All this and more in today's voting news below...
AL: Ex-clerk guilty in voter fraud case*(absentee ballot)
Former Hale County official could spend up to a year in jail
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100839921/1007?Title=Ex-clerk-guilty-in-voter-fraud-case
Before Bryan, Tinker -- through her attorney -- admitted to falsely certifying the absentee ballots of five voters. The ballots, her attorney said, were notarized by her despite inconsistencies in signatures and spelling.
CA: RivCo and Postal Service near agreement to prevent election snafu(mail ballots)
http://www.swrnn.com/southwest-riverside/2010-08-31/news/rivco-and-postal-service-near-agreement-to-prevent-election-snafu Registrar of Voters Barbara Dunmore and the USPS regional district manager, Dallas Keck, have reached a tentative understanding as to how absentee ballots will be handled in the weeks and days leading up to the Nov. 2 general election, according to Executive Officer Bill Luna.
http://www.lodinews.com/news/article_719096da-59e7-5da5-afa0-09ad0c69c300.html
County officials are exploring the idea of a vote-by-mail-only system because it could save the county considerable money, Registrar of Voters Austin Erdman told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
Co: Most counties deny Marks à ‚¬ ¨ballot inspection
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/142266 According to a statement released by a group advocating for disclosure of ballots, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Robert Balink supports public disclosure of ballots as a crucial oversight mechanism.
CO: Repeal Instant Runoff Voting(LTE)
http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/letter-editor/142277
Richie argues that IRV produces 50 percent-plus winners for city council while the proposed traditional runoff requires only 45 percent support. Look at 2009 reality, not theory: 2,510 voters voted in the council race. Torre won with 1073 votes, or 42.7 percent of the 2,510, while Derek Johnson won with 49 percent.
DC: Voting Card Error Affects 7,500 Voters*
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/voting-101986473.html
The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics announced that a barcode error printed on voter cards affected 7,579 people, the AP reports. Though the voter card is not necessary to vote, the barcode speeds up the voting process.
FL: Class Action Lawsuit Being Filed Against Sarasota Supervisor of Elections?
http://redcounty.com/content/class-action-lawsuit-being-filed-against-sarasota-supervisor-elections(Kathy Dent again)
FL: Return to controversy(Sarasota SoE Kathy Dent)
Recount dispute shows elections are still subject to human error
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100901/OPINION/9011018/2198/OPINION&tc=email_newsletter?p=1&tc=pg
Dent, now in her third term of office, has known her share of controversies. Among them: She once championed touch-screen election machines that later were outlawed. She waged (and won) a legal battle against a voter-approved requirement for manual, post-election audits. In 2008, her office failed to quickly notify candidates whose names inadvertently had been left off several dozen absentee ballots.
GA: State election board sends Temple voter case to AG
http://www.times-georgian.com/view/full_story/9339940/article-State-election-board-sends-Temple-voter-case-to-AG?instance=TG_home_story_offset
IL: Preparing The Ballot This Year
http://blog.champaigncountyclerk.com/2010/08/31/preparing-the-ballot-this-year/
Champaign County Clerk...A few things have changed in the election law that are making the job of preparing ballots a little easier. At the same time, the number of referenda on the ballot is adding some complications.
Last year Congress passed legislation that requires military ballots to go out at least 45 days prior to the election. In the past, that was a goal of ours, but often one that we couldn't meet because of the certification date for state candidates. Thankfully, the legislature amended the Election Code to move that certification date.
MA: County clerk lays blame for ballot snafu*
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100901/NEWS/9010308/-1/newsmap Barnstable County Clerk of Courts Scott Nickerson has blamed a lack of money to pay for election work as one of the reasons five candidates were left off the Nov. 2 ballot.
Nickerson also said an unnamed county employee he trained to cover election work in his absence gave out wrong information.
ME: Secretary of State Matt Dunlap Announces Launch of Enhanced Online Absentee Ballot Request Servicehttp://eon.businesswire.com/portal/site/eon/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100818005280&newsLang=en
Absentee Ballot Request Service Enhanced to Comply with the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act Enacted by Congress
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