Voting concerns for the upcoming election

[ToshoftheWuffingas]

Can anyone be put in prison for being responsible for activities like that?

And if so is it likely?

[Cerin]

According to this article, these kinds of shenanigans are against the law only in a few places in the country, and Virginia is one of them.

In 2007, the General Assembly passed a law making it a Class 1 misdemeanor to knowingly communicate false information to registered voters about the date, time and place of the election or voters' precincts, polling places or voter registration statuses in order to impede their voting. The measure is one of the few such deceptive voting practice laws in the country, according to the watchdog group Common Cause.

Virginian Pilot

[ToshoftheWuffingas]

Ta.

[Dave_LF]

More reports of machines flipping votes:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... 1&catnum=3

[Cerin]

This article updates the situation on Colorado voter purges. A voter advocacy group has brought suit against the Sec. of State on behalf of 30,000 of those purged voters, and it appears arguments were heard yesterday. The issue seems to involve the practice of purging people based on whether a non-forwardable notice sent to them is returned within a certain period of time; the contention is that this practice violates the National Voting Rights Act of 1965.



Colorado Independent

[Voronwë the Faithful]

This article updates the situation on Colorado voter purges. A voter advocacy group has brought suit against the Sec. of State on behalf of 30,000 of those purged voters, and it appears arguments were heard yesterday. The issue seems to involve the practice of purging people based on whether a non-forwardable notice sent to them is returned within a certain period of time; the contention is that this practice violates the National Voting Rights Act of 1965.



Colorado Independent

Unless I am missing something, the article says "3,000" not "30,000".

[Cerin]

There were 3,000 some involved with that particular practice, but the article says that the suit was brought on behalf of 30,000 purged voters, so apparently there are other purging practices being represented in the lawsuit as well.

Individuals ejected by the 20-day rule are among the 30,000 purged voters that make up the basis of the lawsuit.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Ah, so I did miss something. Thanks.

[Inanna]

Frankly, if anybody believes that - you are too dumb to be allowed to vote. As Samuel Vimes would put it.

I don't think people who believe it are dumb as much as unsuspecting and naive. The flier is said to look very official, with the Board of Elections insignia.

I agree, Cerin. It was a tongue-in-cheek remark with a reference to Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork, which is not a democracy.

The author of the book I linked to was put in jail, Tosh, for jamming the phone lines of democrats on polling day. This was to ensure the calls for "A bus is coming yr way, get to the booth" etc. did not go through.

[ToshoftheWuffingas]

Thanks for the information. I would have thought that any matter involving voting on a national issue - Presidential, Senatorial or House for instance should be subject to Federal laws and penalties. There should be national standards maintained and policed by an independent commision.

If a state is content with corrupt voting for internal issues such as propositions, sherrifs, District Attorneys, Governors etc then I suppose it's up to them.

[Frelga]

I agree, Cerin. It was a tongue-in-cheek remark with a reference to Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork, which is not a democracy.

Is too. It's one man, one vote. Vetinari is the man, he's got the vote.

Tosh. I agree, there should be federal standard and oversight for federal matters. Hard to get the States to agree.

[Cerin]

Apparently that Colorado voter purging case was settled by agreement between the Sec. of State and the plaintiffs before the judge issued his ruling. The solution has to do with special treatment of provisional ballots.

denverpost

[Primula Baggins]

Voter suppression efforts in general are not doing well this election.

A long summary article on Talking Points Memo is interesting:

Link

[Cerin]

Here's an LA Times overview of the potential voting problems. This paragraph caught my eye. It sounds as though these two ballot peculiarities could be as problematic and consequential as the Florida butterfly ballot controversy from 2000. Having the Presidential candidates split between two different pages is a terrible design! As if Ohio doesn't already have enough suppression-related challenges.

A Brennan Center study of ballot designs found problems in North Carolina, where voters who choose a one-touch straight-party option on voting machines may not notice that the presidential race isn't included and requires a separate vote. In Ohio, the candidates for the top office are split between two pages, which could lead some voters to invalidate their ballots by choosing one on each.

LATimes

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I really don't understand that stuff. It seems almost self-evident to me that those kind of things will lead voting problems. Yet they are caused, I am convinced, not by malice but by simple thoughtlessness.

[Primula Baggins]

A lot of them are, but a lot of them are openly partisan efforts (challenges to new voters, challenges at the polls on Election Day, etc.).

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I was speaking purely about the poorly designed ballots. I should have been clearer.

[Cerin]

I think of all the potential voting problems, this is the one that worries me the most -- the hackability of the electronic voting machines. This article concerns a court-ordered study that was done regarding New Jersey machines, but those same machines are used elsewhere around the country.


computerworld

[vison]

The people who design the ballots should invite a few real voters into the discussion. Real voters who include the elderly, the English-is-a-second-language crowd, etc.

But, no. I guess not.

Things are a bit simpler here, as we elect our federal government separately from everything else.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Excitement, frustration as early voters brave long lines

I think the long lines are perhaps the single biggest voting concern. How many people simply aren't going to vote because they face a five or six hour wait? I don't know.