OHIO: Election Official Calls Recount Request Frivolous, Insulting

[sled]

Election Official Calls Recount Request Frivolous, Insulting

http://www.channelcincinnati.com/news/3939806/detail.html

Cost Of Recount Estimated At $1.5 M

POSTED: 1:56 pm EST November 22, 2004
UPDATED: 2:02 pm EST November 22, 2004

CINCINNATI -- Third-party candidates for president said they would sue
in federal court Monday to force a recount of Ohio ballots before
returns are certified next week - prompting one election official to
say he might mobilize fellow counties to resist a recount.

"Counties are very upset," said Keith Cunningham, director of the
Allen County Board of Elections and incoming president of the Ohio
Association of Election Officials, who called the lawsuit "frivolous."

"Commissioners are beginning to understand - and if they don't, will
understand soon - what kind of financial impact this is going to have
on them, in a year when elections already cost a great deal more than
expected."

Libertarian Michael Badnarik and the Green Party's David Cobb said
last week that they had raised more than $150,000 to cover the state's
fee for a recount. Ohio law requires payment of $10 per precinct, or
$113,600 statewide, but election officials say the true expense would
be far greater.

[Carolab]

1. They can call it frivolous all they want

BUT IT HAPPENS TO BE THE LAW!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MrUnderhill]

9. I have a question about that. The law says they can "request" one..

But it seems to leave open whether the request has to be GRANTED.

It's clear that if the numbers were closer it would be granted automatically. But not with this alrge a gap.

So the question is... WHO do they ask (it lookslike each county??) and what recourse is there if they are told "no"???

[librechik]

27. Blackwell decides. AFter that I guess we have to sue.

he is not compelled by law to approve the request.

[MrUnderhill]

29. That's a problem... there isn't a lot of time... and

the state Supreme Court is heavily Republican.

In any case... There's like a week between the certification and the deadline to get the numbers to the Congress. Already little enough time for a recount as it is... but time for a legal challenge and appeals AND a count? I doubt it.

There can always be a FOIA review like there was in Florida... but wasn't that MONTHS later?

[LiberalFighter]

35. Does it have to be a verbal approval???

What if he doesn't verbally approve... isn't able to verbally approve the request?


Send him on a wild goose chase for his payoff in some underground sewer tunnel. Then seal the entrance and exits.

[sui generis]

2. hang the bastard for interfering with an election

how's that for frivolous.

Anyone with that attitude is NOT competent to hold the job, and I have one question for him:

WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?

[cubsfan forever]

3. Actually, it's called democracy

As in COUNT ALL THE VOTES! But you know that, right? Just asking.

Professor 2

[mcg]

6. Democracy: priceless

[cubsfan forever]

7. Excellent! n/t

Professor 2

[mcg]

23. What price do you put on democracy? Is it a cheap trinket?

[mcg]

24. Is it not worth our time?

[cubsfan forever]

28. Not sure I take your meaning eom

Professor 2

[mcg]

30. That's what I'd ask the republicans.

[cubsfan forever]

33. They probably aren't smart enough

to know what is happening in this country, and don't care. To them, nothing is worth destroying the myth of their precious wet-diaper "cowboy" who keeps the "terrists" in their place. Sickening.

Professor 2

[HereSince1628]

4. In Wisconsin, if you make public a price you must honor it.

I have no idea, but I suspect that Ohio is the same.

Tough luck for the Counties, someone had the bucks to call their hand!

[Old and In the Way]

5. Here's the form letter I just received from Ms. Clair-

Please be advised that we will conduct a recount, at the appropriate time. The law provides a mechanism for the recount and certainly, that request will be honored.

My comments spoke to a procedural question. We have received a request for a recount prior to the election being certified by the Secretary of State. I am meeting with our Prosecutor to determine if I can hold on to the check or need to return the check until the appropriate time it may be requested.

Please understand that a recount is a reaffirmation of what we do in conducting the official count. I have no problem whatsoever in doing whatever is requested and will do whatever is requested by law. And, I have never felt that any part of our election process is frivolous....

Respectfully,

Jan Clair, Director

[otohara]

13. Not A Happy Face Form Letter

has a bite to it, IMO!

[otohara]

8. "Election Officials Happy to Recount" For Sake of Democracy

Think they'd write a story with that headline? Nope!

[insane_cratic_gal]

11. blah

Ohio is in need of jobs. And they should make Diebold pay for it.

Aren't there volunteers for the recount anyway?

http://www.allencountyohiogop.com/B1580123348/C964829699/E2136622176/index.html
Oh did you see this bit of crap on their site?

<snip>

"The man apparently was being paid in crack cocaine. The source of payment was tracked to a women named Georgianne Pitts, age 41. The trail apparently continues on toward Cleveland. Georgianne was recruited by NAACP National Voter Fund, a strong supporter of the democratic ticket. Whether it will be discovered just how far this money trail leads, only time will tell. In the meantime there will be some 'spinning' to keep the Nation Voter Fund from being known as the National Voter Fraud."

[otohara]

12. Actually Diebold

does pay for a portion of the salaries of all Secretaries of States, along with the rest of the republican donors who make vote machines

[LiberalFighter]

37. Isn't that bribery?

[makhno]

10. Keith Cunningham is a republican operative

Cheney and Kirk summoned their trusty friend, Keith Cunningham who in less than an hour and a half had rounded up 14 buses of various sizes, colors and shapes to transport the tank plant workers, their families, and other people wishing to see the President.

http://www.allencountyohiogop.com/articles.php?aid=news2003/Observations_president.txt

He was opposed to the use of optical scan machines in this election cycle. Frankly, my friends, when a republican operative pushes for the use of a certain type of technology, then objects to verifying results, I don't need much tin foil hat prompting to conclude that something's not quite right in the land of the free.

[grasswire]

15. anyone got contact information for Cunningham?

I'd like to remind him how much blood has been spilled for the sanctity of the vote that is central to our liberty.

[makhno]

18. Here's the board of elections site

http://www.co.allen.oh.us/boa.php

I'm contacting the TV news site that posted the article to figure out whether it came from AP's Cincinnati office. If so, I'll email them asking to update the article with a clarification of the political bias of the election official quoted in the article.

[senegal1]

22. Thanks for the info

I will be mailing them.

[3days]

16. This is the reason I look to DU

Nice find!!!

[mhr]

14. The Fight Has Begun

I have been wondering when the Republicans would lash out.

It seems the lawsuit was the trigger.

They will fight this in the court of public opinion.

The battle may have already been lost with the support they will get from the media.

[CAcyclist]

17. If money is so important, why didn't they just stick with paper ballots

instead of spending so much money on these machines?

We should state clearly that we will challenge the results of any election that is suspicious every single time and they might keep that in mind and pick a more reliable, verifiable system in the future if they don't want to be subject to these challenges.

[Zorra]

19. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much"

".....the true expense would be far greater."

Are they talking cost of shredders, or their own personal legal expenses when they are charged with election fraud?

[laylah]

20. My e-mail to Mr. Cunningham...

Dear Mr. Cunningham:

You call a suit brought against your county to get all votes recounted, frivolous? Well Sir, I find it frivolous that you, an ELECTION OFFICIAL, would find it frivolous for citizens to make sure their vote counted! I find it frivolous that the Republicans don't care HOW they "won", just that they did. I find it frivolous that you are an unAmerican, unpatriotic Conservative that would prefer the citizens of this once great country, be denied the assurance their vote counted!

Yours in frivolity,
XXXXXXXXXX

[IndianaGreen]

21. They should have counted all the votes correctly the first time

now they are claiming it costs too much to have a recount. Why not just cancel all elections since they cost so much. This is total caca-del-toro!

[Point_n_click]

25. Ohio election official hates democracy.

Keith Cunningham calls democracy frivolous and insulting.

We should mass mail this as a LTTE to all major papers, especialy in Ohio.

[uhhuh]

42. Yes!!

Any Ohioans that are reading this should write LTTEs about how Cunningham thinks their votes are frivolous. If it gets enough exposure, he will have to explain himself. I'd like to see how he could explain this.

[Downtown Hound]

26. Boo freakin' hoo

:nopity:

[Blue_State_Elitist]

31. To a repuke

Any lawsuit that doesn't bring them money is frivolous. It matters not whether something illegal actually occurred.

[stepnw1f]

32. Our Democracy is More Important Then Your Hollow Feelings

I seriously doubt these "election officials" are insulted. So...Shut the fuck up and begin the Goddamn Recount you bastads!

[Bullshot]

34. Cunningham is a Republican shill.

He's taken issue with a local talk show host whenever he badmouths Bush or the Republican party in general.

In my opinion, any chairman of a board of elections at any level should be non-partisan. I think part of the reason why things are looking so suspicious in Ohio's vote outcome is because its secretary of state, Ken Blackwell, chaired Bush's election committee for this state.

[NinetySix]

36. Will this create new jobs in Ohio?

Seems like they'll have to hire SOMEONE to do all that counting....

And the taxpayers will foot the bill, you say? The only ones who pay taxes anyway are the ones WITH a job. If nothing else, it might be just the thing to bring some semblance of Christmas to some households that are otherwise hurting in a bad way.

Quit yer whining, Ohio county BOEs. And commence to counting.

[Politicub]

38. Cool

He's on the defensive.

The battle is joined.

[leesa]

39. Well, then they shouldn't have tried to steal it in the first place!

NO sympathy. When the fraud is uncovered, I suspect the cost can be covered by the commissioners and the GOP

[insane_cratic_gal]

40. Dubya has capital

and he intends to use it.. LOL.. err you think he meant to use it for a cover up?

[Barkley]

41. If a recount insults Mr. Cunningham then he probably needed it!

The "Counties are very upset"!?!?!?

We'll so are the rest of us.

We've been upset since Nov. 2!

[msgadget]

43. Recounting is going to CRUSH their county governments!

Damn, don't y'all feel real bad for 'em? I mean, c'mon guys, a fair and transparent election is just too expensive! :nopity:

[Supersedeas]

44. Dictatorships are so much easier...so easy chimps could do it.