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Common Sense Election Integrity

By Luther Weeks on September 6, 2010

One of the benefits of using optical scanners for voting is the requirement for voter marked paper ballots. They are much more reliable and useful than the paper records produced by some DRE (touch screen) voting machines. However, obtaining these benefits depends on the details surrounding the use of optical scanners and paper ballots. To provide true election integrity, Connecticut, like most states, needs to do much better in every dimension.

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Warning: New link to check your CT Voter Registration – Not Always Accurate

By Luther Weeks on September 1, 2010

It has come to our attention that the voter information provided by the Secretary of the State’s new web tool is inaccurate in some cases.

We learned this in the course of discovering a loophole in the integrity of the post-election audit random drawing process.

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CTMirror Op-Ed: State recanvass law inadequate for close elections

By Luther Weeks on August 30, 2010

The recent Hartford close vote, recanvass and election challenge provides an example to highlight the limitations of the Connecticut recanvass law. Read our op-ed published today in the CTMirror.

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Candidate pledges to “ensure open, fair and secure elections.”

By Luther Weeks on August 27, 2010

“The Office of Secretary of the State is charged with safeguarding everyone’s right to vote and I will do everything in my power to ensure open, fair and secure elections. Everyone’s vote must count. “

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Candidate files complaint in close election recanvass. Update: Another candidate complaint

By Luther Weeks on August 26, 2010

In our opinion, in a race a close as this one, the only satisfactory solution is a complete, manual, adversarial recount. While some of Mr. Green’s allegations are cause for concern, even if the recanvass was performed competently, thoroughly, and legally there may be ballots that were not properly classified due to insufficient scrutiny for voter intent and voter identification. Such differences could easily change the winner is this close a race, disqualifying two votes or reversing just one vote could make a tie.

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Update: Greenwich Audit: Is it worth $1200 $480?

By Luther Weeks on August 26, 2010

Greenwich Time article: Greenwich picked – yet again – to audit primary results. Greenwich registrars and Secretary of the State debate value of audit and random selection of Greenwich.

Plus – Registrar and we agree: Audit Absentee Ballots Too!

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Fighting the last [election]war – Be careful what you ask for!

By Luther Weeks on August 23, 2010

There are several recent stories about the low turnout in the August 10th primary and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz suggesting the primary date be changed from August to June. This is not a voting integrity issue, yet we place it in the category of “Fighting the last [election] war” (i.e. Changes/reforms that look good when attempting to correct a recent, assumed election problem, without looking at all the consequences.)

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Governments Hide Information; People Take Risks for Democracy

By Luther Weeks on August 22, 2010

This kind of intimidation will hit the hearts of volunteers and no volunteer will come forward if this kind of thing happens in future, that’s the reason I’m going to take in on, and I’ll face it, so that the volunteers get inspired by me…whatever research we have done, whatever work we have done is right

– Hari Prasad

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Post-Election Audit Drawing: 73 Districts 45 Municipalities Selected

By Luther Weeks on August 18, 2010

Today the Secretary of the State’s Office conducted the random drawing. Members of CTVotersCount and the League of Women Voters performed the selections.

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Video: Dan Wallach channels Stephen Colbert

By Luther Weeks on August 15, 2010

Must Watch: From the EVT/WOTE conference, Dan Wallach presents today’s word: “Out of Site, Out of Mind”

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