Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
Liberty Election Systems (NEDAP) has already been to court in New York and should have a decision early next week as to their argument to be put on the short list of voting systems that can be purchased by the state’s counties. The firm’s DRE machine has already been banned in its corporate home in The Netherlands and may soon be banned in parts of Germany. Yesterday Premier Election Systems (Diebold) went to court and obtained a show-cause order directing members of the state Board of Elections to appear for a hearing in state Supreme Court, on Tuesday, to learn why the Premier version of AutoMark was not on the same short list of approved voting systems.
The following message is for the few election officials who are in counties in Colorado and California and a couple other states and who will not be able to use their DRE voting machines. You know who you are. We’ve mentioned this before but the statements are still flowing so it is worth mentioning again: Stop. Whining. Stop whining about not being able to use your DRE voting machines while being required to allow your voters to vote on paper ballots. Yes, you may have to spend a little more time counting your ballots. However, counties all over the country vote on paper ballots and have a majority of those ballots counted at some point on election night. Of course, you’ve now told the media that you won’t be done counting for a week or two so you now have to do all you can to drag out the process so you can be right and you can then thumb your nose at your Secretary of State. Suck it up and do your job and stop acting like spoiled brats….
- NAtional: The Democratic Party’s Dangerous Experiment
http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2736&Itemid=26 - NAtional: Super Tuesday Results Could Take a While
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hn1l0ek0pJGJQ9eR2HZLMsOxlJMQD8UHQDMO0 - NAtional: Is the ease and convenience of electronic voting worth the risk in potential screw-ups?
http://www.helium.com/debates/sbs/106326-convenience-electronic-voting-worth - CA: Riverside County – County: Paper Balloting Expected to be ‘Very Smooth’
http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=7811481&nav=menu191_2_1 - CA: San Diego County – Limited Use Of Electronic Voting Machines To Slow Ballot Counting
http://www.10news.com/news/15202658/detail.html - CA: Shasta County – Late voting tally expected
Election official cites return to paper ballots for possible delay
http://www.redding.com/news/2008/feb/02/late-voting-tally-expected/ - CA: Tehama County – Paper ballots in Tehama County likely to cause delays
Fewer machines expected at some sites due to decertification of Sequoia voting system
http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/ci_8150617 - FL: Ruling ejects public from tally of votes
Florida legal opinion is drawing protests
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080202/NEWS/802020405 - FL: Leon County – Some precincts ran out of paper ballots Tuesday
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080202/CAPITOLNEWS/802020351/1010 - GA: Voter ID Law Leaves Some Votes Uncounted
http://www.cbs46.com/news/15167250/detail.html - GA: Ga. sticks with electronic voting, despite concerns elsewhere
http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/020208/D8UIAC903.shtml - IL: Kane County – Warning issued after ballot error in Campton Hills
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=126560 - MS: Hosemann wants Voter ID soon
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080130/NEWS01/801300303 - NH: Recount reveals little change in GOP ballots
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080202/NEWS02/147447352/-1/news - NY: Voting machine maker takes Board of Elections to court
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny–votingmachines0201feb01,0,6428453.story - NY: Editorial – If an Election Is Close …
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/opinion/02sat3.html?ref=opinion - NY: Action Needed Regarding Selection of Ballot Marking Devices!
http://capwiz.com/rochestercdr/issues/alert/?alertid=10908241&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] - NY: Otsego County – Otsego GOP to vote on paper
http://www.thedailystar.com/local/local_story_033040056.html - OH: Cuyahoga County Bites Brunner Bullet, Shells Out $1.5 to Lease Optical Scanners for March Primary
http://discuss.epluribusmedia.net/node/678 - OH: Montgomery County – Absentee voting glitch found on county Web site
The problem affects those who applied online for a Democratic ballot.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/02/01/ddn020208elex.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**
What on earth is wrong with those officials down there…..”we won’t be done counting for a week or two”………..HOGWORTS to them, says I…..!!!
Up here, north of your border, our votes are counted the same night, in fact, in all of my 42 years of being in this country, I can’t ever remember an election night where we DIDN’T know who had won, and if I’m wrong on that, then I stand corrected.
If those officials can’t handle the heat, then they should get OUT of the kitchen and make way for someone who doesn’t give a damn HOW long it takes, as long as job gets done properly.
People like that make me want to part with my brekkie……they’re not happy unless they’re chewing about something..!!
Anybody know what the bribery level is for these machines? Is there any other reason they’re still being bought?
“. Suck it up and do your job and stop acting like spoiled brats….” -well said John.
Just a heads up for anyone interested: I just took a look at today’s Des Moines Register, and there are no fewer than three stories relating to elections. The first, on the front page, relates that there may be delays in counting results in Super Tuesday states. It’s decently even handed, even mentioning Debra Bowen and Colorado’s recent decision to switch to countable votes.
The second story, even more prominent on the front page, covers the dispute between current Sec. of State Michael Mauro and Governor (and former S.o.S.) Chet Culver. Mauro wants to ditch the touch-screen machines in favor of recountable optical scanners, while Chet wants to maintain his laughable legacy by buying printers for his touch screens. There’s a related sidebar describing the various machines available and explaining Iowa’s law.
The final story (on page 6A) recounts Chet’s alleged misspending of $93,000 intended for handicapped accessibility at voting precincts and voter education.
I know at least the Culver-Mauro story is available on http://www.dmregister.com. The rest of the stories might be there if you dig for them; I didn’t see them on the front page.
John:
You’ve missed a lot of voting news over the last couple of weeks. What’s up?
Here it is again:
Here’s a link to an article on OpEdnews.com about the prohibition against secret vote counting in Virginia’s Constitution. http://www.opednews.com/article...en_letter_.htm
Scoop ““ Top Scoop January 25, 2008 – Democrats Pass on Challenge to Secret Vote Counting in South Carolina by Michael Collins http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0801/S00233.htm
Scoop ““ Top Scoop January 19, 2008 – Appeal to Edwards – Take a Stand for Voting Rights by Michael Collins http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0801/S00151.htm
Read the top story published on OpEdNews.com on January 17, 2008 – An Open Letter to Senator John Edwards: The Constitution Prohibits Secret Vote Counting! Will You Take Action?
http://www.opednews.com/article...tter_to_se.htm
Read the top story published on OpEdNews.com on January 14, 2008 – South Carolina Elections Are UNCONSTITUTIONAL!?!
http://www.opednews.com/article...lina_elect.htm
What Would Martin Luther King Do?
http://www.opednews.com/article..._martin_lu.htm
What Happens When the People Lose the Power to Control Government and What You Can Do to Take the Power Back? If you care about the safety of your family, read this article now, and send it to all of your contacts today. Now is the time for action! http://www.opednews.com/article...ns_when_th.htm
For more info, see http://www.ProjectVoteCount.com Project Vote Count’s Election News http://www.projectvotecount.com...ctionNews.aspx and FAQ http://www.projectvotecount.com/faq.aspx