This story explains that the Tampa, Florida city council has just authorized millions of dollars for security measures, in preparation for the August 27-30 Republican National Convention. The appropriations include armored police vehicles and enhanced video cameras and upgrades for helicopters. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.
The Americans Elect web page now lets members sign in, and complete procedures designed to identify oneself and also to enable Americans Elect to verify that the member is a registered voter. Americans Elect already has approximately 400,000 members. A member is someone who has signed up to vote in the organization’s on-line presidential primary in June 2012. Once members complete this procedure, the member is a “delegate.”
Members complete this process by signing in, and then going to “My account” and then choosing “Voting Security.” Four activities are then required. First, the member confirms his or her e-mail address by entering it and having Americans Elect send a confirming e-mail. Then, the member chooses a strong PIN, which must be a number that is at least six digits. Then, the member chooses four security questions and provides the answers. These are similar to the security questions that banks use to know the identity of their on-line customers; the idea is that only the individual will know the answers to the chosen security questions. Finally, the member enters the residence address at which he or she is registered to vote, so that Americans Elect can cross-check with voter registration records that the member really is a registered voter.
The Daily Reflector, daily newspaper in Greenville, North Carolina, has this editorial, asking the legislature to pass HB 32, the ballot access reform bill that has already passed the House and which is pending in the State Senate.
The editorial is good, but it might confuse readers, because it implies that the Libertarian Party is not on the ballot. The Libertarian Party is on the ballot because it polled over 2% for Governor in 2008. However, it will go off the ballot in November 2012 if it doesn’t again poll 2% for Governor.
According to this story, the South Carolina Republican Party primary will cost taxpayers $1,500,000, but the South Carolina Election Commission does not now have that much money. The Commission will still go ahead with the primary, and hopes the state legislature will appropriate more money for it.
In Virginia, all candidates running in either a primary, or petitioning directly onto the November ballot, must submit a petition. However, primary petitions are not checked by the elections officials, whereas independent and minor party candidate petitions are checked by elections officials. This article in the Alexandria Gazette Packet explores the disparate treatment, and says some state legislators are thinking about a bill to require that all petitions be checked by elections officials.
