Late vote results criticized, explained

The Northwest Indiana and Illinois Times Newspaper ^ | Thur May 8, 2008 | BILL DOLAN and CHRISTINE KRALY

[posterchild]

CROWN POINT | The nation watched Tuesday night as Lake County election officials held the fate of the Democratic presidential primary in their hands -- and held it, and held it and held it.

The delay provoked a broadside of allegations from national, state and local pundits of election trickery in a county infamous for vote fraud and political corruption. The firestorm continued into Wednesday -- long after election tallies were finalized -- with national news crews storming the Lake County Government Complex in Crown Point, demanding answers to the county's delayed results.

To one Lake County political leader, the county looked "stupid."

"Lake County didn't win last night," Lake County Surveyor George Van Til said. "We look stupid."

He said this is not the first time the county has been late with election results.

"The only problem is, this time the whole world was watching," he said.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott, a Sen. Hillary Clinton supporter, complained live on CNN on Tuesday, "The appearance of impropriety is high" and demanded that Gary Mayor Rudy Clay, the county Democratic chairman and a Sen. Barack Obama supporter, "release the numbers."

Clay responded, "There is no hanky-panky going on here in Lake County."

But Clay conceded Wednesday improvement was needed.

"We're going to make some changes," he said. "We've got to do better. Things will be different in November (for the general election)."

Clay did not elaborate on the changes.

[Niteranger68]

It’s called “Vote Manufacturing”.

[jennyjenny]

Clay did not elaborate on the changes.

Sounds like his candidate.

[Jeff Head]

For all the world it looked and sounded like the old days in Texas where certain democratic precincts would hold thier vote tallies until late, waiting to see what percentage and vote count was necessary to put the desired candidate over the top.

That was the feeling during the wait. Once the tallies finally came in, it was pretty clear, at least in this case, that it was not the case.

THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH - BLACK LIBERATION THEOLOGY AND OBAMA'S CHURCH

THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH - OBAMA'S CIRCLE OF FRIENDS AND SUPPORT

THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH - BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

[CIB-173RDABN]

I do believe them when they say they will do things differently in November, they won't be so careless as to get caught.

[omega4412]

Those poor ghosts, having to wait in line to get their photo IDs and then wait in line to vote. It takes time. Whatever the Supreme Court said, this is unconstitutional discrimination against the dead.

[popdonnelly]

A little background here:
http://www.gop.com/indiana.htm

East Chicago is in Lake County.

[pas]

Impossible. There is no voter fraud in Indiana at least according to those who wanted the ID law thrown out.

[Oldpuppymax]

It is truly pathetic that the most corrupt city/county in the United States, when it comes to abuse of our election process, generates no more than chuckles, winks and nods in the MSM. How sad can it get. How much more danger to their rights and liberties can the “real” American people tolerate before a second revolution becomes necessary?

[KarlInOhio]

"We're going to make some changes," he said. "We've got to do better. Things will be different in November (for the general election)."

Because if Indiana is close enough where a little "Chicago Counting" can push it to the Dem column you are starting to get into landslide territory for the Dems in the whole country anyway.

[Verginius Rufus]

The only time Indiana has gone 'Rat in the Presidential election since WWII was in 1964, in the LBJ landslide, so Lake County may not matter in the general election.

On primary night, the election officials in Lake County may have been waiting to find out if they needed to deliver the state for Obama, or if allowing Hillary to win by a narrow margin was enough. The MSM has been spinning her narrow win as a loss, so it did almost as much good for Obama, and meant less scrutiny of election practices in Lake County.