Daily Voting News For February 2-3, 2007

According to an article in Hometown Annapolis; “Addressing the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee yesterday, state Elections Administrator Linda Lamone conceded that a paper voting record will be a part of future Maryland elections, although she still believes in the integrity of the state's current system. "After meeting with you and other policy-makers over the past several days, it is clear that there is a consensus to take the next step towards a voter verifiable voting system," Ms. Lamone said. "As we move forward, I want to work with you to ensure that we do not lose the advantages that we have gained - a secure, accurate and reliable system - or make mistakes that will undermine the rights of voters with disabilities or diminish usability."” Lamone will continue to ‘jibber-jabber’ about her paperless Diebold machines until they pry them from her control....

• NAtional: Sarasota Selling Defective Voting Machines Plus – All the dirt on ES&S VP Gary Greenhalgh LINK
• Arizona: Live video of ballot counting, early-vote notification pushed LINK
• California: Nevada County - Committee inspects voting machines LINK
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• Florida: Crist and Wexler Announce Plan to Deliver a Paper Trail for Florida LINK
• Florida: Election watchdogs like Crist's plan LINK
• Florida: Goodbye to most touch screens? LINK
• Florida: Crist casts a ballot for trouble LINK
• Florida: Crist's paper trail plan draws raves LINK
• Florida: Watchdog groups open to Crist's voting-machine plan LINK
• Florida: Election chiefs wary of vote-machine plan LINK
• Florida: Why Voting Needs a Paper Trail LINK
• Florida: Florida Voters Coalition 2007 Position Paper on Voting Systems LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County - Sarasota Officials Freeze Election Data, as Jennings Battle Wages On LINK
• Florida: Sarasota County - Dent promises new voting machines for fall elections LINK
• Idaho: Vote-by-mail plans advance LINK
• Illinois: Collinsville to test new voting devices LINK
• Maryland: Voting reform seen unlikely until 2010 LINK
• Maryland: Proposals push for early voting, option of using paper ballots LINK
• Maryland: Voting paper trail option offered LINK
• Ohio: Editorial - Find a better way to get poll workers 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.**

ABC News [see below] reports this quote: "This is the wave of the future, that states are looking to scrap their electronic touch screens and move to some other system that has a paper trail," said Michael McDonald of the Brookings Institute. "It's not always good to get ahead of ourselves," he said. "The best way of doing elections is just the old-fashioned way, by paper." To which I say: “This wave is the result of the unprecedented work of thousands of Election Integrity activists around the country. Aided by the Internet and new means of communication the Election Integrity community has grown and its voice is being heard. The fight is not over but we have them on the run. // U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) announced that the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee has scheduled a hearing on Wednesday, February 7 on "The Hazards of Electronic Voting – Focus on the Machinery of Democracy." The hearing will focus on concerns related to the security and auditability of voting systems used in federal elections, with an emphasis on reported problems in the 2006 federal elections....

• NAtional: Senate Rules Committee to Hold Hearing on Electronic Voting Problems of 2006 Election Hearing Chaired by Senator Feinstein is first step in the Committee's efforts to address the hazards of electronic voting LINK
• National: Obama-Schumer and the Advance of Voter-Centered Reform LINK
• National: Editorial - The Right Reform Lawmakers are correct to push for voting changes, but they need to move carefully. LINK
• Arizona: Pima County - Pima Dems sue for access to '06 early vote counts LINK
• Florida: Florida Governor Crist Endorses 'Paper Trail' Voting Machines LINK
• Florida: Opinion - Toward a better ballot LINK
• Florida: FL-13 - Voting debate cuts in on talk LINK
• Kansas: Fate of House seat rests with five ballots LINK
• Ohio: Ohio is keeping its touch screens Brunner plans review to improve voting LINK
• Virginia: Assembly panel looking to nix touch-screen voting method 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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