Archive for the ‘voting’ tag
Felon voting disenfranchisement, BEST-OF: Sarah Silverman, Regina Spektor, Matt Taibbi at Citizen Radio Live
Listen to the new/best-of episode of Citizen Radio and subscribe to the free podcast.
Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) brings you a great field piece about felon voting disenfranchisement, plus a BEST-OF Citizen Radio: Citizen Radio Live! with Sarah Silverman, Regina Spektor, and Matt Taibbi (originally aired 3/18/11).
Citizen Radio is a member-supported show. Visit wearecitizenradio.com to sign up and support media that won’t lead you to war!
New poll paints ugly 2010 picture
President Obama meets with members of his administration in the Situation Room. (Pete Souza/the White House Via Associated Press)
Crikey. Check out this poll over at Daily Kos. Particularly, this bit:
But a bigger indicator of peril comes from a new survey question added the DK tracking poll for the first time this week. The poll now includes a rather simple indicator of baseline voter enthusiasm for the year 2010. The question offered to respondents is a simple question about their intentions for 2010:
QUESTION: In the 2010 Congressional elections will you definitely vote, probably vote, not likely vote, or definitely will not vote?
The results were, to put it mildly, shocking:
Voter Intensity: Definitely + Probably Voting/Not Likely + Not Voting
Republican Voters: 81/14
Independent Voters: 65/23
DEMOCRATIC VOTERS: 56/40Two in five Democratic voters either consider themselves unlikely to vote at this point in time, or have already made the firm decision to remove themselves from the 2010 electorate pool. Indeed, Democrats were three times more likely to say that they will “definitely not vote” in 2010 than are Republicans.
Uphold the Voting Rights Act
Some people claim that Barack Obama’s election has ushered in a “postracial” America, but the truth is that race, and racial discrimination, are still very much with us. The Supreme Court should keep this reality in mind when it considers a challenge to an important part of the Voting Rights Act that it recently agreed to hear. The act is constitutional — and clearly still needed.
Section 5, often called the heart of the Voting Rights Act, requires some states and smaller jurisdictions to “preclear” new voting rules with the Justice Department or a federal court. When they do, they have to show that the proposed change does not have the purpose or effect of discriminating against minority voters.
When Congress enacted Section 5 in 1965, officials in the South were creating all kinds of rules to stop blacks from voting or being elected to office. Discrimination against minority voters may not be as blatant as it was then, but it still exists. District lines are drawn to prevent minorities from winning; polling places are located in places hard for minority voters to get to; voter ID requirements are imposed with the purpose of suppressing the minority vote.
After holding lengthy hearings to document why the Voting Rights Act was still needed, Congress reauthorized it in 2006 with votes of 98 to 0 in the Senate and 390 to 33 in the House. Now, a municipal utility district in Texas that is covered by Section 5 is arguing that it is unconstitutional, and that it imposes too many burdens on jurisdictions covered by it.
If the Supreme Court — which is expected to hear arguments in the case this spring — strikes down Section 5, it would be breaking radically with its own precedents. The court has repeatedly upheld the Voting Rights Act against challenges, and as recently as 2006 it ruled that complying with Section 5 is a compelling state interest. It would also be an extreme case of conservative judicial activism, since the 14th and 15th Amendments expressly authorize Congress to enact laws of this sort to prevent discrimination in voting.
A perennial criticism of Section 5 is that it covers jurisdictions it should not, or fails to cover ones it should. There is no way to construct a perfect list, but Congress has done a reasonable job of drawing up the criteria, and it has built flexibility into the act. Jurisdictions are allowed to “bail out” if they can show that they no longer need to be covered, and courts can add new jurisdictions if they need to be covered.
In last fall’s election, despite his strong national margin of victory — and hefty campaign chest — Mr. Obama got only about one in five white votes in the Southern states wholly or partly covered by Section 5. And there is every reason to believe that minority voters will continue to face obstacles at the polls.
If Section 5 is struck down, states and localities would have far more freedom to erect barriers for minority voters — and there is little doubt that some would do just that. We have not arrived at the day when special protections like the Voting Rights Act are not needed.
Help Georgia and Minnesota Democrats
In Georgia, a run-off is scheduled for December 2nd between State Representative Jim Martin and Senator Saxby Chambliss. We need to raise money for the run-off campaign. Voting started today so we need to get busy. Victory Fund limit is $12,300. To contribute to this race, go to http://www.actblue.com/page/senatepostseason and click on Martin. 
In Minnesota, about 206 votes separate Norm Coleman and Al Franken out of 2.88 million cast. We need money to pay for canvassers, lawyers and training recount volunteers. They trained 1,000 people this weekend but still need more. To contribute to the recount, go to http://www.actblue.com/page/senatepostseason and click on Franken. The limit for the recount is $12,300 per person. $100,000 Reward For Election Rigging Information
Saxby Chambliss
Velvet Revolution (“VR”), a non-profit dedicated to clean and honest elections, today offers a $100,000 reward for hard information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person or persons who helped to rig the 2002 Senate race in Georgia in favor of Saxby Chambliss. That election pitted the war hero Max Cleland, a popular incumbent, against far-right novice Saxby Chambliss. The pre-election polls showed Cleland with a comfortable lead–and yet Chambliss “won” by a wide margin.
To date, the truth behind that upset “victory” (and the equally surprising win by Sonny Perdue, the rightist candidate for governor) has been confirmed by three different whistle-blowers–including Chris Hood, who worked for Diebold in 2002.
Join November5.org and Create Real Change
Update from Nov5:
We are off to a great start. In the 5 days since we launched November5.org, nearly 10,000 of you have signed up for this effort!
Getting our country back on track by using the leverage we can exert over Congress is an approach that naturally fits with third party and independent voters, as well as many who voted for Democrats and Republicans. Millions of us realize that we must now put our shoulders to the wheel of justice and push harder than ever.
If we all move fast to get our friends and family involved, we could have 1000 active and organized citizens in each Congressional district in 2009. To do this, we need you to encourage people to sign up today by forwarding this link: www.november5.org.
Remember to emphasize to others that what will make November5 different from many other similar efforts is that we will have no allegiance to any political party. We want to create a non-partisan mechanism to get problems solved. Action will result when members of Congress hear loud and clear from their constituents back home. This will not be about raising big money for expensive television ads during the Super Bowl. It will involve using tried and true organizing techniques – and all the local creativity we can muster – to make sure that our Representatives respond to our voices, district by district, person by person.
We want to focus on the victories – big and small – that we can achieve. Too much citizen advocacy involves sending emails or letters to Washington, D.C. We need a return to raising our voices on the ground “back home,” where Congressional elections are decided.
High on our list is a plan to pass privately-delivered, publicly-funded health care. This approach would save hundreds of billions of dollars over the current for-profit system, enough to provide coverage for every American. After all, how can you be civically active if you are worried about your health care? Many organizations do great work on this issue (see Physicians for a National Health Program), but there is a need for much more citizen muscle behind it. That’s where we’ll come in.
Other issues we are looking at include: new regulation of Wall Street, a $10 living wage, the elimination of unnecessary weapons systems that cost tens of billions, a strong drive for investment in solar, wind, and conservation – against coal and nuclear – and a federal law requiring paper ballots and establishing uniform rules for ballot access for all candidates.
Soon, we will email you with more details on how this website will enable you to organize in your district, and on how we will keep building November5 in the coming weeks.
Now, though, it all comes down to getting all of the people who agree with the basic approach of shifting our focus to Congress in 2009 signed up for November5. This is the critical building phase and we all have to do everything we can to get the word out.
Onward for Justice,
The November5 Team
- Join our Facebook/MySpace Group - Click Here
- Send our website to interested friends - http://www.november5.org
- Find out who your congressperson is - http://www.house.gov
- Blog about us! – Trackback to http://www.november5.org
Reports of Vote-Flipping Widespread
Despite an Obama victory, there are numerous reports of vote-flipping.
From John Gideon:
Today we have reports that ES&S software actually flipped votes in three races at one polling place in Crawford Co Kansas. We also have reports that ES&S software incorrectly reported results in one race in Polk Co North Carolina.
The long count of votes in Hillsborough Co Florida seems to be over with the blame for problems being put, where else, on “human error”. It seems that Premier/Diebold had warned Florida users of their high-speed OSX voting machines that those machines could not take a high-volume of ballots without bogging down and causing problems. Hillsborough ignored that warning. However, why would a vendor put out a system for use in elections that cannot be used in a high-volume of ballots. King Co. Washington wanted badly to use that system. If they had it would have been a disaster.
National: Push to Expand Voter Rolls and Early Balloting in U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/us/politics/07voting.html?hp
National: Election gives early-balloting initiatives a boost
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-11-06-voting_N.htm
National: Election-Day Problems — Part Deux
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/11/election-day-pr.html
CA: Election Night traffic slowed Secretary of State’s computers
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_adctlid=v|jq2q43wvsl855o|xj9ez54zy35esf&issueId=xj4ev62g1hdw61&xid=xj91sfkny7hmq4
FL: Leon County elections officials still counting votes; Boulware needs 158 for House 9 recount
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20081107/CAPITOLNEWS/81107011
FL: Hillsborough County - Two days after polls close, Johnson concedes Hillsborough elections supervisor race to Busansky ‘ [Diebold/Premier OSX optical-scan system]
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/article893690.ece
FL: Hillsborough County – Hillsborough election fixes up to Busansky
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/article893707.ece
FL: Hillsborough County - Human Error Suspected In Election Results Delay
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/nov/07/na-human-error-suspected-in-election-results-delay/news-politics/
FL: Hillsborough County – Ousted Johnson Still Blames Voting Machine Firm
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/nov/07/ousted-elections-supervisor-still-blames-voting-ma/news-politics/
FL: Hillsborough County – Editorial – Cleaning up after Johnson’s disaster
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article894912.ece
KS: Crawford County sees voting machine error
[ES&S ballot programming error that flipped votes in some local races]
http://www.morningsun.net/news/x1772937985/County-sees-voting-machine-error
KS: Machine error could affect Crawford County attorney race
http://www.joplinglobe.com/Campaigns_and_Politics/local_story_311233642.html?keyword=topstory
KS: Crawford County – Error comes from voting machine programming
Officials to test machines Saturday in Frontenac
http://www.morningsun.net/news/x635432391/Error-comes-from-voting-machine-programming
KS: Crawford County - Error in voting machine could affect four races
Officials to test machines Saturday in Frontenac
http://www.morningsun.net/kansas/x1772939006/Error-in-voting-machine-could-affect-four-races
IA: Plymouth County - Speedy ballot count? Result of paper voting machines
http://www.lemarssentinel.com/story/1476419.html
IN: Hamilton County - 350 Hamilton Co. ballots tossed after error
http://www.indystar.com/article/20081107/LOCAL0101/811070499
MN: Man will judge machine: scanner accuracy big in Senate race
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081107-man-will-judge-machine-scanner-accuracy-big-in-senate-race.html
MN: Coleman campaign questions big Franken gains
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/07/coleman_franken_recount/
MN: FAQ on the Senate recount
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/06/recount_faq/
NC: Polk County - Revised results give Democrats sweep in county board race
[ES&S incorrectly reported results]
http://tryondailybulletin.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1370&Itemid=192
NC: CD-5 – Goode Issues Statement on 5th District Race
http://www.wset.com/news/stories/1108/567963.html
NE: Douglas County – Thousands of early ballots arrive late
http://www.ashland-gazette.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20191610&BRD=2712&PAG=461&dept_id=556239&rfi=6
NY: [Governor] Paterson Seeks Voting Assessment
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/11/paterson-seeks-voting-assessme.html
NY: Electronic Voting Machines Still in Limbo
http://www.longislandpress.com/articles/news/541/
SC: Charleston County – Like old times
Voting glitches bring delays of yesteryear to mind
http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/nov/07/like_old_times60766/
TN: Tenn. will pay $25M for voting machines
State spent millions on paperless version less than five years ago
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20081107/NEWS0201/811070412/1009/NEWS01
TN: TN to spend $25M grant on voting machines
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/nov/07/tn-spend-25m-grant-voting-machines/
TX: Scanning paper ballots best election choice, study says
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/scanning_paper_ballots_best_election_choice__study_says_11-06-2008.html
VA: North Carolina early voting eliminated hassles
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/11/north-carolina-early-voting-eliminated-hassles
VA: Recount Fictions in Virginia’s Fifth
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/80324
VA: Goode cites ‘irregularities’ in reporting votes
http://www.thefranklinnewspost.com/article.cfm?ID=12261
WV: Release of returns delayed
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x766434407/Release-of-returns-delayed
GOP Continues to Steal Elections
This isn’t over yet.
From John Gideon:
As we suspected tabulation of ballots has revealed problems with voting systems from all of the vendors. Hillsborough Co Florida is rethinking their contract with Premier/Diebold for $6M after having big problems counting votes. Manatee Co Florida also had a problem with Premier. Palm Beach Co had bad memory cartridges from Sequoia. Counties in Pennsylvania and South Carolina had problems with their ES&S system. We also have a run-off for senator from Georgia and a recount for senator from Minnesota. This election will last for another month at least.
National: Malfunctioning Machines, Ballot Glitches, Election-Law Litigation — and a Busy Day for Lawyers
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202425803382
National: Voting Rights Watch: Relatively few e-voting problems, but GOP still readies for possible action
http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2008/11/voting-rights-watch-relatively-few-e.asp
AZ: Pima County: 10 precincts and number of early, provisional ballots still uncounted
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/265824.php
CA: Santa Cruz County - Vandals hit Santa Cruz County polling places, campaign offices
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_10904483
FL: Hillsborough County - Count Resumes With Hillsborough Elections Chief Race In Limbo
[Johnson said Premier, which he hired for $6 million this year, was dishonest with him and at fault for much of Tuesday's problems with voting machines.]
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/nov/05/051256/state-monitoring-hillsboroughs-tight-elections-chi/news-politics/
FL: Hillsborough results tied up by software glitch
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7794805&version=10&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
FL: Hillsborough vote count likely to continue until Thursday
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=93568&catid=8
FL: Count Resumes With Hillsborough Elections Chief Race In Limbo [Diebold/Premier admits the system was bogged down and stalled due to overload]
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/nov/05/051711/state-monitoring-hillsboroughs-tight-elections-chi/news-politics/
FL: Manatee County - Manatee solves vote-counting problem [Premier/Diebold]
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081105/BREAKING/811050262?Title=Still_no_solution_to_vote_counting_woes_in_Manatee_County
FL: Manatee County – Small glitch causes big problems in Manatee
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7798848&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
FL: Palm Beach County vote results still incomplete [Bad Sequoia memory cartridges]
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/11/05/1105stillcounting.html
GA: The OTHER Election Night Story in Georgia: No Early Votes Included in Reported Results
http://savdailynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=19&ArticleID=20488
GA: Chambliss and Martin prepare for another four weeks
http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=9300183&nav=menu37_2
GA: Gwinnett County - Gwinnett Officials Still Counting Ballots Day After Election
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7797006&version=4&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
KY: Kenton Co. Judge Rules For Vote Recount
http://www.kypost.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=ba97601c-a01a-431e-a8ac-acc0d2bc399e
KY: Madison County - Local turnout heavy as computer glitch delays count
http://www.richmondregister.com/localnews/local_story_310073742.html?keyword=secondarystory
MN: Ritchie: Senate recount will involve hundreds, cost $90K
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/05/recount_details/
MN: E-Voting Machines Used in Franken, Coleman Race Failed Tests
http://www.pubrecord.org/politics/474-e-voting-machines-used-in-franken-coleman-race-failed-tests.html
NC: Onslow County - Padgett wants recount
http://www.enctoday.com/news/padgett_60506_jdn__article.html/votes_county.html
NH: Long night of ballot snafus marks voting in Kennebunk
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081105-NEWS-81105056
OH: Montgomery County election results delayed until late this evening
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/11/05/ddn110608elexboardweb.html
PA: Centre County Recounts Ballots After Discrepancy [ES&S M-100 precinct based op-scan]
http://www.wjactv.com/news/17900285/detail.html
PA: Northumberland County – PA County’s Voting Machines Impounded Following Complaints
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/11/pa-countys-voti.html
SC: Charleston County suffers voting problems on Election Day [ES&S problem. The county had to hand input the results from 17,000 ballots]
http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=9300365
VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!
This is your eight millionth reminder to go vote today!
Find your polling place over here.
Remind your parents, friends, and coworkers to vote today. If possible, vote on paper ballots, and if you have any problems, call 1 866 OUR VOTE and report it.
If you have a car, offer to drive friends to polling places.
ATTN Pennsylvania. Misleading Calls Say Vote Nov. 5
A registered Democrat in Pennsylvania writes the Huffington Post to report that she has received an anonymous phone call telling her she should go to the polls on Wednesday.
“I received a phone call from an unidentified caller yesterday telling me that because of the expected high voter turnout, Democrats will need to vote on Wednesday, November 5th,” she writes.
The calls are obviously misleading, as voting ends on Tuesday. And apparently they have been going on for quite some time. This past Friday the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported“robocalls making the rounds in Pittsburgh region” disseminating the misleading information. The reader who contacted Huffington Post was from the Philadelphia suburbs, at the opposite end of the state.
Contacted by the Huffington Post, a spokesman for the Obama campaign’s Pennsylvania operations said he was aware of the misleading calls but “not worried about” their impact.
If you hear anything more about this or other last-minute election tactics, please contact the Huffington Post.
