Rejected N.M. Provisional Ballots Top Estimates

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | November 10, 2004 | Lloyd Jojola And Rene Romo

[CedarDave]

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.

[CedarDave]

And that makes it even more unlikely that John Kerry can overtake President Bush in New Mexico.

Shining the spotlight on the process kept the Democrats from playing dirty tricks that may have given NM to Kerry. Bill Richardson is saddened.

[Hardastarboard]

I've been keeping an eye on the nut cases over at DU, and trust me, they don't see it this way at all. They are CONVINCED (OK, in denial) that the election was stolen.

Almost every thread in the elections thread there has further "proof" that votes in this or that state were stolen. They're talking about how Kerry's concession isn't legally binding, and how it isn't over until December 13 when the Electoral College votes. They're also cursing Kerry for not standing up to the "Republican vote fraud". Some of them are taking comfort in the idea that Kerry's people are still monitoring the election.

It all reminds me of how the German people put their faith in a "secret weapon" in the last days of WWII. Pathetic, but frightening that they could be so mis-guided.

[DuncanWaring]

"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,"

It's a lot sadder than what I would expect because that's a lot of people who are so stupid they thought they could vote without registering.

[sweetliberty]

I'm betting that illegals who were "counting on having their vote counted" account for a large number of these rejected provisional ballots. Thank God for those who gave their time to keep our election honest from being completely taken over by voter fraud.

[Gibtx]

I was in New Mexico this last week. Do not go there. If you look like a Bush person, which I and my family do, you will get screwed from the front desk through the restraunts.

I travel a lot and this was the first time I have ever felt that I and my family was not welcomed to any place we have gone.

They had taken hate to a new level.

email me if you want details but trust me ..... dont go to a blue county...... if you look like Bush Material....

[marvlus]

Just what does Bush material look like?

[Gibtx]

Check out Richards history if you want a real surprise...

[naturalized]

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;

[snip]

The Associated Press reported late Tuesday that the vote gap between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry was 8,273

Ummm, if every vote were for Kerry . . . yada, yada, yada . . . the President still wins. Check my math, but isn't 5000 less than 8273?

[GraniteStateConservative]

Those are just the provisional ballots found SO FAR. Bill will find 20,000 more today in the trunk of his car.

[macsmind76]

Funny that ABC world News Tonight had a story on this "election fraud" on Tuesday night's broadcast.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=239735&page=1

Verdict, bogus MOONBAT theory, no evidence.


mac

[OldFriend]

A lot more people thought their fraudulent votes would be counted.

[CedarDave]

Your math is right for Bernalillo County, but in the other counties there are over 4,500 additional ballots being examined for counting.

[TNCMAXQ]

I am a Bush person and when I was in Albuquerque in 2001 I found it very nice there. I don't recall hotel and other people being any different there than in other cities. It was a very nice place to visit. I wouldn't mind going back there.

[paulsy]

"'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.

Not that logic matters here, because these are just people trying to commit vote fraud. But this clerk says it's sad when people who really want to vote, end up having their vote nullified because they are not registered? So as an elections clerk she's sad because the "votes" of unregistered voters aren't counted? People in this day and age who "forget to register" are too stupid to be allowed to vote. This clerk, if she believes herself, should be taken off the job.

[DesertDreamer]

Thanks! This is definitely clearer than yesterday's Tribune article. I still don't understand why KKOB is still using the 25% rejection projection. I just heard it on the "news" again.

[kittymyrib]

Stay out of NM. It only makes the Indian tribes who run the resorts and the ski lodges richer. They pay no taxes, yet get to vote in our elections. Representation without taxation should not be allowed, particularly when they call themselves separate "nations" on the reservations and are constantly whining for more federal funds.

[normy]

I drove through NM w/ my bro on the way to Vegas. I have a 2001 GMC Sierra with a Bush/Cheney sticker on the window and Texas plates. In Albuquerque a man pulled beside me and motioned to roll down the window. He informed me my tire was going flat. I thanked him and he drove off. Thank God he told me or I would have been in the middle of nowhere when it finally went flat.

I then went to the closest truck stop and asked the lady where the air was. She said someone stole the hose but to try just down the road. I did, filled up my tire and found a large hunk of metal in it. I drove to a dirty looking tire shop run by a bunch of Hispanic guys. They patched my tire and when I asked how much they told me it was free. Thats a pretty good experience.

[Owen]

The fundamental point the DUers are making is that exit polls are always correct and the actual votes didn't agree. Rather than question the exit polls, they are claiming the actuals were miscounted by Bush people who wrote the machine software.

The best rebuttal to this is to point out that the Exit Polls are samples. They go to "representative precincts" and sample voters on the way out. Kerry's team might have learned what these precincts were, sent their people to stand in line, walk into the polls, not vote (to avoid an actual crime) and then walk outside directly to the pollster to be sampled.

The motivation would be to get those exit polls reported early in the evening and dampen GOP turnout in the west.

Frankly, this is a more credible scenario than software hacking. The software hacking would be a serious felony that the perpetrator would be risking. Walking through polling places to then talk to an exit pollster breaks no law at all and has no risk at all.

[Gibtx]

I was born in New Mexico and went to school there ..... i can tell you in the last two weeks everything there has changed....

I wont go back unless I have a family emergency... I used to ride my motorcycle in the hills, go to the ballon races, and hang out in Sante Fe.

I will not go back to do that ..... it has changed....

[TNCMAXQ]

I also went to one of the casinos in the ABQ area. I can't remember the name right now but it looked a little like Mohegan Sun here in CT. I was pretty lucky and won $500 on a slot machine. :) So overall my visit to NM in May 2001 was very pleasant. I liked ABQ more than Tucson or Denver.