Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
The Voting News for July 15, 2011
The Voting News for July 15, 2011
New Jersey: Payment to ES&S delayed over vote count bug | New Jersey Herald
Sussex County freeholders are withholding payment to the company that provides and services the county's election computers until the board can get a face-to-face meeting with company representatives.
"Just like there's no crying in baseball, there's no bugs in election software," Freeholder Philip Crabb said during Wednesday's meeting. "It just can't happen."
Crabb was the one who suggested pulling Elections Systems and Software from the list of bills for the freeholders to authorize payment. The amount of the bill was about $31,760 and is a regular payment under a maintenance and service agreement.
Egypt: Egypt hit by new wave of protests as military postpones election | guardian.co.uk
Egypt's first democratic parliamentary elections look set to be postponed until November, amid a growing standoff between the ruling military council and protesters who believe their revolution is being betrayed.
The vote was initially scheduled to take place in September, causing concern among many nascent political parties who claim they have not had enough time to prepare since the fall of the former president Hosni Mubarak in February, which ended more than half a century of one-party rule.
Many activists argue that an early poll would only benefit those forces which already boast a strong organisational capacity – namely the Muslim Brotherhood and local remnants of Mubarak's NDP party – and some have called for a new constitution to be written before any parliamentary ballot takes place.
Indiana: White seeks delay in criminal trial | The Indianapolis Star
Secretary of State Charlie White's attorney is asking to delay White's criminal trial, which is scheduled for Aug. 8.
Attorney Dennis Zahn told a Hamilton County judge this morning that he will not be done reviewing evidence in time to go to trial in August. He plans to file a formal request for a delay in the next few days. Zahn and White were in court today for a hearing on two other requests.
They claim that the special prosecutors appointed to the case should be removed and that additional material from the grand jury that indicted White should be released to Zahn.
Nevada: Judge blocks North Las Vegas city council winner from taking office | FOX5 — KVVU
The Ward 4 election drama is not over in North Las Vegas. The city will meet at 4:30 p.m. Thursday to certify election results in the contest between Wade Wagner and incumbent Richard Cherchio.
However, a judge issued a temporary restraining order that blocked city leaders from certifying Wagner the winner by one vote.
Kentucky: Secretary of State Candidates Spar Over Homeless Voters | WFPL News
The candidates for Kentucky Secretary of State are sparring over the issue of registering homeless people to vote, which is becoming the first line of attack in the race for the commonwealth’s chief election officer.
Earlier this month, the state board of elections sent a 2-page memorandum to county clerks telling them to uphold up state law and approve registration cards that have “homeless” or “place to place” listed under their addresses. The memo said a clerk should not refuse to register a homeless person on the grounds they do not have a traditional residence, but some county officials raised concerns about potential election fraud.
Citing state law and the now-defunct community organizing group ACORN, Republican candidate Bill Johnson decried the memo and called on current Secretary of State Elaine Walker, who chairs the state board, to resign from office.
Ohio: Bill edits overhaul of state election laws | The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio voters will not have to provide a full nine-digit Social Security number as an identifier, nor would they be able to register to vote online, under a bill headed to Gov. John Kasich for his signature.
Lawmakers are already changing provisions in a recently passed election-overhaul bill that doesn't take effect until Sept. 30. As part of a deal between House and Senate leaders, the House agreed two weeks ago to approve House Bill 194, the election overhaul, after the Senate agreed to later remove certain objectionable provisions.
Ohio: New election law spurs ballot repeal effort | Beaumont Enterprise
Parts of a new election law in Ohio are being targeted for a ballot repeal effort about two weeks after the governor of this traditionally presidential swing state signed the overhaul measure. A coalition of lawmakers, progressive groups and state's ex-elections chief said Thursday that they have started collecting signatures in an effort to stop pieces of the law from taking effect Sept 30.
Gov. John Kasich, a first-term Republican, signed the law July 1. Among other changes, the sweeping measure shortens the state's early voting period, bans in-person early voting on Sundays and prohibits boards of election from mailing absentee ballot requests to voters. Former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, said those provisions place barriers on voters and should be repealed.
Ohio: Lawmakers axe online voter registration plan | Westport News
The Ohio Legislature approved a bill Wednesday that would do away with the parts of a new law that allow Ohioans to register to vote and update their addresses online. The provisions were included in an election overhaul law signed by Gov. John Kasich almost two weeks ago.
Under the sweeping new law, voters must give their full Social Security number when casting a provisional ballot, which they're given if there are about questions about their identification, voting eligibility or voting precinct. The ballots are later counted if the voters' information checks out.
The law also requires voters to provide their full nine-digit number when registering to vote, if they choose to use their Social Security number as a way to identify themselves.
California: Ballot Thief To Be Held Indefinitely After String Of Bizarre Court Hearings | KTVU
A man accused of stealing ballots from a San Francisco polling station last November is being held indefinitely after criminal proceedings against him were suspended today because of a judge's doubts about his mental competency.
Karl Bradfield Nicholas, 51, is accused of taking about 75 ballots, a voter roster, and a memory box and access key to a ballot-counting machine on Knott Court in the city's Crocker Amazon neighborhood where he was working as a voting station inspector on Nov. 2, 2010.
Nicholas was arrested the next day, and the ballots were later found in the lagoon at the Palace of Fine Arts. The memory box and access key have yet to be found, and Nicholas has been in custody ever since.
Editorials, Tennessee: Will long lines sink new voter ID law? | Tri-State Defender
‘Not familiar with Voting Rights Act,’ says Tennessee official
Getting a driver’s license in Tennessee is a test of skill and endurance, but I’m not talking about the road test or written exam, I’m talking about the crazy long lines.
On Friday, I joined 40 people in an outdoor line at 6340 Summer Ave about 12:30 p.m. We huddled together outside of the service center for nearly two hours, standing one-behind the other in 90-plus degree temperatures and punishing humidity. There were no chairs, no water and no restroom breaks. As I steamed, my hair gallantly fought off frizz.
The security guard called four to five customers at a time inside, where we then stood in a second line for 45 additional minutes. It was then we received a customer number and the official wait began. (The Tennessee Department of Public Safety does not officially begin tracking its customer wait time until patrons receive this service ticket. Up to that point, we were just there visiting and hanging out.)
Egos erupted Tuesday at the V.I. Joint Board of Elections meeting, and it recessed after an hour without having accomplished anything substantive because members were unwilling to offer each other the courtesy of the floor - constantly interrupting and talking over one another, officials said.
After less than an hour, the majority of which was spent in executive session, members poured outside the conference room, some shouting at each other. Shortly after, the stenographer walked out because it had been impossible to accurately transcribe the meeting with members continually cutting in and talking at the same time, said Board Chairman Rupert Ross Jr.
The board will reconvene Friday morning to pick up the meeting where it left off, essentially doubling expenses paid for by taxpayers in order to fund the meeting. With flights and board member stipends, the total additional costs amount to about $2,500.
Guam: Election Commission looks at Guam plebiscite | Pacific Daily News
The Guam Election Commission commissioners gave themselves homework at the end of last night's regular meeting -- to read sections of Guam law and analyze the exact meaning of language on the political status plebiscite.
The assignment came in response to a discussion on Bill 154, which proposes changes to current law regarding the political status vote, and which prompted larger questions about the content and intent of current law as it relates to the plebiscite.
Guam law requires that the island's native inhabitants vote on the three political status options -- statehood, independence or free association with the United States.
Thailand's Election Commission (EC) issued its first 'yellow card' to the Pheu Thai Party winning candidate in Nong Khai Constituency 2 while a new election for this constituency will be held on July 31.
Election Commissioner Sodsri Satayathum said the agency commissioners late Thursday agreed unanimously to hold a new election for Constituency 2 in the northeastern province of Nong Khai after suspending endorsement for Somkid Banthaising, winning candidate of the Pheu Thai Party, for alleged election fraud. Mr Somkid allegedly paid pedal taxi drivers to carry people to the election campaign rally and allegedly gave money to prospective voters. Eight witnesses gave statements that reported the same observation, she said.
Thailand: Election Commission strives to endorse most MPs by July 28 | Bangkok Post
The Election Commission is giving assurances it will be able to endorse at least 95% of MPs by July 28. At least 475 of 500 MPs are required to convene the first meeting of the House of Representatives. The EC has endorsed 358 MPs.
EC secretary-general Suthipol Thaweechaiyagarn said the agency would investigate complaints against the remaining winners, and endorse the results if it finds no reason to pursue the complaints. Pheu Thai's potential prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva are among those still waiting.
Malaysia: Electoral Reformers Plan Next Steps After Protest Crackdown | VoA News
The organizers of Saturday’s massive demonstration in Malaysia, the largest such protest criticizing the government in years, are demanding authorities release six people still in detention and respond to their list of grievances. Organizers are not planning more street protests at this time.
The fallout from the Bersih electoral reform rallies which attracted tens of thousands of people onto the streets of the capital has not diminished, with the government defending the actions of its police force and arguing the movement does not enjoy any popular support.
Lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan, who is president of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections which organized the Bersih rallies, says there is no need for more rallies until authorities address their concerns about improving electoral transparency.
Indonesia: House finds loopholes in election mechanism | The Jakarta Post
The Election Law will see major changes after a legislative committee, established to probe alleged election fraud in the 2009 polls, found that many alleged election violations were due to loopholes in the current law, lawmakers said on Wednesday. The findings prompted the House of Representatives to delay deliberation of the revisions to the Election Law.
Committee chairman Chairuman Harahap of the Golkar Party said a slight delay would not be a problem because his committee’s purpose was to ensure transparent and accountable elections in the future.
“We are working very hard to finish deliberation of the bill on time even though at the same time we have the election fraud committee, which has made many interesting findings about many alleged violations in the last elections,” he said.
Martin LeFevre - Meditations: What Being “Inward Looking” Really Means
Binoy Kampmark: Blinken Atrocious In A Dangerous World
Jim Mikoz: Look Out Rocks … Oops Too Late
Peter Dunne: Dunne’s Weekly - National And Labour Combine To Shut Out Greens
Ramzy Baroud: Voting Against Genocide - How Gaza Defeated The Democratic Establishment 
Alastair Thompson: Google's Support For Democracy And Media In NZ | Part 2