Voting News for March 15

Voting News: IN SoS pleads not guilty to voter fraud; FL candidate requests manual ballot review; KS lawmaker proposes ID compromise

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IN SoS pleads not guilty to voter fraud; FL candidate requests manual ballot review; KS lawmaker proposes ID compromise
Posted: 14 Mar 2011 03:11 PM PDT
CA: City Clerk Cites 'Human Error' for Ballot Miscalculation - West Hollywood, CA Patch

Simple human error caused ballot counters to overestimate the number of ballots still to be counted in the West Hollywood City Council election. That’s the word from City Clerk Tom West, who oversaw the counting Tuesday night. Read More

CA: Ranked-Choice Voting Ain't Rocket Science - San Francisco News - The Snitch

We wrote earlier today about the headline-grabbing Chamber of Commerce poll that indicates San Francisco voters can't figure out how ranked-choice voting works.

It's an interesting survey. Somehow, the 500 San Franciscans queried understood enough about payroll taxes that they overwhelmingly support one in mid-Market. And they know what "earned revenues" means well enough to approve of the Recreation and Park Department chasing more of it. But the majority of the respondents don't know if their vote "is counted" in a ranked-choice election. Read More

CA: An agenda as clear as 1, 2, 3 | San Francisco Bay Guardian

The main story ran front page above the fold, the big headline calling the seven-year-old voting system “a mystery” because the poll found many voters didn't know precise details about how votes are tabulated. And even though the poll found “voters evenly split on whether they prefer the current system or a runoff,” according to the story, columnist CW Nevius writes that the poll shows voters “would prefer a two-candidate runoff.” Read More

CO: Keep it simple by voting down instant runoffs | Northern Colorado Business Report

November's elections produced one clear majority: Voters fed up with political campaigns.

So an alternative that promises positive electioneering and a clear mandate from the people seems attractive. But ranked choice or instant runoff voting, on the April 5 Fort Collins ballot, is not the answer. Read More

FL: Caragiulo wins after recount, Clapp wants ballot review – City Beat - Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Sarasota, FL - Archive

Any citizen can request to see election ballots at the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections office, but the results of the review, even if machine voting errors are caught, will not change the election
Clapp, who estimates he will pay up to $300 for election staff to review the ballots, said “voting machines have made mistakes before.” He said since he can’t get a hand recount, a ballot review is the next best thing. Read More
HI: Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Hawaii House Passes Instant Runoff Voting Bill
On March 8, the Hawaii House passed HB 638 unanimously. It provides that in special Congressional elections, and county elections, Instant Runoff Voting will be used. Read More

IN: Not guilty is plea entered for Secretary of State White - southbendtribune.com

A Hamilton County court magistrate entered a not guilty plea Friday for Indiana’s top elections official, who was indicted last week on seven felony counts including voter fraud. Read More

IN: White targets prosecutors, news media | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

Charlie White's first day in court was short and uneventful. His unscheduled news conference outside the Hamilton County courtroom was anything but. Read More

IN: New Deputy Secretary of State Appointed - Newsroom - Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick

Bonnet has represented the secretary of state’s office in administrative proceedings reviewing electronic voting machine compliance with the Indiana Election Code. He also has served as the office’s statewide coordinator of Election Day poll monitoring during the 2007 – 2010 primary and general elections. Read More

KS: Topeka rep offers voter bill alternative | CJOnline.com

A Kansas Senate committee on Friday considered a Democratic legislator’s alternative to Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s bill to require voters to show photo identification at the polls, and the lawmaker said her measure would attack election fraud without suppressing turnout. Read More

KY: Clay County businessman, wife sentenced in vote-buying scam | Public Safety | Kentucky.com

A Clay County businessman, who allegedly took part in vote fraud to help elect officials who could give him contracts, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Read More

ME: OUR OPINION: The way we elect governors works just fine, thanks | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME
The League of Women Voters of Maine, meanwhile, announced last week that it supports "instant runoff" or "ranked choice voting," in which voters rank candidates by order of preference and candidates are eliminated until one ends up with a majority.
Now it's our turn: We are opposed to runoff elections and "instant runoffs." The system we have isn't perfect, but it's the fairest and most efficient way to elect a governor. Read More
NC: Legislators to take up voter ID - Politics - NewsObserver.com

Few issues so starkly divide red and blue America than proposals to require voters to produce photographic identification when they go the polls - a debate that is set to begin this week in the North Carolina legislature. Read More

NY: Pols are primary reason election problem isn't being solved

The Election Commissioners Association recently wrote Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, outlining a raft of reasons why the state's primaries should be pushed back.
Among those are the requirements of the federal MOVE Act, geared at ensuring voters in the military have time to cast their ballots. Read More
TN: Herald Citizen - Steakley files new complaint

In the amended complaint, Steakley claims that voting machines were not secured. Voting machines were to be kept in a safe and locked location at the election commission until delivered to the precinct, the amended complaint says. But these machines were "astonishingly" removed from the commission's custody and taken home by 25 "unsupervised election workers," "none of whom had undergone any sort of background check, and were placed in the back seats of cars, trunks, in private homes, and other unknown locations throughout the county" and with the keys. Read More

WA: Early primary election would solve a number of issues - Editorials - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington

Also key to the legislation is the provision that allows military and overseas voters to cast their ballots via e-mail to ensure they are returned to the county auditor in time to be counted. Some Peace Corps workers and service members are in very remote areas of the world, and it’s essential that their votes be counted. Read More

WI: Costs for recall elections for Wisconsin state senators could add to community budget pressures | Appleton Post Crescent | postcrescent.com

With the ink still drying on a divisive collective bargaining law in Wisconsin, cash-strapped municipalities already facing cuts in state aid brace for the prospect of another fiscal thumping: recall elections. Read More

WI: Voter ID bill sparks concerns | Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune | wisconsinrapidstribune.com

A proposal that would require Wisconsin voters to present identification before casting their ballots could hurt eligible voters, local officials say. Read More

Internet Voting Watch

CT: Kane Supports Online Voting for Military Personnel - Oxford, CT Patch

State Sen. Rob Kane, R- Watertown, testified this week in favor of a bill which would allow access to online voting for Connecticut’s military personnel stationed out of state. Read More

American Idol Voting Goes Social With Facebook | Business

This season for the very first time American Idol lets the audience cast their votes online. Adding to the text and call voting they can now hit americanidol.com to bet for their favorite singer on the competition. Read More

Canada: BC Iconoclast: The Online Party of Canada

The Online Party of Canada is a new federal political party that wants to harness the power of the internet for politics. Read More

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