2 days until Election Day.
I recommend that everyone watch the video that is our ‘Feature’ article this morning. This is what our election officials think of the voters? How can this woman compare standing on line to vote with standing on line for an I-Pod or baseball tickets? Amazing!
Lines for early voters in Georgia were reported to be 8 to 10 hours long last week. Lines in other states were hours long with thousands of voters standing in those lines. And now election officials across the nation are warning that lines will be long on Tuesday. What do the long lines do? They serve to turn voters away from voting.
How many of those voters who stood on line during early voting or who will be standing on line on Tuesday will lose wages from jobs they are not working at so they can vote? Is this not a type of poll-tax? Is it not voter suppression and disenfranchisement?
Our nation cannot allow this to be the norm. Investigations need to be held to find what are the causes of the bottle-necks and what can be done about them. If federal law needs to written and passed then that must happen so never again do voters have to stand on line for hours and hours so their voices can be heard. It is amazing that voters feel so strongly about exercising the franchise of voting that they would be willing to suffer as they have but they should never have to make that choice again….
- Feature – PA: Video – Chaos Looms Over Pennsylvania Vote
http://newsproject.org/videos/166 - National: If Tuesday’s Vote is Close, Get Ready for a Slow Count
http://www.alternet.org/democracy/105724/if_tuesday%27s_vote_is_close,_get_ready_for_a_slow_count/ - National: What if … a record turnout?
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/33674994.html?elr=KArks8c7PaP3E77K_3c::D3aDhUec7PaP3E77K_0c::D3aDhUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU - National: Swelling voter rolls raise fears of Election Day chaos
Observers say polling places might not accommodate crowds
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.voting02nov02,0,4572684.story - National: SysTest Labs: Why it matters to you as a voter, as a conspiracy.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/SysTest-Labs-Why-it-matte-by-Lani-Massey-Brown-081101-237.html - National: Long lines might deter some voters, election watchers say
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-voting2-2008nov02,0,5421291.story - National: PA and NJ – With a record number of registered voters in some places, residents in Warren and Hunterdon counties might be in for a crush at the polls on Election Day.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/elections/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1225598744278100.xml&coll=3 - National: PA and NJ – With record numbers of registered voters, Lehigh Valley residents can expect a crush at the election polls.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/elections/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1225598755278100.xml&coll=3 - National: Now It’s Clear Why Some People Are Scared of Early Voting: Because It Empowers People
http://www.alternet.org/election08/105744/now_it%27s_clear_why_some_people_are_scared_of_early_voting:_because_it_empowers_people/ - National: Prosecute Election Officials Involved in Stripping Legitimate Voters of the Right to Vote
http://www.casavaria.com/cafesentido/2008/11/02/690/prosecute-election-officials-involved-in-stripping-legitimate-voters-of-the-right-to-vote/ - National: What could go wrong on Election Day?
http://www.freep.com/article/20081102/NEWS07/811020465 - National: Are Our Voting Machines Safe?
http://progressive.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/article.php?article_id=247 - National: Paper ballots: the new killer app
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081102-paper-ballots-the-new-killer-app.html - International: Why Is Voting Overseas So Difficult?
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1855717,00.html - International: Troops may run out of time to cast ballots
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/110208dnpoltroopballots.16fd98bc9.html - International: Some Military Votes May Not Be Counted
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96437123 - International: Making the Expat Vote Count
http://www.american.com/archive/2008/november-11-08/making-the-expat-vote-count - AL: Cullman County – Many checks, balances in voting security procedures
http://www.cullmantimes.com/local/local_story_306202939.html - CA: Heavy Calif. turnout could mean lengthy vote tally
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10881249 - CA: Orange County adds convenience to voting
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ocregistrar2-2008nov02,0,7958729.story - FL: What happens to your ballot after you vote?
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/president/orl-ballot-110208,0,1849047.story - FL: Record-breaking early voting turnout continues
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/sfl-earlyvoting1101,0,280940.story - FL: Florida’s early voting may presage tsunami
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/article885947.ece - FL: Brevard County – Ballots are option if problems arise
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20081102/NEWS01/811020331/1006/news01 - FL: Duval County – Let The Games Begin – 709 Ballots Rejected So Far
http://jacksonville.injuryboard.com/miscellaneous/let-the-games-begin-709-ballots-rejected-so-far-.aspx?googleid=250608 - FL: Highlands County – Steady voting continues
http://www.newssun.com/news/1102-ct-election-update - FL: Palm Beach Co. Ballot Creases Cause Chad-Like Blunders
http://www.wpbf.com/politics/17868488/detail.html - FL: Seminole County’s early voting ends today; voters face long lines
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-locearlyvote02110208nov02,0,7131778.story - GA: Early voter turnout called ‘unbelievable’
http://onlineathens.com/stories/110108/ele_350512660.shtml - GA: Fulton, Clayton may extend voting hours on Tuesday
http://www.ajc.com/cherokee/content/metro/stories/2008/11/01/clayton_voting_extend.html - GA: Ready or not, time to vote
Likely surge in turnout could test the system even without any major bungles.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/news/stories/2008/11/02/vote.html - GA: Lawyers plan to keep eye on voting procedures
U.S. attorney, FBI will be on lookout for fraud, abuses
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2008/11/02/lawyers.html - IL: Anxious voters hurry up and wait
19 percent of Peoria voters cast ballots ahead of Tuesday election
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1332253887/Anxious-voters-hurry-up-and-wait - MN: Editorial – State should permit more early voting
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/33667384.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:UthPacyPE7iUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU - MS: One voter, one ballot
Wave of absentee ballots, registrations scrutinized
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20081102/NEWS04/811020369/1001/news - NH: NH recounts no check and balance for its privatized corporate-controlled elections
http://www.democracyfornewhampshire.com/node/view/6206 - NJ: Provisional ballot request has pitfalls, say watchdogs
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20081102/NEWS01/811020370/1006 - NJ: Big voter turnout could test election system in NJ
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj–electionturnout1102nov02,0,1742108.story - NJ: Passaic County – Short-staffing could delay casting of ballots
http://www.northjersey.com/news/passaicpolitics/33710134.html - NY: On Election Day
http://www.nyvv.org/boblog/2008/10/31/on-election-day/ - NY: Broome County ““ Opinion – New voting machines could turn off older voters
http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20081102/COLUMNISTS05/811020358/1004/LIFESTYLE - OH: Editorial – For credibility’s sake, Ohio must change to a non-partisan election authority
http://www.cleveland.com/editorials/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1225528463214040.xml&coll=2 - OH: Tracking Ohio vote on election night: what counties to watch
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/122561834547620.xml&coll=2 - OH: Cuyahoga County – Some Ohio voters receive multiple absentee ballots
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081102/NEWS09/811020367 - PA: Opinion ““ Count Every Vote
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/guests/s_596362.html - PA: Lebanon County – 75 percent expected at county polls
http://www.ldnews.com/news/ci_10877133 - PA: Monroe County – Some precincts destined to have long lines at polls
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081102/NEWS/811020329 - SC: Absentee ballots predict record turnout
Shocked by crowds, Richland officials say S.C. should allow early voting
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/575207.html - SC: Spartanburg County – Elections chief: Don’t fear new voting machines
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20081102/NEWS/811020295/1083/NEWS01?Title=Elections_chief__Don_t_fear_new_voting_machines - TN: Voters must not flinch at poll-place challenges
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081102/OPINION01/811020389/1008 - VT: Ready for the count?
Vt. towns divided over vote-tabulating machines
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081102/NEWS04/810300285 - VT: Vermont towns split over voting machines
http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2008/11/02/vermont_towns_split_over_voting_machines/
**”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**
I live in Georgia. In preparation to vote, I went to the Secretary of State website —
http://sos.georgia.gov/Election...te_station.htm.
It describes the use of a “voter access card” to be inserted into the machine. The site says the card holds no personal information. If that’s true, I should be able to switch cards with the validated voter next to me. The registrar I contacted said I couldn’t do that because the card stores my name and address. This blatantly
contradicts what it says on the website: “your identity is not recorded on the voter access card or in the voting station.”
The Help Desk for Premier Elections, the company that makes and controls the voting machines, would not answer any questions about what those voter access cards were capable of storing. They
insisted I ask my local election commission or the secretary of state.
The implications of a system that can associate individual voters with how they vote is disturbing.
Is anyone investigating this?