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November 2012

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Mr. President: You recognize the problems. Please take the lead in fixing them.

By Luther Weeks on November 29, 2012

Last week a group of 29 “computer scientists, lawyers, activists, academics and election officials working together to educate the public and seek the elimination of unverifiable voting systems” sent a letter to President Obama, acknowledging his recognition of problems in the recent election, and recommending solutions he could champion to address those problems.

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Bold Steps Beyond Integrity To Improve U.S. Elections

By Luther Weeks on November 24, 2012

We complete our post-election series with some steps to improve elections beyond election administration and integrity: Campaign finance reform, media reform, and restoring the rule of law.

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Aug 2012 Primary Audit Observation Report

By Luther Weeks on November 20, 2012

Coalition finds 31% of Official Audit Reports Lack Critical Data

Municipalities failed to report data critical to audit evaluation. Increasing numbers choose paper only elections, avoiding scanners and audits.

The report highlighted concerns with two increasing trends:

  • An increase in missing and incomplete official reports. There are 16 of 52 (31%) reports with errors making it impossible to determine if machines had functioned properly. What basis is there to trust audits, with this significant level of error in reporting?
  • Up up to 19 towns avoided optical scanners and audits by conducting paper only elections. Such voting is not audited, not transparent, and error prone based on past observations of hand counts.

We conclude, based on our observations and analysis of official audit reports submitted to the Secretary of the State, that the August post-election audits still do not inspire confidence.
<Full Report (.pdf)> <Press Release> <Review detail data and municipal reports>

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75 Districts randomly selected for Nov post-election audit

By Luther Weeks on November 20, 2012

Selected Districts

 

On Monday the Secretary of the state randomly selected 75 districts for post-election audit. I assisted by actually selecting the districts from slips of paper in a raffle barrel. You might find the Secretary’s list easier to read in the press release. <Press Release>

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Basic and Bold Steps To Improve U.S. Elections

By Luther Weeks on November 19, 2012

As we said for our Connecticut steps, this short list. We would be completely pleased if all of these reforms were addressed in the near term. There are many other possible and useful reforms.

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Basic and Bold Steps To Improve Connecticut Elections

By Luther Weeks on November 17, 2012

We offer the following short list of items for improvement without breaking the bank. Basic steps that cost little, should almost be assumed. Bold steps that could transform the system, and transcend knee-jerk half steps.

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Looking forward to the Good, the Bad, or the Ugly in election reform?

By Luther Weeks on November 10, 2012

There were many problems! Will we learn anything? Will be do anything? Will we help or aggravate the situation? As they say some you win, some you lose, and some are rained out. (At least Sandy did not rain this one out, but it could have been different. Next time it could be different…for better or for worse.)

Imagine this election as a National Popular Vote Agreement election. Then lots more people would be worried about NJ, both pushing for more to vote by any means possible, charging officials with not complying, and others charging all sorts of irregularities.

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Were you a pollworker? – Please complete this survey

By Luther Weeks on November 8, 2012

Welcome to the 2012 Election Workers Survey!

Sponsored by the Verified Voting Foundation and the Election Administration Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley

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Goodbye Sandy, Goodbye Science, Goodbye Secret Voting

By Luther Weeks on November 5, 2012

Like other disruptive events, storm Sandy is being used to justify very questionable emergency voting changes in New Jersey. The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey has announced virtually unlimited fax and email voting – some would say this is the camel’s nose in the elections tent – I would say it is more like the other end of camel.

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What We Worry? What Could Go Wrong On Election Day?

By Luther Weeks on November 3, 2012

America’s elections are run entirely on the honor system. What could possibly go wrong?

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