Army Faces Afghan Gag for Election

British journalists and TV crews are to be banned from the Afghan front line once a date for the election has been set, while senior officers will be prohibited from making public speeches and talking to reporters.

MoD websites will also be “cleansed” of any “non-factual” material including anything containing troops’ opinions of the war, according to a memo leaked to The Daily Telegraph.

The edict comes as Gordon Brown was accused of using British troops as “political props” by visiting Afghanistan the day after giving evidence to the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq War.

The war in Afghanistan is likely to be a sensitive political issue in the election campaign.'

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Don't Mention Our Record in Power, Labour Orders Election Activists

Labour is telling its workers not to campaign on the party's record in power, a leaked document showed yesterday. The revelation came ahead of today's launch by Gordon Brown of Operation Fightback, at which he will tell activists to wage a political scrap for survival.

Mr Brown wants to use the launch rally to give Labour some momentum after months of dire economic news and setbacks. But the leaked document is an astonishing admission that voters have little to show for 13 years of Labour rule.'

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The Irish Referendum

It is not so much the court challenge in Germany. Nor is it the Czech and Polish presidents’ will-I-won’t-I sign pen power. Or even the Irish referendum. What is making some EU politicians especially nervous about the fate of the Lisbon Treaty is what is going on in Britain.

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Early E-voting Results In Vote Flipping In Three States So Far

I noted in passing last week that West Virginia has had the distinct honor of being the first state in the union to report problems (surprise! surprise!) with its electronic voting systems. There are now also reports that similar problems have been happening in Tennessee and Texas as well. No doubt these won't be the last.
So what exactly has happened? Largely, the problem has been what's been dubbed "vote flipping" or "vote switching" -- which is exactly what it sounds like.

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Canadian Jews Object To Election Date

OTTAWA -- Canada's largest Jewish organization has asked Prime Minister Stephen Harper to reject plans to call a federal election for Oct. 14, which is a Jewish holiday.
The Canadian Jewish Congress has written a letter to the Prime Minister, warning that holding an election during Sukkot would make it difficult for some Jews to get to the polls and would rob political parties of workers. Mr. Harper also might suffer a backlash from a group of influential voters he has worked hard to court.

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Seven Ways Your Vote Might Not Count This November

While many voting rights activists are focused on stopping potential problems on Election Day, there are several milestones between now and the 2008 presidential vote that would preview problems with voting on Nov. 4.
What voters often do not know is that long lines or delays in polling place voting can result from many factors -- some administrative, some technical, some partisan. Many of the problems that arise on Election Day not only can be identified before voting in November, they can be resolved by election officials. The following issues will directly impact how voters are accommodated.

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Ron Paul Delegates Advocate Civil Disobedience

Hardcore RP delegates to the Republican national convention hope to convince enough McCain delegates to abstain on the first ballot to deny the fascist neocon the nomination, with the hope of eventually nominating Ron. They rightly point out that, as St. Thomas Aquinas said, an unjust law is no law at all, so anyone with a conscience is not required to vote for McCain, no matter what their state government says; indeed, just the opposite.
Of course, the hardcores have absolutely no chance, since anyone the party chooses to be a McCain delegate is evil. Still, the RP guys and gals have worked their hearts out for many months, and spent lots of money they can't afford. Even though they are doomed to defeat, who can tell them not to do what they believe to be right?

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When You Are Choosing The Lesser of Two Evils