'Daily Voting News' For January 14, 2008

 

VotersUnite Co-Executive Director Ellen Theisen called Kerry Asbridge, Hancock Co Illinois County Clerk, in regards to a news report from late last week that Mr. Asbridge had requested the DoJ to investigate the deceptive business practices of ES&S.

 

Asbridge spoke openly about how ES&S has treated his county; words that have been spoken previously by election officials across the country.

 

Ellen reports this from her conversation with Asbridge:

 

"The county, for years, sent their ballot information to ES&S on paper. Last year, the vendor told them they wanted it in Excel in a specific format. So, last November, the county sent it to ES&S as requested for this coming election. A week before Christmas, ES&S contacted them, said they had changed the format and **for a fee** would convert the data for them. The county resubmitted it themselves in the new format. Then a couple of weeks ago ... a repeat. New format, and for a fee ES&S would convert it."

 

How many other counties across the nation have had to face the same business practices from a vendor that has been called “arrogant” and, as one retiring Arkansas election official pointed out last year, they “lack competency to make their equipment work timely and effectively. They ... make a difficult job impossible to do. They can’t spell, meet deadlines, send documents to the right address or code elections correctly. They leave races off the ballot for us to correct, they can’t program their software to work and you have to hand add the results. And they don’t return phone calls. The ES&S people in Arkansas are capable but the people I have dealt with in the home office in Omaha prevent them from being effective. They are also mean-spirited when you try to get them to correct the numerous and recurring errors.”

 

NAtional: An Easy And Visible Exit Poll To Assure a True Vote!

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_kathryn__080113_an_easy_and_visible_.htm

 

NAtional: Eternal Vigilance: Not Just for Founding Fathers Anymore

Or, Counting Voters' Ballots in American Elections, and Other 'Conspiracy Theories'

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5542

 

NAtional: Citizens Launch Free and Fair Elections Amendment Caucus Push

http://www.expertclick.com/NewsReleaseWire/default.cfm?Action=ReleaseDetail&ID=19602

 

NAtional: Voters respond favorably to touch screen voting equipment

http://www.physorg.com/news119546670.html

 

CO: Editorial - No chads

http://www.chieftain.com/editorial/1200291065/2

 

CO: State Dem leader: Coffman needs to go

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jan/14/state-dem-leader-coffman-needs-go/

 

FL: Broward County - Glitch mars early voting in Hollywood

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-114hollywood,0,6898227.story

 

MD: State task force seeks to fix voting flaws before they surface again

http://www.mddailyrecord.com/article.cfm?id=3986&type=UTTM

 

NC: Opinion - Worrisome realities mar instant runoff

http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/columns/story/878423.html

 

NH: Was the New Hampshire vote stolen?

http://machinist.salon.com/feature/2008/01/11/new_hampshire_vote/

 

NH: Editorial - Recounts good test of voting integrity

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080114/OPINION01/609682470/-1/opinion

 

NH: Guest Editorial: Live Free or Diebold

http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Guest_Editorial_Live_Free_or_Diebold_5264.html

 

NH: E-Votes Are Non-Votes

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_jack_dug_080114_e_votes_are_non_vote.htm

 

NJ: Governor Signs Popular N.J. Vote Measure

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/01/14/ap4526772.html

 

NJ: No paper trail for Feb. 5 primary

http://www.myheraldnews.com/view.html?type=stories&action=detail&sub_id=24564

 

NY: Sullivan County - Sullivan election officials having HAVA headaches

http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/SCL_HAVA-14Jan08.html

 

OH: Voting change: Have your say Jan. 22

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080114/NEWS01/301140058

 

OH: Q&A: Ohio secretary of state looks anew at e-voting

Jennifer Brunner discusses how her state tackled EVEREST

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9056799

 

OH: Election changeover difficulties faced

http://zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080114/UPDATES01/80114017/1002/NEWS01

 

OH: GOP to privately meet on Democrat’s voting proposal

http://www.timesreporter.com/index.php?ID=77994&r=0

 

OH: Geauga County - Officials back optical scan

http://www.news-herald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19194945&BRD=1698&PAG=461&dept_id=21849&rfi=6

 

RI: R.I. Elections Director Proposes Photo Ban at Polling Places

http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7620432&nav=F2DO

 

TN: Editorial - The real right choice: Opti-scan machines way to go for elections

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19195438&BRD=1211&PAG=461&dept_id=169692&rfi=6

 

TN: Hamilton County - County example in tracking voters

http://www.timesfreepress.com/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?articleid=28300&zoneid=77

 

TN: Sevier County - Judge rules against candidate requesting paper ballots

http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=53477

 

UT: Utah lawmaker seeks to ban corporate logos at voting sites

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7968814

 

VoterID: Editorial - Indulgence for the 'fraud' squad

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/01/14/indulgence_for_the_fraud_squad/

 

VoterID: Editorial - Right to vote is absolute

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080114/OPINION02/801140307

 

VoterID: Editorial - Politics should not affect voter ID requirements

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20080114/NEWS/294714744/1027/EDITORIAL

 

VoterID: Editorial - States need guidance on voter ID laws

http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/378562.html

 

VoterID: Editorial - Strike down Indiana's voter ID requirement

http://www.reporter-times.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=95224&format=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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