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Blog
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Welcome to the Holtzman Vogel Law Blog. We aim to keep you
up to date on important legal developments and other items of interest. On this
blog, we'll track developments in the news and changes to the rules and regulations
affecting political committees, corporate PACs, trade associations, non-profit groups
and advocacy organizations. We'll also keep you updated on the lobbying and ethics
arena. The Law Blog is designed to supplement our regular newsletter.
On behalf of the Holtzman Vogel team, I hope you find this site helpful and interesting.
And we hope you'll become a regular visitor. (If you'd like to receive our newsletter,
please click here to sign up.)
Jill Holtzman Vogel
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Sunday, May 09, 2010
NYT: States Move to Allow Overseas and Military Voters to Cast Ballots by Internet
The New York Times reports "Nearly three million overseas and military voters from at least 33 states will be permitted to cast ballots over the Internet in November using e-mail or fax, in part because of new regulations proposed last month by the federal agency that oversees voting....The coming election will be the first in which Internet voting will play a major role, now that 33 states have passed measures to allow their voters to cast ballots over the Internet. Critics of the increased use of Internet voting say the commission is violating federal law by not allowing enough time for public comment on the guidelines and by circumventing the technical board that is supposed to review any such new regulations....Some lawmakers have vowed to slow the shift toward Internet voting. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York, and Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, are working on legislation to establish a two-year moratorium on the electronic submission of ballots until stronger security standards are established. Representative Rush D. Holt, Democrat of New Jersey, has a bill pending that would in effect ban Internet voting."
Click here to read the entire post.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
American Spectator: Soros Eyes Secretaries
The American Spectator has this piece on the Democrats' "Secretary of State Project," a 527 organization funded (in part) by George Soros. Current Project-backed Secretaries of State include Minnesota's Mark Ritchie, who oversaw the Franken-Coleman Senate recount, and Ohio's Jennifer Brunner. Republicans have no equivalent organization.
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, October 30, 2009
AP: Some states weigh earlier primaries in 2010 to accommodate Americans abroad; Troops are among those affected by new rule on ballot deadlines
AP reports "A new law meant to protect the voting rights of deployed troops and other Americans overseas is forcing at least a dozen states to consider holding their primaries earlier or to negotiate another plan that federal officials will accept.
Ballots must be sent to certain voters at least 45 days before an election, under a requirement included in a major defense bill signed Wednesday by President Obama. It leaves states with primaries in August and September next year in a pickle, because the deadline for distributing November ballots will have passed by the time many will have certified the results of their primaries. . . . Vermont's top election official is also urging that her state's primary be earlier. Other states with September primaries include Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Some states with mid-August elections, including Colorado and Washington, are also worried about a time squeeze. Colorado, New York, Washington and Wisconsin plan to request waivers." The new law is the "Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act."
Click here to read the entire post.
Friday, October 30, 2009
CQ Politics: How To Vote From Six Feet Under
From CQ Politics: "Thanks to the increasing popularity of absentee voting, a rising number of the recently deceased are casting ballots — legally. The trick is to pull the lever before you kick the bucket. States such as California, Texas and Florida intentionally count ballots sent in by voters who then died before Election Day, while states such as Colorado, Washington and South Dakota have no reliable method for discarding the votes of the deceased."
Click here to read the entire post.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Voting Machines, Diebold Politics, and Antitrust Law
The Washington Times reports that a proposed purchase of Diebold's voting machine division by an Omaha rival, Election Systems & Software Inc., is having political repercussions. According to the Times, "The pending merger of two of the nation's largest voting machine companies has triggered alarm bells, legal action and a federal inquiry over concerns that the deal could adversely effect how the country votes. Election Systems & Software Inc. (ES&S) of Omaha, Neb., — the country's largest voting-machine manufacturer — this month announced plans to purchase Premier Election Solutions Inc, the voting machine division of Diebold Inc. of Ohio, giving one company an almost 70 percent share of the nation's voting machine market. Critics of the deal worry that it could harm the integrity of U.S. elections by giving one company too much control over the nation's voting system, thus increasing the chances of fraud." Senator Schumer has asked the DOJ to review the matter.
Click here to read the entire post.
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