Nader update on Ohio and New Hampshire recounts

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We’re continuing on with the recount of the vote in New Hampshire. And, we need your financial support to pursue these efforts.

In a letter we received on Friday, the Secretary of State of New Hampshire has required us to provide $12,000 by this Wednesday to continue the next phase of the recount effort. We plan to send the requested funds in the next day. The next phase of our recount in New Hampshire will begin on November 29 and should take two days to complete. We will report the outcome to you early next week.

Like many Americans we have questions about the vote for president in 2004. There are more irregularities reported every day. We have been closely following these reports, especially in Ohio and Florida. Indeed, in Ohio Ralph Nader and the Nader-Camejo campaign were the first to speak out about concerns with the administration of the election and how the vote was counted. We urged the Kerry-Edwards campaign to make good on their promise to count every vote. We contacted the Libertarian Party and urged them to demand a recount. We’re pleased to see the Ohio recount moving forward and plan to send staff to the state during the process, as our own ballot access fight continues in the courts there. We know from the number of improperly disqualified signatures on our ballot petitions that Ohio had multiple problems with its voter registration data as 88 different counties were responsible for maintaining lists. See VoteNader.org for more information on our vote count efforts.

Some of the problems in this election began with the manipulation of registration lists – whether it was “cleaning them up” or handling new registrations. Then, of course, supporters of Nader-Camejo were affected by the efforts to keep us off the ballot. That process uncovered the very politically partisan nature of the administration of elections that continues to raise questions about which and how the votes are counted.

Problems also continue with reports of efforts to suppress turnout of voters through intimidation and harassment or through the failure to have enough voting machines in certain precincts thereby creating unbearably long waits to vote. Then there is the range of problems with vote counting – paperless electronic voting machines and optical scans of paper ballots by computers raise questions about whether the software’s choice of candidates or the voters’ choice is being counted. Finally, there is the problem with auditing the vote count, seeking recounts and challenging election results.

Nader-Camejo believes every vote should be counted correctly. Unlike the Democratic Party’s abdication here, those are not just words for us – they require action to ensure every vote – be it write-in, provisional, absentee, paper or electronic -- is counted regardless of whether it affects outcomes at the national, state and local levels. Therefore, we are looking at reports of irregularities in the vote count not just in New Hampshire but in other states to determine what steps, if any, are possible or required to protect the vote.

Please visit www.VoteNader.org today and help us to defend democracy by making sure every vote is counted.

Thanks for your support.

Sincerely,

Theresa Amato
Campaign Manager