Voting Early, but Not So Often - NYTimes.com

Voting Early, but Not So Often - NYTimes.com:

"Early voting offers convenience and additional opportunities to cast a ballot. Common sense tells us that this should mean higher turnout. But a thorough look at the data shows that the opposite is true: early voting depresses turnout by several percentage points."

full article

Boosting voter turnout a challenge

In 2006, Mayor Hazel McCallion was elected by 91.4 per cent of voters who cast a ballot for the mayoral race.

Or to put it another way: McCallion was elected by just 22 per cent of the 445,964 registered voters in Canada’s sixth-largest city.

The low voter turnout in that race — dramatically lower than Toronto or suburban cities with more dynamic politics, such as Vaughan — reflects the truism that a strong mayoral race is the best way to draw voters to the polls.

“It depends on the nature of the competition,” says Professor Jon Pammett of Carleton University, an expert in voting behavior, pointing to research he has been doing with PhD student Nicole Goodman.

http://www.thestar.com/news/elections/article/879973--boosting-voter-turnout-a-challenge

Maharashtra still not equipped for e-voting: SEC - Hindustan Times

Maharashtra still not equipped for e-voting: SEC - Hindustan Times:

Election Commissioner Neela Satyanarayan has dubbed e-voting as a distant dream for Maharashtra saying it involves huge technical support and the state was not equipped for it yet. Satyanarayan was speaking to reporters after reviewing the civic poll preparations for the Kalyan-Dombivili Muncipal Corporation elections scheduled for the end of this month. --->>>

No. 1 candidate on ballot gets five-point election edge: Study

No. 1 candidate on ballot gets five-point election edge: Study:

"Researchers found the person listed first on a ballot was 4.8 points likelier to win his or her seat than predicted by chance (the number of winners listed in first position were calculated and compared to the number statistically expected to win in that position)."

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Online Voting Is Becoming More Common, But Is It Safe? - TIME

Online Voting Is Becoming More Common, But Is It Safe? - TIME:

Will Online Voting Turn Into an Election Day Debacle?
By Alex Altman

A little more than 24 hours after online ballots started pouring into the Washington, D.C., Board of Elections and Ethics in late September, it became apparent that something was amiss. Washington's newly elected U.S. Representative went by the name of Colossus. A villainous computer from science-fiction lore captured the city-council chairmanship. And 15 seconds after voters cast their ballots, they were serenaded by the University of Michigan fight song. The system had been hacked.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2025696,00.html#ixzz12SuA3oIK

Scotland awards vote counting deal to Logica | Kable

Scotland awards vote counting deal to Logica | Kable:

The Scottish government has awarded Logica a contract worth £5.2m for the provision of an e-counting system. The technology firm and its partner Opt2vote will provide electronic counting services for the 2012 Scottish local government elections. --->>>

Thousands left off voter's list - Woodstock Sentinel Review - Ontario, CA

Thousands left off voter's list - Woodstock Sentinel Review - Ontario, CA:

Local residents are being encouraged to check the voter's list before the upcoming municipal election on Oct. 25 to make sure they are a registered voter.

'It's my advice that they come in and see if they are on the voter's list or call. If they are there, great. If they're not, they need to sign a form,' Woodstock city clerk Louise Gartshore said.

According to Gartshore, about 3,800 people have been left off the enumeration rolls in part due to instructions given to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).

Residents who recently purchased property for the first time are among those who will likely not make the voter's list, she said. --->>>

Hacking Into Washington’s Online Voting Experiment - NYTimes.com

Hacking Into Washington’s Online Voting Experiment - NYTimes.com:

Hackers infiltrated the District of Columbia’s online voting system last week. They changed all votes for mayor to Master Control Pro and elected HAL 9000 the council chairman. The blaring University of Michigan fight song played whenever a new ballot was successfully cast. --->>>

One e-vote to cost Gujarat govt Rs 20 lakh - The Times of India

One e-vote to cost Gujarat govt Rs 20 lakh - The Times of India:

Each e-vote that will be cast on Sunday will cost nearly Rs 20 lakh to the state exchequer. The online voting in municipal polls, a first of its kind in the country, has cost the state election commission Rs 34 crore, but proved to be a damp squib. Only around 300 persons registered for it of which only 182 qualified, which makes each vote worth Rs 18.65 lakh. That too, only if all of them decide to exercise their franchise. --->>>

Online vote safe from hackers, city says - Peterborough Examiner - Ontario, CA

Online vote safe from hackers, city says - Peterborough Examiner - Ontario, CA:

Nancy Wright-Laking, also the city clerk, said the online voting system was put to the test, with professional 'hackers' called in to try to penetrate its defences.

'This firm was invited to 'break' the system,' she said. 'They couldn't do it.' --->>>

Only 124 try hand at e-voting in Gujarat Civic polls

Only 124 try hand at e-voting in Gujarat Civic polls:

Among the e-voters in the six municipal corporations that went to polls - the highest e-votes were cast in Surat where 59 voters opted for e-voting followed by 40 in Ahmedabad. Jamnagar and Rajkot saw 10 and 9 people vote through e-voting. --->>>

Alberta troops can't vote in civic election | Canada | News | Toronto Sun

Alberta troops can't vote in civic election | Canada | News | Toronto Sun:

They're supplied with the bullets and rifles to defend democracy, but not the ballots to take part in elections back home.

If anyone should be marking an 'X' on Oct.18, it's the hundreds of Alberta soldiers serving in Afghanistan, risking snipers and bombs to establish democracy for citizens of a former dictatorship.

People in that war-torn country can cast ballots because Canadian soldiers are there to protect their fragile democracy. But somehow, those wearing the Maple Leaf have no such privilege.

Alberta, with two weeks to go before voting day, has failed to offer municipal ballot provisions for soldiers serving around Kandahar and Kabul.

Simply put, Alberta's troops can't vote. --->>>

Internet voting seen as wave of the future

Internet voting seen as wave of the future:

Technology may soon change the face of elections

Essex County residents still trying to get their minds around vote-by-mail may be picking their politicians over the Internet in the next municipal election.

Election results could be made public within minutes of the deadline for voting, and participation rates are expected to be even higher than vote-by-mail.

The Internet may even lure back younger, computer-savvy voters who traditionally shun municipal elections.

"I think Internet voting is the way of the future," says Leamington clerk Brian Sweet. "It's a super idea."

He predicts the Internet will dominate voting at the municipal level in Ontario within a decade.

Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Internet+voting+seen+wave+future/3600226/story.html#ixzz116kItif2