As our state elections agency navigates uncharted territory in the recall of nine state senators, the problems and delays point to this: Voters should be more engaged in regular elections.
Had that happened in the previous cycle — when voters last fall put Republicans in charge of both houses of the Legislature and the governor’s office — it is likely the outcome would have resulted in far fewer demands placed on the system. Instead, the elections agency is overburdened and lawmakers facing recalls must spend more time defending their position than legislating.
… It’s unfortunate that in all the delays and challenges, accusations have been leveled against the top election official, Kevin Kennedy, for allegedly favoring Democrats. GOP supporters have said it is unfair to move forward in filing petitions against Republicans while taking more time to review Democratic challenges. Read More
U.S. Rep. Todd Akin raised his family on a sprawling homestead in this St. Louis County burg, where a modest home now sits among a collection of weathered sheds. Earlier this month, old newspapers had accumulated in the long driveway that separates the property from surrounding suburban mansions.
About 18 miles west, the Republican congressman and his wife own a secluded ranch house near the county line in Wildwood. On a recent afternoon, Akin’s Chevrolet Blazer was parked out front, and a dog sat in the driveway.
Which house is Akin’s official residence? Read More
The chief critic of a proposal to require voters to have photo IDs is calling for an investigation into the ballot habits of Congressman and Republican Senate hopeful Todd Akin.
The Post-Dispatch reported on Tuesday that Akin owns a home in Wildwood, but has voted in the last 10 elections in Town and Country, where he grew up and raised his family.
State Rep. Stacey Newman, D-Richmond Heights, said the confusion over Akin’s residency and voting undermines the need for photo ID legislation passed by the Missouri General Assembly this year. Read More
South Carolina would create an 11-day window for early voting under legislation heading to the House.
The House rejected early voting efforts last month when it was tied to a bill requiring voters to show state- or federal-issued photographic identification. The Senate on Wednesday added the measure to a bill dealing with primary elections. Read More
In February 2010, one of my roommates had the misfortune of hearing that his basement had flooded. In it, his parents had stored many of his personal legal documents, including his birth certificate and Social Security card. After successfully getting a job, he was required to present his employer with multiple forms of identification.
Possessing only a driver’s license, he had to send away for the other supporting documentation. It’s easy enough for an American citizen to do so, not factoring in the time, money and hassle of getting the documents. In the time being, however, we all joked, “You’re illegal!” Read More
A bill pending in the Maine legislature (LD 1376) would eliminate Same Day Registration (SDR), which allows people to register to vote and cast their ballot on Election Day. The result will be decreased voter turnout and otherwise-eligible voters, especially young and first-time voters, being turned away at the polls on Election Day.
This latest unnecessary and insidious attack on youth voting rights is expected to come up for a vote in the state House any day now. Read More
Gov. Luis Fortuño on Wednesday signed a new electoral code legislation that will shorten political campaign periods and implement an electronic voting and ballot verification system.
The governor’s signature on the new electoral law came after the House of Representatives, in a divided vote on Wednesday evening, concurred with Senate amendments to House Bill 1863. The legislation “adjusts the electoral law to reflect past experiences and avoid wrong interpretations.” Read More
The North Carolina Senate will soon decide how early “early voting” can be. The state House has passed its version of a bill to reduce the amount of time polling sites can be open before elections by one week. Republican backers of the idea suggest it will save county governments money, but the people who administer the elections say it would actually cost more.
Bev Cunningham, director of the Henderson County Board of Elections in Hendersonville, says her staff would be much busier for a shorter time period.
”I think if this passed, what we would have to see in Henderson County is probably more early voting sites to handle the number of voters that are accustomed to voting this way,” she said. “They like being able to choose around their work schedule, or just schedule in general, to come vote.” Read More
GOP-backed bill would require voters to produce government-issued photo ID to cast ballots beginning in November 2012. NHPR’s Josh Rogers reports.
The House voted 259-116 to require voters without proper photo identification to cast a provisional ballot and be given three days to produce a valid photo ID.
The bill also calls for the state to issue voters ID card for free. The bills’ lead author, Republican David Bates of Windham argued that the bill is a common sense way to root out election fraud and won’t disenfranchise eligible voters. Read More
Alabama Secretary of State Beth Chapman on June 1 praised the Alabama House of Representatives for passing the final version of a bill that would make it easier for military and overseas voters to vote while serving abroad.
Senate Bill 55, created by Chapman and Sen. Gerald Dial, R-Lineville, was approved with a 97-0 vote and now goes to Gov. Robert Bentley for approval. Read More
Something very unusual was afoot Tuesday night at the Wyoming County Board of Elections. The ritual has always been the same — a flurry of phone calls about 9:10 p.m. after the polls close. Lots of chatter as elections officials transcribe the results, entering the numbers into the computer system.
But on Tuesday? The phones were silent. New technology has changed the way county elections are conducted.
“What we did differently was instead of doing it over the phone and calling in the results, we decided (the polling site coordinators) would bring the data card in with them, which they do anyhow,” said Republican Election Commissioner James Schlick. “I think it worked out so much better. The poll site coordinators are more comfortable and they’re not having to read the results over the phone.” Read More
The Federal Election Commission says a Florida car dealership formerly owned by U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan illegally reimbursed employees’ donations to his congressional campaigns.
The FEC on May 27 asked the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida to fine the company $67,900, the amount it allegedly spent to reimburse employees and others for donations to the Florida Republican’s 2006 and 2008 campaigns. The dealership’s actions were “not a mere error or lapse in judgment,” the FEC said in its court filing. “It was an extensive and ongoing scheme that spanned two election cycles, three calendar years, and dozens of secret, illegal contributions.” Read More
The opposition Wednesday called a daylong general strike at the weekend to protest the government’s scrapping of Bangladesh’s system of holding elections under neutral caretaker administrations in a country prone to polling violence. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir – acting secretary general of the Nationalist Party, which leads an opposition alliance – announced the nationwide strike for Sunday, saying the party had resolved to go all-out against the government plan.
The central standing committee of the Nationalist Party said earlier that the party would not join elections unless there is a caretaker government system for holding free and fair polls. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, a Nationalist Party ally, also called a strike Sunday. Read More
A parliamentary committee, tasked with finalising appointments to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), confirmed on Wednesday the commission members’ nominations.
The commission, formed after the adoption of the 18th constitutional amendment and headed by Syed Khurshid Shah, approved the appointments of four high court judges, one from each province. Read More
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission [CENI] in the Democratic Republic of Congo says he is pleased with his organization’s performance in the run up to the November 28 general elections.
Reverend Daniel Ngoy Mulunda hailed what he described as the “enormous enthusiasm” among Congolese citizens registering to vote, despite the security challenges in some parts of the country. Read More