Mongolia Votes for Change, Too

Candidates call for cancellation, cite 'massive fraud'

(NEWSER) - As protesters hit the streets, presidential candidates in Haiti banded together yesterday to demand the election be canceled, citing foul play, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Twelve of the 19 candidates are accusing the outgoing president’s party of “massive fraud.” Protesters—some peaceful, some throwing stones—marched after hundreds of voters said they were barred from voting at polling stations because their names weren’t on rolls. More»

Critics say vote a transparent charade

(NEWSER) - Vote counting has barely begun in Myanmar after the country's first election in 20 years, but critics say the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Reports have been flying of foul play, the Wall Street Journal reports. President Obama criticized the elections as "fundamentally flawed" and urged the junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. Hillary Clinton criticized the process as well, while Britain's foreign secretary predicted that "they will not be free, fair, or inclusive." More»

First of all, if you don't have a lawyer ready ... it's too late

(NEWSER) - With at least six Senate races too close to call, and even more in the House, at least one recount is inevitable this Election Day. In the Washington Post , Jay Weiner offers up nine lessons from the high-profile recounts of 2000 (Bush-Gore) and 2008 (Franken-Coleman):

• Lawyer up—yesterday: Al Franken had a lawyer working on recount plans a month before the election. His trial lawyer also started preparing for legal proceedings months before Coleman’s—and Franken won the trial.
• Set money aside: Coleman and Franken likely spent a combined $20 million; for Bush and Gore, the total was $17 million. Know how you’re going to pay—in advance.

Abdullah demands overhaul of Afghan election commission

(NEWSER) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s strongest political challenger may boycott next month's planned runoff election if the country’s election commission is not completely purged of Karzai supporters. Abdullah Abdullah has consistently charged that without a commission overhaul the vote-rigging which marred the original election is bound to be repeated. Diplomats worry that Abdullah’s withdrawal could wreck the nation’s fragile democracy. More»

Recount will rectify fraud, says head of mission in troubled nation

(NEWSER) - The head of the UN mission in Afghanistan is denying that he helped cover up vote-rigging in the disputed Afghan election, refuting charges made by a top US diplomat. In a rare press conference, Kai Eide also said a partial recount being conducted by a UN-backed election panel would root out the fraud that marred the August vote. More»