The Star Tribune got the memo too.  Voter ID in Minnesota is also a “solution in search of a problem.”

More here.

PJ Tatler has a story  on the New York voter fraud indictments, plus a video of the perp walk of the indicted officials.  Too bad Eric Shawn didn’t catch up with Tova Wang or Justin Levitt at the Brennan Center for comment.  Bob Mirch deserves a medal.


Another PJ Tatler post  about American elections and Egypt.

Daily Caller.

Michael Yaki and a lapdog blog has made much of the fact that the Black Panther investigation obtained a video from someone who runs a website and sought information from Republicans about the identity of eyewitnesses.  We truly have entered an age of journalistic tempests in real world teapots.  Mike Roman was in possession of videotape.  Therefore any reasonable person would recognize you contact people who are possession of evidence, regardless of their identity.  Mike Roman and other Republicans also knew the identities of particular people who were at the polls and were possible eye witnesses.  Obtaining the identity of individuals allowes for interviews to be conducted.  That the individuals who knew the identity of the eyewitnesses happened to be Republicans was of no import.     Any investigation into a similar event would do precisely the same thing.  The Department of Justice routinely relies on the aid of groups who have agendas other than the particular investigation conducted by the Department.  For example, the ACLU, Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF) and the NAACP LDF routinely contact the Department with information that may be relevant in a case.  The Department even seeks out their help in investigations.  Certainly the broader agenda of these groups, including their political agendas, should play no part in whether or not information about witnesses and evidence is received, at least to rational people.  Justice lawyers routinely meet and obtain evidence from groups many Americans would disagree with, and those contacts should not be subject to scrutiny, unless of course it is necessary. 

The author of a blog inferring to the contrary has a long history of distorting facts and publishing inaccurate statements.  If the broad agenda of organizations providing evidence and information to the Department of Justice is properly subject to scrutiny, then reporters certainly have a fertile environment to write hit pieces about investigative communications with third party groups.  To the contrary, I believe it is perfectly acceptable for the Department of Justice to accept information and the names of witnesses and obtain evidence like videotapes from groups regardless of whether or not they are fringe left wing groups, civil rights organizations or mainstream political parties.  There was a time when reporters understood this fact.  Thankfully the credible ones still do.

Denver Post.   “New Secretary of State Scott Gessler wants to change Colorado’s voter-registration laws based on his fear that 16,000 or more registered voters in the state might not be citizens. But that number is being questioned by some who say Gessler is manufacturing a voter-fraud scare to push civil-rights-constricting legislation.

Voter fraud related to the Working Families Party.  Fox has more:

“A 59-page, 116-count indictment charges Troy Democratic City Councilman Michael LoPorto and Edward McDonough , Democratic Commissioner of the Rensselaer County Board of Elections, with forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument. The two men arrive in court in handcuffs on Friday and pleaded not guilty.

Seven other public officials and political operatives are said to be targets of the continuing investigation. The Fox News Voter Fraud unit first reported the brazen allegations just over a year ago, with reports that absentee ballots and applications were forged to try to stuff the ballot box and steal an election.”

Bryan Preston has more at PJ Tatler.

KXLH. “A bill before the Montana Legislature that would require elections to be conducted via mail divided the Republican Party on Thursday, but managed to pass a second reading.”

Don Palmer, another  distinguished alum of the DOJ Voting Section has been named the head of the Virginia State Board of Elections replacing Nancy Rodrigues.  Don is a strong advocate for military voters.  Governor McDonnnell deserves credit for this pick.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 28, 2011

RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell today announced an additional appointment to his administration in the Administration secretariat.  In addition, he announced appointments to two Virginia boards and commissions. 

A bio for today’s appointments can be found below.  Further announcements regarding additional appointments in the McDonnell Administration will continue to be made in the months ahead.

Administration

Donald Palmer, Secretary, State Board of Elections

Donald Palmer most recently served as the Director of Elections with the Florida Department of State, working with the Florida Secretary of State and 67 Supervisors of Elections in successful 2008 Primary and General Presidential Elections and the 2010 mid-term elections.  During his tenure, he improved statewide processes of statewide registration verification and list maintenance and he successfully implemented changes to align Florida with the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act.

The Division of Elections consists of the Bureau of Election Records involved with the qualifying of candidates and receipt of campaign finance reports; the Bureau of Voting Systems Certification responsible for the testing and certification of voting systems entering the State of Florida; and the Bureau of Voter Registration Services implementing the federal statewide list maintenance mandates of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). 

Donald Palmer represented Florida as a member of the EAC Standards Board of the United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and was elected to the Standards Executive Board by his peers.  He was also appointed by the EAC to the Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC) to represent elections officials on the Standards Board.  These advisory boards provide recommendations to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) on voluntary standards for voting equipment, voting systems, and voter registration databases. 

Prior to his tenure in Florida, he served as a trial attorney with the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Section, where he enforced the federal voting laws and provided guidance to states on compliance with the civil rights laws.   In that role, he brought suits against jurisdictions for violations of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).  He also monitored compliance with the Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).  

In May 2009, Donald Palmer provided testimony to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration on the proposed Military Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act eventually signed by President Obama, specifically highlighting Florida’s leading role in overcoming the obstacles military and overseas voters face in registration and voting. 

Donald Palmer is a reserve Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) where he served in Naples, Italy, representing Sailors and Marines accused of military offenses.  He also served the Navy as an appellate counsel representing the Navy in the appeals of convictions of serious crimes.  Earlier in his career, he served as an Intelligence Officer with the now retired Sea Strike Squadron Twenty-Two of S-3bs and Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW-3) onboard “Big John”, the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy (CV-67). 

He still serves in the Navy Reserves in Jacksonville, Florida.  He is married and the father of three children.