Tennessee still fighting over paper ballot law. I just found a great video of a Tennessee lawmaker arguing the cost benefits of paper ballots vs. paperless. This is from June, but you need to see it. Sen. Herron (TN) rebutts a lot of misinfo. In India, a group of NGOs sets out to prove the machines can be tampered with - a bit of dà jà vu? In Afghanistan, 3,000 donkeys are transporting paper ballots to the polls. Other countries struggle.
CO. Aspen marketing officials prepare for bed tax ballot question
Friday, July 31, 2009
Pitkin County residents can only mail in their ballots, which will require a specific postage rate and a restrictive timeline for them to be received by the county clerk and recorder.That creates several issues, said Mayor Mick Ireland, adding he is not a fan of mail-in ballot elections because people who move a lot become disenfranchised and not all of them will receive their ballots at the correct addresses.Others caught unaware won't realize that they can't vote at their normal polling places.
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20090731/NEWS/907309967/1058
FL A conversation with Hillsborough's new supervisor of elections. Aug 3. http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/article1024145.ece
FL & US.. For State, Local Office Seekers, Web Ads Present Potential Pitfalls
Aug 3. ..The Florida Elections Commission has decided a mayoral candidate's ads on Google and Facebook appear to violate the state's election law because they don't include a disclaimer that indicates who bought them.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124925841924700351.html
* Let the state pick up the tab or put off referendum until next year, critics say.
August 2, 2009...The combined cost for the four northern Indiana counties having a referendum on transportation this November will easily top $1 million... It's not necessarily the ballot question they're outraged about. Rather it's the timing of the referendum that's at issue.
http://www.post-trib.com/news/1696445,ropref.article
MA. Felon Disenfranchisement Issue Heading to the Supreme Court?
On Friday, a First Circuit Panel split 2-1 in Simmons v. Galvin, a case challenging the disenfranchisement of currently incarcerated Massachusetts felons under section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the ex post facto clause... The majority, in an opinion by Chief Judge Lynch, rejected the arguments... This case could well go to the Supreme Court on an issue that Judge Sotomayor knows well.
http://electionlawblog.org/archives/014188.html
MI. Michigan Law Allows Felons to Run for Local Office But Removes Them if they Win August 2nd, 2009
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/08/02/michigan-law-allows-felons-to-run-for-local-office-but-removes-them-if-they-win/
MS. Mississippi GOP launches voter ID campaign
Aug 3. JACKSON, Miss. -- The head of the Mississippi Republican Party said the group will handle an initiative to get voter identification on the ballot just as it would any other election campaign, by traveling the state to urge voters to support the issue. http://www.sunherald.com/218/story/1512616.html
NC. DOJ sets a date: Justice Department has deadline of Aug. 17 to submit ruling on Kinston non-partisan voting
http://www.kinston.com/news/sets-57482-justice-agency.html
NY. Sequoia/Dominion Voting System takes New York?
..There are 62 counties in the State of New York, and 54 will be or are using the Sequoia Image Cast
http://votingnews.blogspot.com/2009/08/sequoiadominion-voting-system-takes-new.html
NY. Pilot programs for new voting machines to begin locally
August 1, 2009.
Many New Yorkers will be voting in new, high-tech and expensive ways this year as the state, operating under a federal court order, phases in electronic voting machines.
Between purchasing new equipment and training people to use it, the initiative has cost about $121 million so far, according to Bob Brehm, spokesman for the state Board of Elections.
http://www.thedailystar.com/local/local_story_213040031.html
NY. Broome Helps Voters Use Technology
Aug 2. ..Broome County welcomes you to learn the new way to cast your ballot.
It's replacing lever machines with these electronic Image-Cast voting machines.
http://www.wbng.com/news/local/52311547.html
PA. BACK TO THE FUTURE. State Rep. James Casorio, a North Huntingdon Democrat, apparently longs for the old days -- at least where voting is concerned. Casorio has introduced legislation in the state House of Representatives calling on Congress to allow Pennsylvania counties to return to the use of mechanical lever voting machines. He said electronic machines -- particularly ones that do not produce a record of individual votes -- are especially susceptible to failure and fraud.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_636253.html
TN. Republicans blocking new voting machines
August 1, 2009 Letter to Editor
http://tinyurl.com/nhwx32
TN Tennessee State Senator Roy Herron Addresses Costs Of Implementing Paper Ballots June 18, 2009 Tennessee Senator Roy Herron (D-Dresden) directly address the cost estimate disparities that the Secretary of State's office presented as evidence that paper ballot elections would cost Tennessee more than $4 million extra dollars. (Refers to cost studies in NC and FL)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gm4khHcFmQ
TX. County looks to cut polling places (and go paperless)
Galveston County voters would be able to cast ballots at any polling place in the county in November if state elections officials select the area for a "super precinct pilot program.
...But this year, even if Galveston County is not selected for the state s pilot program, elections officials are phasing out the paper ballots completely. http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=2f85e59989c8c24f
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