"How can Florida, North Carolina and so many other states already have op scan, but we can't do it here in Maryland?" ~ Gail Ewing of Potomac is a retired at-large Montgomery CO. Council member. The answer is - Linda Lamone. Maryland had the money to buy the optical scanners back in 2006. Then Governor Ehrlich allocated $28.5 million for optical-scanners in March 2006. But State Election Chief Linda Lamone spent the money on Diebold electronic poll books instead, causing nothing but problems for judges when the poll books malfunctioned. Lamone was later censured by the next Governor O' Malley for allowing Diebold to use her picture and endorsement in sales literature featuring the poll books.
All this and more in today's voting news below.... (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
AK: Lessmann resigns from election commission
http://thecabin.net/news/local/2010-03-12/lessmann-resigns-election-commission
In a second news release issued by Lessmann on Friday, he calls for the resignation of Faulkner County Clerk Melinda Reynolds, stating that, "He felt (Reynolds') admission of violation of election laws relative to absence ballots (left him with) no choice," and that, "Her partisan politics have driven his decisions."
AZ: Official: Voters Given Wrong Ballot *
http://www.kpho.com/news/22804460/detail.html
http://bit.ly/ctnUlL
CA: Proposal would divert funding for voter education
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14658959
"...we question whether Oakland should be spending extra money on a separate voter education effort," (League of Women Voters opposing)
CA: Spanjian Exits District 8 Race Who Benefits?
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=7903#more
But Prozan's success depends largely on how much District 8 voters use Ranked Choice Voting. It's easy to see Prozan and Wiener split the "moderate" vote with Mandelman squeaking ahead, but enough voters casting a second-choice vote for the same candidate could upend the conventional wisdom.
CO: Ballot brouhaha
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/139658
Why has the city been so aggressively holding back anonymous May 5 images of ballots?
CO: Letter to Aspen City Council regarding Dismissal of Marks v. Koch and attached letter to editor http://bit.ly/dfv4Mb Harvie Branscomb
CO: Be mindful when voting
http://bit.ly/8YiJNY
If a citizen receives a mail ballot, he or she must use that ballot to vote
IN: Bill to continue vote centers hits snag
Amendment could bring down measure to keep 3-county pilot program going
http://www.pal-item.com/article/20100311/NEWS01/3110305/1008
KY: Kentucky's Disturbing Disenfranchisement Numbers
http://bit.ly/aQEu18
A new report by the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights finds that nearly one-in-four African Americans has lost the right to vote in Kentucky.
MD: Gail Ewing: Accountable voting put on hold
http://www.gazette.net/stories/03122010/policol175947_32553.php
Op scan advocates such as Rebecca Wilson, co-founder of Save Our Votes, cry foul, saying the state Board of Elections "low-balled the cost of keeping the touch screens and overestimated the costs for op scan" for the governor last fall. They purport that bringing the new system on board actually would cost less than keeping the touch screens...
MI: Court: Voting rolls are public record
http://www.record-eagle.com/statenews/local_story_070072546.html
The Michigan secretary of state's office can't refuse to show individual voting records from the state's 2008 presidential primary to an East Lansing political consultant or anyone else, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.
MS: Senate OKs bill allowing felons to clear records
http://bit.ly/904Xpd
NC: N.C. Supreme Court will hear historic Libertarian ballot access lawsuit
http://bit.ly/aqhTAL
