All this and more in today's voting news below...
AR: AR-Sen: It's Never A Good Sign When The Better Answer Is "Utter Incompetence"
http://www.bluehogreport.com/2010/06/07/ar-sen-its-never-a-good-sign-when-the-better-answer-is-utter-incompetence/
AR: Ark. Voting Lawsuit to Move Forward
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/editorial/Article.aspx?id=50587
The runoff "was intentionally scheduled by the defendants at two polling sites for the purpose of disenfranchising minority, elderly, poor and the disabled voters of Garland County, Arkansas," the lawsuit said
http://arkansasmatters.com/election2010text-fulltext/?nxd_id=320145
Just last night at 10, our investigation revealed the election commission was wrong to reduce
the number of polling places, from 39 to two.
...
The Secretary of State's office says behind Pulaski, Garland county had the secnd highest early voting turnout for this runoff, with 52-hundred voters.
[From video - SOS office said changes were illegal]
AR: Voters sue in Garland County over polling places*
http://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12618225
Garland County had 40 polling places for the May 18 primaries but only two for the runoff
elections.
The suit says it "render(s) the results of this election doubtful" and seeks to void the certification of the results.
AR: Voter Lawsuit Filed in Arkansas' Blanche Lincoln, Bill Halter Senate Runoff
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/06/08/voter-lawsuit-filed-in-arkansas-blanche-lincoln-bill-halter-se/
"the greater part of the voting electorate are unable to find or reach" the polling places and
are "thereby deprived of their right to vote and were disenfranchised."
"They've tried this before," Hooten said in an interview with Politics Daily. "They tried it in 2008 and I fled suit then. It was a special election on bonds that year, but they closed all the polls citywide, but one."
AR: Fears 'Come to Full Flower' in Garland County, AR, Polling Place Closure Fiasco
Long lines, parking probs reported at county's only two polling places opened for tight Democratic U.S. Senate run-off primary..
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7883
AR: Halter Complains It Was Hard to Vote in Garland Co., Ark.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/06/08/halter-complains-it-was-hard-to-vote-in-garland-co-ark/
Natasha Naragon, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Secretary of State, said Garland County election officials failed to notify voters of the reduced number of polling stations, as required by state law. Though a local official told the Arkansas press that he had made the decision to save money, Naragon said the state bears all costs for primary and runoff elections.
AZ: Keeping Politics Safe for the Rich
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/opinion/09wed1.html?src=mv
In a burst of judicial activism, the Supreme Court on Tuesday upended the gubernatorial race in Arizona, cutting off matching funds to candidates participating in the state's public campaign finance system.
...
Arizona's clean elections program was established by the state's voters in 1998 after a series of scandals provided clear illustrations of money's corrupting influence.
CA: Voters approve Prop. 14, 'open primary'
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=ywgpkrmg78t2v7&xid=ywgidwk0ejx1ss&done=.ywgpkrmg79i2v7
Over the opposition of political pros, California voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 14, which allows voters to choose any candidate in a primary election regardless of party affiliation and sets the stage for the top two vote-getters to face each other in the general election
CA: In Santa Clara County, nearly 100,000 ballots left to be counted
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15260876?nclick_check=1
Santa Clara County is still counting more than 100,000 ballots from Tuesday's election and is not expected to finish until Friday at the earliest.
The huge number of provisional and mail-in ballots left means the winners of some races are still unknown, including the district attorney contest...
CA: E-Scan Machines at Polls Not Working-Ballots Will Be Counted In
Elections Office*
http://www.knco.com/Local/755050--Scan-Machines-Polls-Not-Working-Ballots-Will-Counted-Elections-Office.html The e-scan machines at polling places around Nevada County are rejecting ballots cast in this primary election. Nevada County Assistant Clerk, Gail Smith, says the same problem is happening with all 55 e-machines at precincts throughout the county.... She says " due to human error while creating the ballot print file for the paper ballot, e-precinct scanners are rejecting the paper ballot."
CA: Human error stokes confusion at one Venice polling station
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0609-venice-20100609,0,2322269.story
When the election inspector fails to show, poll workers and L.A. County officials scramble to make do. For several hours, casting a provisional ballot is the only option.
...
What if you held an election and the person who was supposed to bring the ballots didn't show?
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