do I really have to say it???
Posted on 06/21/2006 4:20:45 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Three poll workers accused of casting ballots in the name of dead voters were among six people indicted on charges of violating election laws in a state Senate race, a prosecutor announced Wednesday.
Prosecutor Bill Gibbons said his investigation found no evidence of a widespread conspiracy to throw the election to either candidate.
Democrat Ophelia Ford was certified the winner over Republican Terry Roland by 13 votes last September. The state Senate overturned the election this year amid allegations of irregularities.
"There was an effort on the part of certain individuals ... to cast some illegal votes for Miss Ford. But I stress that there is nothing to indicate that she knew anything about that," Gibbons said.
None of those indicted worked for either of the campaigns and neither candidate has been accused of wrongdoing, officials said.
The poll workers are charged with official misconduct. Three felons who cast ballots also were charged with violating election laws. All the counts are felonies.
Ford is challenging her removal from the Senate, and a federal judge has blocked the seating of an interim replacement pending a hearing.
David Cocke, Ford's lawyer, said the indictments may help his client.
"It bolsters our argument that this was not a conspiracy that tainted the entire election," he said.
But GOP Senate Majority Leader Ron Ramsey said the indictments show the election was flawed.
"This justifies the actions we took," Ramsey said. "From the beginning we said this was about the integrity of the ballot box, not necessarily about partisan politics or the candidates."
Democrat Ophelia Ford was certified the winner over Republican Terry Roland by 13 votes last September. The state Senate overturned the election this year amid allegations of irregularities.
State Senate Votes Ophelia Ford Out
Posted: 4/19/2006 4:35:00 PM
Updated: 4/20/2006 8:46:56 AM
The Tennessee Senate voted 26-6 on Wednesday to unseat Sen. Ophelia Ford, accepting the recommendation of a committee that found her election "incurably uncertain."
The Senate, led by its GOP majority, voided the Memphis Democrat's 13-vote victory over Republican Terry Roland in a September special election after a federal judge on Tuesday declined to intervene.
An investigative committee, which has been at work since late last year, recommended Ford be ousted after finding the election results were "incurably uncertain" because of 12 improper ballots. Two were cast in the names of voters and others came from felons and people from outside Senate District 29, the committee said.
Ford has contended the move is motivated by the Republicans' slim 18-14 majority in the Senate.
“ It enhances the Senate in that when we find something wrong we fix it, and we did,” said Sen. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville.
This is the second time the Senate voted to void the election, but U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald stopped a similar effort in January after Ford sued. Donald ruled that the senators must follow consistent, statewide standards for invalidating ballots before overturning an election.
“ It’s been difficult for me to receive my Republican colleagues to be so very hard and not really be fair in the process. And then my Democratic colleagues that went along with it too,” said former State Senator Ford.
When Ford went back to Donald this week to stop Wednesday's vote, the judge declined to intervene, saying she lacked enough information on the Senate committee's procedures.
Ford will now try to get an injuction. If she is unsuccessful, Shelby County will appoint a replacement.
Ford said she would be back in November in the election.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Betcha she is a relative of Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.
Are these people like Kennedys in Mass? Only maybe not quite as skilled?
With a thirteen vote difference, how wide spread does it have to be?
I think she's his aunt.
I'll bet he wasn't looking for one, either.
RATs cheating?? Who would have thunk.
Now now,, there is no mention of party affiliation of those charged, in fact the prosecutor goes out of his way to be very open when he says neither party's candidates or supporters was implicated during the investigation.
BUT... as Howard Dean would say...
"Nothing to see here folks, Move along." :-)
LOL. Not in the least bit surprised. The Ford family is the political machine in West Tennessee. They own Memphis.
In my state, they upheld the fraudulent vote.
Yeah, and Bill didn't know what Monica was doing below the belt line.
do I really have to say it???
The article makes it clear, all of the dead votes were for Aunt Ophelia, but no where mentioned, are just how many illegal votes did these poll workers "dig up" for Auntie? It could have been hundreds, or more.
Whether or not Harold Ford's Aunt Ophelia paid for these votes, or knew about them, is beside the point. Bottom line, Ophelia didn't win.
All your ded voters are belong to us!
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