6 days until Election Day.
A blind voter in Dane Co, Wisconsin, went to the polls hoping to finally be able to vote without assistance from another person. She ended up having to call over an election worker to assist her because the ES&S AutoMark machine only gave her an error message. Then when that was fixed her ballot would not print out because the machine was out of ink. She had to have someone help her to mark a paper ballot. And, this was in the Madison City Clerk’s office, not an out-of-the-way polling site. Federal law says there must be an accessible voting machine at each polling place. I guess Congress should have pointed out the obvious: That machine has to work.
This morning, along with the rest of the news, we also have reports of vote flipping on ES&S iVotronic machines in Jefferson Co, Texas. And also from Texas there are reports of ill treatment of voters at some polls in the state. Poll workers are taking it upon themselves to demand photo ID even though state law does not require it. They are also not offering provisional ballots in instances where they are required to offer them….
- Featured – WI: Dane County – Madison area blind woman could not fill out her own ballot because of malfunctioning machine
http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9255798&nav=menu1362_2 - National: Law Center Sends Letter to States About Vote-Flipping Machines
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/law-center-send.html - National: Mounting Evidence of Voter Suppression for Election Day 2008
http://www.utne.com/2008-10-28/Politics/Mounting-Evidence-of-Voter-Suppression-for-Election-Day-2008.aspx?blogid=30 - National: E-voting fears run high as election day looms
‘Flipped’ votes reported in three states
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/28/evoting_fears/ - National: Citizens face major problems when polling machines malfunction
http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=1198 - National: Pen And Paper Vs. Electronic Voting Machine
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0810/S00400.htm - National: Opinion – Land of the free, home of messy elections
http://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/opinion/Land_of_the_free_home_of_messy_elections.html - National: Bracing for the Ballot Battle
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20081029_bracing_for_the_ballot_battle/ - National: Voting equipment changes could get messy on Nov. 4
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-28-votingequipment_N.htm - National: Voter Suppression Hits The Web
E-Mails Sow Disinformation As Voting Groups Prepare To Monitor Polls With Web Apps, Twitter And Mobile Video
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/no_20081027_9705.php - National: Legal Fights, Policy Debates Deepen Over Voting Problems and Solutions
http://www.alternet.org/democracy/105136/legal_fights,_policy_debates_deepen_over_voting_problems_and_solutions/ - AZ: AZ Secretary of State Brewer blasts Pima County vote count plans
http://www.fox11az.com/news/topstories/stories/tucson-20081028-brewer-blasts-pima-county-vote.15aca6115.html - CA: Early voting gets off to strong start in Inland counties
http://www.pe.com/localnews/politics/stories/PE_News_Local_S_vote29.37cd2c2.html - CA: Flood of absentees may delay election night results
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1351906.html - CO: Voter Reinstated After State Purges Her Registration
Colorado Voters Fight For Their Voices This Election Cycle
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/17824470/detail.html - CO: Election Watchdog Group Warns of Ballot Shortage
http://www.myfoxcolorado.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7743482&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1 - DE: Opinion – Rumor about election malfunctions sparks extra inspections
http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081029/DW02/810290363/-1/DW - FL: Lengthening poll hours does Crist proud
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/5min/story/745726.html - FL: Florida polls to open earlier, close later
Crist orders extended early-voting hours
http://www.news-press.com/article/20081029/NEWS0107/810290407/1075 - FL: Brevard County – Ensuring the vote
Despite overblown claims of fraud, simple steps can counter problems at polls
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20081029/OPINION/810290308/1006/news01 - GA: Massive voter turnout, system kinks in Georgia
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/29/massive-voter-turnout-system-kinks-in-georgia/ - GA: Flagged voters can cast ballots
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/2008/10/28/voters.html - GA: Voters back in line; voting days won’t be extended
Secretary of state says it’s not necessary or possible to open polls on Saturday
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2008/10/29/early_vote_georgia.html - LA: Democrats allege voter purge
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/33486504.html - MD: Officials urge off-peak voting
More than 50,000 absentee ballots expected; voters can request one in person through Election Day
http://www.gazette.net/stories/10292008/montnew185421_32477.shtml - ME: Mainers Not Worried About Hanging Chads, Voting Machine Glitches
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/425734 - NC: Guilford County – Extra voting time unlikely
http://hpe.southernheadlines.com/index.cfm?section=6&story=5570 - NC: Guilford County – Effort fails to extend voting hours
http://www.news-record.com/content/2008/10/28/article/effort_fails_to_extend_voting_hours - NV: Washoe County – County Registrar says to leave the worrying to them
http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9255982&nav=menu113_2 - OH: Ohio homeless must be allowed to vote, federal judge says
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/10/court_says_homeless_must_be_al.html - PA: U.S judge hears Pa. ballot lawsuit
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20081029_U_S_judge_hears_Pa__ballot_lawsuit.html - PA: Bucks County – County’s voting machines pass test
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-10292008-1612729.html - PA: Union County – 11 voting machines, 10 poll workers added in Union County
Election officials say they’re ready for Tuesday
http://www.dailyitem.com/0100_news/local_story_303001518.html - TX: Early voters report obstacles at polls
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/local/stories/102908dnpolvoterproblems.3e529d6.html - TX: Harris County – Critics dislike eSlate voting, but officials praise it
County clerk says the system has far fewer problems than ‘touch-screen’
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/6083023.html - TX: Jefferson County – Texas county’s machines causing concern for some voters
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/28/tx-countys-machines-causing-concern-for-some-voters/ - VA: Kaine: Expect lines at polls
But he says Virginia is well-prepared to handle turnout on Election Day
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-10-29-0132.html - WI: Dane County – Madison area blind woman could not fill out her own ballot because of malfunctioning machine
http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9255798&nav=menu1362_2
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