Daily Voting News For October 6 & 7, 2006

For the amount of problems the EAC has faced in its short history one would think that it would be important that the President would fill openings on the commission with people who have experience and who meet the requirements mandated by the Help America Vote Act. In fact the President ignored the HAVA requirements and nominated Caroline Hunter to take the seat being emptied by time-limited Paul DeGregorio. Ms Hunter's only elections experience was as one of the Bush-Cheney attorneys challenging voters in Ohio in 2004 and she is presently serving as Deputy Director of the Office of Public Liaison at the White House. Newsday correctly asks the Senate to 'question Hunter closely on her background and make an enlightened decision on whether her experience meets the statute's requirements'. / The regressive voter ID law in Missouri is being challenged in state supreme court while the Arizona law was blocked in Federal Appeals court. / Newton Co Arkansas has asked the state to allow them to use paper ballots at the polls. They are not confident in the ES&S DREs that have failed them in the past two elections....

• National: Editorial - Elections-panel pick. Senate must ensure nominee is able LINK
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• National: Opinion - Voter ID laws target the vulnerable LINK
• National: Opinion - Midterm vote may be hard to trust LINK
• National: How Many Bad Elections? LINK
• National: Standards to stimulate e-voting? LINK
• National: Stumbling toward November LINK
• National: Poll Worker Recruitment Drive Attracts Volunteers With a Reform Agenda LINK
• National: CNN's Lou Dobbs: 'Flawed elections? We're talking about a disaster here.' LINK
• National: Critiquing voting machines with Congress LINK
• Arkansas: Newton County - Paper Ballots For General Election LINK
• Arizona: Appeals Court Says No to Prop 200's Burdensome Voter ID Requirements LINK
• Arizona: Appellate court blocks enforcement of Arizona voter ID law LINK
• Arizona: Federal Court Blocks Enforcement of Voter ID Law LINK
• California: Alameda County - Suit questions security of county voting system LINK
• California: Alameda County - County Plans Conference on Instant Runoff Voting LINK
• Colorado: Voting machines could be costly for Larimer, Weld LINK
• Colorado: Editorial - Play straight on election rules LINK
• Florida: Volusia County - Did your vote count? LINK
• Indiana: Editorial - No time to vote? No more! LINK
• Maryland: E-poll books to get 2nd try. But governor is not reassured that glitch is fixed LINK
• Maryland: Opinion - Voting machinery LINK
• Maryland: Ehrlich Disagrees With Decision on Electronic Poll Books LINK
• Maryland: Don't touch the Diebold touchscreen machines LINK
• Missouri: Mo. Supreme Court hears voter ID arguments LINK
• Missouri: Election officials proceeding despite uncertainty LINK
• New Jersey: Columnist - Stealing our votes the high-tech way LINK
• New York: Suffolk County – Press Release - Suffolk County Officials Announce Intent to File Suit Against State over Voting Machine Mandate LINK
• New York: Suffolk County - Suffolk Sues State Over Voting Machine Guidelines LINK
• New York: Suffolk County - Levy fights on vs. new vote machines LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Voting troubles raise stakes in Cuyahoga County LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - A look at recommended fixes for election problems LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Candidates' party wrong on ballots LINK
• Ohio: Franklin County - Voting machines more plentiful. County has 1,653 more than in ’04, as well as a plan to distribute them LINK
• Pennsylvania: Tepid about touchscreens. Doubts over new technology. Poll says Pa. voters say they don't have confidence in machines -- yet. LINK
• Pennsylvania: Montgomery County - Montco voting machines a success in test. County to move ahead with upgrades before official certification. LINK
• Tennessee: Shelby County - Demo election suit dismissed LINK
• Tennessee: Williamson County - Voter registrations faked in GOP drive. About 150 forms questioned in Metro, Williamson County LINK
• Tennessee: Williamson County - REPORT: National GOP May be Tied to Voter Registration Fraud Cases in Tennessee LINK
• Texas: Harris County - Bilingual poll workers needed LINK
• Texas: Tarrant County - Parties want voting paper trail LINK
• Wisconsin: State voting machines under scrutiny LINK
• Wisconsin: Winnebago County – Editorial - Final tally: County fails to deliver on high-tech election equipment LINK
• West Virginia: West Virginia preparing for technologically advanced general election LINK
• GUam: Opinion - Lawmakers must update election law; GEC must avoid repeating mistakes LINK

Elections changes mandated by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 have created expensive elections. Historically school districts, fire districts and any other governmental entity that raises funds via voter approval have had to pay to put their requests for fundiasdng before the voter. Now these city and county entities are faced with much more expensive elections. In Wisconsin school districts are deciding to change their bond elections and school board election from odd to even-numbered years so they can just add their election in with the even-year general election. That will lower their costs but add to the size of an already overly large ballot. This is another unintended disaster brought to us by the fine folks who gave us HAVA. / An election challenge in Rhode Island is now before the state supreme court. ES&S is being raked over the coals in court, again....

• National: CNN's Lou Dobbs: 'The country has done very well with paper ballots for a very long time.' LINK
• National: Die Bold, Die Wussy. An Invitation to Steal an Election LINK
• Arkansas: Voting officials meet to resolve election issues LINK
• Arizona: No ID needed for Arizona voter registration pending appeal LINK
• California: Alameda County - Suit challenges voting system. Security and accuracy of votes questioned in Alameda County LINK
• California: Lake County - County's absentee ballot voting has increased dramatically LINK
• Colorado: Staying home to vote gains fans in Colorado. Officials say half of November ballots could be absentee LINK
• Colorado: Larimer County - Scramble on to meet costly election rules LINK
• Florida: Right touch? Voting screens draw doubts. But local officials have confidence in systems here LINK
• Florida: Volusia County - Elections chief scrambles on voting queries. McFall still doesn't have details LINK
• Indiana: Hendricks County - Election Day staffing sought LINK
• Minnesota: School districts switching elections. Even-year option can save money LINK
• New York: Herkimer County - Accessible ballot marking device available LINK
• New York: Suffolk County Officials Announce Intent to File Suit Over Voting Machine Mandate LINK
• Ohio: A fine mess in Ohio LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Cuyahoga voting problems could delay Senate results LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Diebold Memory Cards Stolen LINK
• Rhode Island: Lawyer Questions Voting Machines - Asks local officals to watch them closely LINK
• Tennessee: Union County – TBI [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] may look into election. Officials to decide if claims of vote buying to be probed LINK
• Wisconsin: County panel rejects move to withhold payment to Diebold LINK
• Wisconsin: Milwaukee - Election head vows a smooth Nov. 7. Commission still seeks poll workers, however LINK
• IReland - Government says e-voting will not be used in next election LINK
• NEatherlands - Flaws found in European voting machines. Problem affects gear used by 90% of Dutch voters LINK

**"Daily Voting News" is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in "Daily Voting News" may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or Scoop.**

John Gideon
Executive Director www.votersunite.org

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