OHIO: Requests strain election boards, county budgets

[sled]

Requests strain election boards, county budgets

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/10226814.htm

JAY COHEN

Associated Press

Fri, Nov. 19, 2004

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ross County elections director Nancy Bell ticked off
a list of information requested by groups checking election results,
mentioning everything from provisional ballot totals to voter
signature poll books.

"That's not all," Bell said Friday. "There's still another eight
things on the list."

Elections officials say such requests from political and advocacy
groups, media outlets and other organizations are straining their
staffs and budgets as they try to finish the official ballot count for
the presidential election.

"We've never received anything like this before, since I started in
1985," Bell said.

[wurzel]

1. In other words we simply can't afford democracy?

[SKKY]

19. Yes, we can afford it...

...we just don't have the time for it, silly.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

21. Here we are raiding our piggy banks

While the fat cats who caused this don't have to pay anything...

[wurzel]

28. If DNC has money to spare. Why not buy some voting machines?

[Dulcinea]

29. Don't the candidates have to pay for the recounts?

nt

[goodboy]

2. that means some serious investigations are going on. (nt)

[Pax Argent]

3. Tough shit

Don't cheat and try to disenfranchise people next time. I know Rethugs like Blackwell are stupid, but how did they not figure after 2000 that this was going to happen, one way or another. If Kerry had won it would be the Rethugs demanding the recount.

[goodboy]

9. tough shit, that's right. (nt)

[burn the bush]

4. I guess that if you did it right the first time, u wouldn't be having this

problem.

[Catt03]

5. Tough!

We didn't do it in Fl in 2000 and look what happened to the entire world.

Don't let them stop.

[musette_sf]

6. Boo Fuckin' Hoo

and cry me a fuckin' river

:nopity:

[Chimpanzee]

7. Cry me a river, Nancy you stinking whore

We don't need no stinkin democracy!

[Zan_of_Texas]

8. This country spends way over $1 billion a week in Iraq.

The "big bucks" the feds voted for HAVA to get new voting equipment was $3 or 4 billion total.

Guess the photo op elections aren't all that valuable -- jeez, a set, and stranglehold media are all ya really need -- you certainly don't need voting mechanisms that actually WORK -- oh no, not THAT! </sarcasm>

PS My guess is the reason Blackwell is stalling on the recount is they are as we speak manufacturing spanking new "evidence" that the voters did what the tally says, whether it's brand new punched cards or faked tally total sheets. So, who's paying fer THAT overtime, anyway?

[Glenda]

33. "PAPER BALLOTS NOT VAPOR BALLOTS"

I love your sig! Is this a bumper sticker somewhere??

[Daisey Mae]

10. I smell a RAT or two.... I bet one of them is Nancy.....Boo Hoo Nancy

[Carni]

11. Oh gee Nancy maybe they should fire your sorry ass...

AND PUT SOMEONE IN CHARGE WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT DEMOCRACY

[DeadManInc]

12. budget

Cry me a fucking river.

[Spangle]

13. They CHARGE for it.

So cry me a river. Most of it should have been handled in a way where it was all ready KNOWN. As in, posted on the web. But, I bet they didn't have an orginized system in process. If it's anything like most local boards.. If a "simple" person had asked, they would have just told them it was impossible to do and just ignored them. They should have seen this sort of crap coming and prepaired for it. NOPE!

So CRY me a river.

As for all these requests... So, you know the same thing is being asked for over and over again. When you make one copy, make SEVERAL at the same time. If it's paper work, make a FILE of copys. Then just put the copy you need for the request. It's not that hard to do. They just do not want to do this. Sorry, but these people need to realize that THIS is part of their job. The part they have been acting like they are not required to do.

[LiberalFighter]

14. Sounds more like bait and switch / misdirection

I am sure that they are only required to provide per their state FOIA. Time limitations are probably reasonable and allow response with date they will comply.

Any good govt office would be able to comply if they don't have anything to hide. Considering that so much of the data is in electronic format it should be a snap to retrieve and compile.

If need be... request the raw file that the program creates and uses. It will probably require exporting/importing or even mass manipulation to get it in the format needed.

[Kellis]

15. Ohians should be outraged

That their state is being investigated for Fraud in the 2004 election.They should be out in the streets demanding answers as to what actually happened and tell those assholes to suck it up this is after all America.

[GetTheRightVote]

16. Buckeye state demand your right to vote, march now

Welcome to the Democracy that Bushco owns, he took us in 2000, but fool me once, fool on you, fool me twice fool on me, We know what you did and have done so moved over the people are coming thru ...

[mondohondo]

17. Don't worry

We Ohioans are made of some pretty stern stuff. We won't go down without a fight. However, we are also patient. Lets wait and see exactly what kinds of criminal behavior Bush and Blackwell engaged in before we start hanging ropes from lamp posts.

[Kellis]

34. Welcome to DU mondohondo!!

:toast: :bounce: :hi:

[SKKY]

18. This sounds like the same crap Katherine Harris pulled in Florida.

[0rganism]

20. Oh don't worry republicans, just cut another state social program

Maybe the Ohio GOP can spin this into an excuse for cancelling the public schools.

[aikanae]

22. maybe they should cash the checks?

no. this stinks.
why do they EVEN get until Dec 1st? (i thought it was Dec 6th, anyway) electoral votes need to be in by the 12th. Most states needed to complete their counts by Nov 12th.

i think someone should write to the editor of the paper and remind him to 'look a little deeper'.

[lovuian]

23. Well oviously there is a BIG FREAKING PROBLEM!!!

So get to work people and start showing how you got those number election night!!!

[daleo]

24. Setting up excuses for not responding to the election requests

They want to run out the clock, like with Florida last time. Then, if necessary, it will go to a compliant Supreme Court again. Although, in my opinion, they really want to avoid the Supreme Court. Not because of any concern about the result, of course, but the optics of it.

[bhikkhu]

25. Democracy is inconvenient, isn't it

[Occulus]

26. Tough shit.Cough it up, babe. n/t

[boi1946]

27. Tough!

If we trusted that, after standing in the rain for 10 hours, your fancy machines would able to produce a fair and accurate vote count, treating us and our vote, with the respect it deserves, we wouldn't be having this conversation!

:nopity:

[SoCalDem]

30. Boo-Hoo.. maybe if they ran a legitimate election

with citizens actually able to register and vote..they would not have to worry about all these "requests"..

Here's hoping that people boycott Ohio products by the boatload, and they all have to take paycuts..

[maryallen]

31. kick

[Gyre]

32. We should care about Ohio's pain because?

They are the problem; they SHOULD be suffering.

Gyre