Posted on 10/23/2004 7:29:43 AM PDT by abner
GOP attacks Rendell over military ballots
MICHAEL RUBINKAM
Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ Republican lawmakers have accused Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell of trying to suppress military votes for President Bush by failing to push for an extension of the deadline to accept overseas military and civilian ballots.
Democrats said there wasn't a ``single shred of evidence'' to back up the claim.
Nevertheless, rumors of military disenfranchisement swirled Friday. Hundreds of angry callers swamped the governor's office, forcing it to set up a recorded message: ``The governor is very aware of this issue. Please leave your name and contact information.''
With military personnel traditionally voting Republican, the GOP is eager to garner as many military votes as possible in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state in the Nov. 2 election.
Republicans want Rendell to ask the courts to extend the deadline for counting absentee military votes until Nov. 17 _ something the governor has refused to do.
On Wednesday, a federal judge sided with the Rendell administration in refusing a U.S. Justice Department request to order new absentee ballots for military families and overseas voters and to give those voters until after the election to return them because of confusion over Ralph Nader's ballot status.
``The men and women who are most affected by who becomes commander in chief, their vote is going to be denied,'' said state Rep. Stephen Barrar, R-Chester. ``If 73 percent of these votes were coming in for John Kerry, she (U.S. District Judge Yvette Kane, a Clinton appointee), would rule the other way and so would Ed Rendell.''
Thousands of military personnel from Pennsylvania serve in Iraq and other hot spots around the globe. Pennsylvania law required the state's 67 counties, which run the election system, to start mailing absentee ballots to military and civilian voters in remote parts of the world by Aug. 24. All other overseas ballots were to be sent starting Sept. 20.
Brian McDonald, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of State, said all military ballots have been mailed on time _ an assertion disputed by U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's office, which said Union and Venango counties were late in sending their overseas ballots.
State Sen. John Pippy, R-Allegheny, said he's heard from constituents whose family members are serving overseas in the military and have yet to receive ballots. Pippy, who served nine months with the Army Reserves in Iraq and Kuwait last year, said he himself never got a ballot for the November 2003 general election.
``If there is a concern about military votes and overseas votes not being included, the easiest way to alleviate that concern is to give the extra time,'' Pippy said.
In the state's April 27 primary, Rendell successfully sought court orders to extend the deadline for absentee ballots from military families and overseas voters until May 17 _ three weeks after the election.
But Rendell spokeswoman Kate Philips said the need then was legitimate. Because of a record number of challenges to nominating petitions, many counties did not mail absentee ballots on time, making a deadline extension necessary.
``The fact is, all military and absentee ballots have been mailed in Pennsylvania and there's certainly time to return those,'' she said. ``There's an implication that (Rendell) would put party politics over his responsibility as governor, and he would never do that.''
Late Friday, Democratic House leaders accused Republicans of using a ``pathetic scare tactic'' to prop up President Bush, who trailed Sen. John Kerry in Pennsylvania in the latest Quinnipiac University poll. Republicans, including Santorum, have been making accusations against Rendell ``without a single shred of evidence,'' Minority Leader Bill DeWeese and Democratic Whip Mike Veon said in a statement.
Put politics aside, said Melissa A. Hrinya, Pennsylvania legislative chairman of the 60,000-member American Legion Auxiliary.
``All we're asking is for two more weeks. I just want them to have a fair chance of voting,'' she said.
Will they not count those from the first set of ballots that have a clear vote for either GWB or Kerry? Only the "Nader" ballots would need to be discarded.
Just sent Rendell this email and am calling now.
But I do agree that Rendell, and every demorat for that matter, is trying to suppress the military vote for fears that it could turn PA into a GOP victory.
Interestingly enough: the outraged friends and familes of these unjustly disenfranchised American servicemen and women have a golden opportunity to use their anger towards the 'Rat party, this election cycle... :)
Anyone from Philly KNOWS that Rendell, in a heat beat would put party politics over his responsibility as governor
PA FREEPERS .... Please call Rendell and tell him to let our military's vote count .... (717) 787-2500
Thanks!
But does the federal ballot include senate and congressional candidates?
thanks for the ping, Mojo. Unfortunately my computer harddrive crashed (like all new things seem to do!) and I am using my spare laptop that does not have the ping list on it. Sooooo....I won't be much help here. Sorry! I sure do hope they can retrieve all of my data from the other laptop! Sheesh! And it's raining out!
They're going to be treated as write-ins, and discounted. No, they won't be counted.
Is it just me, or did the article barely mention that the current ballots may be bad because of Nader's name on them?
Nope.
This is only the tip of the deceit. My 82 year old mother was just informed that her absentee ballot will be thrown out because Nadar's name was originally included, and now it has been taken off by Demonrat judges. That's 16,000 ballots tossed by this stupid state. Now she'll have to get up on her crippled legs and vote on election day. And I'll be right beside her making sure no DemonRat goons give her a hard time. Or they meet the mighty fists of Doc Savage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We also need to contact our State Representatives and tell them to find their Spine
They too need to stand up for our Military
Here are lists to find our Representatives
Members of the House of Representatives in PA
.
Online Write-In Absentee Ballot Offered for Overseas Voters
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1254449/posts
The military overseas can vote online.
I live in Philly and my ballot had Nader on it. I called the board of elections and they told me to vote on it and sent it in, that it will be counted. Have your mom call the board of elections in the county she lives in and see how they are going to handle it. If they say it's o.k. have her mail it in. I called Bucks county too, they said the same thing.
That is better than nothing.
I would imagine that the people in charge over there will make sure that all of the troops have an opportunity to do so.
It's an option at least. I sent it to my brother and cousin, both of whom are in Iraq.
GOP calls election observer partisan (Rendell appointments former Kerry adviser)
...reporting "Fast Eddy" Rendell's appointment of a major Democratic fund-raiser and former Kerry campaign advisor to help run the state's new election oversight efforts.
Thanks, I already made my voice heard in his office
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