Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
Good news today from New Jersey where S-507, a post-election audit bill, passed through the budget committee on a party-line vote even with opposition from the state Attorney General.
This week we are scheduled to hear the results of the Ohio Secretary of State’s EVEREST project. This project and resulting reports from academics and others was supposed to be Jennifer Brunner’s “Top-To-Bottom Review” with the resulting recognition comparable to that given to California’s Debra Bowen. We are still waiting to hear whether we will actually see the reports or just an executive summary that only gives us the information the Secretary wants us to hear. In the meantime, Brunner seems to be nudging Cuyahoga Co to change from DRE voting to optical-scan. While those nudges would have been great 6 months or more ago, it is questionable as to whether the county should change now. The Ohio primary is March 4 with absentee voting beginning in January. The county should now be working on ballot lay-out, ballot programming and ballot printing. This is NOT the time to make any changes. One has to wonder whether Brunner is trying to emulate Bowen or Blackwell. The jury is still out.
Links to those, and today’s other notable voting news stories, all posted below…
- CA: CA Elections – Better Accurate than Fast!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_tom_cour_071209_ca_elections___bette.htm - CO: Opinion – Only paper ballots would make elections credible
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/09/only-paper-ballots-would-make-elections-credible/ - CO: Scientists: Key to bolstering confidence in elections related to voting experience
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071210/NEWS01/712100319/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02 - DE: Funds mostly accounted for; $6,000 of $743,000 for voting upgrades still undocumented
http://www.newszap.com/articles/2007/12/09/dm/sussex_county/dsn03.txt - FL: Voter database given OK ahead of primary
Florida’s elections chief defends the voter database but admits some new voters may be out of luck for the primary.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/337725.html - IA: Group wants paper record for votes in 2008
http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=C51654A0-B3AF-4F90-839931FA517C2EE1 - NJ: Landmark NJ Election Audit Bill Passes Budget Committee
http://e-voter.blogspot.com/2007/12/landmark-nj-election-audit-bill-passes.html - NY: Editorial – Voting-machine dilemma deserves interim solution
Legislators should consider resolution to provide reliable machines while state continues its testing program.
http://www.star-gazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071209/OPINION01/712090341/1004 - OH: Large Undervotes in Seven Ohio Touch Screen Counties
http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2680&Itemid=113 - OH: What will Ohio be voting on in 2008, and who decides?
The procedure, protocol, and timeline of this decision making by Ohio’s Elected Officials on Project EVEREST voting machine testing has been requested by OEJC.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_paddy_sh_071209_what_will_ohio_be_vo.htm - TN: Opinion – Election Day voting: not doomsday, but more accountability is needed
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007712090395
**”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**
Ohio’s efforts had better be good, having started after the exhaustive work by CA’s Bowen. They’ve been quite secretive about their progress. I’m holding my breath.