'Daily Voting News' for May 13, 2009

Concerns about military and overseas voters headline the national voting news. Senator Schumer held a hearing to discuss a report showing that, in 2008, nearly one-fourth of the absentee ballots requested by these voters (1) were undeliverable, (2) weren't returned to the local elections office, or (3) were rejected due to a missing signature or failure to notarize. The report says these voters were disenfranchised but fails to mention that high percentages of absentee ballots sent to ordinary citizens go uncounted for the same reasons. Senators Inhofe and Cornyn are re-introducing a bill they hope will help military and overseas voters return their ballots to their local officials in a timely manner, while ensuring the privacy and secrecy of the ballots.

On a more local note: A voter registration database error assigned 12 voters in a Mississippi Democratic primary to the wrong Wards. With only a 2-vote margin between the two candidates in one of the Wards, the result of valid votes couldn't be determined, and the party decided to hold a re-vote, which flipped the outcome....

Published by VotersUnite.Org
Ellen Theisen, Director and Managing Editor
Dave Klein, Editor
John Washburn, Editor

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**Articles and commentary included in "Daily Voting News" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of Daily Voting News, VotersUnite.Org, or OpEdNews.Com. Articles are selected for inclusion to inform subscribers' ability to draw their own conclusions based on noteworthy and credible news, research, legislation, and debate bearing on the integrity of elections.**