Daily Voting News For March 13-14, 2007

Today we have a lot of fun stuff that was covered by the media (or not). The two election workers from Cuyahoga Co. Ohio who rigged the recount were each sentenced to 18 months in prison and the judge stated that he felt they were not telling the whole story and that they were covering for someone. // In Georgia the media failed to report that a complaint to the State Board of Elections brought by concerned citizens has now been referred to the Attorney General for investigation and action. The complaint is that the state illegally used Diebold software in elections that was never qualified by NASED for use (a state law requires this). The complaint is against Diebold and state elections officials. // In Sarasota Co. Florida a letter from ES&S to the state and county has come to light. Interestingly this letter was not included in discovery from the state or county but was found on the website of the North Carolina Coalition For Verified Voting. Joyce McCloy of that group has been trying to get people to read and pay attention to this letter for months. Finally someone has and this could be the answer that everyone has been looking for. // And finally the disabilities community and advocacy groups are beginning to speak out against DRE voting systems....

• NAtional: Blind And Disabled Voter Advocates, Groups Call For ‘Immediate Ban’ Of DRE Voting Systems! LINK
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• National: Election Research Group Applauds Re-Introduction of the 'Count Every Vote Act' LINK
• National: The FSU Report on the ES&S iVotronic Used in Sarasota County LINK
• National: Election Fraud, My Ass LINK
• Arkansas: Early voting bill doesn't seem likely to pass, commissioner says LINK
• California: San Bernardino County - Will voters be going back to polls for Measure K? LINK
• Colorado: Four counties on ‘election watch list’ LINK
• Colorado: Open-access jitters slow election bill LINK
• Colorado: Montrose County - County welcomes task force findings LINK
• Florida: It's not quite all systems go as Elections Committee test voting machines LINK
• Florida: Optical-scan ballots best, activists say Gov. Crist's reforms are praised, but election advocates tell senators a better paper-trail system is necessary. LINK
• Florida: Lawmakers Test Voting Machines LINK
• Florida: Hillsborough County - Reddick Alleges Glitches Cost Him District 5 Runoff LINK
• Florida: Palm Beach County - Anderson: 'No major malfunctions' LINK
• Florida: Palm Beach County - Voting Problems Cause Confusion In Palm Beach Co. LINK
• Florida: Palm Beach County - Palm Beach Vote Problems Leave Candidates Confused Well Into Evening LINK
• Florida: FL-13 - Jennings bullish after pre-election letter shows equipment problems LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County - FL-13: Company Warned of Touch-Screen Voting System Defect, But Sarasota Declined to Fix Machines or Caution Voters LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County - Voting machine maker warned of 'issue' LINK
• Georgia: Diebold Certification - Referred to the Attorney General LINK
• Georgia: Press Release - GAVV Complaint Referred to the Attorney General for Investigation LINK
• Georgia: DeKalb County - State hits roof over DeKalb treatment of voting machines LINK
• Kansas: Clay County - Under lock, key New technology, software means more security at county election board LINK
• New Mexico: Federal auditors seek election spending records LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Elections ex-officials get 18-month sentences LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Elections board workers sentenced to 18 months LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - 2 election workers get 18 months for rigging presidential recount LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Ohio Election Workers Sentenced to 18 Months for Rigging 2004 Presidential Recount LINK
• Pennsylvania: Luzerne County - Expert OKs flagged voting machines They had been pulled aside after voters complained they weren’t operating properly. LINK
• Pennsylvania: Luzerne County - Voting machines given green light LINK
• Pennsylvania: Luzerne County - Luzerne voting machines calibrated 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 written testimony presented to the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives; Ellen Theisen LINKconcludes in part: ...

• After eight months of study in 2005, the GAO recommended that the EAC immediately take five actions that the GAO considered essential to fulfill the Commission’s HAVA mandate. To date, the EAC has accomplished only a portion of one of them.
• The 2005 report emphasized the need for the EAC to complete “key activities.” In recognition of the EAC’s on-going failure to do so, the GAO’s 2007 report emphasizes the need for state and local governments to “address electronic voting system challenges.” It is clear that the responsibilities Congress assigned to the EAC must now, indeed, be taken over by the state and local governments.
• Reliable elections are the bedrock of representative democracy. Because of the EAC’s failure to effectively execute its role, public dissatisfaction with the electoral process grows with each election, and the country is now in an election system crisis.
• Bills recently introduced into both houses of Congress would establish and fund the EAC permanently, but such provisions defy common sense, and Congress should reject them.
• Congress should not tolerate the EAC’s failure to comply with its mandate. It should immediately appoint well-qualified, competent Commissioners and Executive Director to replace those now in office, or it should refuse to authorize further funding for this agency.
• National: House panel to hold 'voting machine forum' LINK
• Colorado: Four Colorado Counties Placed on Election Watch List LINK
• Colorado: Montrose County - Montrose on election watch list LINK
• Florida: Palm Beach County - Officials predict 25 percent draw to countywide polls; slow early turnout seen LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County - Mechanical Glitch Ignored In Now Contested Florida Congressional Race LINK
• Florida: Tampa - 37 votes short of runoff, city hopeful wants inquiry LINK
• Georgia: DeKalb County - Ga. voting machines left in leaky DeKalb County warehouse LINK
• Missouri: Editorial - In our view: Voters should decide on IDs LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Voter turnout expected to be too high LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Can we count on our votes? Official worried about machines LINK
• Texas: Lamar County - Machine shortage leads to consolidation 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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