Ohio SOS Mulls Vote-By Mail

In a rather good article on Scoop Independent News, Ohio’s newest Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, makes some very questionable recommendations in response to the voting machine crisis. Read the whole article when you have a chance. Of course she seems to be buying into the notion that Vote-By Mail eliminates computer problems…. how? Well by [...]

Minorities Harrassed by Republicans About Absentees

Interesting how when you undermine the secrecy of the ballot through Vote-By Mail, or absentee voting schemes, problems arise:
http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071207/NEWS01/712070358/1002
As part of the mayoral recount, Republicans have investigated Precinct 18 for evidence of voter fraud because of its high number of absentee votes. More people voted by absentee ballot than by machine in the Nov. 6 [...]

South Dakota Counties Switching to Vote By Mail

http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=59475&section=news

Absentee Ballot Fraud Alleged in Putin’s Election

Well this comes as no suprise:
http://www.theotherrussia.org/2007/12/02/false-results/ 
Voting with absentee ballots and voting on pressure from authorities
One of the major complaints that experts and voters alike are voicing is the rampant use of absentee ballots, which are difficult to trace and pin down to a particular individual. As electoral monitors from the SPS headquarters in Moscow have [...]

More Vote Buying in the News…

How does one buy votes in Kentucky? My guess, though the story says nothing about it… absentee ballots:
http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/story/246250.html
The indictment alleges that the four conspired to use county-owned gravel, asphalt and building materials to buy votes. According to the indictment, thousands of dollars worth of the materials were distributed to private citizens in an effort to [...]

The Language of Democracy

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_anthony__071126__22transparent_and_wel.htm
Transparent and well-regulated elections, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to anonymous voter-marked ballots, visual observation of the vote count, public inspection of registration records, legal US Citizenship of all voters, and an audited, certifiable electoral process, shall not be infringed.

Just where or where has my mail ballot gone?

Jason Aaron Osgood has posted a pretty good breakdown of how King County, WA, processes absentee ballots. It’s well worth reading, as it visually explains why the chain of custody is problematic in Vote-By Mail systems…. there’s just too many steps in the process.