Rejected N.M. Provisional Ballots Top Estimates

ABQJournal.com ^ | 11/10

[ambrose]

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Rejected N.M. Provisional Ballots Top Estimates

By Lloyd Jojola And Rene Romo Journal Staff Writers Provisional ballots in Bernalillo County are being rejected at a rate higher than earlier estimates. And that makes it even more unlikely that John Kerry can overtake President Bush in New Mexico. As of Tuesday evening, Bernalillo County election officials working under the watchful eye of Republican and Democrat observers had reviewed about 9,000 of the approximately 13,000 provisional and in-lieu-of ballots cast in last week's election. Here's an approximate breakdown so far:

3,000 have been accepted and will be counted;

4,000 have been rejected and won't be counted;

2,000 are undergoing further review;

The rest have not been reviewed. The "reject" category so far is bigger than election officials had predicted. "It's a lot sadder than what I would expect because that's a lot of people who thought that their vote counted and it didn't," said County Clerk Mary Herrera. "That's because they didn't understand what a provisional ballot really was. A lot of them thought that they could go vote anywhere." The primary reason for rejecting the ballots was that the people who cast them were not registered to vote, she said. The deadline for counties to complete the canvass of votes is Friday. The state canvassing board will certify statewide results Nov. 23. Thursday is a holiday for government workers to celebrate Veterans Day— but not for Herrera's crew. "We'll be working— no question," Herrera said. Provisional ballots— emergency paper ballots given to voters whose names did not appear on voting rosters at polling places or whose eligibility is otherwise in question— have been the focus of attention statewide, with Bernalillo and several other counties still certifying and counting those votes. The Associated Press reported late Tuesday that the vote gap between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry was 8,273. Democrats had said they were watching the provisional vote count closely— especially in Bernalillo County— because of a possible change in the victor.

But those hopes have all but evaporated.

What's keeping them camped out at Bernalillo County's warehouse is seeing the final vote margin and ensuring that the process is open from start to finish, said Vanessa Alarid, executive director of the state Democratic Party.

In Doña Ana County, election workers began slogging through the roughly 2,700 provisional ballots filed Election Day, but the process moved slowly. By 5 p.m., after three hours of work, the single team assigned the task of reviewing and qualifying provisional ballots had counted 57 ballots.

Of that total, one-third were disqualified for various reasons, including not being registered in the county and not signing proper affidavits.

County election supervisor Mari Langford said that three or four more teams would be assigned to the task starting today to hasten the processing of provisional ballots.

Some local Republicans have criticized the slow pace of the canvass and have alleged wrongdoing without providing evidence. The count Tuesday was conducted before as many as 17 observers as well as one State Police officer assigned for security.

Republican watchers did not challenge any of the ballots, but did raise questions about at least one provisional ballot.

Election workers announced the names and addresses of voters along with the reason ballots were accepted or disqualified.

The Secretary of State's Office on Monday appealed to the state Supreme Court to overturn a ruling last week by a Doña Ana County District Court judge requiring the canvassing board to reveal the name and address on provisional ballots, along with the reason for accepting or disqualifying the ballots.

Elsewhere in New Mexico:

Sandoval County was working to finish reviewing its 734 provisional ballots after having waded through nearly half Monday;

In San Juan County, workers qualified 265 of the 656 provisional ballots cast there and workers started tallying those ballots Tuesday, while Eddy County qualified and counted 34 provisional and 7 in-lieu-of ballots. McKinley County qualified about 500 provisional ballots and workers were counting them Tuesday.

[kingu]

Probably one of the biggest miscalculations of campaign 2004 - not getting Richardson when McCain turned Kerry down. With Richardson, Kerry quite possibly could have carried Florida, New Mexico and Nevada, and maybe Iowa.

Some days, I almost feel like tempting fate and asking why it wasn't a landslide of 40 plus states with all the Kerry missteps.

[jim from cleveland]

I can hear it now.

"Count all the votes, even those that are illegal!" insert radical Dim Activist name here__________

[woofie]

I saw some Kerry votes out near Abiquiu

[patriciaruth]

Thanks for the update.

[ambrose]

I believe Richardson was damaged goods after the Monica episode.

[Salvation]

Hmmmmm.+

[kajingawd]

"Probably one of the biggest miscalculations of campaign 2004 - not getting Richardson when McCain turned Kerry down. With Richardson, Kerry quite possibly could have carried Florida, New Mexico and Nevada, and maybe Iowa"


you seem saddened!?

The biggest miscalculation of campaign 2004 was that Kerry actually thought the Americans were stupid, was hoping on it, and betting on it.

[woofie]

I kind of enjoyed Kerry reopening the festering wounds of Viet Nam

[Merry]

I just hope that by the next election, the process will be standardized. What is so hard about asking people to register at least a month before the election. All these provisional ballots are ridiculous. I don't know why all of us voters put up with this election nonsense and manipulation every 4 years. Republican voters are being disenfranchised by the Dimwits who vote 5 times for our every one vote.

[taxesareforever]

"It's a lot sadder than what I would expect because that's a lot of people who thought that their vote counted and it didn't," said County Clerk Mary Herrera

A lot sadder for Gov.Richardson too. Soon enough he is going to have to eat crow for saying NM was going to Kerry.

[Roy Tucker]

My guess is it still will. That will enhance Richardson's viability for a run at the Democratic nomination in 2008. He would be a strong candidate for the Dems.

[goldstategop]

Bill Richardson is pro-gun, low taxes, small government. The type of Democrat the national party ought to nominate but won't.

[ForGod'sSake]

Some days, I almost feel like tempting fate and asking why it wasn't a landslide of 40 plus states with all the Kerry missteps.

Elementary Watson. It's obvious to me the people that continue to vote for Dims think the plantation is not such a bad place...

FGS

[Bonaparte]

"...why it wasn't a landslide of 40 plus states with all the Kerry missteps."

• the media made a contribution-in-kind to kerry that amount to billions of campaign dollars

• for a period of four years, Gore voters were whipped into a rage by the media and the democratic party. By this summer, they were not an electorate, they were an unreasoning, hateful mob. They paid scant attention to kerry or to what he said, their only object being to lynch the incumbent.

One of the reasons we have the Electoral College is to guard against demagogues.

[Roy Tucker]

Yup. On the heels of this election rout, the Dems might just stumble upon it, but I'm hoping for Hillary. I hope the Dems won't disappoint me.