Posted on 09/08/2004 7:03:54 AM PDT by xcullen
WILKES-BARRE -- Luzerne County Bureau of Elections said it has been forced to deny absentee ballot applications that an official said were prompted by a mass mailing from President George W. Bush's campaign.
Leonard Piazza, director of the election bureau, said Tuesday a mailing sent out by the Bush/Cheney campaign encouraged the county's absentee ballot-eligible voters to submit their applications and vote in the Nov. 2 election.
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An absentee ballot application was included in the mailing. Mr. Piazza said the campaign could have received a list of absentee ballot-eligible voters from his department or a third party. He was unsure how many people received the letters and applications.
In Lackawanna County, the Bureau of Elections is already accepting applications for absentee ballots, said Marion Medalis, the bureau's director. She's doing that based on a county solicitor's advice from years back that it is acceptable.
"Why should I hold them up? That's silly," she said.
The office has already received about 1,100 applications for absentee ballots, about 100 of them because of a push by the Bush-Cheney campaign, Mrs. Medalis said.
She can tell because the campaign's application are white while the county's are green or manila. She expects to receive about the same number of absentee ballots as the record 6,000 for the 2000 presidential election.
From Luzerne County's perspective, the problem is the letter told voters to submit their applications "now," according to Mr. Piazza. The state election code, however, prohibits election bureaus from accepting absentee ballot applications until Monday, he said.
He said the election bureau receives tens of applications daily, and until Monday, they will not be accepted.
Mr. Piazza also said Bush-Cheney campaign officials indicated to him other counties were holding early applications until Monday. Mr. Piazza called that measure "illegal" and said it would not be done.
Kevin Madden, a regional spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign, did not return a call seeking comment.
As for Mr. Piazza, he was disappointed the Bush-Cheney campaign's mailer failed to inform voters of the Monday date.
Mr. Piazza said the bureau of elections is notifying voters of the error and informing them they can resubmit their applications, beginning Monday. The manpower, paperwork and mailing expenses will cost county taxpayers a few thousand dollars.
Mr. Piazza said the error also could discourage people from applying for a second time.
Luzerne County usually averages 2,000 absentee ballots for an election, but Mr. Piazza predicted with this year's presidential race, that number would climb to 3,000.
Don't trust those crooks in Luzurne County.. they will do whatever it takes to supress GWB votes while turning a blind eye to Dims who pull illegal stunts.
I gotta get out of this county.
And so it begins. . .
I'm trying to think of the number of times I've had an application for something rejected because it was submitted too early. I can't think of any. Applications are always done on deadlines. Take them to court! Every vote must count!
....Mr. Piazza said the error also could discourage people from applying for a second time.......
Sounds like wishful thinking to me Mr. Pizza.. Make mine with Pepporoni and send one to John Kerry with Crow and extra Whine.
I agree with you 100%. I grew up in Luzerne County (Forty Fort) and know how crooked the local politicians are. The majority of the population is older and depends on government for their health care and prescription drugs. In their minds, the Democrats' handouts are their RIGHT.
The campaign should just do a remailing in that county or any other that refuses ballots that arrive before Monday. How the H was the campaign supposed to know that the post office would deliver the campaign literature at a time that would allow the receiver to fill out the request, mail it back and have the ballot requests arrive before Monday? If campaign literature mail is like advertising circular mail, it can be held for a certain period of time and delivered at the post office's convenience. Seems like this guy doesn't believe in the theory that irrelevant technicalities shouldn't keep people from voting.
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