Article: 'Daily Voting News' For March 16, 2007

Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org In an article in OpEdNews Teresa Hommel calls voters to action and asks that HR-811 be amended to correct problems. She identifies a couple problems with the worst being: "In response to growing national demand for paper ballots, HR811 defines a "voter-verified paper trail" from an electronic voting machine as a paper ballot! But nobody counts the votes on the paper trail to get election results. No law requires the paper trail to be counted completely (for example, New York law requires only 3% spot-check). HR811 would cause endless problems and confusion with state election laws where the term "ballot" means a voter-marked paper ballot. The "thing" that would be defined as a ballot in federal law would not have to be counted, according to most state laws, to determine election results." That seems pretty clear and is just one more reason that HR-811 must be amended. ...

NAtional: ACTION ALERT! Amend HR811--contact your members of Congress ASAP LINK

NAtional: Listen to the Handicapped Voter... LINK

NAtional: ACLU and Disability Law Center Applaud Secretary Galvin's Decision on New Voting Technology LINK

NAtional: Ballot Bonanza The first big survey of voter ID requirements-and its surprising findings. LINK

CO: Coffman's Mission: Protect The Right To Vote LINK

CO: Montrose County - Coffman: Montrose can fix voting woes LINK

FL: Palm Beach County - Tech firm withstands Palm Beach vote upset LINK

FL: Sarasota County - Stunning News on the Fiasco Surrounding the November Election in Florida's 13th Congressional District LINK

FL: Sarasota County - 'Smoking gun' or minor problem? The elections chief downplays memo on voting issues, but an attorney sees something else. LINK

FL: Sarasota County - Probe sought into disputed Sarasota race Congressional Democrats called for an investigation into the disputed Sarasota congressional race, decided by 369 votes among tens of thousands of undervotes. LINK

FL: Sarasota County - Lawmaker requests hearing on D-13 votes LINK

FL: Sarasota County - Ehlers rebuffs Democrats on Fla.-13 LINK

FL: Sarasota County - Sarasota voting machines tested LINK

FL: Sarasota County - Elections supervisor may face congressional inquiry LINK

MS: Clark testifies in Washington on Miss. voting LINK

NY: New York City Change To Optical Scan Elections: Not the answer, but getting closer LINK

PA: Lancaster County - Commissioner race: who comes first LINK

PA: Northampton County - Voting machines not state certified They weren't checked after software change. But official says they were federally certified. LINK

VT: Study: Runoff voting could increase cost of elections LINK

**"Daily Voting News" is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in "Daily Voting News" may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or OpEdNews.Com**