In Focus This Week
Director’s Note
Little Things That (Might) Mean a Lot
By Doug Chapin
electionline.org
Two weeks ago I wrote a Note about the emerging “buyer’s market” in election technology – a “big story” that has emerged and is reflected in a growing trend of news stories around the country.
This week, I want to bring readers’ attention to two “little stories” – not yet part of a trend but interesting enough that they deserve mention:
Botetourt County, Virginia: 780 voters will be reassigned to new legislative districts in order to reverse precinct splits necessitated by the state’s 2001 redistricting plan. The switch was made purely for election administration reasons – specifically, to eliminate the need for duplicate machines in the previously split precincts.
The story is potentially significant because it suggests that administration of elections might become a factor in legislative redistricting after the 2010 census.
In the past, judicial rules demanding population equality for legislative districts have led line-drawers to create intricate district boundaries that frequently resulted in split precincts. These splits have always been challenging for election administrators, given the need to find new polling places and reassign voters – but if more jurisdictions follow Botetourt’s lead, we may actually see more precincts left undisturbed during and after the next round of redistricting.
Minnesota: The state legislature recently enacted a bill that would grant townships a two-year reprieve from a state requirement that they use accessible voting equipment at their March elections. Townships had originally agreed to cooperate with the state regarding polling locations in order to reduce the number of accessible voting units required, but were left short for the March 2008 election when the state does not conduct an election.
The Minnesota story is interesting because it suggests that the “trickle-down effect” of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 – whose mandates directly apply only to federal elections but were widely expected to affect voting at every level of government – may be somewhat slower in reaching the smaller pieces of America’s political geography. Minnesota’s townships are not the first localities to complain about the cost of these mandates, but they are among the first to successfully (if temporarily) resist their application to non-federal elections.
Two little stories, two potentially interesting outcomes. It’s hard to say what they’ll mean in the future at this point; each one is so isolated and affects such small governments that they may ultimately become outliers or curiosities.
They could, however, be a signal of bigger changes to come – and if they are, remember you heard it here first.
Election Reform News This Week
- This week marked the first election with Georgia’s controversial voter ID law in place and according to officials there were no problems in the 23 counties holding elections. Secretary of State Karen Handel (R) told The Associated Press that Georgia poll workers have been trained to allow those without photo IDs to cast a provisional ballot. They would then have 48 hours to present a valid ID in order for their vote to count. “We want as many people who are eligible to vote to be able to vote,” Handel said. Handel’s office reported that 3,585 state photo ID cards have been issued to Georgians who presumably lacked the needed photo identification, 522 of them since the state launched an education effort on August 1 to let voters know about the new requirement.
- A common pleas judge in Ohio is set to hear arguments on what to do with more than 200 absentee ballots for the Akron City Council race that got lost in the mail. State law says the ballots may not be counted and must be discarded, but attorneys for the city will argue before the judge that the law is unconstitutional. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, the Summit County Board of Elections reluctantly voided the ballots early this week. ”I don’t necessarily disagree with the lawsuit’s intent,” board member Wayne Jones told the paper, ”we just have to enforce the law as it’s written. I think if the law gets changed, that’s great. Until then, we have to enforce the law as it’s written.” The suit contends that the section of Ohio law the state is relying on to reject the ballots violates both the U.S. and state constitutions. Of the 204 ballots that arrived in the first batch on Sept. 12, 103 were postmarked Sept. 10, one was postmarked Sept. 9 and one Sept. 8. The remaining 99 had no postmark. The judge’s decision could decide two council races.
- Officials in Kentucky are somewhat at odds over the security of the state’s electronic voting machines. Citing a report he commissioned after similar tests in California and Florida, Attorney General Greg Stumbo said Kentucky’s electronic voting machines could be susceptible to security problems. “It’s not cause for alarm,” Stumbo told The Associated Press. “There’s been no documented breaches of any of our machines in Kentucky that have been in use, it’s simply precautionary.” Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R) said there were no existing security problems with the current voting machines in Kentucky and the State Board of Elections this week recertified the bulk of machines that will be used on Election Day in Kentucky’s 120 counties. While officials were confident about the process, they wanted to give voters added assurance, Grayson said. “We want to have 100 percent voter confidence,” Grayson told the AP.
- Washoe County, Nev. announced this week that it is also reviewing its voting equipment following similar examinations in California and elsewhere. “We would like to be able to demonstrate our systems are secure. This task force gives us an opportunity to do that,” voter registrar Dan Burk told the Reno Gazette Journal. California recently de-certified Sequoia voting machines and Nevada has 7,682 Sequoia voting machines, including 1,217 in Washoe County, all with a paper voter-verified audit trail. Deputy Secretary of State Matt Griffin said his office would review the results of the Washoe County task force. In the last four elections, including primaries, using Sequoia machines, Washoe County has found no discrepancies when it sampled 2 percent of the vote, comparing the computerized vote with the paper tape that can be scanned, Burk said. As a further check, the paper tape will be counted by hand in the coming election, he said.
Opinions This Week
National: Voting rights restoration, Voting Rights Act, Voter ID, II, Holt bill, II, HAVA II, Pew op-ed on voter registration
Arkansas: Baxter County elections
Arizona: Vote-counting security
Connecticut: Post-election audit
District of Columbia: Voting rights
Georgia: Voter ID
Indiana: Precinct reduction
Massachusetts: Accessible voting machines
Mississippi: Vote fraud
Montana: Vote-by-mail
New Hampshire: Polling place hours, Voter turnout
New Jersey: Voting machines, II, Regional primaries
New Mexico: Vote-by-mail
New York: HAVA
North Carolina: Local elections
Ohio: Vote system testing, Cuyahoga County elections, II, Absentee voting
Utah: Voter turnout, Primary elections
Virginia: Local elections
Washington: Voter turnout
Wisconsin: Federal election legislation, II, Vote fraud, Polling places
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Grant Opportunity
Fair Elections Initiative Project 2008. The Mitchell Kapor Foundation’s mission is to ensure fairness and equity, especially in low-income communities of color. The Foundation provides general support grants to organizations that utilize nonpartisan strategies to improve voter participation or election protection. While organizations can have projects targeting the 2008 election year, their work should have a longer-lasting effect through engaging citizens or improving the democratic process on an ongoing basis. Projects with an emphasis on areas with high concentrations of people of color at risk of disenfranchisement will be considered favorably.
Job Postings This Week
All job listings must be received by 12 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday for publication in our Thursday newsletter. Job listings are free but may be edited for length. Whenever possible, include Internet information. Please email job postings to mmoretti@electionline.org
Director — Union County, N.C. Directs the operations of the Board of Elections office registering voters, maintaining voter registration records and conducting elections in accordance with federal, state and local laws and regulations. Reports to the Election Board which reviews major actions taken by the Director. Work involves planning and directing the operations of the office, planning all phases of elections and implementing plans, and preparing budget. Employee must exercise independent judgment and interpret routine policies and regulations based on training and knowledge gained through experience on the job. Employee must exercise considerable tact and courtesy in frequent contact with candidates, political party representatives and the general public. Reports to the members of the Board of Elections. Qualifications: Graduation from High School supplemented by vocational training with emphasis on civics, political science, or elections, and 6 to 9 years of experience preferably in a Board of Elections office; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required skills, knowledge and abilities. Completion of State Certification Program for Elections Officials is required. Salary: $51,683.00 – $77,525.00. Application: May be obtained and filed online or sent to: 500 North Main Street, Suite 130; Monroe, NC 28112 Deadline: Sept. 24, 2007
Election Deputy Director III — Anne Arundel County, Md. Position is the supervisory or managerial level of work assisting an Election Director in conducting elections in local jurisdictions within the State. Employees supervise office support staff, which may include subordinate supervisors. Employees receive general supervision from an Election Director. Employees may be required to work evenings and weekends. The work may require travel throughout the State to exchange information regarding the election process and promote voter registration. Qualifications: Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate; four years of experience applying federal, state and local election laws and regulations applicable to conducting elections. Employees in this classification are required to be registered voters in the State of Maryland in accordance with the Election Law Article, Section 2-207(d). Employees in this classification may not hold or be a candidate for any elective public or political party office or any other office created under the Constitution or laws of this State in accordance with the Election Law Article, Section 2-301(b). Salary: $40,268-$68,626. Application: Applications may be obtained by visiting our website at: www.dbm.maryland.gov; by writing to DBM, OPSB, Recruitment & Examination Division, 301 W. Preston Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201; or by calling 410-767-4850, toll-free: 800-705-3493; TTY users call Maryland Relay Service, 800-735-2258. Deadline: Sept. 28, 2007
Management and Program Specialist — U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Incumbent will contribute to the management of HAVA payments to states, the Help America Vote College Program, and the National Student Parent Mock Election grants; support the implementation of the NVRA; contribute to the management of the EAC Language Accessibility Program; prepare information and presentations to be presented at conferences, hearings and public meetings. Qualifications: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level close to the work of this job that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform. Specialized experience is evidenced by performing a variety of progressively responsible and high-level assignments or activities. B.A. or B.S., and one year of specialized experience. You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position. You will need to successfully complete background security investigation. Salary: $50,703 – $86,801. Application: Applicants must submit an Optional Application for Federal Employment, OF 612, which is available online, or a resume that includes the same information. Deadline: Oct. 5, 2007.