Daily Voting News For January 11-13, 2007

The town of Newfane, Vermont has always hand counted their ballots and the town leaders are asking the voters to continue that act and to turn-down the offer of a Diebold optical-scan machine from the state. Adding to the negative feelings against changing generations of tradition is the fact that the town will get a free machine but would also get an annual bill for maintenance, licensing, and software. / Two new EAC Commissioner's have been nominated. While the Dem. nominee has election's experience and meets the legal qualifications for the job, the Rep. nominee has no election's experience and has only held positions in the RNC and the present administration. She clearly does not have the minimum experience required by HAVA for the position she has been named....

• National: ES&S Criticizes U.S. Congresswoman LINK
• National: Hunter and Rodriguez Nominated for the Election Assistance Commission LINK
• Colorado: Montrose County - Secretary of State scrutinizes vote snafu LINK
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• Florida: Opinion - Ballot bingo
  'None of the above' is a good option LINK
• Florida: Miami-Dade County - Poll glitches: Check plug, try paper clip LINK
• Florida: FL-13 - House Seat Hangs by a Byte LINK
• Florida: FL-13 - Buchanan gets premium position on House panel
  Jennings declares she's not giving up election challenge LINK
• Florida: FL-13 – Huff Po's Melinda Henneberger Interviews Dem. Christine Jennings On Her Contested Florida Congressional Race…. LINK
• Florida: FL-13 - Taking an Election Seriously, in Florida’s Thirteenth LINK
• Florida: Polk County - Elections Chief Edwards Picked For U.S. Panel LINK
• Iowa: Iowa group calling for return to paper ballots LINK
• New York: Undoing a Done Deal
  Activists make headway in their push for a say in how New York’s votes will get counted LINK
• Vermont: Newfane - Board spurns voting scanner LINK

"U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA, pictured at right), Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, today sent a letter to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission seeking answers as to why the Commission failed to notify election officials or the public about a serious problem with Ciber Labs of Colorado, one of three major labs that tests much of the nation’s software used in voting equipment. Senator Feinstein also asked for information regarding what went wrong at Ciber Labs to warrant its loss of accreditation." / "The move came one month after Brian Phillips, president of SysTest Labs, accepted the invitation of a Florida law firm representing a Republican candidate to witness a recount in a Florida election."When there's a conflict over an election, like there was in Florida, we don't want (these companies) to be hired by one party or another," said Donetta Davidson, formerly Colorado secretary of state and now chairwoman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission." This from the woman who told Florida election officials that she was unhappy to see the Republicans lose the Senate because she had promises from them that they would not allow any changes to HAVA. Commissioner, while you're on the conflict of interest theme, let's look inwardly; OK? ...

• National: Senator Feinstein Seeks Answers from EAC On Unreported Failures at Voting Equipment Test Lab LINK
• National: Election Assistance Cheerleader LINK
• National: Toe ethics line, vote machines' testers told LINK
• National: Activist: DHS considering outsourcing work for ID law LINK
• National: The Technology Devolution LINK
• California: Alameda County - Macdonald Named County Registrar LINK
• California: Long Beach - Council Buys New Voting System For City, First Test May 1 LINK
• California: Long Beach - City Council approves new voting system for Long Beach LINK
• Colorado: No more partisan rules, Coffman vows LINK
• Colorado: Denver - Denver Tests Voting Machines For Jan. Election LINK
• Colorado: Montrose County - Citizens question choice of equipment LINK
• Florida: 3 Democrats Contest Wins By Incumbents LINK
• Florida: FL-13 - Computer experts take crack at D-13 vote code LINK
• Florida: FL-13 - Christine Jennings Admits She Should Have Listened to Election Integrity Advocates Earlier... LINK
• Georgia: Staton wants increased penalties for voter fraud LINK
• Illinois: Cook County - County Clerk vows election improvements LINK
• Maryland: Md. Democrats waste no time proposing paper trail­ LINK
• New York: Paper ballots vs. touch screen voting machines LINK
• South Carolina: Pawleys Island - Pawleys to have electronic voting 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.**

In Ohio, as well as most states, "elections directors, particularly those operating with touch-screen voting machines, say their charges for special elections are rising because of the rising costs associated with modern voting systems, including delivering and setting up machines, building rentals and custodial fees, the paper that backs up the touch- screen voting and training sessions." This is part of what HAVA is costing this country. Direct Recording Electronic voting machines are not just expensive to buy; they are expensive to operate. Local school boards, fire districts, port and park commissions who have historically used county elections equipment will no longer be able to afford to have elections to raise funds to do their work....

• National: A House of Voting Cards LINK
• National: Banned test lab certified electronic voting machines used by 68.5% of nation's registered voters in 2006 elections LINK
• National: Fixing The E-Voting Mess
  Advocacy groups push for electronic voting reform. LINK
• Colorado: Denver County – Point/Counterpoint - Change to charter can streamline process LINK
• Colorado: Denver County – Point/Counterpoint - Clerk and recorder solution has many flaws LINK
• Connecticut: Secretary of the state would make Conn. national model for election security LINK
• Florida: FL-13 – Bob Bauer - Taking Elections Seriously, Part II LINK
• Maryland: Officials Warm To Paper Trail To Verify Votes In Maryland LINK
• Maryland: House bill to require paper trail for voters LINK
• Maryland: Election paper trail bill on House agenda LINK
• Maryland: Prince George's County - Two-Thirds of Precincts Were Short on Machines LINK
• Maryland: Prince George's County - Election chief says Prince George's was short on voting machines LINK
• New York: Opinion - Counting ballots LINK
• Ohio: Special elections cost whether taxes pass Charges for touch-screen machines going up LINK
• Virginia: Virginia Takes Up Paper Ballot Legislation in 2007 Session 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 and
Member www.votetrustusa.org

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