Co-Editors: Dave Klein and John Washburn
Concerns about military and overseas voters headline the national voting news. Senator Schumer held a hearing to discuss a report showing that, in 2008, nearly one-fourth of the absentee ballots requested by these voters (1) were undeliverable, (2) weren’t returned to the local elections office, or (3) were rejected due to a missing signature or failure to notarize. The report says these voters were disenfranchised but fails to mention that high percentages of absentee ballots sent to ordinary citizens go uncounted for the same reasons. Senators Inhofe and Cornyn are re-introducing a bill they hope will help military and overseas voters return their ballots to their local officials in a timely manner, while ensuring the privacy and secrecy of the ballots.
On a more local note: A voter registration database error assigned 12 voters in a Mississippi Democratic primary to the wrong Wards. With only a 2-vote margin between the two candidates in one of the Wards, the result of valid votes couldn’t be determined, and the party decided to hold a re-vote, which flipped the outcome….
- NAtional: Report: One-Fourth of Overseas Votes Go Uncounted
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/05/13/us/politics/AP-US-Military-Voting.html?_r=1 - NAtional: Inhofe Co-Sponsors Legislation to Protect Military Voters
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/102210
(Text of the 2008 version is here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-5673) - CT: House Backs Measure That Aims To Elect President By Popular Vote
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-house-backs-measure-to-change-presidential-vote,0,6099829.story - MS: New Albany re-vote apparently changes run-off lineup but final numbers not in
http://nems360.com/bookmark/2546454
(Re-vote due to election software malfunction) - NY: New Voting Machines Ready For Fall Elections
http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/530386.html?nav=5018 - SC: Early-voting and photo ID advance in S.C.
http://npaper-wehaa.com/bluffton-today;see-oUMT1eMppLwLxep9#c-355830 - TX: Bill requiring ID at polls ‘won’t survive,’ its author says
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_12346935 - TX: Readers discuss fallen mailboxes, voter ID and nursing aspects of all types
http://www.wacotrib.com/opin/content/news/opinion/stories/2009/05/13/05132009wacletters.html - TX: Editorial: Drive a stake through Voter ID bill
http://www.wacotrib.com/opin/content/news/opinion/stories/2009/05/13/05132009waceditorial1.html - India: Observers to check 2 EVMs every round
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/2009/05/13114436/Observers-to-check-2-EVMs-ever.html - India: Election 2009 and Chennai’s missing voters
http://blog.ashwinpowers.com/2009/05/election-2009-and-chennais-missing.html - Ireland: E-voting bill cost taxpayer thousands
http://www.longfordleader.ie/news/-Evoting-bill-cost-taxpayer.5258468.jp
Published by VotersUnite.Org
Ellen Theisen, Director and Managing Editor
Dave Klein, Editor
John Washburn, Editor
Daily Voting News was founded on February 6, 2004 by John Gideon (1947-2009). To assist with Daily Voting News, please send links to news articles to dvn-tips. To donate, click here
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**Articles and commentary included in “Daily Voting News” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Daily Voting News, VotersUnite.Org, or BradBlog.Com. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers’ ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news, research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.**
The Texas House Committee on Elections did indeed vote the voter photo ID bill (SB 362) out of committee in a 5-4 vote on Monday May 11th. This is the same voter photo ID bill (SB 362) as originally passed by the Texas Senate on Mar 17, 2009 in a party line vote. The entire House can now debate and vote on the bill before this session adjourns in about three weeks. House Republicans say they will attempt to amend the bill to make it even more restrictive. Republicans may not be able to amend or even pass the bill as is in a House floor vote given Republicans hold only a slim 76-74 majority in the House and two of those Republicans, Reps. Tommy Merritt of Longview and Delwin Jones of Lubbock, sided with Democrats against a similar bill in the 2007 legislative session. Neither Republican has announced a change in position this year. On top of that there is one final bit of late breaking news – Texas House Rep. Edmund Kuempel (R) is in intensive care on a ventilator in a medically induced coma after he collapsed from a heart attack. That gives House Republicans a slimmer 75-74 voting majority for the rest of this session.