Daily Voting News For March 14 2007
Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
Today we have a lot of fun stuff that was covered by the media (or not). The two election workers from Cuyahoga Co. Ohio
who rigged the recount were each sentenced to 18 months in prison and the judge stated that he felt they were not
telling the whole story and that they were covering for someone. // In Georgia the media failed to report that a
complaint to the State Board of Elections brought by concerned citizens has now been referred to the Attorney General
for investigation and action. The complaint is that the state illegally used Diebold software in elections that was
never qualified by NASED for use (a state law requires this). The complaint is against Diebold and state elections
officials. // In Sarasota Co. Florida a letter from ES to the state and county has come to light. Interestingly this letter was not included in discovery from the state or
county but was found on the website of the North Carolina Coalition For Verified Voting. Joyce McCloy of that group has
been trying to get people to read and pay attention to this letter for months. Finally someone has and this could be the
answer that everyone has been looking for. // And finally the disabilities community and advocacy groups are beginning
to speak out against DRE voting systems....
NAtional: Blind And Disabled Voter Advocates, Groups Call For ‘Immediate Ban’ Of DRE Voting Systems! LINK
National: Election Research Group Applauds Re-Introduction of the 'Count Every Vote Act' LINK
National: The FSU Report on the ES iVotronic Used in Sarasota County LINK
National: Election Fraud, My Ass LINK
Arkansas: Early voting bill doesn't seem likely to pass, commissioner says LINK
California: San Bernardino County - Will voters be going back to polls for Measure K? LINK
Colorado: Four counties on ‘election watch list’ LINK
Colorado: Open-access jitters slow election bill LINK
Colorado: Montrose County - County welcomes task force findings LINK
Florida: It's not quite all systems go as Elections Committee test voting machines LINK
Florida: Optical-scan ballots best, activists say Gov. Crist's reforms are praised, but election advocates tell senators
a better paper-trail system is necessary. LINK
Florida: Lawmakers Test Voting Machines LINK
Florida: Hillsborough County - Reddick Alleges Glitches Cost Him District 5 Runoff LINK
Florida: Palm Beach County - Anderson: 'No major malfunctions' LINK
Florida: Palm Beach County - Voting Problems Cause Confusion In Palm Beach Co. LINK
Florida: Palm Beach County - Palm Beach Vote Problems Leave Candidates Confused Well Into Evening LINK
Florida: FL-13 - Jennings bullish after pre-election letter shows equipment problems LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - FL-13: Company Warned of Touch-Screen Voting System Defect, But Sarasota Declined to Fix
Machines or Caution Voters LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Voting machine maker warned of 'issue' LINK
Georgia: Diebold Certification - Referred to the Attorney General LINK
Georgia: Press Release - GAVV Complaint Referred to the Attorney General for Investigation LINK
Georgia: DeKalb County - State hits roof over DeKalb treatment of voting machines LINK
Kansas: Clay County - Under lock, key New technology, software means more security at county election board LINK
New Mexico: Federal auditors seek election spending records LINK
Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Elections ex-officials get 18-month sentences LINK
Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Elections board workers sentenced to 18 months LINK
Ohio: Cuyahoga County - 2 election workers get 18 months for rigging presidential recount LINK
Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Ohio Election Workers Sentenced to 18 Months for Rigging 2004 Presidential Recount LINK
Pennsylvania: Luzerne County - Expert OKs flagged voting machines They had been pulled aside after voters complained
they weren’t operating properly. LINK
Pennsylvania: Luzerne County - Voting machines given green light LINK
Pennsylvania: Luzerne County - Luzerne voting machines calibrated 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 March 13 2007
Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
In written testimony presented to the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, Committee on
Appropriations, House of Representatives; Ellen Theisen LINKconcludes in part: ...
After eight months of study in 2005, the GAO recommended that the EAC immediately take five actions that the GAO
considered essential to fulfill the Commission’s HAVA mandate. To date, the EAC has accomplished only a portion of one
of them.
The 2005 report emphasized the need for the EAC to complete “key activities.” In recognition of the EAC’s on-going
failure to do so, the GAO’s 2007 report emphasizes the need for state and local governments to “address electronic
voting system challenges.” It is clear that the responsibilities Congress assigned to the EAC must now, indeed, be taken
over by the state and local governments.
Reliable elections are the bedrock of representative democracy. Because of the EAC’s failure to effectively execute its
role, public dissatisfaction with the electoral process grows with each election, and the country is now in an election
system crisis.
Bills recently introduced into both houses of Congress would establish and fund the EAC permanently, but such provisions
defy common sense, and Congress should reject them.
Congress should not tolerate the EAC’s failure to comply with its mandate. It should immediately appoint well-qualified,
competent Commissioners and Executive Director to replace those now in office, or it should refuse to authorize further
funding for this agency.
National: House panel to hold 'voting machine forum' LINK
Colorado: Four Colorado Counties Placed on Election Watch List LINK
Colorado: Montrose County - Montrose on election watch list LINK
Florida: Palm Beach County - Officials predict 25 percent draw to countywide polls; slow early turnout seen LINK
Florida: Sarasota County - Mechanical Glitch Ignored In Now Contested Florida Congressional Race LINK
Florida: Tampa - 37 votes short of runoff, city hopeful wants inquiry LINK
Georgia: DeKalb County - Ga. voting machines left in leaky DeKalb County warehouse LINK
Missouri: Editorial - In our view: Voters should decide on IDs LINK
Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Voter turnout expected to be too high LINK
Ohio: Cuyahoga County - Can we count on our votes? Official worried about machines LINK
Texas: Lamar County - Machine shortage leads to consolidation 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