Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org

Election officials in Pima Co., Arizona, have been on the wrong side of issues quite a bit lately. Because of this it is surprising that they may ask the Secretary of State to change the "Election Procedures Manual" to disallow tabulation of votes before election day, increase the size of hand-counted audits, disallow the use of modems to transmit results, improve ballot-verification procedures and chain-of-custody records, and other worthy changes. The county also wants to totally get rid of all DREs. It's amazing what happens at times when a good citizen group stands up and demands that changes be made; people actually begin to listen.

{Ed Note: Yes, and it doesn't hurt that they had to take the county officials to court! Leave them little other option, eventually, but to do the above, or end up in court again. Thus, the actions of the Pima County officials aren't actually that "surprising" after all, given the tremendous work by the citizen advocates there, as John points out. - BF}

Meanwhile, in Georgia, citizens involved in an electronic voting lawsuit have announced they have filed a summary judgment motion seeking to ban the machines. The motion "centers on a lack of equal protection and due process that the plaintiffs claim Election Day voters have when compared to absentee voters who use optically scanned paper ballots. The motion contends that retention of tangible paper ballots is required for voters to verify their actual ballot choices, for election officials to provide true recounts as needed, to investigate voting discrepancies, to prevent fraud and to produce evidence for contested elections."

Those stories, and the rest of today's notable voting news headlines, all linked below as usual...

• NAtional: Editorial - Safeguarding Electronic Voting
  http://www.nytimes.com/2.../04fri2.html?ref=opinion
• NAtional: The War On Voting Rights: Voter Fraud Smears, Voter ID And Corruption At DOJ
  http://www.opednews.com/...the_war_on_voting_ri.htm
• NAtional: Papantonio and Bender on the Hart InterCivic Fraud Suit
  https://bradblog.com/?p=5867
• NAtional: The Cost of E-Voting
  http://blog.wired.com/27.../04/the-cost-of-e-v.html
• AZ: Pima County - County appeals vote-databases 'public' ruling
  Wants secretary of state to intervene; it's on list of security recommendations
  http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/232862
• CO: Colorado AG expecting suit over electronic voting machines
  http://www.legalnewsline...ectronic-voting-machines
• FL: Sarasota County - State investigation, prosecutor clear Dent of election tampering
  http://www.pelicanpress....=225&ArticleID=4936
• GA: Motion Filed to Ban Georgia Voting Equipment
  http://www.voterga.org/p...dex.cfm?Fuseaction=press
• GA: Muscogee County - Political confusion: Removal letter confuses law-abiding voters
  http://www.ledger-enquir...m/news/story/287183.html
• IA: Judge: Iowa voting forms violate official English law
  http://www.desmoinesregi.../NEWS/80403032/0/archive
• IN: MicroVote pressed to pay '06 penalties
  http://www.journalgazett...S07/804040340/1002/LOCAL
• IN: Voting Machine Maker Could Be Suspended for Five Years
  MicroVote calls proposed punishment for missed certification in 2006 too harsh
  http://www.wibc.com/News/Story.aspx?ID=88236
• IN: MicroVote Responds to Secretary of State
  http://www.insideindiana...om/newsitem.asp?ID=28708
• IN: Another Voting Machine Company on the Ropes as Indiana Slaps MicroVote
  May be Banned from Doing business in State for Five Years After Missing Recertification Deadline Prior to 2006 Election...
  https://bradblog.com/?p=5868
• ME: Senate approves National Popular Vote initiative
  http://www.politickerme....-popular-vote-initiative
• NJ: Editorial - Protecting election integrity
  http://blog.nj.com/njv_e..._election_integrity.html
• PA: Election systems in Pa. don't get vote of confidence
  http://www.pittsburghliv...s/election/s_560581.html
• PA: State preparing for huge voter turnout
  http://www.thetimes-trib...ept_id=416046&rfi=6
• PA: Lawmaker fears state not ready for election
  Workers ready to help voters with ID, other questions, official says
  http://www.pennlive.com/...71063590.xml&coll=1
• PA: Fayette County - Fayette adopts guidelines for new voting machines
  http://www.pittsburghliv...s/election/s_560627.html
• TX: Waste of money?
  Low voter turnout has clerks questioning runoff efficiency
  http://www.timesrecordne...2008/apr/03/waste-money/
• VT: Douglas vetoes campaign finance, instant-runoff voting bills
  http://www.burlingtonfre.../NEWS/80404029/-1/NEWS05
• WV: Ohio County - Ireland: No Identification Needed to Vote in West Virginia
  http://www.theintelligen...nt.detail/id/507906.html
• WV: Ireland says Ohio County's voter ID policy violates state law
  http://www.dailymail.com...s/statenews/200804040102

**"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**

                 

Article Categories: Daily Voting News