The Voting News for 28/5/2011

The Voting News for 28/5/2011

Florida: Without DOJ sign-off, Florida elections chief balks at voting law | MiamiHerald.com

Until the Justice Department gives a green light, the elections officials in five [Florida] counties won’t begin implementing an election law that critics say violates the Voting Rights Act protecting minorities.

The elections supervisor in Rick Scott’s home county refuses to recognize a new law the governor signed out of concerns that the U.S. Department of Justice hasn’t decided whether it violates a law protecting minority voters.

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Voting Blogs, Wisconsin: Election Transparency Must be Apolitical | TrustTheVote

For those of you who have been following the recount saga in Wisconsin, here is a bit of news, and a reflection on that.

So, the news from a couple of days ago (I’m just catching up) is that the process of re-counting is complete, but the resolution of that close election may not be. The re-counting did not change which candidate is leading, and apparently expanded the margin slightly.

Trailing candidate Joanne Kloppenburg explains her motivation for the recount in a newspaper letter to the editor, building on the old but true assertion that, “One may be entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.”

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Bangladesh: Moudud Ahmed says BNP to boycott e-voting in Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

A [Bangladesh Nationalist Party] BNP policymaker has said they will not take part in elections if the government introduces e-voting, as it will be 'a tool of vote rigging'.

"We won't accept e-voting and take part in elections. Elections must be held under the existing voting system," Moudud Ahmed said at a human chain programme at the South Plaza of the parliament building on Saturday morning.

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Canada: Internet voting nixed for November municipal elections | Vancouver Sun

Vancouver voters can expect to line up the old-fashioned way this November, after the provincial government, citing “a number of serious risks,” nixed a plan to allow online voting in upcoming municipal elections.

“There are potential benefits to Internet voting namely convenience to voters, and accessibility for voters with disabilities or limited mobility,” James said in the letter. But online voting technology cannot guard against hackers, service disruptions or vote buying and selling, James said.

As well, B.C.’s chief information officer is still developing a way to confirm a voter’s identity and then make their vote anonymous. “[The voting process] is unlike online banking where the user’s identity is maintained throughout the transaction,” James said in his letter.

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Wisconsin: Wisconsin Governor Walker Signs Voter ID Law, Angering Democrats | Suite101.com

Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker signed a bill that will require voters to produce a photo identification card (Wisconsin issued driver's license, passport, military ID, or student ID with certain details) at the polls. Poll workers will begin to ask voters for identification on January 1, 2012, but it will not be required by law until the spring elections of 2012.

The primary rationale for the law, according to Republican proponents, is to combat voter fraud. Democrats, however, feel that the law is a political move to limit the vote of their biggest constituents.

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Editorials, Wisconsin: Scot Ross: Why voter ID bill may be unconstitutional | CapTimes

We believe Wisconsin’s new voter ID law is overly burdensome on voters and that the state is simply unequipped to administer this law and ensure legal voters will not be disenfranchised or subject to a poll tax. We continue to confer with legal counsel about what potential legal challenges can be made against Gov. Scott Walker’s voter suppression bill.

The bill originally was based on Indiana’s voter ID bill. According to the U.S. Supreme Court case upholding Indiana’s bill, the lower court found that “99 percent of Indiana’s voting age population already possesses the necessary photo identification to vote under the requirements.” The Supreme Court concluded that Indiana’s law was constitutional, specifically because so few Indianans were without the state-issued photo identification.

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Wisconsin: Election officials wary over cost, implementation of Wisconsin voter ID bill | LaCrosse Tribune
Election officials across Wisconsin are bracing for a difficult transition as the state rushes into place new rules for voting signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker Wednesday — including a controversial measure requiring voters to use photo identification.

Passage of the law, which has been discussed by Republicans for more than a decade, means those charged with enforcing it have less than two months to develop and implement the training needed to handle polls in the coming recall elections.

“This will be a huge undertaking, to get everything and everybody ready,” said Diane Hermann-Brown, Sun Prairie city clerk and president of the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association. “We still have questions about how this will work.”

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Minnesota: Dayton’s veto of Minnesota Voter ID draws applause, sighs | Hometown Source

Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer is “very disappointed” that Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed Voter ID legislation. “I really thought the governor would sign,” said Kiffmeyer, adding that a campaign finance reporting provision was added to the bill that Dayton favors.

Signing the bill was a way for the governor to appear less extreme, said Kiffmeyer, who carried the legislation in the House. In his veto letter, Dayton argues that the long-debated legislation is flawed…

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Texas: After Six-Year Fight, Perry Signs Texas Voter ID into Law | Texas Observer

After six years of fierce partisan battling, the legislative war over voter ID in Texas is officially over. Gov. Rick Perry signed the voter ID bill into law this morning. The legislation requires voters to present one of five acceptable forms of photo ID—a drivers license, military ID, passport, concealed handgun license or a special voter ID card provided free of charge by the state. Gov. Perry designated voter ID as an “emergency item” early in the session, giving it particular priority as lawmakers rushed it through the legislative process.

… The bill signed today enacts a voter ID law more stringent than its counterparts in other states. Unlike Indiana's law—which the bill was largely based on—Texas' voter ID law doesn't recognize student IDs as acceptable forms of voter identification and it gives people with a missing an ID only six days to produce one in order for their vote to count.

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California: Report finds Santa Clara County California mail-in ballot hiccup may have impacted local races | Inside Bay Area

Santa Clara County election officials sent more than 7,500 mail ballots to the wrong addresses during last June's election, unwittingly canceling votes cast by some South Bay residents even as those living out of state received ballots.

A report released Friday from the county's civil grand jury concludes the Registrar of Voters does not follow the proper procedures to avoid errors when mailing out ballots to people who have recently moved.

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Florida: Tampa’s election cost much less than expected | TBO.com

With a packed ballot, two weeks of early voting and several runoffs, Tampa officials were bracing for a hefty price tag from the recent citywide elections. As it turns out, those costs won't be as much as expected.

Figures from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office indicate the March 1 election cost $747,748, including expenses for early voting and the runoff elections. That's about $250,000 lower than the original estimates for the election, which Elections spokesman Travis Abercrombie attributed to keeping the staffing costs under control.

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Kenya: 2012 electronic voting plan receives support of Kenyan MPs | Nairobi Star

MPs want the electronic voting system put in place in readiness for the 2012 general election. Several MPs yesterday supported a motion by Karachuonyo MP James Rege for the government to facilitate the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to develop an electronic system for collection, collation, transmission and tallying of electronic data.

Cabinet minister Otieno Kajwang rooted for the passage and adoption of Rege’s motion which he said will help weed out electoral malpractices. He said an electronic voting system will facilitate the release of instant results after an election.

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Philippines: Watchdog says vote-buying rampant in Ilocos Sur Philippines special polls | Inquirer News

The special election Saturday for the Ilocos Sur congressional seat vacated by Ronald Singson was peaceful despite reports of rampant vote-buying, the head of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting said.

Henrietta de Villa, PPCRV chair, said that the election watchdog’s local volunteers reported many incidents of vote-buying and barangay officials entering poll precincts while voters were casting their votes in Ilocos Sur’s first congressional district.

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India: Voter ID registration drive in India from June 6 | The Times of India

The district administration has geared up to launch the voter ID registration drive ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections to be held next year. Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) and NGOs will also be roped in to raise awareness among voters about the importance of the voter ID cards.

The drive will start from June 6 and residents can register themselves at the nearest election booth. District magistrate, Deepak Aggarwal stated that people can approach the nearest booth with the essential documents so that the Election Commission directives are fulfilled.

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ENDS

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