Aspen: Ballots are exempt from state open records law | Face the State

Aspen: Ballots are exempt from state open records law | Face the State:

Citizens seeking to conduct an independent review of Aspen's last municipal election have run into a road block at city hall, where officials are refusing to release key documents into the public domain.

Democrat election buff Harvie Branscomb has teamed up with former Republican Aspen mayoral candidate Marilyn Marks to analyze the voting methods and software in the city's last election, including the use of instant runoff voting. To audit the vote, Branscomb's team needs copies of April's ballots plus data generated by vote-counting machines, which the City Council asserts aren't public records under state law.

Branscomb's focus is on innovative new ballot counting software by TrueBallot. Because the home rule municipality opted to use Instant Runoff Voting, where voters rank their choices for mayor and city council, vote tallying required advanced software programs and technology, which Branscomb believes are sophisticated and reliable enough to use statewide.

Would-be chief pleads guilty to vote-buying scam - CBC

Would-be chief pleads guilty to vote-buying scam:

Charles Meechance pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to fraud in a vote-buying scam on an Indian reserve south of North Battleford, Sask.

Meechance, 51, was the second man to take a guilty plea in the scam. Bert Benson pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced last week to 15 months of community service.

Meechance was declared the winner of the 2005 band election for chief on the Red Pheasant First Nation, which is about 50 kilometres south of North Battleford.

It later emerged that Meechance, along with another man, Bert Benson, paid cash for votes, operating the scam from a motel room in North Battleford.

According to an agreed statement of facts in the case, in the run-up to the April 9, 2005, election, Benson and others handed out between $80 and $250 each time a band member completed a mail-in ballot in favour of the chief and band council candidates for whom Benson was working.

2009 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy - The Korea Herald

The Korea Herald : The Nation's No.1 English Newspaper:

Political leaders, academic experts and citizen activists from across the globe will gather in Korea on Sept. 13-15 for the 2009 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy. They will look into the best practices and new strategies to make our democracies more sustainable and study the experience of Switzerland, where people have been on the political center stage for more than a century. Modern direct democracy.

...

In terms of the continuous modernization of direct democracy, Switzerland has also turned to the internet. Since the first local e-voting tests in 2003, several cantons have started to offer e-voting during nationwide popular votes, developing technical systems which are ensuring the security of the voting process. This summer it was decided that from 2012, most Swiss voters living abroad (there are about 600,000 of them) shall get the right to vote electronically in elections, initiatives and referendums, and maybe also to sign initiatives -- making modern direct democracy yet another worldwide matter of fact.

Kansas' online voter registration application unveiled / LJWorld.com

Kansas' online voter registration application unveiled / LJWorld.com:

“As technology continues to change and evolve, it is important that we implement strategies that will allow the citizens of Kansas to register in a way that is most convenient to them, without sacrificing the security and uniformity that sets our elections systems apart,” Thornburgh said.

The new system allows citizens with a valid Kansas driver’s license, or non-driver’s identification card, to apply to register to vote for the first time, or to make changes to an existing registration. It links voter registration with the Revenue Department’s driver’s license database to verify information.

Since the program was “soft” launched more than three weeks ago, 88 people have used it, officials said.

The application is available at the Secretary of State’s Web site, or the Department of Revenue’s Web site.

Wisconsin : Election Plan Draws Criticism On Voter Security - wcco.com

WI Election Plan Draws Criticism On Voter Security - wcco.com:

A five-year strategic plan for running elections in Wisconsin doesn't do enough to combat voter fraud, concerned members of the public on Tuesday told a group of experts drafting the proposal.

Wisconsin : Voting by mail must precede phone, Internet options, state says - JSOnline

Voting by mail must precede phone, Internet options, state says - JSOnline:

Wisconsin must first consider legalizing voting by mail, and then explore voting by phone and over the Internet, says the director of the state agency that administers elections.

With as few as 6% of voters statewide casting ballots in the spring nonpartisan primary, and the growing cost of having thousands of poll workers and officials in place for every election, 'Let's look at some other alternatives,' said Kevin J. Kennedy, director of the Government Accountability Board.

But state law must be changed to allow changes in the voting process, and that could take years, Kennedy said.

Nigeria: ICT professionals, others clamour for e-voting - Guardian Newspapers

Guardian Newspapers:

INFORMATION and Communications Technology (ICT) professionals have said that electronic voting is possible in Nigeria. They reasoned that if it could be done else where in the world, Nigeria is not an exemption.

The professionals under the aegis of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) rose from the 2009 yearly general meeting with a tacit avowal that if Nigeria must get out of the woods and checkmates the recurrent cycle of electoral frauds, governments at the various levels must imbibe the culture and practice of e-voting.

Rock the Vote Goes "Open Source" in Partnership with OSDV Foundation's TrustTheVote Project

Rock the Vote Goes "Open Source" in Partnership with OSDV Foundation's TrustTheVote Project:

Rock the Vote and Open Source Digital Voting (OSDV) Foundation's TrustTheVote Project are partnering to introduce new online voter registration tools based on open source technology. The TrustTheVote Project will provide its open source technology platform to enable Rock the Vote to streamline and improve the user-facing registration process and help State elections offices process registration forms.

ERS: The alternative vote - society warns of Brown's 'Hobson's choice' - Politics.co.uk

ERS: The alternative vote - society warns of Brown's 'Hobson's choice' - Politics.co.uk:

"The Electoral Reform Society has welcomed news that the government is preparing for a referendum on electoral reform, but called on the Prime Minister to ensure that a referendum would offer real change and not just a timid adjustment to the present voting system."

ERS: Open primaries - a diversion from the change we need to see

ERS: Open primaries - a diversion from the change we need to see:

The Electoral Reform Society has welcomed the Conservative decision to give electors more say through a primary in Totnes, but the Society has warned that without a change in the electoral system primaries will do little to make the Government more accountable and parliament more representative.

"If a system such as the Single Transferable Vote (STV) were used for our general elections, then there would be less need for primaries. STV would allow voters to choose between several candidates of a party, effectively combining a primary with the election."

Open primaries, open minds (Preston Manning, The Globe and Mail)

Open primaries, open minds - The Globe and Mail:

In order to bolster public confidence in its candidates for the soon-to-be-held general election, the British Conservative Party has become willing to experiment with democratic innovations.

Voting by mail gets another look - Hawaii News - Starbulletin.com

Voting by mail gets another look - Hawaii News - Starbulletin.com:

Hawaii's consistently dismal voter turnout and a state election system in jeopardy because of a lack of funds has renewed interest in a vote-by-mail balloting.

Gauntlet News - Elections Canada pushes online voting

Gauntlet News - Elections Canada pushes online voting:

If everything goes according to Elections Canada's plans, voters will soon be able to cast their ballots online -- even from the comfort of their own beds.

With Parliament's approval, the federal body is aiming to test online voting before 2013 in a byelection.

Elections Canada released a report last June pushing for legal changes to implement an online registration system.

Voting process a test of endurance - Calgary Herald

Voting process a test of endurance:

Likened both to a “torture test” and democracy at it’s finest, the aboriginal body’s voting process has come under close scrutiny following the lengthy vote that locked Shawn Atleo and Perry Bellegarde in a dead heat through the wee hours of the night.

Editorial - The Right Way to Register Voters - NYTimes.com

Editorial - The Right Way to Register Voters - NYTimes.com:

In the United States, the burden of registering falls squarely on voters. In countries where the government does more of the work, according to a new study, registration rates are much higher.

The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law looked at voter registration in 16 countries and four Canadian provinces. The registration rates ranged from 100 percent in Argentina and 97 percent in Belize to 68 percent in the United States. That 68 percent reflects poorly on American democracy. To live up to the ideal of the founders of a nation governed with the consent of the governed, the United States should aspire to get as close to full registration of eligible voters as possible.

Office wants more money for elections - Hawaii News - Starbulletin.com

Office wants more money for elections - Hawaii News - Starbulletin.com:

State elections chief Kevin Cronin continues to plead for at least $113,000 more to run his office this year, but Gov. Linda Lingle is holding firm, saying she won't release the money.

Acorn Challenges Pennsylvania Law - NYTimes.com

eAcorn Challenges Pennsylvania Law - NYTimes.com:

The community organizing and voter registration group Acorn filed a federal lawsuit here Wednesday claiming that a state statute that is being used to prosecute some of its former employees is unconstitutional.

Sever the link between party and process - Calgary Herald

Sever the link between party and process:

The continued influence of the Progressive Conservative Party in the appointment of returning officers contaminates what should be an independent and non-partisan process. It violates the cherished western ethos of transparent government, one Albertans have long demanded from Ottawa and now expect from the provincial Tories who've ruled this province for nearly four decades.

Vote-buying results in fraud conviction - CBC

Vote-buying results in fraud conviction:

In what is believed to be a Canadian first, a man has been convicted of fraud for buying electoral votes on an Indian reserve.

Bert Benson, 46 of the Red Pheasant First Nation in Saskatchewan was sentenced to 15 months community service for buying votes in the band's 2005 election.

Voter groups collaborate on XML data model for online voter registration -- Government Computer News

Voter groups collaborate on XML data model for online voter registration -- Government Computer News:

Two voter advocacy groups are joining forces to develop a new Extensible Markup Language data model for the electronic exchange of voter registration information.

The data exchange protocol could streamline the processing of voter registration forms by making it possible for states to accept data electronically and later automatically verify it against a signed paper copy. The work is being done by the Open Source Digital Voting (OSDV) Foundation and the Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF).

Alberta Tories had role in selecting byelection returning officer

Alberta Tories had role in selecting byelection returning officer:

The Conservative party had a hand in selecting a key election official for the Calgary-Glenmore byelection, despite the premier's promise last year he'd take the politics out of returning officer appointments.

Vote-buying scheme admitted - Regina Star Phoenix

Vote-buying scheme admitted:

A member of the Red Pheasant First Nation has pleaded guilty to fraud in relation to a scheme to buy members' mail-in ballots during the band's 2005 election for chief and council.

Romania - Basescu Leads, Tie for Second Place : Angus Reid Global Monitor

Basescu Leads, Tie for Second Place in Romania: Angus Reid Global Monitor:

Incumbent Traian Basescu is the frontrunner in the country’s presidential ballot, according to a poll by CCSB. 38 per cent of respondents would support Basescu in the first round of the election.

Romania must hold a presidential election by the end of November 2009. If no candidate garners more than 50 per cent of the vote in the first round, a run-off between the top two vote-getters must take place within 14 days.

Voter Turnout Increases by 5 Million in 2008 Presidential Election, U.S. Census Bureau Reports

Voter Turnout Increases by 5 Million in 2008 Presidential Election, U.S. Census Bureau Reports:

About 131 million people reported voting in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, an increase of 5 million from 2004, according to a new table package released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. The increase included about 2 million more black voters, 2 million more Hispanic voters and about 600,000 more Asian voters, while the number of non-Hispanic white voters remained statistically unchanged.

...

"The voting rate was highest in the Midwest (66 percent), while the rates in the West, Northeast and South were about 63 percent each.

Among states, voting rates varied widely. Among states and state-equivalents with the highest voter turnout were Minnesota and the District of Columbia, each with voting rates of about 75 percent. Hawaii and Utah were among the states with the lowest turnouts, each with approximately 52 percent."

Voting and Registration Data - US Census Bureau

Voting and Registration Data:

Information on reported voting and registration by various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics is collected for the nation in November of congressional and presidential election years in the Current Population Survey (CPS).

Detailed information from recent surveys and historical trends in selected areas is listed below. Estimates and projections of voting-age population derived from administrative records and Census 2000 are also provided.

Vocal critic of overseas voting system selected to lead FVAP | Stars and Stripes

Vocal critic of overseas voting system selected to lead FVAP | Stars and Stripes:

A staunch critic of the overseas voting system has been tapped to head up the Defense Department’s Federal Voting Assistance Program.

Bob Carey, Navy reservist and overseas voter advocate, accepted the position of FVAP director in June. The agency is responsible for helping the roughly 6 million civilian and military Americans overseas with their voting needs.

Bill requires more high-tech overseas voting - Army News, news from Iraq, - Army Times

Bill requires more high-tech overseas voting - Army News, news from Iraq, - Army Times:

A new military voter law requiring states to use e-mail and fax to speed registration and delivery of blank ballots was unanimously approved Wednesday by a Senate Committee.

Individual states, which are responsible for their respective voting procedures, would face new burdens under the bill. Every state would be required to put in place and maintain an electronic system for voter registration to request absentee ballots, although they would get to decide whether this would be by e-mail, fax or some other means.

Vox populā‘ie » Honolulu Weekly

Vox populā‘ie » Honolulu Weekly:

How one Lāi‘e woman’s devotion to the Kahuku Public Library may have changed an election

It’s a wonder that the neighborhood board elections took place at all this spring. When the City cut the budget for paper ballots just three weeks before the elections, city officials celebrated it as a forward-thinking move, touting the fact that Honolulu was to be the first municipality in the U.S. to conduct an election entirely by electronic and telephone ballots.

Meantime, the Neighborhood Commission had to find a way to make online and telephone voting possible in a three-week period, and then find a way to let people know about it.

Smartmatic Signs Record $150 Million Voting Contract for the Elections in the Philippines

Smartmatic Signs Record $150 Million Voting Contract for the Elections in the Philippines:

MANILA, Philippines--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Commission On Elections (COMELEC) of the Philippines signed today a contract for the automation of the 2010 National Elections with Smartmatic, the winning company of this landmark bidding process. The contract to provide voting machines, consolidation platforms and roll-out services, is the largest ever in its class awarded to a private company in the electronic voting industry.

Groups say states violating voter registration law - The Associated Press

The Associated Press: Groups say states violating voter registration law:

WASHINGTON (AP) — States across the country are violating part of the federal 'motor voter' law requiring voter registration help for low-income residents, according to a coalition of advocacy groups trying to force change through the courts.

The groups filed lawsuits in Indiana and New Mexico on Thursday on the heels of a successful settlement in Missouri. They say the problem is not isolated in those few states but widespread across the nation, and they are trying to help other states follow the law without litigation.

Press Release - OPEX Corporation :: OPEX and Premier Election Solutions Announce Partnership for Incoming Vote-by-Mail Solution

OPEX Corporation :: OPEX and Premier Election Solutions Announce Partnership for Incoming Vote-by-Mail Solution:

MOORESTOWN, N.J., July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, OPEX Corporation and Premier Election Solutions announced their partnership to provide the only vote-by-mail solution offering one-pass sorting with in-line signature recognition. The OPEX Mail Matrix sorting functionality combined with the Premier VoteRemote Incoming solution offers the most efficient and secure solution in ballot envelope sorting.

Chaos looms as Indonesia axes voter list - FT.com / UK

FT.com / UK - Chaos looms as Indonesia axes voter list:

Indonesia's 176m eligible voters face potential confusion in today's presidential election after a last-minute court decision to throw out the official voter roll because of complaints of missed or dead voters and double registrations.

Legislators seek to make military votes count | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Legislators seek to make military votes count | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press:

State legislators may soon decide whether to change Michigan election laws to allow local clerks to transmit ballots electronically to members of the military overseas.

State Rep. Vincent Gregory, D-Southfield, said he plans to propose legislation that, in part, would allow absentee ballots to be electronically mailed or faxed, giving military men and women overseas more time to mail back their votes.

Vote Buying In Bulgaria

Vote Buying at Peak, Days before Bulgarian parliamentary Elections

Vote buying is at its height three days before the July 5th parliamentary elections in Bulgaria, as one vote currently costs between 15 and 25 Euros, Teodor Delchev of the Union for Market Initiative said Thursday.

Bulgarian Police Bust Organized Vote-Buying Group

A number of people have been arrested for vote-buying across Bulgaria after a special operation by the Bulgarian police, prosecutors and the national security agency (DANS).

Roman Vasilev, the Sofia Deputy Prosecutor, announced the arrests, saying that an organized vote-buying group had been busted, which had concentrated on the county's European elections.

Bulgarians to Vote for National Parliament on July 5 - BSANNA NEWS

Bulgarians to Vote for National Parliament on July 5 - BSANNA NEWS

SOFIA, July 3 (BTA). After a 21-day-long campaign, Bulgarians are going to the polls on Sunday to elect the 240 members of their next Parliament, the 41st National Assembly. These are the country's seventh national parliamentary elections since the start of democratic changes in 1998 and the fourth to be held after the legislature has served its full four-year term of office.

Computer Firm Throws Philippine Vote Reform Into Disarray

Computer Firm Throws Philippine Vote Reform Into Disarray:

[Note: Comelec disqualified all 7 other tenders for proposal conformance deficiencies. This consortium won the contract by default. bb]

MANILA (AFP)--An attempt to automate voting in next year's Philippine elections has been thrown into disarray after a contractor abruptly pulled out of the project, an official said Tuesday.

'We will have to go back to manual (voting),' said Jose Melo, chairman of the Commission on Elections, or Comelec.

He said it was too late to invite new tenders ahead of next year's May 10 election, when 50 million voters are set to choose President Gloria Arroyo's successor, as well as hundreds of candidates for legislative and local executive posts.

Melo said Comelec planned to sue a Philippine company, Total Information Management, for withdrawing from a PHP7.2 billion ($150 million) contract it had won with a foreign partner.

Without elaborating, Melo said the company had blamed 'irreconcilable differences' with its foreign partner for the decision.

The foreign partner, a Barbados-based company called Smartmatic, said it was surprised by the move, and urged the company to fulfill its obligation.

Norm Coleman concedes Minnesota Senate race to Al Franken - Manu Raju and Josh Kraushaar - POLITICO.com

Norm Coleman concedes Minnesota Senate race to Al Franken - Manu Raju and Josh Kraushaar - POLITICO.com:

Republican Norm Coleman has conceded to Democrat Al Franken in the Minnesota Senate race, ending one of the longest Senate races in American history and clearing the way for Democrats to hold a 60-seat supermajority in the Senate.

Coleman’s concession, given from the front of his St. Paul home, came just a few hours after the Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously ruled Franken the winner of last November’s Senate race. In a 5-0 decision, the court upheld a three-judge panel’s April 14 ruling that Franken defeated Coleman in the race by 312 votes out of 2.9 million cast. The 32-page opinion was remarkably decisive, picking apart and rejecting one Coleman legal claim after another.

Flaws of Web's Election-Fraud Hunters - WSJ.com

Flaws of Web's Election-Fraud Hunters - WSJ.com:

Fraud hunters are no newer to elections than conspiracy theorists are to the Internet. But unlike election monitors seeking voter tampering or intimidation, or local experts who critique faulty ballot design or study pre-election polling data, these statistical analysts don't need to know anything about the dynamics of an individual race. Their toolkit is primarily statistical and can be applied to any numbers, voting or otherwise. The Internet provides quick access to election numbers and speedy dissemination of findings.

Let's try Internet voting - Toronto Star Editorial

TheStar.com | Opinion | Let's try Internet voting:

We can file taxes, do our banking and get a plane ticket through the Internet. Is it now time to add voting to that list?