Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
We were encouraged earlier this year when two states announced their plans to do a complete review of their voting systems. California has now completed their “Top-To-Bottom Review” and has taken action on all but the three Document Review papers that have yet to be released. Ohio got off to a slow start with their “Evaluation and Validation of Election Related Equipment, Standards and Testing” (EVEREST). It’s hard to figure out what is happening and how valid this project will now be. The State Controlling Board has now given SoS Brunner the money she needs to conduct the project but they have thrown in some questionable requirements. Local election officials now have an advisory role in the testing and a say in any recommendations. The Board has also provided the technical testing standards that will be used and requires participants in the study to have insurance to make sure counties don’t have to pay to repair or replace any machines damaged by tests. Two weeks ago they were concerned about the bias of some academics who were involved in the project. Now they are building bias into the whole system.
That story, and all of today’s other notable voting news stories, linked below…
- NAtional: Voting system requirements should be technology-neutral
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/45119-1.html - NAtional: Civil Rights Groups Oppose Nomination of Hans von Spakovsky to FEC
http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/press-2911.html - CA: San Francisco — Editorial – Polling purgatory
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/09/24/EDG2SBBDC.DTL - GA: Opinion – Voter ID still stinks
http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/680/public/news840173.html - MS: Editorial – Voter ID will have limited impact
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070924/OPINION01/709240327 - NH: Computerized Voting lawsuit against NH and 9 other states: Who is behind it and why?
http://www.democracyfornewhampshire.com/node/view/4723 - NJ: Election reform bill slowed by problems
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070924/NEWS01/709240348/1006/news01 - NY: Lifton takes tough stance on voting machine reassignment
http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070924/NEWS01/709240321/1002 - OH: Ohio voting machine tests approved
http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/09/ohio_voting_machine_tests_appr.html - OH: Brunner Ok’d by Ohio Lawmakers to Climb EVEREST
http://scoop.epluribusmedia.org/story/2007/9/24/172722/504 - OH: Bipartisan panel to test voting machines
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/09/bipartisan_panel_to_test_votin.html - OH: Summit County – Ruling awaited on late ballots; absentee tally begins
http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/9957806.html
**”Daily Voting News” is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in “Daily Voting News” may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or BradBlog.Com**
Isn’t is just amazing how the vendors who peddle these “perfect” machines that have 100% accuracy will fight to the death to keep them from being validated?
Could ther be any greater indictment of the machines’ ability to be manipulated than the resistence of the manufacturers to proving they cannot be?
Democracy as we knew it slipped away in 1999 when Sequoia started making imperfect ballots for Palm Beach, the swing county in the swing state for the 2000 elections. And Ohio ensured the corruption would continue, and now they are ensuring the coverup will continue. This whole putrid mess makes me sick!
Almost zero coverage in the state’s largest paper, the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Certainly none in the past few weeks.