Need more proof that the vendors have made elections expensive? The folks in Vigo Co Indiana find themselves having to hold a special election for mayor of Terre Haute, a city of over 44,000 voters. The county would probably pay for the election and then be reimbursed by the city. The last municipal election the county paid for cost $580,000. The cost for one race in the city would probably be something less than that.
Why so much? The county pays ES&S to manage the voting machines. What would happen if the county or city just decided to print the ballots and hand-count them? Well, the ballots would cost around $0.05 per ballot or around $3500. The cost to hand-count those ballots, based on the cost to hand-count ballots in WA in the 2004 gubernatorial hand-recount would probably be less than $10,000. Why is it that we have these vendors involved in making our elections much more expensive than they should be? …
- Featured – IN: Vigo County – Election officials face possible special election after ruling
http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_story_318230207.html - National: Machine Problems Worsened 2008 Voting Woes
http://www.alternet.org/democracy/107034/machine_problems_worsened_2008_voting_woes/ - National: Voter-rights advocates hope that this year they’ve won
http://www.centredaily.com/505/story/962551.html - FL: Alachua County – Time to double-check those voting machines
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20081114/NEWS/811140266/1002/NEWS01?Title=Time_to_double_check_those_voting_machines - FL: Broward County – Defeated challenger to Broward County elections chief is arrested
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbbrodsky1114sbnov14,0,3933640.story - FL: Duval County – Election: Positive records
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/111408/opi_355652669.shtml - GA: Early voting starts Nov. 19 in Floyd County for runoff; Gordon starts early voting today
http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/680/public/news935114.html - GA: Laurens County – Early Voting Could Begin On Tuesday
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=909&NewsID=935813&CategoryID=19667&on=0 - KY: Calloway County – Election’s main complaint was with machines
http://www.murrayledger.com/articles/2008/11/13/top_story/news02.txt - KY: Hardin County – Some results called ‘tainted’
Recanvass verifies original election winners
http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/cgi-bin/c2.cgi?053+article+News.Local+20081113204353053016 - MN: Franken seeks names of rejected voters
SENATE RECOUNT: Franken sues for lists of voters whose absentee ballots were disqualified.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/34409514.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr - MN: Opinion – Recount: What to expect, not expect
http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/news/2008/nov/14/recount-what-expect-not-expect/ - MN: Outsiders to observe recount, but GOP objects to one of the watchdogs
http://www.minnpost.com/politicalagenda/2008/11/14/4633/outsiders_to_observe_recount_but_gop_objects_to_one_of_the_watchdogs - NC: Craven County – Revised numbers add to turnout in Craven election [ES&S failures] http://www.enctoday.com/news/votes_42894_nbsj__article.html/election_county.html
- NJ: Move to delay voting paper trail advances
http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/B3/20081114/NEWS0301/811140335/1123/NEWS02 - NJ: NJ bill would nix voting machine retrofit deadline
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/11/14/ap5695390.html - NJ: New Jersey Secretary of State Supports Voter Verified Paper Record Legislation
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/560525 - NJ: Provisional-ballot results are expected in Middlesex County
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/provisionalballot_results_are.html - OH: Franklin County – Ballot-count suit could tip results
http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/11/14/copy/brunner_sued.ART_ART_11-14-08_A1_VHBSP6Q.html?adsec=politics&sid=101 - TX: Dallas County Republicans protest provisional ballot rulings in Texas House race
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/111408dnmetballotboard.3ad4fd9.html - VA: Goode, Perriello race still remains unended
http://www.greene-news.com/gcn/news/local/article/goode_perriello_race_still_remains_unended/31295/ - WA: As votes dribble in, Pierce County still counting
Pierce County vote counting continues. But it may take another week to learn who wins some races.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/331/story/537262.html - Washington DC: Cheh Digs In Heels On Voting Software
Smooth Elections Don’t Erase Concerns
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/11/14/ST2008111400917.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**
Why, indeed.