Daily Voting News For August 9-15, 2006

Fraus omnia vitiate, “Fraud vitiates everything” and when it may apply to Diebold it means a lot such as Diebold machines have no valid federal certification. / Diebold has announced that the Securities and Exchange Commission is now involved in a formal investigation into some of the corporation's practices. / Michigan reports that voting machines purchased for voters with disabilities are seeing little use across the state. / Election procedure questions in Tennessee? Don't call the state; call the vendor. ...

• National: Raphael Bear's Testimony On HR 5913 LINK
• National: Fraud Vitiates Everything it Touches: Why Diebold DRE’s Have No Valid NASED Numbers LINK
• National: Scratch-and-Vote System Could Help Eliminate Election Fraud LINK
• National: SEC changes Diebold accounting probe to formal LINK
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• National: Debate over e-voting is still plaguing elections LINK
• Alabama: Alabama Congressman Challenges Department of Justice Decision LINK
• California: Vote-PAD Defends Itself In Public Hearing In California LINK
• California: CA Elections Staff Advises Against Non-electronic Voting Alternative for Disabled (Vote-PAD) LINK
• California: Butte County - Official urges county to seek reimbursement for election cost LINK
• California: Humboldt County - County’s new voting machines may be flawed LINK
• California: San Mateo County - County unveils new voting machines LINK
• California: San Mateo County - County poised to approve e-voting LINK
• California: San Mateo County - New machines may have heads spinning LINK
• Colorado: No big glitches at new voting centers LINK
• Colorado: Denver - New machines puzzle voters, officials LINK
• Colorado: Denver - New Electronic Voting Machines Cause Minor Glitches. Some Voters Told To Come Back Later LINK
• Colorado: Pueblo County - Sleepless in uncertainty. Candidates for clerk job within 7 votes at night's end LINK
• Florida: Volusia County - Volusia delays bilingual ballots. The elections chief says she ran out of time because of touch-screen voting. LINK
• Georgia: McKinney alleges voting irregularities LINK
• Georgia: DeKalb County - Vote Count in DeKalb Delayed LINK
• Michigan: Michigan reports overall success with new voting machines LINK
• Michigan: Vote counting slow in Troy, Wixom LINK
• Michigan: New Voting Machine for Visually Impaired Virtually Unused LINK
• Michigan: Berrien County - Problems at the polls LINK
• Missouri: Harvey Friedman: My Day At The Poll. Brad's Dad Pulled A Few Chains Today ­ And His Son Will Be Very Proud! LINK
• Missouri: New voting equipment generally OK, yet some results delayed LINK
• Missouri: Kansas City - Last-minute glitches slow returns LINK
• Missouri: St. Louis County - St. Louis County praises performance of touch-screens LINK
• North Carolina: Date set for new primary election LINK
• New York: Otsego County - Voters who have disabilities have a Friday deadline to notify Otsego County LINK
• New York: Tompkins County - The Election Apparatus LINK
• Ohio: Special elections first test for state's voter ID law LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - No serious problems in first election requiring ID LINK
• Ohio: Mahoning County - Board asks for $192,000 to buy carts LINK
• Pennsylvania: Luzerne County - Green Party will challenge newest petition Wilkes-Barre resident wants ballot question to eliminate districts LINK
• Tennessee: Problems with MicroVote Prompt Candidates To Call For A Revote LINK
• Tennessee: Cheatham County - Miscommunication blamed for election delays LINK
• Tennessee: Rhea County - Election problems were minor, solvable LINK
• Texas: Woman is sentenced in voting-fraud case. Penalty: $750 fine, two years probation, campaigning limits LINK

In St Louis Co. Missouri some voters found the ES&S iVotronic touch-screens too sensitive. For machines not calibrated properly, all it took to enter a vote was an accidental graze of the palm over a candidate's name. In other places in the county, voters complained it was too easy for others to spy on how they were voting. / What is the message when county election officials encourage voters to vote absentee so they don't have to use the machines? / Arizona is proposing giving one lucky voter in November a $1M prize in a voter lottery scheme / Bruce McDannold appears to have violated confidentiality agreements in his quest to smear Vote-PAD and damage it's ability to be used in California elections / Indiana is now finding a large number of mistakes in their voting roll purges. ...

• National: Some Statewide Databases Lacking In Privacy Safeguards LINK
• Arkansas: Carroll County - Baker lawsuit to overturn election is in judge's hands LINK
• Arizona: Another View: Voter lottery just crazy enough to work LINK
• Arizona: Brennan Center Commends Pima Co. For Implementing Security Procedures For Electronic Voting LINK
• California: SoS Office Engaged In Smear Campaign Against Vote-PAD LINK
• California: San Diego County – Columnist - Lawsuit over Bilbray win a political stunt LINK
• Colorado: La Plata County - Colgan widens margin of victory. County clerk says nothing was sinister in seal mishap LINK
• Colorado: Mesa County - Count still a matter of time LINK
• Colorado: Summit County - New voting machines put to test (Hart eSlate) LINK
• Indiana: Boone County - Voting errors won't recur, says machine company official (VTI) LINK
• Indiana: Mistakes Being Found in Purged Voter Rolls LINK
• Michigan: Good results with new voting machines. Few problems turn up with Michigan's latest equipment. LINK
• Michigan: Berrien County - Computer glitch slows tally of votes in Berrien County. Officials create spreadsheet to finish the count LINK
• Michigan: St. Clair County - Few voters attempt to use new machines LINK
• Missouri: Printers cast doubt on voting machines. The county clerk says printers jammed on Tuesday and that she questions future accuracy. LINK
• Missouri: Boone County - Digital voting a hit, with one ominous glitch ‘Paper trail’ lost for some ballots. LINK
• Missouri: Kansas City - Election Official: Lack Of Training Caused Delay LINK
• Missouri: Kansas City - Election workers faulted. They are part of the reason for troubles with voting Tuesday, Kansas City’s Democratic election director says. LINK
• Missouri: St. Louis County - St. Louis the winner in counting votes LINK
• North Carolina: Boards seek ways to fund GOP primary LINK
• New York: The Voting Rights Act redux LINK
• Ohio: Activists: Advisory proves Blackwell suppressing vote LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Cuyahoga commissioners back absentee voting LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Absentee Voting Encouraged To Bypass Electronic Voting LINK
• South Carolina: Cherokee County - Election mistake causes confusion LINK
• Tennessee: Anderson County - Candidates may challenge losses LINK
• Tennessee: Sullivan County - Sullivan election officials dispel rumors LINK

A grand-jury is investigating complaints of voter fraud in Alton, Texas where, amongst other complaints, there were some from elderly residents alleging the mayor’s wife took their mail-in ballots before they had selected a candidate. The mayor was losing in early voting and on the voting machines but won on all but a handful of mail-in ballots. ...

• 
  NAtional: SEC Opens Formal Invesitgation Into Diebold LINK
• Alaska: Touch Screen Voting Too Risky For Upcoming Elections (Diebold) LINK
• California: San Mateo County - Opponents contend e-voting dangerous (Hart Intercivic) LINK
• Florida: Volusia County - What's new in Volusia? Not bilingual ballots. Preparing for new voting machines left no time, official says LINK
• Maryland: Judge rules Md. early voting law unconstitutional LINK
• Missouri: Franklin County - County Clerk Says New Voting Equipment Secure LINK
• Mississippi: Hattiesburg - Commission addresses voter fraud concerns LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Cuyahoga commissioners encourage absentee voting LINK
• Ohio: Trumbull County – Editorial - It’s now time to shrink number of area precincts LINK
• Tennessee: Wilson County - Elam thinks early voting setup cost her votes LINK
• Texas: Hidalgo County - Investigation into fraud allegations begins LINK

As has been previously reported in this space the voters in Tennessee were faced with new voting machines and an extremely long ballot (up to 21 screens in one county). To go with the machines and ballots is a state law that only allows each voter 5 minutes to vote when there are others in line to vote and 10 minutes otherwise. Now losing candidates are using the time-limits as a reason to contest the election. When counties choose to use only DRE voting their polling places are limited as to the number of voters who can vote at one time. When using paper ballots the only limit is the number of pens or pencils and the amount of space people can use to mark their ballots....

• 
  NAtional: Secretaries of state: Flashpoint in '06? LINK
• Florida: Volusia County - County employees filling poll worker shortage LINK
• Indiana: Morgan County - Advocate offers voting fraud solutions LINK
• Maryland: Early voting law struck down LINK
• North Carolina: Wilson County - Voting machines working well. The county's new voting machines got off to a wobbly start in May LINK
• New York: New York - Just Say "No" to DREs in NY: Press Conference and City Council Vote LINK
• Ohio: Washington County - Elections board discovers shortfall LINK
• Tennessee: Anderson County - Two losing candidates file suits. Anderson County voters spent too much time in booths, complaints say LINK

Why is it that some states talk about their voting systems and mention that they use AccuVote? In Connecticut papers they talk about the "AccuVote-OS system, sold by LHS Associates of Massachusetts". Are they afraid to say 'Diebold'? / The Massachusetts primary is on Sept. 19 yet the state still has no voting system that is accessible. They have not even settled on a choice but they still hope to have the machines in time. Counties are concerned about training but the state says they are all easy to use. Why doesn't anyone look outside of their own fences to see the failures of not training? / Poll workers in Jefferson Co. Missouri voiced their frustration of vowed to never do the job again due to the new voting machines and lack of training. ...

• National: CNN's Lou Dobbs: Electronic Voting Machines Pose An Extraordinary Threat To Our Democracy. LINK
• National: New Election Auditing Protocol Proposed LINK
• National: SEC Opens Formal Investigation Into Diebold's Election Division LINK
• Arkansas: Benton County - Election Commission works on two elections LINK
• California: New voting machines questioned. Costly units giving access to disabled are flawed, soon to be outdated, some say. LINK
• California: Riverside County - E-voting reaches religion status LINK
• Connecticut: Editorial - Dawn Of A New Age In Voting LINK
• Florida: New technology awaits local voters. Touch-screen machines join paper ballots LINK
• Florida: Volusia County - Long's attempt to comply with new ad rule comes up short LINK
• Illinois: La Salle County - 'Electronic poll binder' may curb miscast votes LINK
• Kentucky: Battle Rages Over Voter Purge LINK
• Massachusetts: Voting tool for disabled delayed for primaries LINK
• Michigan: Midland County - Bigger ballots breaking budget LINK
• Missouri: Jefferson County - Problems at the polls LINK
• New Mexico: Bernalillo County - Soggy ceiling plops on voting machines LINK
• New York: Rockland - Rockland gets new voting machines for the disabled LINK
• Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Drops “No Match” Voter Restrictions LINK
• Tennessee: Curtainless voting still hidden from prying eyes LINK
• Tennessee: Coalition workshop aims to help immigrants obtain citizenship LINK
• Tennessee: Anderson County - Three complaints filed to throw out election results LINK
• Texas: Harris County - Needed: A paper trail for county ballots. County clerk and mayor shouldn’t ignore troubling situation any longer LINK

An inquiry by the state of Indiana into actions by ES&S is still on going. Money that would be paid by counties to ES&S is being withheld by the state to ensure the funds are not paid to the company until the investigation is complete / Today is primary day in Nevada. / Registered to vote? Are you sure? Use www.canivote.org to ensure you are registered and for other important information. / 25 voters filed a lawsuit today in Pennsylvania against paper-less voting systems used in the state / The Pentagon has been given funds to help overseas military to vote in a program called Interim Voting Assistance System (IVAS). ...

• National: NASS Launches First-Ever National Voter Education Campaign to Offer an Online, Step-by-Step Guide to Voting in All 50 States LINK
• National: Has Bush v. Gore Become the Case That Must Not Be Named? LINK
• National: Salon: Voter suppression efforts seen in six states LINK
• National: Insecurity Through Obscurity LINK
• National: U.S. needs to lead the charge so service members' votes count LINK
• California: San Mateo County - Open Voting Consortium, Raging Grannies Work Together to Resist EVMs LINK
• Indiana: Voting-system inquiry lingers. Equipment funds being held back LINK
• Massachusetts: Still No Decision About Accessible Voting Machines LINK
• New Mexico: Bernalillo County - County, APD face thousands in damage (45 new M-100 pbos machines ruined) LINK
• New York: Board of Elections approves HAVA timeline LINK
• New York: Limited sites catering to disabled voters a concern LINK
• New York: Essex County - County tries to save money on elections LINK
• Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Another report blasts Cuyahoga County election (Diebold) LINK
• Pennsylvania: Lawsuit seeks paper trail for Election Day LINK
• Pennsylvania: Voter's rights advocates sue over paperless voting systems in Pa. LINK
• Pennsylvania: Voters File Suit To Halt Use Of Touch-Screen Electronic Voting Systems In November LINK
• Pennsylvania: Voter's rights advocates sue over paperless voting systems in Pa. LINK
• Pennsylvania: Coalition for Voting Integrity Members Join Major New Voting Rights Lawsuit LINK
• Pennsylvania: Luzerne County - Voting machines arrive. County to examine and test the newly received 434 electronic devices today. LINK
• Tennessee: Anderson County - Lawsuit Alleges Some Anderson Votes Illegal LINK
• Tennessee: Anderson County - Four sue over vote outcome. Democrats claim irregularities, seek new elections in November LINK
• Tennessee: Anderson County - AC officials certify results of elections LINK
• Tennessee: Shelby County - Losing Shelby County Candidates Sue LINK
• Tennessee: Sullivan County - Election Commission to devote work session to election day problems LINK
• Texas: Potter County - Potter OKs voting machine buy (ES&S iVotronic) 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
Information Manager www.votetrustusa.org

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