All this and more in today's voting news below...
AK: Miller disputes Senate vote count at Juneau hearing
http://www.ktuu.com/news/ktuu-miller-senate-suit-hearing-120810,0,3656395.story
Miller argues that write-in votes must name "Lisa Murkowski," exactly as her name appears on her declaration of candidacy, to be counted.
AK: Alaska judge to decide Senate challenge by Friday
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/08/AR2010120800930.html
A decision in Miller's favor could result in thousands of challenged write-in ballots for incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski being tossed and lead to a recount
Phillips County election officials say 65 absentee ballots from the Nov. 2 general election are missing and now several candidates who lost close races are filing a lawsuit.
...
The list showed 608 absentee votes were cast, but only 543 were turned over to commissioners for certification on Nov. 15.
CA: After losing, politician rethinks ranked-choice voting
http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/after-losing-politician-rethinks-ranked-choice-voting-7291
San Leandro Mayor Tony Santos was a big booster of ranked-choice voting, the controversial new system for conducting local elections in California
FL: December 12th is the 10th Anniversary of Supreme Court Decision to Halt Florida Recount in 2000 Presidential Electionhttp://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/december-12th-is-the-10th-anniversary-of-supreme-court-decision-to-halt-florida-recount-in-2000-presidential-election-111481979.html
IL: Judge to Naperville: Return candidates to ballot
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20101207/news/712089915/
A DuPage County judge on Tuesday ordered the city of Naperville to allow two city council candidates back on the April 5 ballot.
They were among four kicked off the ballot due to what they called misleading paperwork issued by the city. In the wake of that ruling, two other candidates, forced off for the same reason, also were reinstated.
IN: Secretary of State-Elect Tries Again to Halt Election Challenge
http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?id=1322622 Parker claims White is ineligible to take office because he registered to vote at the wrong address. Brooks says that's a misstatement of the law, which requires only that candidates be registered in the district they intend to serve -- in White's case, the entire state.
MA: Plymouth County election results official despite missing names
http://www.wickedlocal.com/norwell/news/x1921990420/Plymouth-County-election-results-official-despite-missing-names "The mantra is supposed to be "count every vote,' " Markham said, "but though the commonwealth must have known there was a problem with several towns when they didn't report the names of their top write-ins, they did nothing."
MI: Election recount uncovers ballot problems
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=7831069 Trouble first showed up in Huron County, where about 25 percent of the ballots could not be recounted....
A state election official says at least 10 of the 32 precincts in Tuscola County cannot be recounted because of these and other mistakes made by precinct officials.
(Huron & Tuscola Cnty,ballots not properly secured can't be recounted)
MI: Cost costs $250,000 and rising for Saugatuck Township in legal battle with developer Aubrey McClendonhttp://www.hollandsentinel.com/topstories/x1757248538/Cost-costs-250-000-and-rising-for-Saugatuck-Township-in-legal-battle-with-developer-Aubrey-McClendon The filing on behalf of township residents Walter Hanlin and John Latini is funded by Aubrey McClendon. It alleges township officials inappropriately handled the ballots from the May 5 election and botched a recount.
MN: Tom Emmer concedes gubernatorial election to Mark Dayton
http://ecmpostreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6868&Itemid=1
Following a statewide recount and after receiving a written opinion from the Minnesota Supreme Court, reaffirming its earlier opinion that dismissed a key Emmer argument that election officials across the state had not acted appropriately in reconciling precinct returns.
MN: Supreme Court says counties correctly reconciled results
http://ceimn.org/Minnesota_recount_Dayton_Emmer_Governor_supreme_court_elections
The Supreme Court today released the reasoning behind its decision last month to deny Republican Tom Emmer's request to order counties to re-do a process known as reconciliation
NC: N.C. Appeals Court Runoff Heads for Recount
http://www.thevoterupdate.com/articles/2010/12_8_10_irv_recount.php
More than a month after voting ended in North Carolina, the only statewide race still without a winner is headed for a recount.
NC: Thigpen wants re-count in N.C. Court of Appeals race
http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/12/08/article/thigpen_wants_re_count_in_nc_court_of_appeals_race Spokesman Reid Overcash says Thigpen wants to make sure the count was performed properly because instructions may have been confusing to county officials
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