Daily Voting News For December 7-10, 2006

The folks in Alaska may have a good idea that needs to be discussed (see the first article below). Essentially they are suggesting a separate, national, hand counted, paper ballot for President. Any registered voter can vote anywhere on that single race. The immediately apparent advantage is that it will enfranchise voters who may be away from home as they can walk into any polling place on election day, prove they are registered and vote the presidential ballot and that ballot would be counted, by hand, right along with every other ballot gathered at the polls. Of course, a glaring argument against is that this would require a national voter registration data base and states are having trouble just getting it right for themselves without joining all 50 plus the territories together into one. It may be an idea worth discussion and thought though. ...

• National: Editorial - Alaska editorial: Nation needs a single, presidential paper ballot LINK
• National: Where’s the Voter Fraud? LINK
• National: Panel passes electronic voting guidelines, encourages use by states LINK
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• National: Panel wants paper trail for touch-screen voting
  A committee voted to create a national standard that could eliminate paperless electronic voting machines. LINK
• National: Opinion - Think globally, protect the vote locally LINK
• National: EAC Approves Voting System Testing &Certification Program Standards LINK
• National: EAC Releases Findings of Voting Fraud and Voter Intimidation Study LINK
• National: U.S. board approves testing of e-voting machines
  EAC votes unanimously to approve a manual for testing and certification of e-voting machines LINK
• National: Remember the Pinto or Why Isn't the Performance of Our Voting Machines as Important as the Performance of Our Blenders LINK
• National: Agency Toughen Voting Security Program LINK
• California: Opinion - New elections czar promises to focus attention on better form of e-voting LINK
• California: Riverside County – Supervisor Bets 'A Thousand To One' That His Sequoia Voting Machines Can't Be Hacked! LINK
• Colorado: Denver - City elections chief quits LINK
• Connecticut: Editorial - A TrueVote Vindication LINK
• Connecticut: Audit finds new optical scan voting machines accurate, reliable LINK
• Florida: Tired Of Being Butt Of Election Jokes, Florida Fights Back LINK
• Florida: FL-13 - Dean calls for new election in District 13 race LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County - D-13 audit heads to Tallahassee
  Experts to verify that Sarasota County's voting software has been state-certified LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County - SP TIMES: Jennings to Ask House for 'Investigation' in FL-13 Race LINK
• Indiana: Allen County - Criminal campaign charges LINK
• Kansas: Sedgwick County - Landwehr's opponent contests vote
  Democratic challenger Walt Chappell claims an error or fraud occurred in the election; Rep Brenda Landwehr says there's no validity to the accusations. LINK
• Ohio: Fairfield County - Diebold taking blame for invalid election results LINK
• Ohio: Washington County - State ousts final elections board official LINK
• Pennsylvania: Chester County - Recount will be a test of voting system LINK
• New Jersey: Opinion - Ballots obtained by messengers open door for voting fraud LINK
• Texas: Waller County - Waller officials vote to abolish elections office 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.**

"By the 2008 presidential election, voters around the country are likely to see sweeping changes in how they cast their ballots and how those ballots are counted," write Ian Urbina and Christopher Drew in today's NYTimes, "including an end to the use of most electronic voting machines without a paper trail." / The totally partisan EAC Commissioner Donetta Davidson has been named "Chairman" of that commission. "Ms. Davidson, speaking in her role as EAC commissioner, has publicly advocated for paperless electronic voting machines and opposed legislation that would require that electronic voting machines provide an independent means of verifying the accuracy of electronic vote totals. In addressing the recent TGDC meeting, Commissioner Davidson specifically urged the committee not to adopt a resolution that would require a voter verified paper audit trail for direct recording electronic voting machines."...

• National: Changes Are Expected in Voting by 2008 Election LINK
• National: Donetta Davidson Named Chairman of the Election Assistance Commission LINK
• National: Security concerns plague e-voting LINK
• National: U.S. election panel OKs testing of e-voting machines LINK
• National: The Press Catching Up With Koehler on E-Voting Problems LINK
• National: Exclusive: Rep. Holt Say His Election Reform Legislation Will Require 'Voter-Verified Paper Ballots' LINK
• California: Riverside County – Columnist - Down for the Count LINK
• Connecticut: Registrar of voters: phone-in voting too slow LINK
• Connecticut: State's New Vote System Earns High Marks LINK
• Connecticut: Audit finds new optical scan voting machines accurate, reliable LINK
• Florida: Opinion - Have a backup plan for close elections
  Our Opinion: Paper Trail Would Verify Count, Boost Voters' Confidence LINK
• Florida: FL-13 - Jennings gets Dean's help in bid for revote LINK
• Florida: Fl-13 - Vote challenge unlikely to be resolved before Congress meets LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County - Dems top Republicans in no-vote dispute in Dist. 13 LINK
• Georgia: Paper-trail rule is a voting victory LINK
• Indiana: Microvote Sues State LINK
• Maryland: Maryland official reverses stance on e-voting bill
  Law requiring paper trail now likely to gain legislative OK LINK
• Minnesota: Florida election snafu could herald 2008 meltdown LINK
• New York: Touch Screen Voting Machines Feel Wrong to Many LINK
• Ohio: OH-15 - After hand recount, Pryce’s lead over Kilroy still as it was LINK
• Pennsylvania: Delaware County - Resolution targets new voting machine flaw LINK
• Rhode Island: Editorial - Ballots need manual review for accuracy LINK
• Texas: Waller County abolishes elections office LINK
• Utah: Salt Lake County - Mayor Corroon says upkeep of Electronic Voting Machines Costing "Million and Millions" LINK
• Virginia: Auditing Elections
  City Council votes to support General Assembly efforts to create a paper trail for voters. LINK
• Virginia: Editorial - Paper trail needed for voting confidence LINK
• Wyoming: No barriers to 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.**

It seems that the Sarasota election problems along with the overwhelming vote by the people of that county who spoke out and told the county that they want a paper ballot, has influenced other counties in the state. There is now talk of converting from DREs to paper ballots or including a vvpat on the DREs in Volusia, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. ...

• National: Statement to the EAC LINK
• National: Changes ahead for e-voting; FL-13 controversy continues LINK
• National: New Voting Machines - The Gift That Keeps On Costing LINK
• Arkansas: State election results certified
  Benton County's numbers were last in to secretary of state LINK
• Florida: Broward and Miami-Dade – Vote Is Set On Voting Machines LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County - Election firm says codes are a secret LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County - Hearing set for challenge to voting machine's software LINK
• Florida: Volusia County - Paper ballots may be coming LINK
• Montana: Guest Opinion: Time to review changes in Montana election laws LINK
• New York: Opinion - Voting last, voting smart 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.**

Summit Co. Ohio is now considering following in the foot steps of Douglas Co. Nebraska. Douglas Co., the home of ES&S, purchased a digital printer and now prints their own ballots for their ES&S op-scans. Douglas Co bought the printer for $120,000 and saved $75,000 in printing costs in the just completed election. And, they did not have to rely on ES&S to make any deadlines. They were in complete control. ...

• California: San Mateo County - Human error to blame for November e-voting snafus LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County - Sample ballot was different from screen LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County – Opinion - Election conformity
  Back to the drawing board in Florida LINK
• Florida: Exclusive: Sarasota Offered Faulty Information to Voters Concerning Undervote Confirmation Process on their ES&S Touch-Screen Voting Machines LINK
• Georgia: The Cox Legacy
  Who "owns" our votes? LINK
• Indiana: Delaware County - More objections raised to recount LINK
• Michigan: Macomb County - Clerks feud over who runs school elections
  Several municipalities want to leave special elections to the county LINK
• Ohio: Summit County - Summit ponders printing ballots
  Elections panel looks at buying digital printer to avoid voting delays LINK
• Utah: Salt Lake County Mayor Corroon says upkeep of Electronic Voting Machines Costing "Million and Millions" LINK
• Virginia: Editorial - Montgomery County secures its elections 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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