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Funny Numbers

By TChris, Section Elections
Posted on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 08:48:34 AM EST
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by TChris

Ken Blackwell, the Ohio secretary of state who is running for governor, would probably prefer to destroy the ballots cast in Ohio for presidential candidates in 2004. Researchers who have recently obtained access to the ballots are questioning the integrity of the Ohio vote tabulation that he supervised.

After eight months inspecting 35,000 ballots from 75 rural and urban precincts, the critics say that they have found many with signs of tampering and that in some precincts the number of voters differs significantly from the certified results.

In Miami County, in southwestern Ohio, official tallies in one precinct recorded about 550 votes. Ballots and signature books indicated that 450 people voted.

Another problem:

In 10 southwestern counties ... the team found thousands of punch card ballots that lacked codes identifying the precinct where the ballot was cast. The codes are typically necessary for the machines processing the ballots to "know'' to record which candidate receives the votes.

Researchers were denied access to the ballots until January. The ballots were scheduled to be destroyed next week, but Blackwell (undoubtedly wanting to avoid charges that he's covering up his own malfeasance) says he'll issue an order to preserve the ballots for "several months" (that is, until after his race for governor has ended) while the preservation issue is being studied.

Isn't it funny that Republicans are so hot to prevent election fraud by enacting measures (like voter ID) that make it more difficult for poor people to vote, despite the lack of evidence that multiple voting is a widespread problem, but resist the investigation of apparent fraud by election officials or poll workers that seems to have benefited Republicans?

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    Funny Numbers | 9 comments (9 topical)
    Re: Funny Numbers (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    And we'll all be called merely a bunch of sore losers. Because, after all, it's not whether the election is clean or not, or whether we "accept" things (like a huge discrepancy between exit polls and results) that we consider proof of fraud in foreign elections, what matters is who "wins". Lovely that we can't even offer a model electoral process for the world to admire and want to emulate. But that's not important. No no, not at all.

    Re: Funny Numbers (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 10:26:25 AM EST
    Even more funny is how the Times lets Goodman get away with claiming it's a non-partisan issue. I went to the CCR's website and they're pushing impeachment. I'm sure they're non-partisan.

    Re: Funny Numbers (none / 0) (#3)
    by ScottW on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 12:06:46 PM EST
    Don't forget this back in February after Delay left: "House Republicans are taking a mulligan on the first ballot for Majority Leader. The first count showed more votes cast than Republicans present at the Conference meeting."

    Re: Funny Numbers (none / 0) (#6)
    by Sailor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 12:50:35 PM EST
    read it again, there was no claim about non-partisanship, what they said was that it was about making the next election accurate.

    Re: Funny Numbers (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 01:02:36 PM EST
    et al.... Check this out. Watch the video until the end. (An Ohio ballet is shown) http://www.truthcaucus.com/2006/08/30/mtv-protest Comments welcome....

    Re: Funny Numbers (none / 0) (#8)
    by Sailor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 01:38:28 PM EST
    BB, try to stay on topic.

    Re: Funny Numbers (none / 0) (#4)
    by Gabriel Malor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 03:00:04 PM EST
    From the article:
    In Miami County, in southwestern Ohio, official tallies in one precinct recorded about 550 votes. Ballots and signature books indicated that 450 people voted.
    From TChris:
    Isn't it funny that Republicans are so hot to prevent election fraud by enacting measures...despite the lack of evidence that multiple voting is a widespread problem.
    While it's true that one precinct doesn't constitute evidence of "widespread" voter fraud, it certainly supports the idea that "multiple voting" is going on. Also, it's disingenuous to demand that Republicans prove that voter fraud is a widespread problem while asserting such unproven theories that requiring ID makes it difficult for the poor to vote. [Whoops. Let's try this again.]

    Re: Funny Numbers (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 03:00:04 PM EST
    OK I know it's an old one so try not to groan too much. 'It's Not the People Who Vote that Count; It's the People Who Count the Votes' Stalin.

    Re: Funny Numbers (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 01, 2006 at 07:34:21 AM EST
    TChris, Thanks for putting this issue out there. It has been ignored for way too long. Good citizens are in denial that the vote has been (and more important, can and will be) corrupted by those in charge of insuring its integrity.

    Funny Numbers | 9 comments (9 topical)