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Sunday, October 19
Iowa Sitting Pretty For November 4th
by
Linda Thieman
on Sun 19 Oct 2008 05:00 AM CDT
Iowa Sitting Pretty For November 4th
by Jerry Depew, Iowa Voters for Open and Transparent Elections
 With all the scare stories now arising about the upcoming election, it’s time to remind ourselves that Iowa looks pretty good. We won’t have (shouldn’t have) long lines to vote on election day. We won’t have any touchscreens to go awry. We won’t have many registration problems. Let’s review our enviable situation.
No Touchscreens. This is Iowa’s signature accomplishment. We owe a big debt to Secretary of State Mauro who traded in the touchscreens as his first major step in office. Now all of us get to vote on paper. Polling places can arrange as many ballot marking booths as they need to prevent lines of voters. No votes will be lost to the dastardly touchscreen gadgets. It’s because of this victory that this blog has been so quiet lately. No sense in pointing out the state’s shortcomings when such a major change has just been engineered.
No Registration Problems. Iowans can register until the end of next week. If they miss that date, they get a second chance on election day. This means hardly any provisional ballots will be needed. Everyone with a good ID card should be able to vote without any prior preparation. You can check your registration right now at this website.
The Brennan Center (with help from Sean Flaherty of Iowans for Voting Integrity) has released a major report on the status of election readiness. Iowa is one of eight states given credit for “best practices” in ballot accounting and reconciliation. See the third map.
On the other hand, we fall into the black space on the bottom map regarding audits of the machine readout. That’s Mauro’s next challenge. Someone needs to hand count some ballots after the polls close to see that the machines got it right in their hi-speed readings. Haste makes waste! Slow down and double check the damned things!
That challenge is for the government to face next legislative session. If we get good audits we can join the list of only six states that get shaded green on the top map (Alaska, Oregon, California, North Carolina, and our neighbors Missouri and Minnesota).
For now Iowa voters should see a welcoming environment at the polls. Any snafus will be local–not the fault of state law. Take advantage of our enviable situation by voting.
Our thanks to Jerry Depew of Laurens, Iowa, for his long association in sharing his original articles with Blog for Iowa.
Saturday, October 4
Documentary 'Uncounted' Scheduled in Scott County This Month
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 04 Oct 2008 05:00 AM CDT
Documentary 'Uncounted' Scheduled in Scott County This Month
 Michael Elliott Teams Up with Emmy Award Winning Director David Earnhardt and Hosts Public Screenings of the Documentary "Uncounted - The New Math of American Elections"
Michael Elliott, the independent Scott County Auditor candidate, is hosting free public screenings at area libraries and civic venues of the film "Uncounted - The New Math of American Elections." The eighty-minute documentary by filmmaker David Earnhardt covers the controversies surrounding the 2002 and 2004 general elections in Florida and Ohio as well as the dangers facing election integrity amidst the rise of computerized electronic balloting.
View the movie trailer here.
Elliott said he sought the permission of Mr. Earnhardt to showcase this film as an educational effort to create awareness about the risks of Scott County deviating from its current established and tested paper balloting system.
"This film is not by any means about what is going on in Scott County, which is one of the most reliable counties in Iowa," said Elliott. "Viewers of this film will have the knowledge of what problems will likely exist with an electronic balloting system, and why we need to ensure a paper ballot system instead."
The Elliott campaign is excited about the potential for this unique partnership to bring voting rights issues to the forefront during this election. "Mr. Elliott has a firm understanding of the critical issues surrounding election fraud and voter suppression," said Earnhardt. The filmmakers encourage the sharing of this documentary much like book clubs, within neighborhood homes. According to Earnhardt, "for the last nine months we have traveled to 40 cities with the documentary, using it as a tool to shed some much-needed light on the systemic problems inherent in our elections, and Mr. Elliott's campaign supports this movement by educating people about the issue of election integrity."
Schedule of Free Screenings of "Uncounted" in Scott County
Q&A to follow
Saturday 10/04 2 – 4 pm
Buffalo City Hall, 329 Dodge Street
Thursday 10/09 6 – 8 pm
Location TBA
Saturday 10/11 2 – 4 pm
Bettendorf Public Library, Learning Campus Drive at 18th Street
Thursday 10/16 5:45 – 7:45 pm
Davenport Main Library, 321 Main Street
Saturday 10/18 2 – 4 pm
Location TBA
Thursday 10/23 6 – 8 pm
Bettendorf Public Library, Learning Campus Drive at 18th Street
Thursday 10/30 6 – 8 pm
Figge Art Museum, 225 W 2nd Street, Davenport, IA 52801
Saturday 10/25 2 – 4 pm
Davenport Fairmont Branch Library, 3000 N. Fairmount Street
Saturday 11/01 2 – 4 pm
Davenport Fairmont Branch Library, 3000 N. Fairmount Street
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