Posted on 10/11/2004 1:56:27 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
QUINCY, Fla. — Many of Florida's 1 million black voters still feel cheated that their votes weren't counted in the state's flawed election four years ago. But for some, such as those here in rural Gadsden County, that bitter memory has elicited a surge of activism in the 2004 presidential race.
The Panhandle county, overwhelmingly Democratic and nearly 60% black, has its first African American elections supervisor traveling to schools and churches to demonstrate new ballot-reading machines.
County officials have added 10 polling locations and will send a sample ballot to the home of every registered voter, rather than just publish it in the newspaper.
And Shirley Aaron, a 63-year-old Democratic organizer, is wandering back roads, talking to poor black families who've never been approached for their vote. She also attends possum festivals and gospel revivals to tell blacks that this time their vote will count.
"The Republicans stole that 2000 election, and we plan to take it back the American way," said Aaron, who is white.
The stakes are high for both Sen. John F. Kerry and President Bush. A higher black turnout probably would bolster Kerry's support because blacks backed Al Gore by a margin of 9 to 1 in 2000.
But in Gadsden County, Florida's only county with a black majority, the largest percentage of presidential ballots were discarded four years ago. Nearly 2,000 ballots, an estimated 12% of the total, were tossed out. They were among tens of thousands of ballots from African Americans disqualified statewide in that election.
Although they have no proof, many black residents believe partisan election officials and Republican Gov. Jeb Bush disqualified those votes to help his older brother win the presidency. And they have little confidence in new Secretary of State Glenda Hood, a Republican gubernatorial appointee.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
What is their basis for this claim?
Then why print this crap, LA Times?
This is just getting incredibly and ridiculously old.
Where is the proof? Put up or shut up.
Jesse Jackson couldn't prove it in 2001.
Al Sharpton couldn't prove it in 2001.
The US Civil Rights Commission and Mary Frances Berry couldn't prove it in 2001.
An independent panel of newspaper editors conducted their own audit of the ballots and couldn't prove it in 2001.
So, put up or shut up. Where's your proof?
If you're a Democrat, you can get away with almost anything. Simple.
Fraud bump.
Maybe the solution is to not call ANY state until the whole thing is over... How about at 7 am on Wednesday morning the networks can start calling states?
So true! As far as new voters going against Bush. They can register all the new ones they want. If they weren't registered before they only have a 50/50 chance that they will actually get up and go to the polls.
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