrari]

26. Voting 2.0, Part 2: The Open Source Proposition

Voting 2.0, Part 2: The Open Source Proposition

By Katherine Noyes
LinuxInsider
Part of the ECT News Network
05/30/08 4:00 AM PT

It's almost too late already to fix what's broken in our electoral system before the November presidential election, but the debate rages over how best to address problems that have marred the last two. Is open source electronic voting the solution?

Part 1 of this two-part series looks at the current state of the vote-tallying system and calls for its reform in the wake of vote-counting irregularities in the last two presidential elections. Part 2 explores whether open source software in electronic voting machines is the solution.

Even as the presidential elections draw ever nearer, debate rages about the technologies used to enable the voting process.

It's too late for any large systematic changes to be implemented for this year, Matthew Zimmerman, senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation Latest News about Electronic Frontier Foundation, told LinuxInsider. However, what should we use down the road?

http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/63202.html

[livvy]

28. Woot! Woot! 2nd time this week I get to be #5.

Why that should make my day is up for discussion. LOL

Thank you, dahlink...

[Mnemosyne]

29. Not fair! I wanted to be #5, I can't get here

very often anymore!

Well, turned 50 in March, must be getting old and slow. :evilgrin:

:hi:

Really nice thread, Beth! Need to go finish reading the CSM article. Hope it doesn't make my head hurt. lol :hi:

[EFerrari]

31. Sorry to be so late. I just couldn't get moving today.

:hi:

[Mnemosyne]

33. I'm good at late!

Thanks for all you do! I always admire your fortitude!

Make sure you at least rest sometimes, okay? :hug:

[Wilms]

32. It's gonna make your head hurt.

Chinese HERBS for HEADACHE

Headaches according to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Different Herbal Medicines for Different Kinds of Headaches

Headaches must be diagnosed according to the principles of Chinese medicine in order tor treat them effectively with Chinese herbs. This diagnosis is made according to the four examinations.

Modern day headache categories such as migraine headaches, cluster headachs, stress headaches, or vascular headaches don't give us a clue as to the real causes and are not useful categories in determining proper herbal treatment. TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) concepts allow an understanding of the causes and also point to the cure.

Headaches fall into two general categories, Excess Headache and Deficiency Headaches. Both result in the diminished flow of qi and blood in the head. Poor flow is experienced as pain.

http://www.drshen.com/herbsforheadache.htm

[Mnemosyne]

34. I am not a spitter, nor a puker, but...

:grr::puke:

Some days the ignorance is almost too much to bear, isn't it? :nuke:

Thanks so much for the link; daughter has many migraines.

:hug:

[EFerrari]

30. Thanks, livvy!

:hi: