Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Sat. October 21, 2006

[livvy]

"Stealing an election is more like fixing a deck of cards, where one player is guaranteed to come out on top. Cheating can continue into the game to increase the winner's margin of victory, but the outcome is never in doubt."
What Constitutes a "Stolen Election"? Toward a Politics of Deligitimation
By Bertell Ollman
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/ollman/docs/what_constitutes_stolen_election.php

And now, for your Saturday reading pleasure...
Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.



Please post Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News on this thread.

If you can:
1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web.

2. Post stories using the new Spring 2006 Edition of "Election Fraud and Reform News Directory" listed here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x407240

3. Re-post stories and announcements you find on DU, providing a link to the original thread with thanks to the Original Poster, too.

4. Start a discussion thread by re-posting a story you see on this thread.



Please "Recommend" for the Greatest Page (it's the link just below).

[livvy]

1. OH: Authorities Deny Online Rumors of Voter Purge

10/21/2006
Authorities deny online rumors of voter purge
ALEX M. PARKER , Morning Journal Writer

LORAIN -- Rumors started by the influential liberal blog The Daily Kos claim that scores of frustrated Lorain County voters are learning they have been disqualified from voting due to minor glitches as part of a giant Republican scheme to purge voters from the rolls.
Not so, say county election officials.

Voters can't be purged in one election cycle, there are no pending challenges to voter registration, and yesterday at the elections board, there were only a few early voters -- none of whom were disqualified.

Elections board Chairwoman Marilyn Jacobcik said the rumor seems to have come from mailings the board sent to registered voters in September as part of the new requirements set by the state legislature.

The letter informs the voters of their polling place and new voting requirements, and also verifies addresses. But voters who have moved and don't receive the mailings can still vote if they have a valid photo ID.

If they don't have identification, they can still vote with a provisional ballot.
(gee...bet they'll have ample amounts of those available...in the suburbs)
>more including a :wtf: statement by Randy Bontrager, spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Party.

http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17359390&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6

[livvy]

3. Fitrakis Ohio Voter Purge Investigation Continuing-- Letters Found

October 20, 2006 at 20:20:29

Fitrakis Ohio Voter Purge Investigation Continuing-- Letters Found

by Rob Kall

This article will recap the the evolution of the last few days of news regarding voter roll purging in Ohio, with an update from Bob Fitrakis, since he has seen and had reports of several vote purge related letters and uncovered more information on statewide vote purge activities, including private, vendor control of the voter rolls.

After an initial report that letters were sent out to many Ohio voters, particularly in Democratic voting areas, questions have been raised as to whether inappropriate voter purging, particularly of young, student voters and apartment dwelling, city African American voters occurred.

Two days ago, OpEdNews reported in an article,Ohio Lawsuit to Reinstate hundreds of thousands of Purged Democratic Voters to be Filed Fri or Monday that Robert Fitrakis intended to file a suit blocking inappropriate purges of young or minority voters. One blogger posted a diary disputing the voter roll purge on dailykos. The article was titled No truth to Ohio "purge" letters

The diarist, in the opinion of some readers, suggested that things were all safe and comfy, perhaps persuading some to let their guard down. The title along suggested factual proof, when all the diarist reported was failure to find evidence.

>read the rest of this update here:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_rob_kall_061020_fitrakis_ohio_voter_.htm

[Algorem]

6. Typos delay Summit County ballots

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1161419911169250.xml&coll=2

Board facing mailing deadline

Saturday, October 21, 2006
April McClellan-Copeland
Plain Dealer Reporter

Akron- The Summit County Board of Elections could not send out 22,700 absentee ballots to voters Friday as planned because the documents are riddled with typographical errors...

Election Systems & Software, the Omaha, Neb., maker of the county's optical scan voting machines, is responsible for providing ballots. The firm has contracts with three printers: Miami Printing of Cincinnati, Dayton Legal Blank and Barrett Brothers, Donofrio said...

"This was something extremely unusual that we've never seen before," Wilson said...

The board also found out that about 370,000 ballots to be used at polling places were filled with errors, Donofrio said. The poll ballots were not delivered to the board...


Google News-

absentee voting,printing errors-

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=absentee+voting,printing+errors&ie=ISO-8859-1&scoring=d

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=absentee+voting,printing+errors&ie=ISO-8859-1&scoring=d&sa=N&start=10

[livvy]

7. PFAWF Press Release and two related articles from civilrights.org

Press Release - People For the American Way

People For the American Way Foundation Investigates Voter Purge Concerns in Ohio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2006
Stacey Gates, Josh Glasstetter
202-467-4999

People For the American Way Foundation (PFAWF) today investigated concerns raised by activists that an 11th-hour purge of eligible voters in Ohio could result from mailings sent out by county election officials. While it appears that fears of a purge are unfounded, the incident does emphasize the need for continued voter education, and vigilance in voter advocacy and protection as the November elections loom.

Over the past few days, Internet commentators have raised concerns that certain voters in Ohio might be removed from the voter rolls if mailings sent to them by their county election officials are returned as undelivered. Given the Secretary of State's history of supporting and engaging in voter suppression strategies, citizen vigilance is necessary and commendable. In this particular case, though, county election officials have confirmed to PFAWF that under Ohio law, even voters whose mailings are returned will be permitted to vote a regular ballot if they show the proper ID at the polls. Of course that's if poll workers are properly trained.

Precisely to help avoid problems and to foster full participation, People For the American Way Foundation has prepared a brief mailing carefully explaining the Ohio voter ID rules and the proper forms of identification, which is being sent to many thousands of Ohio voters. The mailing can be found at http://media.pfaw.org/ep/OH_Flier.pdf.

"We are working to make sure that Ohio voters have the best information possible in order to cast a vote that counts this Election day," said Ralph G. Neas, PFAWF president. "The past two elections have shaken the confidence of the electorate in our system. We must do everything we can to restore voter confidence and bring them to the polls in overwhelming numbers."

>more
http://www.civilrights.org/issues/voting/details.cfm?id=47990


Why You Should Care

The basis and foundation of our democratic form of government is the right to vote. Voting is one of the most important tools Americans have to influence the policies the government adopts. Unfortunately, many Americans are effectively denied their right to vote.

>snip

* Discriminatory voting practices continue to exist. Today, these usually take the form of creative methods of establishing districts that dilute the voting power of minority groups. Establishing unusually large voting districts in areas with a geographical concentration of certain minority groups can discriminate against those groups by burying them within a larger white voting majority. This dilutes the voting power of minority groups that could otherwise constitute an influential voting bloc. Smaller districts can also be drawn in such a way that the voting power of a minority group is diluted by dividing a geographical concentration of minorities into several districts that are predominantly white. Minority voting power may also be diluted by encompassing an extremely large minority group into one district, rather than allowing that group to have an influence over several districts.
* 1.4 million African-American men (13% of the entire adult African-American male population) are denied the right to vote because they served time in prison. In five states, including Florida, one quarter of male adult African-Americans are disenfranchised.
* 14 states disenfranchise former inmates for life.
* 32 states disenfranchise former inmates while on parole.
* 29 states disenfranchise former inmates on probation.
* In addition to this, many former inmates who live in states where they can vote again are not aware of the process to regain the right. They also may not even be aware that there is no process in the state they reside.
* Among eligible voters, faulty voting booths and flawed voting procedures often result in uncounted or improperly counted ballots on election day. The November 2000 elections raised yet a new set of concerns about minority voting rights. Across America, voters - especially minority voters - reported that they had been effectively denied the franchise in a variety of ways. These included allegations that minority voters faced a significantly greater risk that their votes would not be counted accurately because of the disproportionate use of outdated and inaccurate equipment in minority neighborhoods. Asian American, Haitian American, Latino, and other language minority voters reported that they were denied language assistance to which they were entitled. Eligible minority voters reported that they had been inappropriately "purged" from voting lists. Moreover, many jurisdictions use equipment that is inaccessible to voters with disabilities.

>more
http://www.civilrights.org/issues/voting/care.html


Status Update

How are my representatives voting on this issue?

June 23, 2004
Members of Congress debated four proposals for expanding District of Columbia voting rights. The district's non-voting delegate, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, continued to support full D.C. voting rights, as detailed in her "No Taxation Without Representation Act of 2003." Representative Ralph Regula, R-Ohio, supported the "District of Columbia-Maryland Reunion Act," a plan which would retrocede the District of Columbia to Maryland for voting and other purposes, while maintaining Congressional control over the National Capital Service Area. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., sponsored the "District of Columbia Voting Rights Restoration Act of 2004," which would allow D.C. residents to participate as Maryland residents only in Congressional elections. Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., supported the compromise "D.C. FAIR Act," which would head incrementally toward full voting rights by providing D.C. with one voting representative, while simultaneously giving Utah another representative in the House.

April 14, 2004
The Federal Election Commission heard testimony regarding new rules for groups called 501(c)(3)s and 501(c)(4)s that are tax-exempt and engage in political activities, often through unlimited "soft money" contributions. Critics charge that, if enacted, these new rules could harm the activities of groups across the political spectrum and restrict free speech in ways that their supporters call unhealthy to democracy.
August 13, 2003

A federal judge in California allowed the state's Oct. 7 recall election to be held as planned, rejecting arguments by the American Civil Liberties Union that punch-card ballots at polling stations were too defective to accurately register votes. According to the ACLU, as many as 8 million voters, most of whom are minorities, would have to use the ballot machines with punch-card technology - the same technology used in contested Florida counties during the 2000 presidential election.

April 15, 2003
D.C. Vote, Washington DC Mayor Anthony Williams, the City Council and other esteemed community leaders called national attention to the issue of taxation without representation at the "2003 D.C. Voting Rights Day Rally." During the previous year's event, hundreds of activists destroyed their 2002 federal income tax forms in Washington, D.C.'s Farragut Square to protest the District's lack of representation in Congress.

>more
http://www.civilrights.org/issues/voting/status_report.html

[Algorem]

13. Brady is back on ballot, but appeal is due

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1161419646169250.xml&coll=2

Saturday, October 21, 2006
Tasha Flournoy
Plain Dealer Reporter

The secretary of state's office has challenged Friday's appellate court decision that allows Democrat Jennifer Brady to remain on the November ballot in the Ohio House 16th District race.

The Ohio Court of Appeals said Friday that Brady was properly certified as a candidate and her votes will count. In response, the secretary of state's office appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court of Ohio...

Last week, Brady had asked the Ohio Court of Appeals to allow her to remain on the ballot after Secretary of State Ken Blackwell's assistant broke a deadlocked vote against her candidacy on procedural grounds. O'Shea said in the appeal that the protests were politically orchestrated to benefit her opponent, Republican Ed Herman(R-Afghantorturer).

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett said Friday that he believes the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party failed to follow the law.

[Algorem]

21. Democratic rally urges voters to the polls

http://www.cleveland.com/newslogs/plaindealer/

9:20 p.m.

About 500 Cleveland voters and union leaders came out on a chilly Friday night to stump the Democratic ticket at The Plain Dealer Pavilion.

Gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland hosted the “Turn Around Ohio Rally” for all the local, county, and statewide Democratic candidates. Democrats not only arrived bundled up in gloves and hats, but also with big campaign signs, buttons, and stickers.

Union organizers, including the state fire fighters union and the Cleveland teachers union held up signs supporting Strickland as folk singers performed...

Kucinich literally pumped up supporters when he whipped a microphone in the air and jumped on stage, urging voters to get out and vote. Many candidates, including Tubbs Jones, had the crowd chanting, “Enough is Enough,” referring to the Republican majority in the statehouse...

[livvy]

2. Repost: Palast- Recipe for a Cooked Election

Original published in the fall of this year, and recently posted in this forum, but worth a read or a re-read!



October 20, 2006

Recipe for a Cooked Election

By Greg Palast

A nasty little secret of American democracy is that, in every national election, ballots cast are simply thrown in the garbage. Most are called "spoiled," supposedly unreadable, damaged, invalid. They just don't get counted. This "spoilage" has occurred for decades, but it reached unprecedented heights in the last two presidential elections. In the 2004 election, for example, more than three million ballots were never counted.

Almost as deep a secret is that people are doing something about it. In New Mexico, citizen activists, disgusted by systematic vote disappearance, demanded change - and got it.

In Ohio, during the 2004 Presidential election, 153,237 ballots were simply thrown away - more than the Bush "victory" margin. In New Mexico the uncounted vote was five times the Bush alleged victory margin of 5,988. In Iowa, Bush's triumph of 13,498 was overwhelmed by 36,811 votes rejected. The official number is bad enough - 1,855,827 ballots cast not counted, according to the federal government's Elections Assistance Commission. But the feds are missing data from several cities and entire states too embarrassed to report the votes they failed to count.

Correcting for that under-reporting, the number of ballots cast but never counted goes to 3,600,380. Why doesn't your government tell you this?

>more

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_greg_pal_061020_recipe_for_a_cooked_.htm

[livvy]

4. Puke alert-read at your own risk- Anti-fraud Laws Help Rep. Win Elections

Here is a perfect example why it can be so hard to get the truth out. It is also strong evidence to support the opinion that people should carefully monitor the liquids they consume. It is apparent that some can cause the consumer to either blatantly lie, cause extreme distortion in the thought processes, or actually transport them into another dimension.



Anti-fraud laws help Republicans win elections
All spelling and grammar errors are the express property of Ms. Mostert. Ha!.... more evidence to support the liquid consumption theory.
Mary Mostert
October 20, 2006

In the past week North Korea has basically declared war on the United States and Iran has promised to make Israel "disappear." Yet the "big news" is not about a looming nuclear war, but about the content of a private five year old instant message written by Rep. Mark Foly to a former congressional page. We are being told, according to various national polls, that this "moral" issue will cause voters to vote against Republicans on November 7th and against policies of the Republican president and Congress and their war on terror in Iraq.

>snip

In 2000, 2002, 2004 and now 2006, the polls and even the exit polls on the day of the elections have predicted defeats for President Bush, his policies, and his supporters in the Republican Congress. Three times they have been wrong. Will they be right in 2006 in spite of the DOW hitting a record high of 12,000, inflation being low, a sharp drop in gasoline prices, tax cuts, almost no unemployment, and no successful terrorist attacks on US soil since 911 as President Bush relentlessly fights terrorism as he promised in 2001? Will 9 pages of private instant messaging between Rep. Mark Foley, a Republican, to a page or former page, which graphically described masturbation, (which ABC News still has posted on their Internet Site making it accessible to any child or teenager with a computer) be the "Nail in the coffin" of the Republican party as predicted? Have Americans become that moral about sex in the 8 years since the Senate refused to remove President Clinton from office over sex with a young female intern — because it was "only about sex?"

Why have the pollsters, who seem to be mostly Democrats, been so consistently wrong about election results in the past 3 election cycles? I think it can be traced to the passage and signing of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 by President George W. Bush on October 29, 2002. As he pointed out on the day he signed the legislation:

snip

Every since that bill was signed, Republicans have won elections that, according to the pollsters and the Democrats, they were not supposed to win. It corrected, to a large degree, the fraud-friendly "motor-voter" law, the first piece of legislation signed by President Bill Clinton in 1992. That bill required driver's license bureaus to register anyone applying for licenses, to offer mail-in registration with no identification needed, and to forbid government workers to challenge new registrants, while making it difficult to purge "deadwood" voters (those who have died or moved away).

>more spin

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/mostert/061020

[livvy]

5. Two links: "What's a Libertarian To Do?" by David Boaz

What's a libertarian to do?
David Boaz

October 20, 2006 07:16 PM

The Economist devotes an article to my study on "The Libertarian Vote." They write:


America may be the land of the free, but Americans who favour both economic and social freedom have no political home. The Republican Party espouses economic freedom - ie, low taxes and minimal regulation - but is less keen on sexual liberation. The Democratic Party champions the right of homosexuals to do their thing without government interference, but not business people. Libertarian voters have an unhappy choice. Assuming they opt for one of the two main parties, they can vote to kick the state out of the bedroom, or the boardroom, but not both.

That's a pretty good summation of the predicament of the libertarian-leaning voter. This year, though, the Republicans may espouse low taxes and minimal regulation, but they have delivered massive spending increases and centralization. And alas, Democrats may indeed champion gay rights, but they have sadly drifted away from their traditional cause of free speech, with their support for campaign finance regulation and "hate speech" laws.

Meanwhile, it's interesting to see Friday's Washington Post discuss the plight of gay Republicans in "the GOP, whose earlier libertarian, live-and-let-live values have been ground down by the wedge issue of opposition to gay rights." That's a starry-eyed view of the traditional Republican Party, but it's nice to dream.

>that's all at this link
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/david_boaz/2006/10/libertarian_voters_in_the_news.html

Here is the referenced article:


Libertarians

The neglected swing voters
Oct 19th 2006 | WASHINGTON, DC
From The Economist print edition


What's a true freedom-lover to do on polling day?

AMERICA may be the land of the free, but Americans who favour both economic and social freedom have no political home. The Republican Party espouses economic freedom—ie, low taxes and minimal regulation—but is less keen on sexual liberation. The Democratic Party champions the right of homosexuals to do their thing without government interference, but not businesspeople. Libertarian voters have an unhappy choice. Assuming they opt for one of the two main parties, they can vote to kick the state out of the bedroom, or the boardroom, but not both.

In a new study from the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank, David Boaz and David Kirby argue that libertarians form perhaps the largest block of swing voters. Counting them is hard, since few Americans are familiar with the term “libertarian”. Mr Boaz and Mr Kirby count those who agree that “government is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses”, that government, rather than promoting traditional values, “should not favour any particular set of values”, and that “the federal government has too much power”. Using data from Gallup polls, they found that, in 2005, 13% of the voting-age population shared all three views, up from 9% in 2002.

That is easily enough libertarians to tip an election. And their votes are up for grabs. In 2000 George Bush won 72% of the libertarian vote, to Al Gore's 20%, by repeating the mantra “My opponent trusts government. I trust you.” But in 2004, after Mr Bush increased the size of government and curtailed some civil liberties as part of the war on terror, his margin dropped to 59%-38%. The swing was as sharp in congressional races, too. Going back further, libertarians backed George Bush senior by 74%-26% in 1988. But when he sought re-election in 1992, they split evenly between him, Bill Clinton and Ross Perot. A group that can give the eccentric Mr Perot a third of its support must be really disgruntled.

When Republicans win elections, it is because they manage to pull together an alliance between social conservatives and libertarians. But, as Ryan Sager put it in “The Elephant in the Room: Evangelicals, Libertarians and the Battle to Control the Republican Party”: “ibertarians have always tended to see social conservatives as rubes ready to thump nonbelievers on the head with the Bible first chance they get, and social conservatives have always tended to see libertarians as dope-smoking devil-worshippers.”

>more at link below:

http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8058247

I tried to link to the article, "The Libertarian Vote", but was unable to do so. Maybe you'll have better luck.

[livvy]

8. IN: Pearson, Rokita Disagree on Voter ID

Pearson, Rokita disagree on voter ID

By RICK YENCER
[e-mail]

MUNCIE -- There are some fundamental differences between Republican Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita and Democratic challenger Joe Pearson, a Blackford County farmer, when it comes to photo identification at the polls and keeping voter registration lists accessible.

"Indiana has one of the most stringent voter laws in the country," said Pearson, a former state deputy agriculture commission. "It might infringe on our rights to vote."

Rokita, who was in Muncie on Thursday, said the voter ID law, and the state's defense of it in federal court, improves the integrity of the ballot, securing the right to vote.

>snip

The secretary of state's office recently began cleaning up voter registrations, using a statewide data base, and worked with local officials to purge nearly one million inactive voters.

>more

http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061020/NEWS01/610200345/1002

[livvy]

9. NC: Polk Loses 2,098 Voters After Purge Of Voter Rolls

Polk loses 2,098 voters after purge of voter rolls
Chris Dailey
October 19, 2006

It may appear that Polk County has far fewer eligible voters today than in 2004, based on the voter registration figures released this week.


In fact, the only difference may be that today’s total is more accurate.
Polk County has 2,098 fewer voters registered for this year’s election than it did for the 2004 election primarily because the county purged its voter registration rolls after the last general election.


The elections office eliminated from the list anyone who had not voted in the past two general elections. The practice, routinely performed by election offices, ensures that the county does not keep on the registration list anyone who is no longer living here and eligible to vote. The elections office notes that it does not obtain information for everyone who moves out of the county, or who dies outside the county.
The Polk County elections office now shows a total of 13,863 registered voters, compared to 15,961 just two years ago. The purge was performed in January of 2005.

>snip

The new registration totals show a continued trend toward more voters registered as unaffiliated, and show the Polk County Democratic Party lost more voters than the Polk County Republican Party.

>more

http://www.tryondailybulletin.com/news/19827.asp

[livvy]

10. FL: Young Voters Could Help Davis If They Show Up

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Young Voters Could Help Davis If They Show Up

By JENNIFER KAY
The Associated Press

MIAMI GARDENS -- Reuben Johnson strolled past the line of gray-haired likely voters waiting for an appearance at Florida Memorial University by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Johnson, 21, had no intention of going inside the auditorium. He had not been paying attention to the governor's race, and he wasn't going to start by skipping a class weeks before the Nov. 7 election.

Why bother, he said, if the candidates were not going mention the only issue that would pique his interest: "Money for school. More financial aid, and more money to historically black schools like FMU -- not just for buildings, but for students."

The elementary education major from Fort Lauderdale was right that early October afternoon. Davis and Obama promised a Democrat in the governor's office would change the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, improve health care for young children and address rising property and hurricane insurance premiums. Affordable housing was a campaign issue, but college affordability was not.

>more

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061021/NEWS/610210348/1004

[livvy]

11. States Taking a Closer Look at Ex-felon Voter Rights

States taking a Closer Look at Ex-felon Voter Rights

by Lorinda M. Bullock, NNPA
October 20, 2006

WASHINGTON - In 2004, Republican candidate George W. Bush won the presidential election for a second term, beating Democratic candidate John Kerry by about 3 million popular votes. An even larger number of Americans - 5.3 million - cannot legally vote because they are ex-convicts on probation, parole or have completed their sentences.

Depending on how they would vote, if given the opportunity, that group alone could have changed the outcome of the election. Even if the outcome remained the same in 2004, or if Kerry became the leader of the free world, Ryan King, author of "Decade of Reform: Felony Disenfranchisement Policy in the United States," believes those 5 million additional voices would have had an enormous impact on many political races, regardless of whether they were national or local.

"The fact of the matter is there are 7 million people in this country that are under correctional supervision and it is an extremely diverse population of people," King said.

"It has become, in many ways, a very politically diverse community. These are people who-in the surveys that have been done-care about the exact same issues that you and I care about, whether it's the "War on Terror," (or) whether it's tax rates… These are people that have the same sort of desires and concerns as everyone else."

>more

http://www.chicagodefender.com/page/national.cfm?ArticleID=7340

[Kurovski]

33. I heard a guest on Cspan say that 80% of Americans feel that

if you've paid your debt to society, you should be able to vote again.

Pardon my language, but only an a-hole or a vote suppressor would disagree.

[livvy]

12. Comment: Republicans Are Damaging the Republic

Comment
Republicans are damaging the republic

Questionable tactics in the midterms weaken the foundations of US democracy, writes Philip James

Friday October 20, 2006
Guardian Unlimited

Racked with scandal, cowed by voter dissatisfaction and bereft of fresh ideas, Republicans are resorting to the only measure left to a party in power and desperate to cling to it: cheating, or what's more politely referred to as voter suppression.

Republican interest groups have been furiously defending strict new voter ID laws from legal challenges in states where their candidates are at risk of losing their seats in congressional elections.

The laws, requiring voters to show an official photo ID, might be sensible in an ideal world where every citizen is provided with one, but in the real world the only photo ID commonly available is a driving licence.

Those without, otherwise known as the poor and the old, make up a sizeable chunk of the Democratic base, and Republicans are determined to place as many obstacles as they can between them and a polling booth this November.

>more

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1927554,00.html

[livvy]

14. Fresh Insights for Albany, Gleaned Behind Bars by Clyde Haberman

October 20, 2006
Fresh Insights for Albany, Gleaned Behind Bars
By CLYDE HABERMAN

>This is a Times Select piece, so I've snipped a lot, and tried to post only the most relevant election reform related portions of it.

There may be a silver lining to this unpleasantness. As disgraced lawmakers slouch toward prison, they may gain intimate knowledge of aspects of the criminal justice system that have long been controversial. They may then want to pass along their insights to former Albany colleagues.

For example, if Mr. McLaughlin becomes a convicted felon, he will lose his right to vote; he will not regain it even when he is released from prison on parole.

>another big snip

And yet, while a New York State inmate may not vote, he is in effect considered a voter when the Legislature draws its districts. This practice shifts some political power to rural areas upstate from city neighborhoods downstate.

>little snip

In this state, most inmates come from New York City but serve their time upstate. Counting them as residents of sparsely populated upstate counties seems to have helped the Republicans hold onto their majority in the State Senate. An analysis by the Prison Policy Initiative, a group based in Massachusetts, has concluded that perhaps seven upstate Senate districts would have to be reconfigured if prison inmates were not considered part of the local population.

>more

http://select.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/nyregion/20nyc.html?ref=nyregion

[livvy]

15. FL: Newcomer Looks to Unseat Mica

Newcomer looks to unseat Mica
Democrat John Chagnon has tough fight against 7-term incumbent

Erin Ailworth | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 21, 2006

John "Jack" Chagnon -- a Democrat who says his faith and experience counseling combat veterans prompted him to run for the 7th Congressional District -- is counting on voter dissatisfaction to sweep him into office.

Incumbent John Mica, R-Winter Park, said that with seven terms under his belt, he doesn't see Chagnon as a "bona fide opponent," and thus has focused less on campaigning and more on his congressional duties.

>snip

Chagnon, a former social studies teacher, supports creating a national law that would mandate protections against touch-screen voter fraud and errors.

A Marine vet who served for four years in the Naval Reserve and suffered briefly from secondary post-traumatic stress disorder after counseling Vietnam combat veterans, Chagnon said his main focus is ending the war in Iraq.

>little snip

He wants to see what he calls the underfunded No Child Left Behind Act scrapped in favor of a new program written by teachers and administrators instead of lobbyists. Chagnon said he also wants to see changes made to Medicaid and Medicare and has voiced support for universal health-care coverage.

>more

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-7cong2106oct21,0,1364842.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-state

[livvy]

16. NJ: Vote Courier Is Arrested; Probe Grows

Vote courier is arrested; probe grows
Saturday, October 21, 2006
By CHRISTOPHER WEIR
Staff Writer

PENNS GROVE -- As the Salem County Prosecutor's Office intensified its criminal probe into alleged voter fraud in the Penns Grove Democrat Primary, a man who has emerged as a key player in the disputed election was arrested Friday, authorities said.

Jose L. Mercado, 20, of South Broad St., Penns Grove, turned himself in to authorities at the Penns Grove Police Department at 8:45 p.m. Friday, according to county Chief of Detectives Ralph Padilla.

Mercado was charged and processed by detectives from the prosecutor's office assigned to the case before being released on $5,000 bail. His case will now be referred to a Salem County grand jury, Padilla said.

Earlier Friday, the prosecutor's office had issued a warrant for Mercado's arrest. The warrant said Mercado was wanted on charges of multiple counts of "false uttering" involving handling of absentee ballots in the primary.

False uttering means exhibiting, displaying or submitting a false document to someone else.

>more

http://www.nj.com/news/sunbeam/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1161415240105620.xml&coll=9&thispage=2

[livvy]

17. MI: Land Has Big Lead Over Dem Challenger

Sabaugh would be a great replacement for Land. She has done a great job in Macomb. Michiganians...get out there and talk her up. We need a Dem Secretary of State!



Decision 2006

Land has big lead over Dem challenger

Sabaugh hopes to overcome that by sharpening their differences through forums.

Gary Heinlein and Jim Lynch / Detroit News Lansing Bureau

LANSING -- Carmella Sabaugh criticized Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and Republican lawmakers Friday for foot dragging on election reforms that could have boosted turnout Nov. 7.

Appearing with Land in a debate on WKAR-TV's "Off the Record," Sabaugh said, if elected, she would fight "Republican efforts to make it harder to vote."

But the 68-year-old Macomb County clerk will never do battle with Republican lawmakers in Lansing unless she can overcome the incumbent's huge advantage.

Land, seeking her second term, seems a good bet to retain the $124,900-a-year post.

>more

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061021/POLITICS01/610210384/1022/POLITICS

[livvy]

18. AZ: Voters, Bring Your ID To Polls

Voters, bring your ID to polls

Amanda J. Crawford
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 21, 2006 12:00 AM

Arizona voters will have to present identification at the polls on Nov. 7 after all.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state's new voter-ID requirements, passed as part of 2004's Proposition 200, can be enforced for the general election.

The law, aimed at preventing voter fraud and keeping non-citizens from casting ballots, requires that voters bring a valid photo ID with their address or two forms of non-photo ID with address, such as a utility bill or vehicle registration. Earlier this month, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put the voter-identification requirements on hold while the federal District Court continued to weigh whether the law was constitutional. Opponents have charged that the requirements may keep some legal voters from casting ballots.

In Friday's unanimous decision, the Supreme Court did not rule on the long-term fate of the law or decide whether it was constitutional. It said the 9th Circuit made procedural mistakes when it issued its injunction on Oct. 5 by not explaining the decision or waiting for the District Court to release its findings.

>more

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1021voterid1021.html

[livvy]

19. Rolling Stone: The Ten Worst Congrssmen

10/19/06, 3:25 pm EST
The Ten Worst Congressmen

“There’s stiff competition for this designation,” Nancy Pelosi told me as I was working to compile this list of the worst members of the House.

And it’s true. We started with a the Terrible 20, before whittling the list down first to the Sleazebag 17, the Dirty Dozen, and finally our excreble, bottom-feeding Terrible Ten.

The list doesn’t include those bastards we’ve already watched slink away to prison or ignomy this year (bribe seekers Duke Cunningham and Bob Ney, or child predator Mark Foley) or those whose misguided vanity led them to abandon their House posts in search of higher office (Katherine Harris, you won’t be missed.)

Without futher ado, the envelopes please:

> Their 10 worst Congresscritters are at the link.

http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs/?p=625

[livvy]

20. MO: State Weighs Next Step On Voter ID

State weighs next step on voter ID
GOP looks to cover documentation cost.

Published Saturday, October 21, 2006

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) - The state spent more than $680,000 implementing a photo ID requirement for voters that the Missouri Supreme Court overwhelmingly threw out, and now Republican lawmakers are pondering how to pass one that courts will allow.

The state Department of Revenue and the secretary of state’s office together spent about $680,400 on their duties under the law, according to figures provided at the request of The Associated Press.

The General Assembly muscled the measure through in the spring despite fierce Democratic opposition. Opponents challenged the measure as unconstitutional, and the state’s highest court this week agreed in a 6-1 ruling.

The court said part of the problem was the cost of documents needed to obtain a government-issued photo identification card.

While the law made the ID cards free, a separate state law requires people to meet several criteria, including showing they’re lawfully in the country, to obtain the identification card. Most people meet the lawful presence requirement with a birth certificate or passport, both documents that cost money.

>more

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2006/Oct/20061021News010.asp

[livvy]

22. NM: GOP Campaign Upset Over NM Absentee Voting Problem

6:39 am: GOP campaign upset over New Mexico absentee voting problem

By BARRY MASSEY | Associated Press
October 21, 2006
SANTA FE (AP) - In a hotly contested race, every vote counts.

That's why Land Commissioner Pat Lyons' campaign is fuming over a problem with a state voter registration system that could mean the candidate's literature not reaching some voters before they cast their absentee ballots.

The computer problem potentially affects candidates and political committees across the state if they obtain information from county elections officials about the thousands of voters who are getting absentee ballots in this general election.

Candidates and political parties often send campaign literature to absentee voters in a last-ditch effort to influence their decisions. In the 2004 presidential election, 156,000 people voted by absentee ballots _ 20 percent of overall turnout.

>more

http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/51003.html

[livvy]

23. Are We Ready For the Elections?

Updated 7:28 AM on Saturday, October 21, 2006

Are we ready for the elections?

Some fear shortages of machines, workers

By DEBORAH HASTINGS
Associated Press

Wendy Noren had all the voting machines she needed. What she lacked was the stuff that made them work.

So the elections supervisor of Boone County, Mo., didn't sleep Tuesday night. Instead, she worked furiously into the next morning, outlining a last-minute election plan for a county of 150,000 people, a plan that relied on pen and paper and hand-counted votes.

And that's with the country's midterm election little more than two weeks away.

"I was not going to be able to have an election with the machines," said Noren, "because I didn't have the ballots and the supplies necessary to load the ballots. I had the machines and nothing else."

>more of other problems around the country.

http://www.theeagle.com/stories/102106/nation_20061021036.php

[livvy]

24. Ballot Blunders Abound As Election Nears

Saturday, October 21, 2006 :: infoZine Staff
Ballot Blunders Abound As Election Nears
PoliticsBy Eric Kelderman - While everyone is worried about high-tech glitches fouling the vote counts this Election Day, some of the biggest fumbles on the way to the ballot box are turning out to be of the man-made variety.

Stateline.org - infoZine - A missing "l" in the word "public" forced Ottawa County, Mich., officials to blush and reprint 170,000 ballots with the proposed state constitutional amendment - at a cost of $40,000.

A good editor also could have helped Denver, which sent out 44,000 absentee ballots with the boxes for "yes" and "no" reversed on a ballot initiative to remove deadlines to challenge recall petitions. The next day, election officials discovered more bad news on the ballot: The suggested postage for its return was insufficient.

The 2006 election may be a watershed test of America's switch to electronic voting systems with computers and touch-screen machines, but it's old-fashioned things like editing errors, nomenclature and insufficient postage that are still causing a healthy share of headaches for election officials.

Millions of dollars are often spent trying to keep candidates and issues off of the fall ballot, but in Tennessee, the last two paragraphs of a constitutional amendment to allow local property-tax freezes for citizens 65 or older were not included in the electronic version that voters will see on Election Day. Instead voters will have to read printed copies of the complete amendment at polling stations.

>more

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/18528/

[livvy]

25. CA: Postcard To Absentees Advises Checking Ballot

Postcard to absentees advises checking ballot
-
Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, October 21, 2006

SACRAMENTO -- County officials said Friday that they will send out more than 120,000 postcards to absentee voters asking them to check their ballots.

Election officials said they have received more than 100 complaints about incomplete or flawed absentee ballots.

The mailings should reach voters next week.

Absentee voters should have received two double-sided paper ballots -- one listing candidates for local and state races and the other, state and local ballot measures.

But voters in a wide range of precincts -- from Natomas to Elk Grove -- have reported errors. The problems have affected more than 40 ballot types for special voting districts, such as water, school and fire boards.

>more

http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/43411.html

[livvy]

26. MD: Diebold Declares Machines Secure

Diebold declares machines secure
Release of code raises concerns among critics of electronic vote system

By Sumathi Reddy
Sun reporter
Originally published October 21, 2006

As the FBI continued its review of the possible theft of the computer code used in Maryland's voting machines two years ago, Diebold and elections officials assured voters that the electronic voting system set to be used in next month's election is safe and tamperproof.

But critics of the state elections board and its touch-screen machines said the anonymous package left at a former legislator's office this week was another disturbing sign that Maryland's voting system could face a security threat.

Diebold Elections System Inc., which manufactures the machines, issued a statement yesterday saying it is fully cooperating with the FBI. The company reiterated that it did not create or ever have possession of the computer disks that were delivered to the office of former Del. Cheryl C. Kagan.

"The availability of this software poses no threat to the safety, security and accuracy of elections in any jurisdiction using Diebold Election Systems voting machines," said David Byrd, the company's president.

>more

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.voting21oct21,0,946289.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

[livvy]

27. E-voting Technology Faces Critical Test

E-voting Technology Faces Critical Test
Marc Songini

October 23, 2006 (Computerworld)

The widespread use of controversial electronic voting machines could lead to chaos after next month’s midterm elections if, as some critics suggest, losing candidates and their supporters move to challenge the results.

Working under a vaguely worded federal mandate, election officials nationwide have replaced lever-activated machines, punch-card systems and other outmoded voting methods with electronic equipment.

Much of the criticism to date has been aimed at touch-screen systems, or direct recording electronic devices, which critics say aren’t rigorously tested and certified and are unreliable and prone to crashing. Critics also contend that DREs are inherently vulnerable to hacking and viruses.

“The potential definitely is there for fraud,” said Bruce Funk, former elections director for Emery County, Utah.

>more

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=government&articleId=269273&taxonomyId=13&intsrc=kc_top

[livvy]

28. Voters Should Demand Paper Ballots Election Day

Voters should demand
paper ballots election day

By Jean Kaczmarek & Melisa Urda

Co-chairs, Illinois Ballot Integrity Project, DuPage Chapter

Editor's note: Last week in this space DuPage County Election Commission Executive Director Robert Saar wrote a guest commentary on early voting in DuPage County, which began this week. Today, as another view, we offer this space to the Illinois Ballot Integrity Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organization working toward what it sees as the correction of election system deficiencies and ensuring fair, accurate and transparent elections.

Early voting for the upcoming general election was launched in Illinois this week. Citizens should be aware that Diebold TSx touch screens, the machines promoted in early voting sites in DuPage County, reportedly have significant flaws and pose security risks that can affect the outcome of elections.

This is unacceptable.

We at Illinois Ballot Integrity Project believe accuracy and trust in our electoral process transcend efficiency and speed. Therefore, we urge citizens to wait and cast votes on paper-based optical scan machines Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Numerous reports and studies substantiate our recommendation, including the following:

* The U.S. Government Accountability Office's report released a year ago ("Federal Efforts to Improve Security and Reliability of Electronic Voting Systems Are Under Way, But Key Activities Need to be Completed"), addressed serious concerns with the security and reliability of electronic voting systems. According to the report, votes have been miscounted, security controls are weak, system designs are flawed, the certification process is vague and substandard, and security testing is inadequate or nonexistent.

>more

http://www.libertysuburban.com/story.php?sid=67927&pub=1

[livvy]

29. GA:Lewis, Two Senators Request Voter ID Letter Investigation

October 21, 2006

Lewis, two senators request voter ID letter investigation


The Associated Press

ATLANTA - U.S. Rep. John Lewis and two U.S. senators have requested a federal investigation into the State Election Board's mailing of letters erroneously telling voters they must show a photo ID to cast a ballot Nov. 7.

The elections board contacted sent the letters to 305,000 voters and most - about 200,000 - received the mass mailing after Fulton County Superior Court Judge T. Jackson Bedford declared on Sept. 19 the photo ID law violated the Georgia Constitution as an undue burden on voters.

Lewis, along with Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez requesting the investigation "to determine whether there was a specific intent to defy the court's decision and mislead voters."

"It is important that the U.S. attorney general investigate this matter to determine the motive and the intent of the mailing. We must let the federal government and the courts decide whether voter suppression was the goal of this action," Lewis said.

>more

http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/102106/D8KT2P0G0.shtml

[livvy]

30. OH: Strickland Votes Early As Court Fight Looms

Strickland votes early as court fight looms
Lawyers try to block residency challenge
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Aaron Marshall
Plain Dealer Bureau

Columbus - -- With a hearing looming Tuesday over a challenge to his eligibility to vote, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland took matters into his own hands. Literally.

Strickland, taking advantage of a new law that eases restrictions on early voting, voted absentee Friday morning at the Columbiana County Board of Elections, according to a voter log kept by the Lisbon-based elections board.

"He filled it out and handed it in about 8:40 this morning," said Strickland campaign spokesman Keith Dailey. "He was welcomed into the board of election with open arms."

Meanwhile, Strickland's attorneys went to court late Friday to try to block the challenge.

>more

http://www.cleveland.com/open/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/ispol/1161442574295830.xml&coll=2

[livvy]

31. OH: Political Upset Brewing

Posted on Sat, Oct. 21, 2006

Political upset brewing
By Dennis J. Willard
Beacon Journal Columbus Bureau

In the past 20 months, the party that has controlled state government since 1994 has witnessed its grip on power weakened by scandal, ideological rifts, waning public confidence, a war without end in Iraq, and an emboldened, re-energized Democratic party that has learned a trick or two from the party of Lincoln.

Call it the perfect storm for Republicans in Ohio.

How bad is it for the GOP?

U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown, D-Lorain, is expected to oust U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, to become the first Democrat elected to the upper chamber from this state since John Glenn in 1992.

And on Thursday, U.S. Rep. Deborah Pryce of Columbus stood on a flatbed truck outside her opponent's campaign headquarters with a megaphone to challenge Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy to a debate.:rofl: Oh, my, how "embarrasking!"


http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/nation/15814794.htm

[livvy]

32. OH: Editorial: Time For a Change (The Post Online)

Editorial: Time for a change
Voters should ‘put partisanship aside’ to endorse Strickland’s smart plan to reinvigorate the state

Election Day is now less than a month away, and the most important race on the minds of Ohioans is for the coveted governor’s office. Democrat Ted Strickland now has an almost 30-point lead over Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell in the newest polls.

For too long, Gov. Bob Taft and the Republican Party have made a mockery of this state, leading it down a path of corruption, incompetence and mediocrity. As the campaign season winds down, there is still little indication that the GOP intends to offer anything different this time.

If anything, an Ohio led by current Secretary of State Ken Blackwell could be even worse. On Nov. 7, a vote for Democratic candidate Ted Strickland is a vote for desperately needed change.

A vote for Blackwell is a vote for the status quo, something Ohio cannot afford any longer. For the past several years, the Republican leadership has dragged Ohio — one of the most populous and potentially prosperous states in the country — into an economic abyss that has resulted in people leaving the state and others never wanting to come. It is not simply the GOP’s direct policies that have created this climate, but a culture of corruption as well. Multiple state scandals have angered voters across the political spectrum, and Blackwell has done little to distance himself from them.

>more

http://thepost.baker.ohiou.edu/articles/2006/10/20/opinion/15648.html

[autorank]

34. KR Wonderful..."What it feels like to be had of the RSCC & RCCC

OMf'ingG!!!

[Sedona]

35. AZ-Party affiliation printed on OUTSIDE of mail in ballots

See Link here in Arizona Forum
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=139x4730

I'm calling the Gila County election supervisor first thing Monday Morning.

Here's her name and address in case you want to also.
Dixie Mundy
1400 East Ash Street
Globe, Arizona 85501
Phone [phone]