WA: Other Counties Tallied New Ballots In Their Recount

[dzika]

Other Counties Tallied New Ballots In Their Recount

December 20, 2004

By KOMO Staff & News Services

-snip-
SEATTLE - At least five Washington counties found ballots that
weren't included in the original tally for governor and added them
to the recount, according to an affidavit by state Elections
Director Nick Handy.

The state Republican Party's lawsuit seeks to stop King County from
including 723 newly discovered ballots in the hand recount of the
excruciatingly close race for governor.

But five other counties have already done what King County wants
to do, and the Supreme Court's ruling on the case could affect
voters all over the state.

-snip-
A Pierce County Superior Court judge agreed with Republicans, and
granted a temporary restraining order last Friday blocking King
County from counting those newly discovered ballots.

"If they uphold the Pierce County Superior Court decision, it raises
questions not just about what we've done, but about what
historically all counties have done for as long as I've been in the
business, which is 25 years," said Snohomish County Auditor Bob
Terwilliger.



Link:
http://www.komotv.com/stories/34484.htm

[New Earth]

1. so what it comes down to

altogether - is that the Court has to decide whether or not to count the people's votes.

is it really that hard a decision to make?

[dzika]

5. Someone pointed out that

the rulings in the Washington recount could effect Ohio, also.

[Liberty Belle]

2. Clearly there's an equal protection argument raised.

You can't let people in one county get their votes added in a recount, while excluding others. No doubt the GOP added in only those areas that would bolster their candidate, while ignoring Democratic ballots.

We need to start looking into impeaching or recalling judges who make unfair decisions.

[procinderella]

3. I think this story is shocking

I read the news earlier today and I still can't believe it. How can you not count votes that EVERYONE KNOWS WERE CAST BY LEGIT VOTERS? No one is arguing the validity of the votes! But because of a clerical error, these people who voted have to suffer.

How would you like your vote overlooked by a clerk? I don't care who it breaks for (really). LET'S COUNT THE VOTES!

How hard can this be people?

The 2005 Voter Bill of Rights for all U.S. citizens. Has a nice ring to it.

[dzika]

8. Other counties added new ballots to the recount...

...then the R*s get a TRO before they could count the newly found Ballots in King County...

So, what happens if the TRO stands? Do they have to go back and re-recount the counties where the additional ballots were counted and subtract the newly found votes?

I just can't imaging subtracting votes that were already recounted just because the R*s don't want to count a few valid votes in King County.

The whole thing stinks.

[Alizaryn]

4. That should help by all things resonable!

[Broken Acorn]

6. Typical fucking rethuglicans!

Why doesn't the MSM start trashing them for double standards? How moral is it to not count someone's vote that was legitimately placed?

Welcome to Bizarro World.

[Carolab]

7. Is there an e-mail for the court in Washington State?

Perhaps we need to let them know that we know about this and that a ruling against counting the other votes is an obviously UNFAIR and PARTISAN decision.

[dzika]

9. I don't see an email addrss...

Here is some contact info for the Pierce County Superior Court.

Is another court reviewing this court's decision or will this court do another ruling? Does anyone know?

Contact Information
Address

Pierce County Superior Court
Room 534, County-City Building
930 Tacoma Avenue South
Tacoma, WA 98402


Phone Numbers

General Information: [phone]
Commissioner Services Department, Room 140: [phone]
Juror call-In: [phone]
Jury Office, Room 123: [phone]
Interpreter Services: [phone]

[weeve]

10. Exactly the importance of a paper trail

From the article:
"Republicans say a previous Supreme Court ruling defines a recount as a retabulation of ballots that have already been counted - not an opportunity to reconsider ballots that have already been rejected."

But as far as I can tell, the 723 King County ballots in question were not already all rejected. There was apparantly at least an entire tray of ballots ( the A's and B's alphabetically )that had been misplaced and later found. Not rejected. As far as I can tell , historically it has been up to the discretion of each county's canvassing board to correct wrongs like this up until the election is certified. There is NO valid reason these legitimate votes should be disqualified.

Typical Republican bullshit - discourage/disqualify/disenfranchise Democratic votes BEFORE the election ... discourage/disqualify/disenfranchise Democratic votes AFTER the election ( especially if it's in one of the increasingly rare counties where there actually still IS a paper ballot to examine after the fact ! )

[merwin]

12. The first 560 or so were letters D through Z (with 2 c's), the A, B, C was

found when someone noticed that there weren't any ABC's in the list (the search for the ABC's was done with a sheriff as an escort)

[Lostnote03]

11. Calling Bugliosi??????

.....If The Washington/Washington Dems were to seek Council from ole "Vinnie" I'm certain the recognition of massive instability within our Countrys voting structure might be reasonably elevated to an intelligent national dialogue.....Not that the potentially disenfranchised voters would have a say in the decision effecting their Democratic/Republic.....Pssssssssst "Everythings Changed"......

[Hamoth]

13. Exactly what I have been thinking.

Where is Vincet Bugliosi to raise the point that "None dare call it reason?"

Where is he in this entire debate? I hope I don't have to buy another book and read about the fraud posthumously.

[Lostnote03]

16. Lets Pre-emptively begin rounding up Bugliosi

...."Non Dare Call It Treason" would be a nice documentary....Where's Moore when ya need him?....Actually I am in absolute agreement with your perspective regarding Bugliosi.....We need a VOICE!!!

[SariesNightly]

14. Mirror mirror

The thing is, If Kerry had won the repubs would go raving mad and squash everything in their path to get all the votes counted. There's no other way around it, we must be strong enough to DEMAND this count whatever it takes

[Lostnote03]

15. Clinton was emphatic in his regard .....

.....when stating that the game is played to win!!!.....The Democratic Tent is large and diverse....We need a Leader that can "round up the Cats"....I feel that Kerry is up to something Or my impression of his wife is entirely wrong, I honestly believe that she would blacken his eye for Not backing the "doubters" regarding His race!!!!

[Hamoth]

17. A good moral stand should apply no matter the outcome.

Even if the race goes to Gregoire tommorow, without the additional ballots as many predict it will, we should still watch this courts decision and protest if they fail to count these legitimate votes.

[Helga Scow Stern]

18. That's a very important point. How should we protest? n/t

[Hamoth]

20. I imagine an olympia event with signs and people...

Maybe a bullhorn, voter registration booth for fun (never too early!) etc...

[Senator]

19. Frame Change: An election is a survey, not a contest

While an election in a democracy may well have many of the trappings of a
contest or competition, its purpose is quite different. That purpose is to poll
the electorate and determine an accurate measure of their choice for a
representative or magistrate.

Like the census, it is intented to measure an objective reality. A contest is a
more limited endeavor. And while campaigns are certainly treated by the media as
sporting events, their purpose is simply communication to the only real
stakeholders in the process, the voters whose intent an election is simply one
method to guage.

While it may be impracticable, there's no reason why we couldn't conduct our
elections by hiring (bonded) agents to canvass the voters rather than requiring
attendance at a "polling" place.

www.thedeanpeople.org

(custom framing)

(tour busses welcome)

(burma shave)

[dzika]

21. keep an eye on this story today.

nt.

[dzika]

22. Justices to hear case for blocking votes Wed.

Justices to hear case for blocking votes Wed.


BRAD SHANNON THE OLYMPIAN

-snip-
The state Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday morning on the
latest vote-counting dispute prompted by the closest governor's race
in Washington history.

At issue are 573 ballots mistakenly rejected by the King County
canvassing board and 162 ballots that apparently had been misplaced
in that county.

The number of votes is just enough that it could tip the election in
favor of Democrat Christine Gregoire, who trailed Republican
governor-elect Dino Rossi by just 42 votes after the first recount,
done by machine. A statewide hand count of ballots is under way and
could wrap up Wednesday when King County, a Gregoire stronghold, is
expected to finish its tally.

Link:
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20041221/topstories/53523.shtml