December, 2007

Below are postings from December, 2007. (See Archives | Recent Headlines)

Wisconsin Ends Voter Database Contract

Dec. 27 - Wisconsin election authorities have terminated a contract with Accenture under which the company was supposed to build the state's voter registration database. The move comes after a legislative audit found that database still fails to comply with federal law. The state intends to complete the undone work itself.

Ohio SoS Forces Paper Ballots

Dec. 22 - Ohio Secretary of State yesterday broke a tie vote of the Cuyahoga County election authority to force the county to scrap its DRE machines adopt optical scanners. The new system is scheduled to be in place for Ohio's March Presidential primary.

More Planning Needed to Prepare for '08 Election

Dec. 20 -

Professors Steven F. Huefner, Daniel P. Tokaji, and Edward B. Foley published an Opinion Editorial in Roll Call regarding vulnerabilities in the election systems of five Midwestern states. The three professors recently published a report, From Registration to Recounts: The Election Ecosystems of Five Midwestern States. “If our political representatives are to serve with their electorate’s full confidence, the processes used to select those representatives must be sound. As a nation, we must continue improving our election systems to promote greater access, integrity and finality. Our democracy depends on it,” the editorial says.

Cuyahoga Splits Vote on DREs

Dec. 20 - AP reports that Ohio's most populous county tonight split 2-2 on a vote to scrap its DRE system in favor of an OS system. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has the power to cast the tie-breaking vote.

Colorado SoS Decertifies Voting Machines

Dec. 18 - AP reports that Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman has decertified three out of the four brands of voting machine currently used in the state. The machines were decertified due to concerns about security and accuracy.

Florida Voter Registration Law Blocked

Dec. 18 - A federal judge today blocked a Florida law that requires voter registration applications be verified against information contained in SSA and other databases. The opinion states that all parties agree that the matching protocol in use has already prevented 14,000 individuals from being registered to vote.

Ohio SoS Releases Voting System Report

Dec. 14 - Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner today released her long-awaited report on the security and reliability of the state's voting system. Brunner recommends scrapping the state's DRE machines and moving to a 100% central-count optical scan system. She also recommends eliminating individual precincts in favor of vote centers, and the adoption of early voting.