Daily Voting News For December 2, 2006
Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
"The most important thing for Congress is to take a deep breath," says Dan Tokaji, an election-law expert at Ohio State
University. He worries that momentum is building for something that could prove to be a mistake. "Passing paper trails
at this stage, based on what we know right now is really fools gold. It may provide an initial sense of confidence. But
that confidence won't be long-lasting unless we resolve some deeper issues." Tokaji is absolutely correct. He just
didn't go far enough and say that with no confidence in the paper trail there should also be no confidence in Direct
Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines. They are both, together or singly, "fools gold". / In Maryland "Barbara
Samorajczyk, who lost to Ronald A. George by 53 votes in House of Delegates District 30, said she conceded by phone
yesterday after deciding that "there wasn't any meaningful way to do a recount" with electronic voting machines. "We
cannot recount the machine," Samorajczyk said."...
National: Bloggers step up for Jennings
Liberals flex muscles to raise money, awareness of 13th District fight. LINK
National: Touch-screen voting machines aren't secure, federal agency says LINK
National: Editorial - Checking the Vote
Another disputed Florida race points up the need for a paper trail. LINK
National: Voting machine firm [Smartmatic] denies tax, bribery allegations LINK
National: Partisanship and the Machines LINK
Arizona: Fed probe of vote bulge finds no tampering but possible problems LINK
California: San Joaquin County - Here's a vote for some improvements LINK
Florida: Touch-screen voting machines not safe, federal agency says
With voting machines in Sarasota still under the microscope, a federal agency criticized machines that provide no backup
paper trail. LINK
Florida: FL-13 – Editorial - Fishy in Florida
With 18,000 disappeared votes in a tight race, Florida officials should call a new election. LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Audit of Fla. 13 Voting Machines Ends as Fight Rages On LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Last round of machine testing over, election battle continues LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Red flags raised on voting machines LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Voting machines pass test LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Jennings committed to additional election tests LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - 4 voting machines pass test in recount LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Voting-machine findings won't end battle LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Second vote test mirrors first LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Jennings Campaign Sues Voting-Machine Manufacturer ES LINK
Maryland: New voting system supported
Research group, politicians agree voters need verifiable paper trail LINK
Maryland: Anne Arundel County - Democrat Admits Loss In Anne Arundel Race, Gives Up Court Fight LINK
North Carolina: Editorial - Without paper, without integrity LINK
New Jersey: Clerks cast doubt on new election machines LINK
Ohio: Franklin County judge seeks recount, citing voting machine woes LINK
Pennsylvania: Feds fear voting security breaches LINK
Rhode Island: Court ruling on 'rejected ballots' may hold key to House District 72 outcome. 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.**
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Daily Voting News For December 3, 2006
Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
"Among the supposed benefits of electronic voting ---- of which Riverside County was a pioneer, and for which it spent
in excess of $30 million ---- were greater accuracy, reliability and speed. What we appear to have gotten for that money
was less reliability and slower results. The question of accuracy remains unanswered and here we are, almost four weeks
after the election, and the Registrar of Voters office just posted what appear to be final numbers late Saturday." /
“What is the point if you run it through the machine again?” said Mary Kiffmeyer, the Minnesota secretary of state, who
instituted hand recounts in 2000. “If you do it by hand, you’re doing an audit on the machine.”...
National: Treasury Urged to Make Public the Results of CFIUS Investigation of Smartmatic LINK
California: Voters raising bar for process LINK
California: Riverside County – Editorial - Election probe a good start LINK
California: Riverside County – Opinion - Riverside County needs to find fix for myriad voting troubles LINK
Colorado: Denver County - Voters, judges give city an earful
An overflow crowd alleges incompetence, election judges want their pay and the mayor predicts serious changes. LINK
Florida: Sarasota County – Columnist - The errors they'll find are likely their own LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Testing Undervote Hypotheses in Sarasota: Declaration of Technical Expert Dan Wallach LINK
Ohio: OH-15 - The Pryce of Democracy in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District LINK
Rhode Island: Paper vs. scanner: Ensuring the vote’s integrity LINK
Virginia: Opinion - Electronic votes shouldn't be a leap of faith LINK
Wisconsin: Recounts can be costly 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.**
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Daily Voting News For December 4, 2006
Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
Citizens in King Co. Washington wanted to exercise their right within state law and asked for a hand recount of two
precincts in the county. They filed the proper paper work and turned over a down payment of $.50 per ballot for the 922
ballots that would be included in the recount. The county accepted the money and the paper work and then informed the
citizens that they needed $2500 per day with a minimum of four days for security. These are ballots that have already
been counted. The citizens are not contesting an election, just asking for their state's given right of a hand recount.
The county clearly does not want that recount to take place. What is the county hiding? / One of the TGDC members who
voted against "Software Independence" had this to say today; "I'm not sure that we've really proven that the processes
that state election officials have used for a few decades now of testing and verifying that the systems work ... are
failing," said Paul Miller, voting systems manager at the Washington state Secretary of State's Office. "Now we're
adding another requirement." It seems Miller has joined the throng of vendors and elections officials who have their
heads buried in the sand and ignore the election failures going on around them....
National: Federal panel rejects extra checks on electronic voting machines LINK
National: Government rejects e-voting paper trail proposal LINK
Arizona: Maricopa County - Candidate seeks ballot inspection LINK
California: Editorial - An anti-machine vote LINK
California: San Joaquin County - Nov. 7: Tipping point for e-voting? LINK
Florida: Sarasota County – Opinion - Why didn't they vote? Why not ask? LINK
Florida: Sarasota County – Opinion - Sarasota controversy shows need for paper LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Rally questions machines, calls for another election LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Protesters demand new election for District 13 congressional seat LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Jennings: 'This is not about me' LINK
New York: What's Wrong With My Voting Machine? LINK
Ohio: Ashtabula County - Recount complete; Moroski adds 2 votes to win total LINK
Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Ohio County Considers Shift on E-voting Systems LINK
Pennsylvania: Vote watchdogs warn of system failure LINK
South Carolina: Kershaw County - Candidates protest county reelection decision LINK
Washington: King County - Citizens group requests small 8th District recount 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.**
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John Gideon
Executive Director www.votersunite.org and
Member www.votetrustusa.org