Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Wednesday 7//30/08

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A | C | D | | F | G | H | I | | K | L | M | N | O | P | | R | S | T | U | V | W |

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Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas


AL: Judges are asked to block Nov. 4 election unless cleared by the U.S. Justice Department

Says Justice Dept. must OK election

Wednesday, July 30, 2008
ERIC VELASCO
News staff writer

A voter in Jefferson County Commission District 1 filed a federal suit Tuesday asking judges to block the court-ordered Nov. 4 vote for the commission seat unless the election is cleared by the U.S. Justice Department.

The suit, filed on behalf of Doris Powell, said the planned election is improper without clearance by the U.S. Justice Department under the Voting Rights Act because it represents a change in county voting law.

The suit asks for a three-judge panel to block the election unless Justice Department approval comes in by Sept. 14, the deadline for county elections officials to send the ballot to the printer.

"We want an election to be held that is valid under federal law," said Powell's lawyer, Ed Still. "If they can get preclearance in time to print the ballot, that will be fine. But we don't think that's going to happen."

AL: 'Mayor' Willie Bean? Yellow Labrador Dog Runs For Mayor Of Fairhope

by Staff

Fairhope, Alabama residents might be in for a dog day afternoon at the election booth - as a yellow Labrador retriver named Willie Bean Roscoe P. Coltrane has been entered on the ticket to run for mayor of the close-knit little town.

The dog days of summer (if you will) have been given a little boost of humor by Willie Bean's owner, Tress Turner, who didn't want her coffeeshop at the center of a mayoral campaign that is reportedly wearing out the residents already.

The endless lawn signs and politicking other maneuvers of the currently 7 contenders for the mayoral seat led Turner to consider entering her dog Willie Bean in the race - just to lighten the mood.

According to the AP report, one pushy candidate who refused to remove his campaign sign from the edge of her property, prompted a coffee shop customer revolt, just as Turner thought it would. "Sure enough, customers started pulling in the parking lot and giving us a hard time," Turner said. "It turned into just people laughing and joking and playing. And I was, like, 'You know what? We are going to let Willie Bean run for mayor,'" Turner said.

AL: POLITICS-US: Voter Laws Need Reform, Groups Say
By Haider Rizvi

NEW YORK, Jul 29 (IPS) - One of her sons is serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq while another who has just turned 18 is about to join the Navy. Yet despite being a mother of two U.S. soldiers, Annette McWashington Pruitt cannot cast her ballot in the upcoming presidential polls because the laws in her home state of Alabama do not allow ex-felons to participate in elections.

Pruitt cannot exercise her right to vote because in 2003 she was convicted of receiving stolen property.

Come this November, like Pruitt, millions of U.S. citizens will not be allowed to vote in the presidential elections because they served time in jail for having committed certain crimes in the past. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), currently a patchwork of state felony disenfranchisement laws -- albeit inconsistent from state to state -- prevent a whopping 5.3 million citizens with a past felony conviction from voting.

A little over a week ago, the ACLU filed a lawsuit in Alabama challenging the election authorities' decision to turn down Pruitt's request to register to vote. Lawyers associated with the nation's largest civil rights group argue that the state election authorities had no right to reject Pruitt's application because her conviction in 2003 for stolen property had never been considered a so-called disenfranchising offence by the state legislature.

Alabama state law allows a person convicted of a crime involving "moral turpitude" to apply for voting rights restoration from the Board of Pardons and Paroles, but the applicant must have paid all fines, court fees, costs, and restitution associated with his or her sentence before becoming eligible to vote. Voting rights defenders say denying the right to vote based on one's inability to pay these fees amounts to income-based discrimination.

AK: GOP Senators Distancing Themselves From Stevens
By Martin Kady II

Jul 30, 2008

(The Politico) They certainly aren't going to ask "Uncle Ted" to resign, but a growing number of Republican senators don't want to be associated with Ted Stevens' campaign money.

...

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), is donating $20,000 in Stevens campaign contributions to a local charity. And Sens. John Sununu (R-N.H.), Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) are also giving up money raised from Stevens, who is a prolific fund raiser through his political action committee, the Northern Lights PAC.

...

"Team Sununu will be donating to charity the $10,000 received during this 2008 campaign cycle from Northern Lights PAC," Sununu campaign manager Paul Collins said. "The campaign had previously donated to charity contributions received from VECO employees who pled guilty to wrongdoing."

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has wasted no time in the past 24 hours pressuring virtually every Republican senator up for re-election to return Stevens money. This is a far cry from the situation last fall, when several senators were donating their own money to help Stevens in his re-election. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Kit Bond (R-Mo.) all donated money to bolster Stevens' campaign coffers last fall when the federal probe began.

AK: Stevens to continue campaign

07/30/2008
Author: KTNA

Senator Ted Stevens was indicted yesterday in Washington DC on 7 counts of false statements and failing to disclose thousands of dollars of services he received.

Senator Ted Stevens was indicted yesterday on corruption charges by a federal grand jury in Washington DC.

...

Senator Stevens released a statement yesterday stating he is innocent of the charges and intends to prove it. He said in the statement that he has proudly served the nation and Alaska for over 50 years and it saddens him to learn that charges have been brought against him. He says he has never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form required by law as a US Senator.

Pollsters are now speculating on Stevens chance to win this falls election. Stevens’ re-election campaign Tuesday afternoon released a statement saying the Stevens’ Campaign for Re-election is continuing to move full steam ahead. They said the office has been flooded with calls and emails from supporters urging the Senator to press on.

AR: Uncertainty on Whether One Arkansas Legislative Race Will Have Only a Green on the Ballot

Richard Carroll, Green Party nominee for the Arkansas state house, 39th district, still doesn’t know if he will be the only name on the November ballot or not. The Democratic Party of Arkansas had disqualified its nominee, Dwayne Dobbins, after he won the May 2008 primary. The Democratic Party took this action because Dobbins, a former state legislator, had resigned in the middle of the prior term as part of a plea bargain to avoid felony prosecution for a sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl. The only reason Dobbins won the 2008 primary was because everyone had expected his wife, Sharon Dobbins, to file for re-election. But she surprised everyone by not filing, and only Dwayne Dobbins filed, at the last minute.

Now the Democrats have been reminded that their disqualification of Dobbins would probably not be upheld in court, under a precedent from 1994 involving a Republican candidate for Attorney General who was in a somewhat similar situation. To counter that, the Arkansas House Speaker plans to propose a rule to disqualify anyone from taking office in the legislature who had previously resigned as part of a plea bargain. The legislature reconvenes August 5.

No one yet knows whether Dwayne Dobbins will sue to regain his spot on the November ballot. He may be discouraged from trying to sue, if he knows that he can’t be seated anyway. But if he does sue, and if he wins the lawsuit (which is very likely) then there would be two candidates on the November ballot after all. In any event, there is also a Democratic write-in candidate.

AR: Ark. ethics chairman questioned over donation

Associated Press - July 29, 2008 9:54 AM ET

LITTLE ROCK (AP) - The chairman of the Arkansas Ethics Commission says it was his wife, not him, who contributed $100 to Appeals Court Judge Wendell Griffen's unsuccessful re-election campaign.

Larry Ross says the contribution to Griffen's campaign was from his wife, Lillian - even though he signed the check. State law bars ethics commission members from contributing to candidates for state and local offices.

Larry Ross says a note enclosed with the donation explained that the contribution was from his wife. Both Lillian Ross and Griffen's wife, Patricia, are professors at Philander Smith College.

Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com

AZ: Attorney General declines El Mirage probe

by Lily Leung - Jul. 30, 2008 11:14 AM
The Arizona Republic

Due to a tight budget and limited manpower, the Arizona Attorney General's Office has declined to investigate two El Mirage City Council members accused of living outside the city.

In a July 25 letter, Assistant Attorney General Theodore Campagnolo suggested that El Mirage turn to another city attorney's office to resolve the matter surrounding Councilmen Adam Super and Xavier Bedolla.

Campagnolo, who also heads the criminal prosecutions section, cited budgetary cutbacks, "a tremendous caseload" and a limited staff as reasons for declining the referral, which El Mirage filed on July 18.

"With that in mind, we do not have the resources to accept your referral," he wrote in a letter that El Mirage received on Tuesday.{check}The rejection of the case coincides with a recall petition filed Tuesday morning by a group of citizens who want to recall Super. Bob Jones, an El Mirage resident, leads the effort.

AZ: Big money, not citizens, is driving initiatives

by Matthew Benson - Jul. 30, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

So much for the "citizens" with this year's batch of citizens initiatives.

For most of the nine initiatives planned for the November ballot, financial backing from individual donors has been scarce. The money has flowed almost exclusively from corporations, political committees and a relative handful of wealthy individuals.

Grass-roots? Nope. Not yet anyway.

Take the transportation campaign in favor of a 1 cent-per-dollar hike in the state sales tax.

Of the nearly $1 million received by the ballot effort, just $100 has thus far been donated by individuals. Campaign-finance reports filed with the Secretary of State's Office show that the vast majority of contributions have come from businesses with a financial stake in roadwork and other transportation projects: construction companies, contractors and engineering firms.

AZ: The rules of reporting funds at issue in Shadegg-Lord race

Parties trade complaints, offer different interpretations

by Michael Clancy - Jul. 30, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republican Party has accused Democrat Bob Lord of violating fundraising laws in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission.

The complaint was filed last week and became public earlier this week.

Lord, an attorney, is challenging seven-term Congressman John Shadegg in Congressional District 3. Lord has raised more than $1 million, far more than any previous Shadegg opponent.

Randy Pullen, chairman of the Arizona Republicans, said in a letter to the commission that Lord apparently counted donations received after the June 30 reporting deadline as part of the funds raised by the deadline. Pullen said that violates the law.

"It appears they're trying to bundle contributions into one report to give the impression that they're raising more money than they actually are," Pullen said.

AZ: Ariz. Senate ethics panel OKs probe of referendum to prohibit same-sex marriage

Associated Press
Wednesday Jul 30, 2008

An Arizona state senator faces an ethics investigation for cutting off a debate that served as a filibuster for opponents of a referendum to prohibit same-sex marriage.

With its chairman crossing party lines, the Senate Ethics Committee voted 3-2 on Monday to formally investigate a lawmaker’s complaint that Republican Sen. Jack Harper of Surprise broke Senate rules.

Harper was Senate debate chairman on June 27, the last day of this year’s legislative session, when he halted delaying tactics by other senators who were trying to string out discussion of unrelated legislation in order to postpone or prevent a vote on the marriage referendum.

While presiding over the Senate, Harper abruptly transferred the right to speak from one of the senators participating in the filibuster to a supporter of the marriage measure.

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California
Colorado
Connecticut


CA: Ban supporters' lawsuit targets ballot phrasing

Brown's wording called 'misleading and prejudicial'

By Bill Ainsworth
U-T SACRAMENTO BUREAU

July 30, 2008

SACRAMENTO – Words matter when it comes to describing ballot measures for millions of voters. Combatants in ballot battles believe that sometimes a word choice can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

That's why supporters of Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban, filed suit yesterday to reverse a change in how their measure will be described on the Nov. 4 ballot by Attorney General Jerry Brown.

They contend that the new description is “misleading and prejudicial,” said Jennifer Kerns, spokeswoman for the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign.

Initially, Brown, a Democrat, titled the measure “Limit on Marriage.”

In the summary, he described it as amending the constitution “to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California” – which reflected the language on the petitions circulated to place the measure on the ballot.

CO: CIBER Granted Voting System Testing Accreditation

Copyright 2008 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved
2008-07-29

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., July 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CIBER, Inc. , today announced its lengthy process to receive accreditation for specific test methods for hardware and software of election voting systems has been accomplished.

CIBER has been granted accreditation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) for voting system independent verification and validation testing. The award of this accreditation signifies that CIBER has met the requirements necessary to be invited to participate in the certification program as directed by the Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) for certifying and testing voting systems.

In July 2006 the Federal Elections Commission introduced EAC and the Voluntary Voting Systems Guidelines (VVSG) for 2005 program for voting system certification. NIST, a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, was appointed by EAC to create and conduct the NVLAP accreditation program. The purpose of this new program structure was to ensure a higher level of consistent compliance for laboratories and manufacturers in the development and testing for certifying voting systems. CIBER is now one of five laboratories accredited under this program since July 2006.

...

CIBER, Inc. is a pure-play international system integration consultancy with superior value-priced services and reliable delivery for both private and government sector clients. CIBER's services are offered globally on a project- or strategic-staffing basis, in both custom and enterprise resource planning (ERP) package environments, and across all technology platforms, operating systems and infrastructures. Founded in 1974 and headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colo., CIBER now serves client businesses from over 60 U.S. offices, 25 European offices and seven offices in Asia/Pacific.

CO: Inmate advocates spread the word on what it takes to vote from jail

By Naomi Zeveloff 07/23/2008

When it comes to voting rights, Colorado's prisoners are a sticky case study. Some can vote and some can't. But most of them don't have an inkling that they are eligible to exercise that right. Enter the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition. The Denver-based prisoner advocacy group has been working furiously to let Colorado's incarcerated population know who is allowed at the ballot box. But because of state's complex regulations, that effort isn't as simple as it seems.

Voting rights for prisoners are determined on a state-by-state basis. Some, like Vermont or Maine, allow incarcerated felons to cast their votes. In Colorado, however, felons are barred from voting until they have completed their sentence and parole; that law has been on the books since 1876. Those on probation — a sentence offered as an alternative to prison where a person is free, but supervised in the community — can vote. And so can some people in jail: those awaiting trial and those serving a misdemeanor sentence.

While CCJRC has sponsored voter information drives in the past for all kinds of inmates, this year the group will focus on the jail population. In the next several weeks, the organization will distribute "Can I Vote From Jail?" brochures to the Denver County Jail and the city's Clerk and Recorder. CCJRC re-entry coordinator Carol Peeples, who is spearheading the effort, says that state agencies make no effort to let detainees know if they can vote.

"There is no education process with the Department of Corrections or with the Secretary of State," she says. "It's up to people to learn on their own."

CO: Denver faith coalition speaks out against anti-immigrant ballot measure

By Naomi Zeveloff 07/29/2008

Denver faith leaders rallied with immigrants rights organizers on Monday afternoon in opposition to a ballot initiative targeting undocumented immigrants. Initiative 100, on Denver's Aug. 12 primary ballot, would require police to impound vehicles of people driving without licenses. A newly formed coalition of faith leaders, called We Believe COLORADO, said that the measure amounts to racial profiling. They described their opposition during a press conference on the steps of the Denver City and County building.

"Justice is not a matter of being legal but of being prevalent," said the Rev. Andrew Simpson, presiding elder with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, standing in front of two dozen protesters carrying signs that read, "Defeat 100! Impounding cars is not the answer" and "Defeat 100! Racial profiling is not God's will."

"Initiative 100 takes us back to the good old days in which racial and ethnic profiling were the law of the land," Simpson continued. "We have got to realize that racial profiling destroys the American Dream."

Simpson was joined by several other Methodist, Islamic, Catholic and Jewish leaders who echoed his concerns. The measure, which was brought forward by a group called the Future Denver Committee, would attach a $2,500 bond to each vehicle impounded. The bond would be held for one year and forfeited completely if a driver without a license operates the vehicle within that period. The text of the initiative specifically mentions undocumented immigrants, saying that "unlicensed drivers including illegal aliens are not eligible for auto insurance and pose a significant danger to the people of the City and County of Denver when driving and must be prohibited from doing so in every way possible."

CT: House bill sponsored by Murphy would allow non-partisan voter registration drives at Veterans’ hospitals nationwide

By Secretary of the State's Office

Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz today joined Congressman Christopher Murphy (CT-5) at the town green in Cheshire to announce federal legislation, sponsored by Murphy, that would repeal the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ban on voter registration drives for patients at V.A. hospitals, nursing homes and homeless shelters.

“This powerful yet simple legislation comes not a moment too soon,” said Bysiewicz, “we have less than 100 days until the most important election in a generation. Chris Murphy is showing that he and other members of Congress are standing up for our military veterans, who sacrificed so much to preserve our right to vote. Our wounded warriors deserve access to information about voting and they should be allowed to register to vote in the V.A. facilities. The VA’s policy is a slap in the face to out most patriotic Americans, and a violation of their civil and constitutional rights.”

Representative Murphy’s bill, entitled the “Veteran Voting Support Act,” mirrors a similar bill in the senate sponsored by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) that would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide voter registration services to veterans in the department’s care and allow non partisan groups and election officials to conduct voter registration drives at V.A. hospitals, nursing homes, and homeless shelters nationwide.

“Veterans have done so much for our country, it’s only right that we do all we can to assist them in exercising their constitutional right to vote. It’s unfortunate that we need a federal law, but if that’s what it takes to guarantee the right to vote, then Congress is prepared to act,” said Murphy.

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Delaware
District of Columbia


DE: County Democrats look back at time on council

By Heather Clark
Sussex Countian

Wed Jul 30, 2008, 11:37 AM EDT

SUSSEX COUNTY -

Just three days before the deadline to file to run for office, the three Democrats on the Sussex County Council announced they would not seek re-election in the November election. All three stated they wished to spend more time with their families. Here are their reflections on their time in office and responses to why they waited so long to make their announcement.

Dale Dukes (Laurel), on council since 1988: “I had been thinking about for a while. Four years ago when I was re-elected, I thought that would probably be my last time. I lost some of the fire I had and I felt it was time . I’ve had a lot of second thoughts.” The decision, announced July 22, was not made until July 17, he said.

...

“Mr. Vincent is a good fellow, a good candidate ... I do hope the Democrats come up with someone though so the people have a choice.”

Lynn Rogers (Milton), on council since 1996: Rogers’ wife was in a serious horseback riding accident in May and is still on the road to recovery. Rogers announced he wanted to take time off to be with her and hopes to come back to serve the county in some way, perhaps by representing the 36th District.

DC: Be in a video for DC's right to vote.

Are you busy on Saturday? If not, swing by one of three locations where DC Vote is going to be filming a video to promote DC voting rights. They need 25-50 people for each of the following times and locations:

8:30 - 9:30 AM Location: School Without Walls, 213 G Street NE, DC (nearest Metro: Union Station, Red Line)
12:30 - 2:00 PM Location: U.S. Capitol Building steps, Enter at 2nd Street, NE and East Capitol Street, NE, DC (nearest Metro: Capitol South, Blue and Orange Lines)
2:30 - 4:00 PM Location: Pennsylvania Avenue between 1st and 3rd Streets NW, DC (nearest Metro: Archives/Navy Memorial Blue, Yellow and Green Lines)
Please RSVP to Eugene D. Kinlow at [e-mail] or 202.462.6000 x13 and let him know which event you can attend.

DC: Please, Help the DC Voting Rights Scholars Get to Denver!

Jeffrey Richardson, super delegate and Vice Chair of the DC Democratic State Committee has sent out an appeal for the DC Voting Rights Scholars. The Scholars are in need of airline tickets and spending money while at the convention. Although some cash has been raised, these scholars who won an essay and oration contest to be pages at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, are still without funding for their airfare.

Here's the e-mail he sent out:

Support our 2008 DC Voting Rights Scholars to attend the 2008 Democratic National Convention


In May of 2008 the DC Democratic Party hosted a citywide oratorical contest to identify our 2008 Voting Rights Scholars that will lead a delegation of youth and young voters at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Our four Voting Rights Scholars will attend the 2008 Democratic National Convention along with the official DC Delegation to educate convention delegates and attendee's about DC's lack of representation and self determination.

...

The 2008 Voting Rights Scholars will be a featured part of DC's voting rights education efforts at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Continued

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Florida


FL: State chided for dip in voter registration fraud

Florida is failing to help low-income residents register to vote when they sign up for public assistance, say voting rights advocates who may sue over the issue. The 1993 National Voter Registration Act requires states to offer voter registration forms - and help with filling out those forms - through various agencies, including those that provide Medicaid, food stamps and related forms of income-based assistance.

In January, lawyers for three national advocacy groups - Project Vote, ACORN and Demos - complained to Secretary of State Kurt Browning that the number of voter registrations received through Florida's public assistance agencies has plummeted since 1995.

"The fact is that the state is not following the law," said Brian Kettenring, Florida organizer for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, which advocates on behalf of low-income people.

"Hispanic and African-American communities are being deprived of the opportunity to register to vote at a higher rate than anybody else," Kettenring said. "So this is a fairness issue, but it's also a civil rights issue."

Both of Florida's main public assistance agencies argue that they are following the federal law. But the advocacy groups remain unconvinced, and are mulling whether to file a lawsuit.

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Georgia


GA: Documents show Georgia's Secretary of State knew of Diebold patch
Larisa Alexandrov
Published: Wednesday July 30, 2008

Georgia complained to Diebold about patch after election

On Dec. 3, 2002, Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox’s office faxed documents to the then-president of Diebold Election Systems Bob Urosevich listing a series of issues that occurred shortly before the November 2002 election.

Documents provided to RAW STORY by a whistleblower close to Cox’s office show that one of the key problems Georgia officials were trying to resolve was related to an unauthorized patch installed on machines prior to the election.

In one document, Cox’s office asked Urosevich for confirmation that a “0808 patch was applied to all systems; confirmation that the patch was not grounds for requiring the system to be recertified at national and state level; as well as verifiable analysis of the overall impact of the patch to the voting system” (See attached pdf, p. 3)

...

Calls to the Department of Justice seeking confirmation that Spoonamore had delivered the Diebold patch were not returned.

GA: Preparing a McCain 'victory' in Georgia

July 29, 2008
GEORGIA COUNTY ELECTION OFFICES VIOLATE COURT ORDER

Advancement Project and local voter protection groups have discovered after an initial scan that several county election offices in GeorgiaWare, Cherokee, DeKalb,Richmond, Gwinnett, and Lincoln (there may be other counties in violation) are providing voter registration groups with inaccurate and misleading information concerning their rights to conduct voter registration drives. The county directives come more than two years after a federal court previously struck down these very same restrictions, and in the wake of increasing efforts on the part of many nonpartisan and partisan advocacy groups to register eligible minority and low income voters in Georgia in advance of the 2008 presidential election.

The information provided by counties erroneously suggests that:

* Deputy registrars are the only persons legally authorized to be in possession of another person's completed voter registration application;
* One must become a deputy registrar and take an oath of office in order to conduct a voter registration drive;
* Voter registration drive s must be submitted weeks in advance for approval and preclearance by the county registrar and the Department of Justice and must be advertised in local publications;
* The dates, times, and locations of private voter registration drives cannot be altered;
* Conducting door-to-door voter registration drives and collecting completed applications is illegal and a felony;
* Private entities are not authorized to collect and submit other persons' completed voter registration applications to election officials;
* and Persons who complete voter registration applications at a non-deputy-registrar-staffed drive are required either to mail or personally deliver those applications to the appropriate state or local election official.

Advancement Project has sent a letter to Wesley Taylor, director of Secretary of State Karen Handel's Elections Division, requesting that a written directive be issued immediately to all 159 counties, reminding them of their legal obligations under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) not to interfere with the rights of private groups wishing to conduct voter registration drives and to accept and process all completed applications that are received by the appropriate deadline, regardless of how or by whom they are delivered. A similar letter was sent by Advancement Project to all 159 of the state's chief registrars.

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Hawaii


HI: Republican challenges Caldwell replacement

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A Manoa Republican yesterday challenged whether the Democratic Party of Hawai'i properly filled a vacancy created by state House Majority Leader Kirk Caldwell's decision to run for Honolulu City Council.

The party on Saturday chose Isaac Choy, a Manoa accountant, to replace Caldwell. The state Office of Elections had informed the party on Friday that Chrystn Eads, an aide to Mayor Mufi Hannemann who had tried to replace Caldwell, did not make Tuesday's filing deadline.

Caldwell, D-24th (Manoa), has said the elections office was notified verbally of his withdrawal on Tuesday but that his official withdrawal letter was not received by the office until Wednesday. Under state law, the party had three days to fill the vacancy, and the elections office gave the party until Saturday afternoon.

Francisco Figueiredo, a Manoa Republican, asked the elections office to investigate whether the correct time frame to fill the vacancy should have ended on Friday, three days after Caldwell's verbal withdrawal.

HI: Hawaii’s Top Election Official Forgets To Register To Vote
Posted in July 30th, 2008
by Glenn Church in Hawaii, Kevin Cronin, Linda Lingle

fI you are going to run for political office, it is a good idea to register to vote. If you are going to be Hawaii’s top election official it is a requirement of the job. Somehow, Hawaii’s Chief Election Officer Kevin Cronin forgot to do just that.

Cronin was appointed to the position in February. As the filing deadline for the primary election ended last week, Cronin finally registered to vote. Obviously, someone did not do a background check when he was appointed to the job. By not being registered, he was not qualified for the job he has held since February.

Republican Governor Linda Lingle called it “shocking and embarrassing.”

The Hawaii Elections Commission is now investigating the incident and Cronin’s job status.

HI: Serious Hawaii System Election Weaknesses

Aloha General Public,

This is a public letter for the general public to read. Attached and below, please find my letter to Mr. Kevin Cronin describing serious weaknesses in the Hawaii election system. If you are as concerned as I am about democracy in Hawaii, please consider taking the following actions:

1. If you are a state legislator, please ask Mr. Cronin directly by letter or email to explain to you what he is doing to insure that the Hawaii election system is fair, honest and accurate and in particular, ask him to comment directly back to you about my letter below, item by item. Also, you could call a committee hearing and ask Mr. Cronin to testify under oath.
2. If you are the media, please consider assigning an investigative reporter to investigate Hawaii election system integrity and report findings to your readers.
3. If you are a citizen, please consider signing up to be an "Election Observer" in your county for the primary and general elections later this year. Just call your county clerk and sign up. Make sure to specify "Election Observer" and not "Precinct Official." Election Observers work at the county building where all the votes come in after the polls close. It is an experience you will never forget and you will see all of the things I saw in the 2006 elections which I have described below in the letter to Mr. Cronin.
4. Also, if you are citizen, please consider signing up to be an "Election Observer" at the state count center which takes place on the floor of the State Senate. There, you will witness all of the votes coming in from the four county count centers. Just call the State Office of Elections and sign up.
5. Please forward this letter to friends who might want to be Election Observers.
6. Please forward this letter to anyone who is interested in open, honest and accurate elections.

Mahalo,
Robert G. Babson, Jr.
Maui Election Observer

Robert G. Babson, Jr.

========== I ==========
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa


ID: Idaho Printer Mistakenly Makes Buttons of Obama With Sen. Larry Craig

by Associated Press
Monday, July 28, 2008

LEWISTON, Idaho — This one will be a must-have for political junkies who collect campaign buttons.

Some Democratic buttons made for distribution in Idaho have Barack Obama beside Senator Larry Craig. But don’t expect the staunch Republican Craig to back the Democrat for president.

The button maker picked a picture of the wrong Idaho Larry.

They were supposed to show Larry LaRocco, a Democrat running for the Senate.

Craig isn’t seeking re-election after being arrested in a Minnesota airport restroom sex sting.

Bill Hall, the editor emeritus of the Lewistown Tribune’s editorial page, says he bought 10 from the button company’s Web site before they were withdrawn and fixed.

ID: Sali still struggling with FEC report

The Associated Press • Published July 28, 2008

In a report filed Monday, Sali's campaign debt appears to stand at $135,673 on June 30, the same as previously disclosed.

But spokesman Wayne Hoffman says the congressman actually retired $9,000 in May and June.

Struggles with the Federal Election Commission's software are still impeding a correct filing, Hoffman said.

Walt Minnick, Sali's Democratic rival in Idaho's 1st Congressional District, criticized Sali, saying "the unprecedented nature of the report raises troubling questions about Sali's ability to be straight with the people of Idaho."

IN: States weigh return to paper ballots

Tom Walker/Eyewitness News

Washington - This could be a year when every vote will matter in Indiana - and how votes are counted is still a hot topic.

Some states are junking their touch-screen electronic machines and going back to paper ballots. Activists for voter rights are among those pushing for a plan to verify votes are counted accurately.

"This is actually very healthy, that voters are waking up and saying we want a more accountable system and I think we should be encouraging that," said Barbara Arnwine of the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights.

...

Some, like Indiana Secretary of State Tod Rokita, see problems.

"The technology doesn't exist," Rokita said. "I mean, we really are talking 'Star Wars' here."

Indiana's top elections official told senators that conducting what amounts to a recount of elections, whether close or not, could cost millions. He says machines are not the issue.

"And I maintain that if you have a well-trained pollworker and you have a good process, you're going to have a good election," Rokita said.

IN: One size doesn’t fit all voters
Staff

America has a long history in which the voting process has been largely controlled independently by states, according to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) at a hearing on the Bipartisan Electronic Voting Reform Act. The Bipartisan Electronic Voting Reform Act would help amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and provide for auditable, independent verification of ballots. This would ensure the security of voting systems.

According to Feinstein, the bill requires each state to establish a chain of custody protocols for voting systems, components and records where only appropriate election officials have access to machines. Feinstein said that the bill authorizes $30 million in grants for research, development and testing of independent verification technologies. Ranking Member Bob Bennett (R-Utah) said that America has a long history of vote manipulation and vote fraud and independent verification would bring a degree of reliability and security to voting.

The Honorable Todd Rokita, the Indiana Secretary of State, said that in order to facilitate the appropriate balance for an equal and effective partnership, National Associations of Secretaries of State (NASS) members agreed that members of Congress should respect America’s legal and historical distinctions in federal and state sovereignty as well as avoid pre-emptions of state authority when drafting federal legislation. In addition, Rokita said that the federal legislation should include a reasonable timeframe for implementing state requirements or programs.

Barbara Arnwine, Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights under Law, said that eligible voters were disenfranchised by malfunctioning voting machines and inadequately trained poll workers. According to Arwine, 72 percent of voters in Georgia complained about problems at polling places and malfunctioning voting machines. Arwine recounted a story from a voter who had pointed out that the poll worker fed her ballot to the machine upside down. In response, the poll worker merely smiled and said that she was “one of the lucky ones.” Arwine said that she was excited about the bill as it would allow voters to feel confident that the votes they cast count for the candidate they choose. She said that this bill would also allow for disabled people to cast their votes independently and privately with its multimodal voting interface.

========== K ==========
Kansas
Kentucky


KS: Kansas Senator Giving Away Money Donated By Stevens

Kansas Senator Pat Roberts is donating to charity nearly $20,000 in campaign contributions he has received from Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.

Stevens, a Republican, was indicted Tuesday on seven felony counts of false statements. Roberts campaign spokeswoman Molly Haase said the senator told his campaign to donate to Kansas charities the money he received from Stevens since 2001. Republican Roberts is up for re-election this fall.

Campaign officials for Democratic rival Jim Slattery called on Roberts to give away the money from Stevens and the Alaska senator's political action committee. At least three other GOP senators also are giving away money they got from Stevens.

KS: Youth, serious issues all part of House race

By James Carlson
The Capital-Journal
Published Wednesday, July 30, 2008

The Democratic primary in the 57th House District is a race to become the youngest member of the Kansas Legislature.

But Sean Gatewood and Dustin Hardison, both 27-year-olds separated by two months, are talking about the same serious issues as many candidates — health care and the economy.

The winner of the primary will face Republican Cheryl Reynolds in the general election to decide who fills the seat vacated by Vaughn Flora, a Democrat. The district covers much of North Topeka and East Topeka north of Interstate 70.

Gatewood, who became interested in politics while testifying before legislative committees on in-state tuition issues, said health care is a huge topic for him.

http://www.ballot-access.org/
KY: Kentucky Secretary of State Reverses Stance on Whether Landham Can be on as Independent

July 29th, 2008

Unfortunately, on July 29, the Kentucky Secretary of State retracted his ruling that the Libertarian Party of Kentucky could choose to have Sonny Landham on the November ballot as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate instead of as a Libertarian.

Now the choices are either: (1) the party can submit its petition in early August and have Landham listed as a Libertarian; (2) the party can submit its petition in the middle of August, which will mean that the petition will only be valid for president and vice-president, but not U.S. Senator (the deadline for the presidential and vice-presidential candidate is in early September, but the deadline for all other office is in early August).

In that case Landham won’t be on the ballot at all.

========== L ==========
Louisiana


LA: Louisiana Candidate Asks State Supreme Court to Put Him on Ballot

July 29th, 2008

Jimmy Fahrenholtz has asked the Louisiana Supreme Court to restore him to the Democratic Party primary ballot.

He is running for U.S. House, 2nd district (New Orleans district). The State Court of Appeals had tied 4-4 on whether to restore him to the ballot.

The lower court had removed him because it said he had signed a false statement, as to whether he had any outstanding campaign finance law fines when he had run earlier for New Orleans School Board. He argues, with considerable legal authority behind him, that candidates for Congress cannot be kept off ballots if they meet the constitutional qualifications and show a modicum of support.

The case is Williams v Fahrenholtz, 2008-c-1680. The Court has not yet said if it will hear his appeal.

========== M ==========
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana



MA: National Voting Rights Center Praises Passage of Massachusetts Senate EDR Bill, Urges House to Act Before July 31 End of Legislative Session

Last update: 7:41 p.m. EDT July 29, 2008

BOSTON, July 29, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Today, the Massachusetts Senate passed an "Election Day Registration" (EDR) bill that would allow Commonwealth voters to register and vote on election day as early as November 2008, if signed into law this summer. In response, Miles Rapoport, president of Demos, a national public policy center, and former Secretary of the State of Connecticut, issued the following statement praising the vote and urging the Massachusetts House to vote on the bill before the July 31 end of the 2008 legislative session.

"Today, with bipartisan support, the Massachusetts Senate voted 33 to 5 to pass a critical reform to the Commonwealth's election law -- one that could vastly increase voter participation, and which is very straightforward to implement. Voters in 10 other states can register and vote on the same day, and in some of those states that have allowed Election Day Registration for decades in presidential election years they usually have turnout rates 10 to 12 percentage points over states without EDR. Also, research has shown that with EDR turnout can rise by 4 to 6 percent.

"In fact, earlier this year, Demos published a report showing that, in Massachusetts as elsewhere across the country, voter participation could increase substantially with Election Day Registration -- and boost turnout of some historically underrepresented blocs.

ME: Independent Senate candidate seeks return to ballot

By Joey Michalakes
Posted: 07/30/08 06:31 PM

Herb Hoffman’s (I) Senate candidacy appears to be in serious jeopardy after the Maine Supreme Court upheld a challenge from the state Democratic Party arguing that the campaign had not collected enough valid signatures to earn a spot on November’s ballot.

The ruling, handed down Monday, found Hoffman in violation of state election rules for claiming to have witnessed the collection of signatures that were obtained by campaign surrogates.

In a statement issued following the decision, the Maine Democratic Party hailed it as a “victory for the rule of law.”

But Hoffman promised to continue operating his campaign, and said that he was exploring the possibility of continuing the case in federal court.

MO: Voter rolls up for fresh examination

Court orders second review of state’s work.

Published Wednesday, July 30, 2008

KANSAS CITY (AP) - An appeals court yesterday ordered a federal judge to go back and review whether Missouri’s chief election officer met her legal obligations to keep voter registration rolls current.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s office in November 2005 for alleged violations of the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, which requires states to "conduct a general program that makes a reasonable effort to remove the names of ineligible voters from the official lists of eligible voters by reason of" death or change in residency.

U.S. District Judge Nanette Laughrey ruled for Carnahan in April 2007, saying Missouri’s 116 local election agencies, not the state, have the responsibility to keep the rolls current.

Under Missouri law, the secretary of state has no enforcement power over local election agencies, Laughrey noted. The judge found Carnahan and the state more than fulfilled the "reasonable effort" requirement by providing training and equipment to the agencies.

MO: Election officials to check Nader petitions

Local election authorities will check the validity of signatures on petitions to place Ralph Nader on the ballot in the presidential election in Missouri, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan's office announced Monday.

State law allows independent candidates to be placed on the ballot statewide if they obtain at least 10,000 valid signatures from registered voters in the state. Signatures must be verified by Aug. 12.

If all legal requirements are met, Carnahan's office will certify Nader for the ballot by Aug. 19.

MT: Residency complaint to be reviewed

By MIKE DENNISON
Gazette State Bureau

HELENA - The state's top political enforcer said Tuesday he'll look into a complaint alleging state Sen. Jesse Laslovich, D-Anaconda, is not a legal resident of his own district.

But Commissioner of Political Practices Dennis Unsworth said accepting the revised complaint doesn't necessarily mean he'll resolve the question of Laslovich's residence.

And the man who filed the complaint - Republican candidate Dick Motta of Philipsburg - said he's not confident that Unsworth will rule on the issue.

"I think he's going to dance around this thing and basically just tell me to take it to court," Motta said Tuesday. "I think he's going to try to get out of it, just because it's a political football and (state officials) don't want to deal with it."

As for Laslovich, he said he'll cooperate with any investigation, which he believes would show that he's a legal resident of Senate District 43 and entitled to run for re-election this year. "(Motta) can say that he doesn't think I'm a resident of the district all he wants," Laslovich said. "The law says that I am, period. I just think (his complaint) is a desperate act and will continue to be met with the results that he's not happy with."

========== N ==========
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota


NH: Audit: Gardner misspent fed funds
Secretary of State says primary was priority

Secretary of State Bill Gardner is out of compliance in how his office spent $1 million in federal funds to help with election improvements, state auditors told lawmakers yesterday.

Gardner disputed the finding presented to the joint legislative Fiscal Committee. He said the auditors believe he should've sought approval from a federal commission that doesn't have the authority to tell states how to spend the money.

Gardner said that would infringe on New Hampshire's sovereignty in handling its elections, including its first-in-the-nation presidential primary. The money went to build a facility to train election officers and house the election system's operation.

After the presentation, the committee voted to accept the report and put it on file. None criticized Gardner - whom many lawmakers credit with protecting the status of New Hampshire's primary.

NJ: Dems could go outside rules for alternate

By Gregory J. Volpe • GANNETT STATE BUREAU • July 30, 2008

TRENTON — When New Jersey Democrats select a national convention delegate to replace former Assemblyman Neil Cohen, they might not choose one of the three alternates party rules say should get the post.

Party rules say if delegates resign or die, they are to be replaced by previously designated alternates, provided they support the same presidential candidate, are the same sex and from the same geographic region.

Cohen, who resigned this week as assemblyman and Democratic National Convention delegate amid suspicions he had child pornography on a computer in his legislative office, was a Barack Obama at-large delegate.

New Jersey has three at-large Obama alternates who fit the basic replacement requirements: Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer, Samer Khalaf, co-chairman of a Passaic County group of Obama supporters, and Brian McGinnis of Cherry Hill, the South Jersey director of the gay-rights group Garden State Equality.

None has been contacted by the party about taking Cohen's slot, and the state committee has said the replacement won't necessarily be one of the three. Alternates can attend the national convention but can't cast a nominating vote for Obama.

NJ: Justice Department Announces Agreement Protecting Puerto Rican and Spanish-Speaking Voters in Penns Grove, New Jersey

WEBWIRE – Tuesday, July 29, 2008

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department announced today the settlement of a lawsuit against Salem County and the borough of Penns Grove, N.J., alleging violations of the rights of Puerto Rican voters under the Voting Rights Act. The settlement agreement requires the county and borough to ensure that elections are equally open to Latino voters, that Spanish language assistance and materials be available at the polls, and that Spanish-speaking voters be allowed to select the assistor of their choice. One of the concerns that led to the Civil Rights Division’s investigation was that the borough and county were violating the rights of voters who had been educated in Spanish in American-flag schools in Puerto Rico.

The settlement agreement was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey contemporaneously with the complaint and an accompanying proposed order allowing federal observers to monitor election day activities in its polling place. The order still must be approved by the court.

"The complaint, which includes allegations of discriminatory enforcement of voter ID laws, is filed to protect Hispanic voters" said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "The Division is committed to vigorously enforcing federal civil rights laws during this important election year and commends the county and borough for promptly and constructively resolving the matter"

"The right to vote is a fundamental guarantee for all American citizens" said Christopher J. Christie, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. "We are pleased that the county and borough have agreed to resolve this complaint"

NY: Despite Fossella’s Exit, Unity Eludes Democrats

In the aftermath of the soap-operalike spectacle that led to the decision by Representative Vito J. Fossella to not seek another term in Congress, much of the attention has centered on the troubles that his fellow Republicans have had in finding a candidate to succeed him in the 13th Congressional District.

While the Republicans have endured a highly visible era of disunity, the Democrats in the district, which includes Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, are not exactly in lock step. In fact, they are now preparing for a hotly contested primary between two candidates cut from decidedly different cloth.

...

The campaign has received considerable attention because the Democrats are seen as having their best opportunity in a generation to recapture the seat.

The tensions between the two Democrats do not approach the challenges faced by the Republicans.

ND: Dems want Hamm ad off the air
Janell Cole N.D. Capitol Bureau

Published Wednesday, July 30, 2008

BISMARCK — North Dakota Democrats are demanding Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm take a taxpayer-funded, “blatantly political” Insurance Department commercial off the air and Hamm’s opponent in this year’s election has asked North Dakota broadcasters for equal time.

A lawyer for North Dakota’s broadcasters said stations don’t have to take the ad off the air, but said it does trigger a Federal Communications Commission rule that could give Hamm’s opponent, Rep. Jasper Schneider of Fargo, the right to buy coveted air time in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 4 election.

Hamm, a Republican, is running for the post to which he was appointed last October.

NC: Signature forged, lawmaker's ex says

The Associated Press

WILMINGTON - The former domestic partner of Sen. Julia Boseman says her signature was forged on campaign reports.

Melissa Jarrell said in the complaint filed Monday with the State Board of Elections her signature was forged eight times on Boseman's campaign finance reports from 2004 to 2006. Jarrell was Boseman's campaign manager for six years but left the job soon after the couple split.

Boseman told the Star-News of Wilmington that the allegations are false. The New Hanover County Democrat said Jarrell had authorized someone else to sign the forms because of her busy schedule.

Boseman and Jarrell have been in a custody dispute over their son.

========== O ==========
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon


OH: The Impact of Foreclosures on Voting Rolls

Posted on July 29, 2008
Repo Homes

The impact of foreclosures on voting rolls in the forthcoming presidential elections will be serious. This will be especially so in Ohio because many foreclosure victims have left their houses but their registered addresses continue to be the same as before. They will cast their votes as provisional voters and it is these provisional votes that will be the deciding factor in the elections.

Daniel Tokii of Ohio State University opines that foreclosure is the real issue. He has doubts about the 2004 elections when Bush got voted to power and the clinching issue was the Ohio votes. Foreclosures are leading to a rise of more provisional votes. From 2004 this trend has been noticed. It is still prevailing.

In Columbus there are only 3,700 registered voters but the reality is many more than that as reported in The Columbus Dispatch. In January 2008

[flashl]

13. States O-W

Template by achtung_circus.

O | P | | R | S | T | U | V | W |

========== O ==========
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon


OK: Regulated industries fuel campaigns

AP News
Posted Jul 29, 2008 @ 09:40 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY — Individuals with ties to oil and gas, telecommunications and utilities are pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into the election for a state commission that regulates these industries.

Oklahoma is one of 13 states with publicly elected utility regulators, and there is at least an appearance of impropriety when people running for these positions take contributions from those associated with the very industries they regulate, said Lynn Howell, chairman of Common Cause, a nonpartisan citizens' watchdog group.

"We're not accusing anyone of corruption or being bribed, but we all know it's human nature to feel obligated to people who do you favors," Howell said. "It creates the appearance of a conflict of interest even if there is not one."

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission makes decisions on electric and natural gas utility rates and charges, regulates the oil and gas industry and oversees intrastate pipelines and trucking.

Howell said Common Cause has pushed for public funding of commission races and would also support appointments similar to the way appellate court judges are selected, where the governor picks a name from a list of three candidates submitted by a nominating commission.

OR: Following the money

Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Oregonian

State politics: Following the money

Oregonians who want to track out-of-state money in state politics have a new tool: The state Elections Division's online campaign-finance database now lists all contributors from other states in red. The color coding highlights about 10 percent of the 68,000 contributions that have been listed on the searchable database since it debuted in January 2007.

How to look at contributions to a candidate's campaign

1. Go to www.sos.state.or.us/elections

2. Click on "Public Search" on the right side of the screen.

3. Click on "Search Committees" in the upper-left corner of the screen.

4. Type the candidate's last name in the "Committee Name" field and click on "Submit." Click on the candidate's name.

5. Click on "Campaign Finance Activity" at the bottom of the screen.

How to look at contributions from a particular donor

1. After steps 1 and 2 above, click on "Search Transactions" in the upper-left corner.

2. Type the donor's name under "Contributor/Payee Information" at the bottom of the screen and click "Search." Typing in "Philip Morris" should show you donations made by the makers of Marlboro cigarettes, or "IBEW" will help you see contributions from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

========== P ==========
Pennsylvania


PA: State Legislature must clear the air

July 31, 2008

As a result of the ongoing Bonusgate investigation, state Sen. Jeffrey Piccola and a group of concerned legislators in both the House and the Senate have reiterated the need for a special legislative session on public integrity. Gov. Rendell says he believes legislators have a more important agenda, with health care, transportation and other public needs. There is no doubt that there are very important public issues in the hands of our elected officials.

What could be more important than the public's perception of the integrity of their elected officials, especially with elections right around the corner?

Sen. Mike Folmer said it best: ''I think it's in the public interest, and what better time to do it, as we're into Pennsylvania's version of Watergate?''

Even though the lawmakers themselves determine whether a special session is a success, many lawmakers predicted that nothing would happen. And, some referred to the special session on property tax relief as proof that nothing can happen. No bills were passed in that special session.

PA: Mayor Nutter Supports Open Access To Vote Results
Jul 29, 2008

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ― Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is backing a University of Pennsylvania student's call for making voting results available online to everyone on election night.

Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg is waging a campaign to end the system in which voting results, as they come in, can be accessed only by people with passwords.

The city commissioners' office, which oversees elections, says altering the system would present technical hurdles.

Staffers there say exporting data to a Web page would require periodic system shutdowns during election night, impeding the tally.

Nutter says any 12-year-old with computer experience could figure out how to export voting results to a Web site so they can be viewed on election night. He wants changes in place by the November election.

Information from: http://www.kyw1060.com

========== R ==========
Rhode Island


RI: High Court won't intervene in GOP snafu
on 07-29-2008 01:51

PROVIDENCE — According to an order issued yesterday, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has declined to intervene in a case involving the nominations of five Republican candidates for the General Assembly, among them Lammis J. Vargas of Pawtucket. The chairman of the Rhode Island Republican Party had asked the court to review and reverse a July 3 decision by the state Board of Elections that denied the party’s petition to compel the Providence, Pawtucket and West Warwick boards of canvassers to issue nomination papers to the five candidates, according to the order.

On July 3, the Rhode Island Board of Elections handed down a unanimous ruling that Rhode Island Senate hopefuls Lammis J. Vargas (Dist. 15, Pawtucket), Kofua Z. Kulah Sr. (Dist. 5, Providence), Elana K. Goldstein (Dist. 3, Providence) and Clarke (Dist. 9, West Warwick), along with Damien J. Baldino, who intended to run for the Rhode Island House of Representatives seat in Providence’s District 13, were ineligible to run for office.

“The requirement is that candidates notify and file nomination papers with the board of canvassers where the candidate lives. And, in this particular case, the Republican Party filed their papers for a group of individuals from across the state with the Secretary of State’s office and not with the local boards,” Board of Elections Executive Director Robert Kando said at the time.

According to the order, the Rhode Island Republican Party chairman had first approached the Rhode Island Supreme Court prior to the board of elections hearing, seeking to have the court direct the Secretary of State’s Office to issue nomination papers to the candidates in question so voter signatures could be collected and certified within the statutory 10-day period. The Secretary of State’s Office had apparently denied the Republican Party’s request to do so. The court declined to take action, the order states, because of the hearing scheduled before the elections board.

========== S ==========
South Carolina
South Dakota


SC: The Seven Most Popular Ways of Voter Suppression…..
by progress — published on July 30th, 2008

This is an election that is ripe for voter fraud and gaming the system. The GOP will not give up the White House easily and the same shenanigans that were in play in 2000 and 2004 will continue to be in play in 2008. Though Karl Rove’s 2000 and 2004 fraud machine is currently under attack, it is still locked and loaded for 2008. Also, given the fact that McCain has wholeheartedly adopted the Karl Rovian gutter politics, by any means necessary, political playbook, we as voters need to be vigilant and recognize when we are being duped by politicians, groups, or individuals attempting to disrupt the democratic process. We have compiled a list that is not exhaustive of article excerpts profiling such nefarious tactics. Stay on the look out for the following methods of voter suppression:

Vote Caging Vote caging is a voter suppression tactic. The term is derived from a direct mail term. In the direct mail industry, when a third party runs a direct mailing campaign on behalf of a client organization, one of the activities undertaken is to compile all of the responses, handle contributions and to deposit received funds into the client’s account, and also update the database of names and addresses that were mailed to with the responses or corrected addresses obtained. Since some of the activities were controlled carefully (donations and deposits) and conducted in a manner similar to the activities within a “teller’s cage,” the process is called “caging” and the end result of the data entry updates and address corrections is called a “caging list.” This led to the term “voter caging” for voter registration analysis and challenges conducted via mass mailings

Robo-Calling The nonprofit group responsible for a slew of misleading automated phone calls to black voters in North Carolina answered a few questions about the controversial campaign on Thursday, but some of the answers only beg more questions.

The D.C.-based voter-registration group Women’s Voices, Women Vote is facing accusations that it was trying to suppress the black vote in the upcoming North Carolina Democratic primary, after voters in predominantly black districts in the state began receiving automated phone calls telling them to expect a voter registration packet in the mail, even through the registration deadline had passed, and some had already registered.

Voter Disinformation Campaigns Rev. Joe Darby, the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, S.C., might have been more than a little surprised by the letter he received on Friday. Drafted on what appeared to be NAACP letterhead, it informed him he could face arrest when he votes in November’s election if he’s behind on child support payments, has any unpaid traffic tickets, or has bad credit.Not only was the information blatantly false, but Darby was in a position to know that the South Carolina NAACP wouldn’t misinform black voters about fake restrictions

Purges of Voter Rolls In swing-state Colorado, the Republican Secretary of State conducted the biggest purge of voters in history, dumping a fifth of all registrations. Guess their color. In swing-state Florida, the state is refusing to accept about 85,000 new registrations from voter drives – overwhelming Black voters. In swing state New Mexico, HALF of the Democrats of Mora, a dirt poor and overwhelmingly Hispanic county, found their registrations disappeared this year, courtesy of a Republican voting contractor. In swing states Ohio and Nevada, new federal law is knocking out tens of thousands of voters who lost their homes to foreclosure.

Restrictive Voter ID Laws The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that “states can require voters to produce photo identification without violating their constitutional rights, validating Republican-inspired voter ID laws.” The case concerned Indiana’s voter ID law, the most restrictive in the nation, and comes just one week before the state’s presidential primary. More than 20 states currently require some form of ID at the polls. Check your state election site to determine if your state requires identification.

Gerrymandering The process known as redistricting in the United States is the changing of political borders. Often this means changing electoral district and constituency boundaries, usually in response to periodic census results. However, the GOP plans to use this strategy to regain power.

Swiftboating Get scurrilous whisper campaigns inside the hack pack press, long after they’ve been debunked. South Carolina is known for this stuff. That The Washington Post is revealing it through a long winding piece is journalism at its worst. If it came as a warning on what’s on wingnut radio that would be one thing. But what it actually does is provide a platform for a rumor campaign, not to mention a preview of things to come for Democrats. It’s John Kerry revisited, the religious version.

We will continue to update this list with additional methods to watch out for as we receive them. Further, if you have experience other types of voter suppression leave it in the comment and we will ad them to the list.

========== T ==========
Tennessee
Texas


TN: Candidate’s election complaint ‘misguided’
Commission pens letter regarding unsuccessful lawsuit

By Leean Tupper | [e-mail]
The Oak Ridger
Posted Jul 27, 2008 @ 09:18 PM

CLINTON, Tenn. —Oak Ridge resident Joseph Lee's "attempt to blame the Anderson County Election Commission" for perceived violations of state election laws is "misguided," according to the Election Commission.

On Friday afternoon, the Election Commission released a Letter to the Editor written by its attorney Bill Reeves of Knoxville. (The letter is published in its entirety on Page 6A of today's edition of The Oak Ridger.)

In part, the Election Commission states neither the integrity nor the accuracy of the election process in Anderson County was ever challenged in the legal challenges filed by candidates in two separate races following the August 2006 election.

Joseph Lee filed a lawsuit against the Election Commission contesting the results of the District 7 County Commission race, which Lee lost by one vote to Commissioner John Shuey.

Lee dropped his suit the morning of trial on July 21, 2008 -- almost two years after the election.

TX: County software committee receives negotiation approval

By Bud Chambers/Staff Reporter
Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Several items covered under County Judge Dorothy Morgan’s report extended this morning’s commissioners court meeting well beyond an hour, but a major approval handed out by the court was far less time consuming.

The county’s software committee — consisting of County Attorney Julie Renken and Justices of the Peace Doug Zweiner and Douglas Cone — was given unanimous approval to negotiate a contract with Local Government Solutions of Houston concerning needed new software programs for relatively short term implementation in the four justice of the peace precincts and the offices of the county attorney and county tax assessor-collector.

Morgan urged “tough negotiations” by this committee, noting how tight county budgets are likely to be in the years immediately ahead.

It was also stressed by several commissioners that any agreement reached between the committee and LGS would require commissioners court approval.

========== U ==========
Utah

========== V ==========
Vermont
Virginia


VT: Vermont Progressives Play the Independent Card

Written by Greg Guma
Wednesday, 23 July 2008

The announcement by Anthony Pollina, a Vermont Progressive Party leader running for governor, that he will appear on the ballot this fall as an Independent raises intriguing questions about the reasons for his switch and the future of the movement he leads in the Green Mountain State. At a news conference, Pollina said that running as an independent "is by far the best way" to build a coalition. He didn’t mention winning, but that clearly also figured into the decision.

In making the announcement, Pollina mentioned US Senator Bernie Sanders and his predecessor Jim Jeffords, noting that both were embraced as Independents. However, Sanders became an Independent in the late 1970s after several disappointing runs for statewide office as a third party candidate. At the time, he said that the timing wasn’t right for a new party. Sanders served four terms as Burlington mayor and eight as a US Congressman before running for the US Senate in 2006. He ran as an Independent in all those races.

Jeffords, on the other hand, was a life-long Republican, serving in the US House and Senate. He left the GOP in 2001, citing deep differences with the Republican leadership and the Bush administration. It turned out to be his last term, and there’s no way of knowing how Vermont voters would have responded had he attempted to run for re-election as an Independent.

Pollina’s reasons are obviously different. He has devoted many years to building Vermont’s Progressive Party, and declined to enter the Democratic primary earlier this year, saying that he had no intention of running as anything but a Progressive. "You know, I’m a Progressive," he told columnist Peter Freyne. "I’m not going to leave the Progressive Party to become a candidate of another party." Doing so "would undermine people’s faith in me and also in the process," he added, "and I wouldn’t be too surprised if there were Democrats who would accuse me of being opportunistic in switching parties."

VA: Fraud suspected in wave of voter registrations in region

By Debbie Messina
The Virginian-Pilot
© July 29, 2008

Elections and law enforcement officials are investigating a growing number of potentially fraudulent voter registrations in Hampton Roads, just months before the November elections.

In Hampton, three people already have been charged with voter fraud.

The Norfolk voter registrar has turned over a number of suspicious voter applications to police and prosecutors and continues to flag others. In Virginia Beach, the registrar’s office is examining some questionable applications.

Statewide, 10 localities have reported irregularities to the State Board of Elections.

Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Jeff Frederick on Monday called on Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and Attorney General Bob McDonnell to open a statewide investigation into “what appears to be coordinated and widespread voter fraud activities.”

========== W ==========
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming


WA: 2 Democrats in bitter race in Seattle's 46th District

Two Democrats and one Republican are competing to represent the 46th District in the state House of Representatives. For Democrats Scott White and Gerry Pollet, the race has proved one of the most bitter in recent memory.

By Robert Faturechi

Seattle Times staff reporter

It's Friday morning and Gerry Pollet's home is overrun by a swarm of volunteers stuffing, folding and licking mailers that promote his run for the state House.

His wife, a longtime Democratic party leader, mills through the crowd with a pitcher of lemonade, keeping the unpaid work force refreshed.

With his opponent, Scott White, boasting a campaign finance account twice as big, Pollet is depending on volunteers and a grass-roots approach to compete in what has turned out to be one of the most bitter House races in recent memory.

In North Seattle's 46th District, Pollet, a seasoned environmental activist, and White, a former district-party chairman — both Democrats — are tussling to fill an open seat in the reliably blue district that includes Lake City, Laurelhurst, Broadview and parts of Greenwood.

...

Both Democrats are expected to move on to the general election. Under the state's new top-two primary Aug. 19, the two candidates who get the most votes in each race, regardless of party, will appear on the November ballot.

WV: Group updates challenge of W.Va. election ad rules

Wednesday July 30, 2008
by The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Last month's effort by West Virginia lawmakers to salvage disclosure requirements governing election-time advertising by non-candidates has been challenged in federal court.

The Center for Individual Freedom argues the special session legislation is as unconstitutionally vague and unjustified as the provisions it seeks to amend.

The Virginia-based group sued in March to block state rules requiring spending reports for pre-election ads that refer to clearly identified candidates.

A federal judge later agreed to a temporary freeze on the rules that applied to non-broadcast ads, prompting legislative action.
The center supplemented its lawsuit to challenge the amended statutes Tuesday, after election officials announced plans to enforce them.

[flashl]

2. Comments, OP Eds, etc.

[flashl]

5. Bush urged purge of voter rolls

7/30/08

Millions of low-income and minority voters are being denied opportunities to register to vote by state agencies that are violating a federal voting law, according to members of Congress and voting rights groups.

The ongoing failure has led to a nearly 80 percent drop-off in registering low-income applicants at state social services agencies over a decade, according to a recent report by the non-partisan voter advocacy research groups Project Vote and Demos.

"This noncompliance means the disenfranchisement of millions of low-income citizens, and a widening of the gap between the registration rates of high and low-income individuals," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., the chairwoman of a House elections subcommittee that held hearings this spring on the widespread violations of Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

The under-enforced 1993 law is better known the "motor voter" law. Minority citizens lag behind white voter registration by as much 10 percent for blacks, and roughly 20 percent for Hispanics and Asian-Americans, in part because they are disproportionately low-income.

...

Battleground states such as Florida also impose draconian restrictions on voter registration groups seeking to register low-income voters. VA hospitals bar on-site voter registration drives of wounded soldiers. And states have toughened voter ID requirements, led by Indiana's photo ID law that was upheld by the Supreme Court in April.

In addition, some states, including Louisiana, are facing challenges to their efforts to hastily purge many thousands of often minority voters from their rolls. In response to these alarming trends, Project Vote declared last week, "Voter purges are one of several problems in the administration of elections that could not only bar legal voters from the polls, but could potentially influence the outcome of close races," including the tight Presidential race.

...

Even the Bush Department of Justice told Senate Democrats in a letter in mid-July that it was probing other state agencies with poor registration rates, and in May, it reached a settlement with the state of Arizona to enforce social services outreach to low-income voters.

"We are actively investigating a number of jurisdictions which have admitted to low voter registration rates at state public assistance agencies," Deputy Assistant Attorney General Keith Nelson said, without disclosing them.

The Justice Department letter was, in part, an apparent response to mounting pressure from Congress and advocacy groups over the continuing law-breaking by states that won't enforce the NVRA. The House elections subcommittee hearings chaired by Rep. Lofgren were followed by letters in April from leading House and Senate Democrats, including Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., to the Department of Justice demanding that the agency take far more aggressive action to enforce Section 7. Instead, the DOJ has been using another provision of the law to force states and localities to enact widespread voter purges. "This creates the impression, whether founded or not, that the Department is more concerned with removing names from the voter rolls than adding them," said Sen. Whitehouse and other liberal colleagues.

[flashl]

6. Jim Bopp's Latest Salvo

July 30, 2008

Via email comes this press release:

527 Group Files Suit Against the Federal Election Commission Challenging Restrictions on Issue Advocacy About Barack Obama

Today, The Real Truth About Obama, Inc. ("RTAO") filed suit in federal court against the Federal Election Commission and the Department of Justice to enjoin them from enforcing various FEC rules in order for it to engage in issue advocacy about Barack Obama’s position on abortion and other issues.

RTAO was formed to tell the American people the real truth about Senator Obama's public policy positions. Its first project is about Obama's radical pro-abortion views and voting record. However, RTAO fears that it will be deemed a federal PAC, if it does the project, because of the FEC's enforcement actions arising out of the 2004 election where various issue-advocacy 527s, such as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, were fined for failure to register as a federal PAC, even though they only engaged in issue advocacy. The FEC and the Department of Justice have threatened to do the same this year.

In Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. v. Federal Election Commission ("WRTL II"), the United States Supreme Court described issue advocacy: "Issue advocacy conveys information and educates. An issue ad's impact on an election, if it exists at all, will come only after the voters hear the information and choose--uninvited by the ad--to factor it into their voting decisions."

According to James Bopp, Jr., lead attorney for The Real Truth About Obama, "Issue advocacy cannot be regulated by the FEC, and groups that engage in it cannot constitutionally be required to register as federal PACs. The FECs enforcement actions arising out of the 2004 election were outrageously unconstitutional, and we hope that this lawsuit will to put a stop to a repeat in 2008."

[flashl]

7. VR Interoperability represents a great leap forward

Data Sharing and Matching

Written by gronke
July 30th, 2008 at 10:37 am

This touches upon a number of important issues in election reform, and I can think of only one potential fly in the ointment.

1. Data exchange standards would make it far easier for states to help check the accuracy of their rolls, particularly with close by states and, as Secretary Ritchie points out, in metropolitan areas that cross state boundaries.
2. Efforts to create data archives of election returns, voting technology, and voter registration information, following some of the proposals made at the Data for Democracy gathering, would be substantially eased if some sort of data exchange standards were established.
3. The EAC Election Administration and Election Day survey would have far higher response rates and would be a far more valuable instrument to the states and to the federal government if states could use some sort of electronic “drop box” to respond to many of the items in the survey. If voter registration files could be output in some sort of standardized format, then writing a script to convert that format into the data elements needed in the EAC survey would be straightforward.

Some of these efforts may already be underway as part of the EAC Pilot program. The NAS Voter Registration report urges interoperability standards, and if you look in their footnotes, Neil McClure of Hart/InterCivic has issued a preliminary standard.

This train may finally get moving after the 2008 election

[flashl]

8. VR Data Sharing and Matching

Data Sharing and Matching

(D)ata exchange standards are a good idea, within and across states. Thad and I made the case in our July 2005 report, The Next Big Election Challenge: Developing Electronic Data Exchange Standards for Election Administration.

While we have yet to have a direct discussion at the NAS VR workshop about data exchange standards, the issue lurks in the background in all of these discussions.

This afternoon we had a wide-ranging discussion of interstate data sharing and matching. The consensus seems to be that interstate data sharing is helpful as it produces cleaner voter registration lists, and that interstate data sharing is just one of the tools in the kit for election administrators to use to produce cleaner lists. We also had an interesting discussion of whether the current regional data sharing practices should be broadened, and if so, how might that happen.

[flashl]

9. Voting Groups Caution Michigan Election Officials on eve of National Secretary of State Conference

For Immediate Release

Contacts:
Gustavo Vieira, Advancement Project / 202.728.9557
Jan BenDor, MERA / 734-484-1744
Jerome Reide, Michigan NAACP / 517.667.0568
Sheila Smith, ACORN / 313-963-1840
SharonRB :: Voting Groups Caution Michigan Election Officials on eve of National Secretary of State Conference

(DETROIT, July 24, 2008)— Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land will host her fellow secretaries of state at the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan to discuss wide-ranging issues related to election reform and the 2008 election cycle. At the same time, advocates from the Michigan Election Reform Alliance (MERA), the Michigan State Conference of the NAACP, and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) are expressing concerns with the possibility of massive voter disenfranchisement in Michigan during the 2008 election season, resulting from a series of unlawful purge programs undertaken or sanctioned by state election officials. The local groups, working with Advancement Project, a national civil rights group, have uncovered potential election problems that could impact hundreds of thousands of potential voters across the state.

“We have acted in good faith with Secretary Land and Chris Thomas from the very beginning. We have consistently and formally communicated our concerns about purge programs conducted by the Department of State, but have yet to make any progress with them in trying to resolve these issues before November,” said Jan BenDor, a MERA statewide coordinator and a Michigan accredited election administrator. “Secretary Land and Mr. Thomas are public officials, and they have an obligation to meet with the public to address legitimate concerns regarding elections in this state. Their continued refusal to do so is quite troubling, in our opinion.”

Yvonne White, president of the Michigan State Conference of the NAACP, considers a sit-down meeting with state election officials to be instrumental in avoiding many foreseeable problems that voters may face on Election Day. However, White is concerned with the Bureau’s recent refusal to meet. “Our goal is to prevent problems from occurring before the election, not after, and to do that, we need to have honest and open dialogue with our election officials,” said White.

ACORN’s Michigan political director, Sheila Smith, is concerned about the impact of Michigan’s purge programs on communities traditionally underrepresented in the electoral process. “Because the State will potentially be taking hundreds of thousands of eligible voters off of the rolls, there is a huge concern in the minority and low-income communities in which we work, because these communities are usually the ones most negatively impacted by statewide purges.” Smith echoed the other groups’ concerns about the need for transparency and open dialogue with state election officials: “All we are asking is for Mr. Thomas and the other state election officials to do their jobs. We are approaching them with open arms to try to address, and ultimately resolve, some of the major concerns before they cause irreparable harm to the citizens of Michigan on Election Day. Voter registration and voter turnout in Michigan, like in many other states across the country, is likely to be unprecedented, so we need to ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote is allowed to do so.”

Edward Hailes, Jr., senior attorney at Advancement Project, a national civil rights group that focuses on increasing democratic participation in low-income and minority communities, reinforced the concerns of local voter advocates. “Community leaders are understandably troubled by the resistance of Michigan’s election officials, who are paid by taxpayer dollars, to have an open dialogue about the voting rights of its citizens. This lack of transparency makes a mockery of our democracy,” said Hailes.

[flashl]

10. Voting rights lawsuit settled

Tuesday, July 29, 2008
By Randall Clark
[e-mail]

PENNS GROVE - A fundamental American right for Spanish-speaking voters was upheld in the settlement of a federal lawsuit Monday, which charged that Hispanics here had suffered discrimination at the county polls.

In an historic case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, defendants Salem County and the Borough of Penns Grove have agreed to take steps that would eliminate the disparate treatment here of members of the Latino community.

According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, the county and borough were sued after evidence was found that the entities have not complied with the country's established doctrine of voting rights.

The Justice Department explained that Latino voters were apparently subject to racial comments, asked disproportionately for identification and turned away from polling stations.

Under the agreement, the county will now provide bilingual ballots and election information while developing a remedial plan that ensures Spanish-speaking citizens can fully participate.

[flashl]

11. Voting Rights Advocates Challenge New Mexico’s Voter Registration Law in State Court

Press Releases

– 07/24/08

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jonathan Rosen or Anna Deknatel, BerlinRosen Public Affairs, [phone]


New Mexico Law Is One of Harshest in the Nation

Severe Penalties Threaten to Shut Down Voter Registration Drives and Disproportionately Block Minorities from Voting in 2008

New Mexico – Today the Brennan Center for Justice, along with pro bono law firms Davis Polk & Wardwell and Freedman Boyd Hollander Goldberg & Ives, filed a lawsuit in state court in Albuquerque challenging a New Mexico law that significantly restricts the ability of voter registration groups to register new voters and threatens to block thousands of eligible New Mexico citizens from registering and voting in the 2008 elections as unconstitutional and inconsistent with federal and state law. Plaintiffs in the case are the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas Inc. (FAWCO), New Mexico Public Interest Research Group (NMPIRG), and the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP). Plaintiffs typically register thousands of New Mexico citizens (especially low income, minority, disabled, and young citizens) to vote but have suspended or dramatically curtailed their operations as a result of the challenged law.

There are currently over half a million unregistered eligible voters in New Mexico. The suit claims that New Mexico's law—New Mexico Statutes Annotated § 1-4-49, and New Mexico Administrative Rules §§ 1.10.25.7-10—both enacted in 2005-constitutes an unconstitutional burden on free speech and association by impeding civic groups from helping eligible voters to register.

"The law aggressively discourages civic organizations from helping New Mexico citizens to exercise their basic right to vote, and threatens voter registration drives across the state," Robby Rodriguez from SWOP stated.

[flashl]

12. Conservatives Claim Enforcing Voting Rights Is Too Hard

by Project Vote, Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 01:33:52 PM EST

The Tampa Tribune criticized ACORN in an opinion piece that ran on Saturday July 19th for putting Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning on notice that the state of Florida was not in compliance with the 1993 National Voter Registration Act. According to the act, voter registration assistance must be provided not only at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) but at all agencies that provide public assistance (such as Medicaid and food stamps). A recent study released by Project Vote, ACORN, and Demos showed that Florida's percentage of registrations from public-assistance agencies dropped from 9% in 1995 and 1.8% in 2007.

Instead of calling for the state to comply with the Federal law, an action most citizens can find little fault with, - after all, Americans pride themselves on living in a nation built on laws - the Tribune launches into a litany of excuses for illegal behavior.

The paper defends the state, saying that it is already doing all it can through the DMV to register voters and calling ACORN's description of the state's illegal behavior a civil rights issue "nonsense".

This characterization is itself nothing but nonsense clumsily camouflaged behind a disingenuous and contextless statistic regarding the number of Floridians receiving cash assistance and a hilariously ironic reference to community-based voter registration drives.

First, let us tediously remind our good friends on the Tampa Tribune editorial board that Section 7 of the NVRA requires all public assistance agencies, not just those handing out cash assistance, to be responsible, like those exemplary DMV employees, for offering clients the opportunity to register. If the DMV can keep a steady stream of applications rolling in, one wonders why the folks administering the Medicaid program, a program not counted as "cash assistance", can't do that same.

Second, while it is true that Project Vote and ACORN have been at the forefront of assisting low-income families register to vote in Florida, it is also true that even at their most efficient and wide-spread these drives reach only a fraction of Florida's unregistered voters. For example, in 2006 Florida had over 4.2 million eligible unregistered voters according to Project Vote's 2007 report on the 2006 electorate called Representational Bias. In 2004, over the course of the state's largest voter registration drive ever, ACORN assisted just over 200,000 voters register to vote. By simply following the law, Florida could register far more voters than most voter registration drives combined.

[flashl]

14. NYC Elections Board Hires Spin Doctors for $6.5 million

By Rady Ananda
Re-Media

Originally posted at OpEdNews

Today, the New York City Board of Elections announced its contract with global public relations firm Burson-Marstellar for a $6.5 million campaign to "educate" New York residents about the wholly non securable computerized voting systems NY plans to implement in 2009.

Also today, B-M announced it appointed former U.S. Army Reserve Public Affairs Officer Pamela Keeton as a managing director in its U.S. Public Affairs Practice. Earlier this month, B-M hired Karen Hughes, the former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, as Global Vice Chair based in Washington, D.C.

This $6.5 million expenditure follows yesterday's Financial Control Board meeting where Governor Paterson admonished city workers for "failing to appreciate" the economic crisis faced by the city and the state. Mayor Bloomberg warned that since he expected a $1 billion deficit in FY 2009 and a $2.3 billion deficit in 2010:

"That's why we've put the lid on City-funded spending... We've directed City agencies to be very judicious in identifying where and how to save, in order to maintain our essential services and our economic competitiveness."

The lid has slipped, Your Honor. The NYC Board of Elections cannot justify $6.5 million in promoting a brand new, high-tech, exorbitantly expensive voting system that doesn't work. Nor is it "essential" to switch to a new system when fiscal prudence demands that NYC retain its secure, reliable lever voting machine in light of such grave fiscal deficits.

[Kurovski]

15. Kick to the top.

Thank you, flashl! :thumbsup: