Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Friday, 4/25/2008

[Mnemosyne]

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.





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Good afternoon everyone! I would deeply appreciate any contributions to this thread today. I've had a bout of food poisoning this week and my stomach is beginning to hurt again. I will post what I've found so far, but may need to stop at any moment.

Thanks sweeties! :grouphug::hi:

[Mnemosyne]

1. National. n't

[Mnemosyne]

2. GOP objects to bill allowing recounts

GOP objects to bill allowing recounts

By BEN ADLER | 4/25/08 4:50 AM EST Updated: 4/25/08 12:26 PM EST

Voting rights activists who hoped the federal government would help local governments pay for paper trails and audits for electronic voting machines have gone from elation to frustration as they watched Republicans who supported such a proposal in committee vote against bringing it to the House floor.

The result: The elections in November will likely be marred by the same accusations of fraud and error involving voting machines that arose in the aftermath of the 2004 presidential race.

When New Jersey Democratic Rep. Rush Holt’s Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act came up for a vote in the House Administration Committee on April 2, the Republicans on the committee gave it their unanimous support. But two weeks later, those same Republican members voted against moving the bill to the House floor. It would have taken a two-thirds vote to push the bill to the floor; with most House Republicans opposed, the bill didn’t make it that far.

Larry Norden, director of the voting technology project at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s law school, called the vote “a sad statement on how little Congress has done on the issue of making sure elections are as secure and reliable as possible.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9841.html

[Mnemosyne]

3. Election Systems Upgrade: Money's Gone To Iraq

Election Systems Upgrade: Money's Gone To Iraq

James Freedman

Posted April 24, 2008 | 03:10 AM (EST)

This article is not about the absurd complexity of our current election system, although that topic is just as worthy of consideration. It is about exploring the possibility that we severely underfund the election process in the United States, leading to myriad potential and actual problems, while spending dearly overseas to bring democracy to other nations.

Bringing democracy to Iraq will end up costing America trillions of dollars, according to some estimates. In the wake of the 2000 election and its butterfly ballots, the federal government took the unprecedented step of allocating nearly $4 billion to help pay for new voting systems across the country with the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA).

"The Help America Vote Act, which is what provided a lot of the money to buy the technologies that we use today, authorized a few billion dollars... to buy new voting machines," said Edward Felten, a Princeton University computer science professor who demonstrated that electronic voting machines are vulnerable to hacking. "At the federal level, on the scale of spending for the federal government, that's pretty small. I mean, obviously it's a lot of money, but compared to the amount of money that the federal government spends on a lot of things, that seems like a bargain."

While the amount spent on Iraq blows away the amount spent on U.S. elections, there were a number of other reasons for going into Iraq, such as WMDs and Saddam Hussein. HAVA's $4 billion isn't all we're spending on elections at home, either. States and local governments also spend heavily each time we vote -- we often hear the vociferous complaints of secretaries of state when there's a last minute change and a few million bucks go down the drain reprinting ballots. But, at the end of the day, we are still spending less on elections -- a bedrock of our prized democracy -- than on a multitude of other no doubt important government services.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-freedman/election-systems-upgrade_b_98357.html

[Mnemosyne]

7. "My mother always said a witness must come forward." - Students Discuss Election Fraud

Bold mine.

Students Discuss Election Fraud

Apr 22, 2008

(UWIRE.com) This story was written by Brandon Taylor, Daily Collegian Richard Hayes Phillips never intended to be an election fraud investigator. With a background in science, history and geography, he was surprised one day to receive an email asking him to look at numbers from election results from the 2004 presidential election in the Cleveland, O.H. area.

The numbers showed third party candidates receiving more votes than presidential candidate John Kerry, D-Mass., Phillips said.

"I was a witness to a crime," Phillips said. "My mother always said a witness must come forward."

Phillips presented his findings and newly released book "Witness to a Crime" Monday evening at the Schlow Library to a small group of State College residents.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/22/politics/uwire/main4036158.shtml

[Mnemosyne]

4. States. n/t

[Mnemosyne]

5. CA: Secretary of State to talk elections near the desert

Secretary of State to talk elections near the desert

Nicole C. Brambila • The Desert Sun • April 25, 2008


Secretary of State Debra Bowen will speak at a Democratic fundraiser in Cabazon tomorrow.

The cost is $55 for the Pass Democratic Club’s fourth annual Unity Dinner at the Morongo Morongo Resort, Spa and Casino in Cabazon.

Bowen is expected to give a nonpartisan speech about California elections, said Debra Winger, a Secretary of State spokeswoman. Bowen will also take questions from attendees, who typically ask about the status of the state’s voting machines.

Within months of taking office last year, Bowen conducted a first-of-its-kind security review of the states electronic voting systems amid growing concerns that the machines, and therefore the vote, could be hacked.

In August she decertified the state’s voting machines, but permits their conditional use.

http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/NEWS03/80425019

[Mnemosyne]

6. NJ judge allows electronic voting machines to be examined

NJ judge allows electronic voting machines to be examined

By JEFFREY GOLD
The Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. - A state judge on Friday ruled that voting rights activists will have a chance to have an expert examine the programming of touch-screen voting machines they claim are unreliable and vulnerable to hackers, officials said.

The advocates said the decision is believed to be the first of its kind.

Superior Court Judge Linda R. Feinberg, sitting in Trenton, also dropped a May trial date on the reliability of the machines but said the trial should start by September.

The delay nearly assures that the outcome will be too late to change how millions of New Jerseyans vote in November's presidential election.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/104-04252008-1524951.html

[Mnemosyne]

8. The Youth Vote. n/t

[Mnemosyne]

12. Despite youth hoopla, it's seniors who vote

Despite youth hoopla, it's seniors who vote

Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, April 25, 2008

Democrats and youth organizers have been crowing for four months about the record turnout among voters under 30. Despite that, voters over 60 are still a much more reliable voting bloc, and they don't need to get a text message to remind them to go to the polls.

The over-60 set has comprised at least a third of the voters in most of this year's primaries, according to exit polls, and 40 percent or more in states such as Ohio, Massachusetts and California. The percentage of the turnout of voters under 30 - while increasing since 2004 - has generally been half that of the older voter bloc.

"The battle over the senior vote will be one of the most intense in the fall because they do come out and vote," said Lawrence Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics at the University of Minnesota, who has researched patterns among older voters.

"The new is always more interesting, and the new story is about the increase of younger voters, which is very impressive. But any campaign that relies heavily on younger voters is running a risk," Jacobs said. "Younger voters are a difficult lover to have. They're a voting bloc that can betray you and is often quite whimsical. The nastiness that occurs in a campaign is something that could turn young voters off."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/25/MNF910BGH4.DTL

[Mnemosyne]

9. OPED/BLOGS/LTTE. n/t

[Mnemosyne]

10. Foreign. n/t

[Mnemosyne]

11. Bahamas: Election fraud case delayed again

THE FREEPORT NEWS


Election fraud case delayed again

By ARTESIA DAVIS, Guardian Senior Reporter, [e-mail]

The fraud case against Wilfred Swain, accused of having a fake ballot during last year's general election, failed to proceed yesterday.

Swain was not present when Magistrate Susan Sylvester called the case. His lawyer, Ian Cargill, said that persons were trying to contact Swain, who had not been informed of the adjourn date. The matter was adjourned to 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

But Swain showed up to court after the matter had been rescheduled.

The case against him began last October, but failed to continue in November when he did not appear for the case. Cargill told the court that Swain was receiving treatment for food poisoning at hospital. Magistrate Sylvester issued a warrant for his arrest, pending verification that he was unable to attend court.

http://www.thenassauguardian.net/national_local/325161026611663.php

[Mnemosyne]

13. Uganda: Right to Ban Vote Thieves

Uganda: Right to Ban Vote Thieves

The Monitor (Kampala)

EDITORIAL
25 April 2008
Posted to the web 24 April 2008

During their annual conference which opened on Monday, the judges recommended that any candidate convicted of election fraud should be barred from parliament and from standing for elections for five years.

It's a wonderful proposal and all other arms of government should give it support. The recommendation, if adopted into law, will promote democracy, discourage election rigging and generally smoothen our electoral process. It's a measure of a civilised society.

However the recommendation should not only be restricted to MPs. It should be extended to all leaders including LC5 members and downwards to at least the LC3. These leaders control big budgets, which should be controlled by people of integrity.

A candidate who wins an election through fraudulent means is devoid of such integrity and therefore unfit to control public funds or resources. If a person can rig the election, there is no reason why he/she cannot embezzle public resources under his/her trust.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200804241109.html

[Mnemosyne]

14. UK: Four men held over election probe

Four men held over election probe

Four men have been arrested and bailed as a result of a hearing into suspected election fraud in a Berkshire town.

The hearing, at Slough Town Hall on 18 March, was held by the council in connection with the May 2007 elections for Slough Central ward, police said.

The men, aged 30 to 50, were detained on Wednesday on suspicion of perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice. All have been bailed.

Police said the arrests relate to matters arising from the hearing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/berkshire/7363858.stm

[Mnemosyne]

15. Nigeria: 'How to Curb Electoral Fraud'

Nigeria: 'How to Curb Electoral Fraud'

This Day (Lagos)

25 April 2008
Posted to the web 25 April 2008

Sheriff Balogun
Lagos

A Non-Governmental Organisation, CLEEN Foundation, has advocated provision of arms to policemen, to curb electoral fraud in 2011.

CLEEN Executive Director, Mr Innocent Chukwuma, said this in Lagos yesterday, after its assessment of April 2007 election, adding that civic education and training of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials are major issues that demand attention.

Represented by Mrs Blessing Kadir, Chukwuma said community mobilisation, barring violent politicians from contesting, deployement of soldiers to polling stations among others, were also suggested as a means of curbing electoral fraud.

Project Consultant, Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu, while giving summary of the outcome of the post-election survey, said the objectives was to obtain information regarding respondents' views about the conduct of 2007 elections, and to tap their recommendations for improving credibility of future election.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200804250205.html

[Peace Patriot]

17. Bolivia: Illegal Autonomy Referendum Deepens Division in Bolivia

Illegal Autonomy Referendum Deepens Division in Bolivia
Written by the Andean Information Network
Friday, 25 April 2008
Source: Andean Information Network

Santa Cruz and the other lowland departments of Bolivia plan to go ahead with a referendum to approve autonomy statutes, setting a new system of government for the department on May 4th, in spite of the National Electoral Court ruling forbidding the referendum and the disapproval of the international community. Speculation and tension continue to soar and the potential for conflict and even violence is high. Santa Cruz regional elites argue that the national constitutional draft, which was nominally approved in December of 2007, primarily by MAS delegates, is illegal and invalid. The Morales administration claims that the vote on autonomy statutes is illegal because the new constitution already includes a process for departmental, regional, municipal and indigenous governments to obtain autonomy.

National Electoral Court Brakes Race for Referendums

In February 2008, lowland departmental leaders and the Morales administration began a breakneck race to convoke referendums to approve the national constitution, and departmental equivalents, autonomy statutes, in an effort to block each others’ initiatives. As tensions grew the president of the National Electoral Court ruled that none of the initiatives had a sufficient legal mandate, and put them on hold indefinitely, “until there is a law to convoke them. Furthermore, we mandate that this law must respect the 90 day minimum planning period... We advocate that the departmental governors cannot convoke referendums on autonomy statutes. This is the responsibility of Congress and Departmental Electoral Courts cannot mandate referendums, it is the National Electoral Court’s job.” <1>

Although the MAS government accepted the ruling and canceled the national referendum to approve the constitution, three departmental governments refused to comply and continue to plan referendums. Santa Cruz forged ahead with plans to approve its autonomy statutes in violation of several laws. Legally, departments that voted for autonomy in 2006 must wait for the approval of the new constitution to set guidelines before approving statutes. <2> Furthermore, Bolivian law requires that the Constitutional Tribunal, currently not functioning because of a lack of quorum, must rule that the question presented in a referendum is constitutional. (MORE)

http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/1251/1

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Bolivia Government Freezes Separatist Santa Cruz Province Accounts

Bolivia Government Freezes Separatist Santa Cruz Province Accounts
04-25-081047ET

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AFP)--A crisis that threatens to split Bolivia has worsened, with the government freezing the accounts of the eastern province of Santa Cruz just days before the territory holds a referendum on whether to declare autonomy.
(snip)

Arce said the government froze the accounts holding tax revenue for Santa Cruz because the province disconnected itself from a nationwide government computer system that tracked municipal spending and receipts.

(SNIP)
The government also accused the U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, Philip Goldberg, of siding with the rebel provinces.

"Ambassador Philip Goldberg has unveiled an agenda more political than diplomatic in Bolivia, and this agenda is linked to opponents of the current government," Interior Minister Alfredo Rada said.

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080425%5CACQDJON200804251047DOWJONESDJONLINE000771.htm&&mypage=newsheadlines&title=Bolivia%20Government%20Freezes%20Separatist%20Santa%20Cruz%20Province%20Accounts

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See Judi Lynn's thread and DU discussion...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3284004

[Mnemosyne]

16. Need to leave, may be back later. n/t