'Daily Voting News' For October 07, 2008

 

Several days ago, in this space, we recommended that voters who have the ability to vote “straight party” do not exercise that right. Yes, it is easier because all you have to do is mark one box on the ballot for the top-of-the-ticket votes are all taken care of for you. However, consider this. In North Carolina (and South Carolina also) the “straight party” vote does NOT include President. According to the first “Featured” article [below] ballots in North Carolina have the following words: “A Straight Party vote is a vote for all candidates of that party in partisan offices. Individual partisan office ions are not necessary if you a Straight Party below.” What the ballot doesn’t tell you is that this does not include President. How many thousand of voters will vote straight-party but not for President in North and South Carolina?

 

In our second “Featured” article we learn another good reason not to vote straight party. New Mexico is one of the states that allows straight party voting, including the presidential race. However, if the ballots are not properly programmed and a thorough pre-election testing is accomplished there is no telling what may be the result of voting straight party. Voters should not take a chance that the county has tested thoroughly. Voters should not take a chance that their machine may not even register straight party votes for their party while it does for the other party. Don’t trust them. Forego the “straight party” ion and pick each candidate individually.

 

The straight party states are: North Carolina, South Carolina, New Mexico, Utah, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia, and Rhode Island.

 

Featured - NC: Straight-ticket omits presidential race

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/story/236903.html

 

Featured - NM: Santa Fe County - Officials find, fix glitch in NM voting machine

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g0pwlhR5UQq7kAn4WEALfq0VXc-AD93LJ4H00

 

National: Election 2008: Election Law (and How They Break It)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/10/05/DI2008100502672.html

 

National: Hack-a-vote: Students at Rice learn how vulnerable electronic voting really is

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/10/07/hack.a.vote.students.rice.learn.how.vulnerable.electronic.voting.really

 

National: Fears over US electronic voting machine fraud

As the Presidential election nears, Texan students learn how to rig votes

http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/new-fears-over-us-electronic-voting-machine-fraud-474105

 

National: Democratic Election Protection Strategy's Missing Link: Electronic Vote Counts

http://www.alternet.org/democracy/101823/democratic_election_protection_strategy%27s_missing_link:_electronic_vote_counts/

 

National: E-voting issues stir in advance of November elections

http://www.betanews.com/article/Evoting_issues_stir_in_advance_of_November_elections/1223347775

 

National: Voter Rolls Grow As States Help Poor People Register

http://www.alternet.org/democracy/101990/voter_rolls_grow_as_states_help_poor_people_register/

 

AZ: Tucson - Disabled vet claims city kept him from voting

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/10/ap_votingsuit_100708/

 

CA: I Just Prevented Thousands of Californians from Having to Vote on Provisional Ballots!

http://www.opednews.com/articles/I-Just-Prevented-Thousands-by-Emily-Levy-081006-461.html

 

CA: Don't foreclose the vote

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/06/EDN613CARI.DTL

 

CA: San Francisco County - S.F. turnout on election day to be huge

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/07/BA3313CAIT.DTL&tsp=1

 

CO: Is Colorado the next Florida?

Watchdogs worry huge turn-out and a new untested voter database could spell disaster on Election Day

http://coloradoindependent.com/10539/is-colorado-the-next-florida-the-performance-of-a-new-voter-database-will-tell

 

CT: New machines offer voters advantages, challenges

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20153915&BRD=1630&PAG=461&dept_id=7742&rfi=6

 

FL: Hillsborough County - Hillsborough elections supervisor's mass mailing criticized

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/article841655.ece

 

IA: Carroll County - County approves contract for new voting machines

http://www.carrollspaper.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=6822&TM=53237.1

 

IN: Lake County - Judge orders opening of early voting sites despite hearing

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/1205956,lcvote.article

 

MI: Clerks' offices swamped with voters-to-be

Registration deadline was Monday

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081007/NEWS15/810070358

 

MT: Montana Registration Challenges Are Error-Prone

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0810/S00128.htm

 

MT: Suit filed to stop vote challenges

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/10/07/news/local/news02.txt

 

MT: Dems challenge claim that 6,000 Montanans aren’t eligible to vote

http://www.montanakaimin.com/index.php/news/news_article/dems_challenge_claim_that_6000_montanans_arent_eligible_to_vote/2974

 

MT: GOP registration challenge frustrates voters, officials

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081004/NEWS01/810040302

 

NJ: Report on voting machines at issue

Analyst wants results released to public

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1223352931205580.xml&coll=1

 

NM: Bernalillo County - New voters' ballots could be thrown out

http://media.www.dailylobo.com/media/storage/paper344/news/2008/10/07/News/New-Voters.Ballots.Could.Be.Thrown.Out-3473497.shtml

 

OH: Window came as surprise to Ohio GOP

http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?SectionID=42&SubSectionID=201&ArticleID=169947&TM=31864.27

 

OH: Ohio GOP sues over voter ID discrepancies

http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081007/UPDATES01/81007015

 

OH: Come To Ohio! What We Can Learn From 2004 - And What We Can Do In 2008

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sandi-dubowski/come-to-ohio-what-we-can_b_132581.html

 

OH: Licking County - Some enjoy convenience of early balloting; others see disadvantages

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20081007/NEWS03/810070303

 

OH: Putnam County - Ohio county fires election director

http://www.ohio.com/news/ap?articleID=891904&c=y

 

PA: Bucks County - Bucks awaits voting figures, machine count

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-10072008-1601911.html

 

PA: Bucks County - Voting deadline draws last-minute registrations

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-10072008-1601921.html

 

SC: Beaufort County - Voting machine snafu hits county

http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local/story/577608.html

 

SC: Beaufort County - Ballot machines for early voting down again today

http://www.islandpacket.com/front/story/631679.html

 

TN: Officials: It's too late to change ballot

U.S. District Court in Nashville to hear Kurita's case Friday

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20081007/NEWS03/810070339

 

UT: Salt Lake County needs more poll workers and voting machines

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4456306

 

VA: Virginians meet registration deadline in droves

http://www.myfoxhamptonroads.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7591235&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

 

WA: Outdated, Arcane Laws Disenfranchising Voters in Seattle

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patty-cogen/outdated-arcane-laws-dise_b_132192.html

 

WI: Legal Center Opposes Voter Roll Purges in Wisconsin Lawsuit

http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/press-3397.html

 

**Articles and commentary included in “Daily Voting News” may not all reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or its allied organizations. The articles are all included for the information of the subscribers of “Daily Voting News” though we realize that the subscribers may not agree with the opinions given in all articles or in the commentary**

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