The Death of the Polling Place, Island County, WA

Island County, WA, one of the few remaining Washington County’s with a precinct poll-based system, is switching to Vote-By Mail.
http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=84&cat=23&id=857743&more=
Commissioner Mac McDowell was surprised that no meeting attendees spoke in favor of the current system. In fact, the county received only one e-mail praising poll voting.
“It’s sad that we’re ending up here,” he said. [...]

The “Myth” of Vote Fraud

While Michael Waldman and Justin Levitt opine on “The Myth of Voting Fraud,” in the Washington Post, real voting fraud continues to be prosecuted all around the country. Case in point, Crown Point, Chicago:
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/03/29/news/lake_county/doc414d94f481bdd890862572ac00835bc8.txt
CROWN POINT | Two were convicted and sentenced Wednesday for vote fraud in the May 2003 East Chicago primary race. Two others [...]

Taiwanese Mull Absentee Voting, and China’s Potential Influence On Voters

Th Taipei Times has published a very thought provoking article on Postal Voting. Better than most of the article’s in the US press.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/03/30/2003354483
“Worries over China should not be a factor in depriving the public of the right to vote — a basic human right. It is believed that no more than 200,000 taishang [overseas Taiwanese [...]

New Group to Push VBM Nationally

http://clarkcountydiva.blogspot.com/2007/03/new-democracy-project-or-saving-america.html
Brought to my attention by the above blog, it looks like “The New Democracy Project” will be promoting Vote-By Mail nationally.
www.newdemocracyproject.org

Notes for Attendees of Tuesday’s Vote-By Mail Presentation

I’m giving a presentation today at the University Heights Center, in Seattle, WA. It’s about Vote-By Mail, of course. So, before I go I am posting some research links, video links, and links to VBM studies, that will be discussed in the presentation. Call it my way of providing easy access to my [...]

Recent Vote-By Mail, Early Voting, and Absentee News

Federal Vote By Mail Legistlation Introduced

http://www.ktvz.com/story.cfm?nav=news&storyID=18953
WASHINGTON - Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) announced Monday they have introduced legislation to help states transition to vote-by-mail election systems.
S. 979, the Vote Mail Act of 2007 and its House companion, H.R.1667, would create a three year, $18 million grant program to help states adopt vote [...]

Vote Buying, Bath County, KY

A federal jury has found County Judge-Executive, Walter Shrout, guilty of conspiracy to buy votes. In the few reports I can find on the subject, it looks like Shrout was the ring leader it a conspiracy to buy votes using an Early Voting System.
http://www.kentucky.com/263/story/19376.htmlSeveral Bath County residents testified that Shrout, local contractor Roosevelt “Sonny” Swartz [...]

Oregon and Other States Mail Service Outsourced?

The following story is from the Beaverton Valley Times in Oregon:
http://www.beavertonvalleytimes.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=117338963285059600
Across the U.S., the Postal Service is experimenting with hiring cut-rate private contractors to deliver your mail. Local postmasters who once had the authority to approve new addresses for delivery service must now get approval from higher-ups. Here in Washington County, mail service for 374 [...]

George Galloway Blasts UK’s Postal Voting System

This is a great speech by George Galloway on the problems seen in the UK since they closed the polls and switched to all mail-in voting.
http://mathaba.net/news/?x=551482
George Gallow MP delivered a rousing speech to the Commons last night, regarding the hot issue of voting fraud. The erstwhile MP’s take on the subject was received with much [...]