Broward County still "working out" response to missing ballots

[dolstein]

It isn't even election day and we've found the Theresa LePore of 2004. Her name is Brenda Snipes and she's the new supervisor of elections for Broward County. How incompetent is she? Well, not to long ago the Secretary of State's Office expressed full confidence in her ability to fix a problem that has only recently come to light: as many as 58,000 absentee ballots that were supposed to have been sent out two weeks ago appear to be "missing."

Here's the latest scoop from Local 10 in Ft. Lauderdale:

Lost Ballots Attract Attention From Florida Law Enforcement

POSTED: 12:40 pm EDT October 27, 2004
UPDATED: 1:04 pm EDT October 27, 2004

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is looking into how the Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office gets absentee ballots to postal distribution centers after nearly 58,000 such ballots were unaccounted for.

. . .

Broward resident Marcie Cogswell requested an absentee ballot and never received one. She only learned that her ballot was missing when she physically went to the elections office and started asking questions. She said she is furious about what's happening and said no one at the elections office is letting voters waiting for the "missing" ballots know what to do.

Officials at the county's elections office are telling voters that the matter is still in the process of being worked out.

. . .

Local 10 News contacted the Florida Secretary of State's office this morning about the situation in Broward County. Officials said they weren't aware of the matter, but were confident that it could be handled on the local level.

http://www.local10.com/news/3861334/detail.html

Ok, let's summarize: As many as 58,000 absentee ballots requested by voters in heavily Democratic Broward County are unaccounted for. The elections supervisor of Broward County is still "figuring things out." There has been no systematic effort by the Broward County elections office to notify people who have requested absentee ballots that if they haven't received their ballot by now, they should go to an early voting station. Voters in Broward County who have tried to contact the elections office haven't been able to get through because there aren't enough phone lines. Oh yeah -- there are only 6 days left before the election, and in order to be counted, absentee ballots must be received by election day.

And what are we hearing from the Florida Democratic Party and the Kerry/Edwards campaign? So far . . . nothing. My google searches have turned up no statements, no official response, nada, zilch, zero.

[still_one]

1. amazing!!!

[Downtown Hound]

2. Don't worry about it

I'm sure it'll all be worked out by Nov. 3rd.

[dolstein]

4. But since the election is November 2, that'll be too late

You need to remember to add <sarcarm> to your post.

[Downtown Hound]

7. I have faith in the intelligence of DU'ers

that they all know what day the election is, and that my post was sarcasm.

[Goldmund]

10. I'm with you

The "sarcasm" tag innoculates the sarcasm from being funny.

[vet_against_Bush]

11. I am a tad upset! nt

[noamnety]

3. more on Brenda Snipes

Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes is facing sharp criticism for her decision to hire a law firm with close ties to the Republican Party to represent the nonpartisan supervisor's office in the upcoming elections.

Snipes, who was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush, hired the four-lawyer firm Blosser & Sayfie in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., several months ago to represent her in any election-related litigation.
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1090180438131

According to the Miami Daily Business Review, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) appointee at the Broward County Board of Elections hired a law firm headed by two close cronies of President Bush to fight any charges against it during the 2004 election. Specifically, the Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes hired the law firm Blosser & Sayfie. Justin Sayfie "is a former spokesman for Gov. Bush and currently is co-chair of the Bush/Cheney re-election campaign in Broward County." He is also a Bush Ranger (aka. someone who has raised more than $100,000 for the President's campaign). James Blosser is also "a top fund-raiser for President Bush's re-election campaign." Many observers expect the election will be extremely close in Florida and predict it will touch off litigation. County election supervisors and their legal teams could play a key role in deciding the election.

http://www.commonassets.org/blog_democracy.php

[flordehinojos]

5. What was it that Harry Belafonte said about Colin Powell? Was it something

like ... "the slave serves in the house of the master at the pleasure of the master?" ... Brenda Snipes IS the female counterpart to COLIN POWELL. She is a Republican dressed in a democrat's garb.
On October 4, 2004 during a 5 o'clock newscast on WPLG Channel 10, Brenda Snipes said that the upcoming election is an important election because "WE ARE GETTING READY TO ELECT THE PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It seems that for Brenda Snipes, like for the people of the PNAC, there is only one rule, one government, one WORLD, one RULER ... her man the Bush Boy.

It seems that she is making sure the PNAC gets the man they have selected to RULE us and ... the world?

[Synnical]

6. Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/10028901.htm

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and local agencies are investigating why up to 58,000 absentee ballots have not reached Broward County voters.

FDLE launched the investigation Tuesday after being contacted by county elections officials. The Broward Sheriff's Office, Broward Supervisor of Elections and the U.S. Postal Service are cooperating in the investigation, said Paige Patterson-Hughes, spokesperson for FDLE's South Florida region.

''We are trying to determine what occurred and whether there was any kind of criminal violation,'' Patterson-Hughes said. She said they also are exploring whether the ballots were simply mishandled.

[Casablanca]

8. The old GOP "run out the clock" tactic ...

Investigate, investigate, investigate, when what the voters need is a ballot.

[Synnical]

12. FDLE ends probe of missing absentee ballots

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/10028901.htm

After a brief inquiry, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has closed its investigation into why thousands of absentee ballots have not reached Broward County voters.

FDLE was asked to investigate Tuesday after being contacted by county elections officials, said Paige Patterson-Hughes, spokesperson for the agency's South Florida region.

But after preliminary discussions with Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes, investigators found no evidence of criminal intent, and no reason to continue the investigation.

[DemocracyInaction]

9. This Bush cartel isn't even subtle criminals; they are 'in you face'

criminals. This needs to make national news so that the country can see how much the Bush family "loves democracy". Then maybe people can figure out that the bullshit about "bringing democracy to Iraq" is just that---bullshit. I don't understand the Kerry camp and the Dems on this because they should be directing the eye of every news agency in the country there, screaming, yelling until they are forced to rectify the situation. This is one reason I feel Kerry should not waste his time on Florida----you can't win in a banana republic. They will never declare Florida for Kerry...ever!!! Damn these scum.

[Thrill]

13. Just had to be a democrat county

didn't it