Posted on 10/27/2004 6:19:30 AM PDT by philsfan24
MEDIA COURTHOUSE -- When a change-of-registration form was filed by a 98-year-old resident at the Fair Acres Geriatric Center -- as part of the crush of new registrations and other forms inundating Delaware County’s election officials during this year’s highly charged presidential race -- employees were first taken aback. Then they became concerned.
County District Attorney G. Michael Green said it became clear from the previous form filed by the nonagenarian that the signature was a forgery.
That form was one of at least 60 that Green said were fraudulent, setting off an investigation by his office.
Similar fraud allegations have been made by Republicans in Philadelphia and other counties; Pennsylvania Democrats say their opponents are running scared.
The allegations are the latest twist in Tuesday’s presidential contest, which has sparked widespread excitement.
"Interest in the 2004 general election has exceeded all those in recent memory in Delaware County," said county Solicitor John McBlain, who also spoke at Tuesday’s press conference. McBlain, who is also treasurer of the county Republican Party and vice president of Aldan Borough Council, said this year’s election has seen an unparalleled amount of voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications.
He said more than 27,000 new registrations have been filed, and to date more than 15,000 applications for absentee ballots have been received and processed. There are currently 198,400 Republicans, 119,166 Democrats, 34,997 non-partisans, 1,143 Libertarians and 588 Green Party members in the county. New registrations have been 2 to 1 Democrat.
"Unfortunately, it appears that some individuals have attempted to take advantage of our election system by fraudulently filing forms to vote, voter registration applications and obtaining absentee ballots fraudulently," said McBlain.
Republicans across the country have been making similar allegations in recent weeks. The Philadelphia GOP on Tuesday questioned the validity of 10,000 new registrations.
Numbers such as those have Green and other Republican officials in the county running scared, charged state Democratic Party Chairman T.J. Rooney.
"I understand why they feel threatened. When Democrats turn out in large numbers in Pennsylvania, we don’t lose," Rooney said.
Green, a fellow Republican, said the problems involve both Republicans and Democrats and exist countywide. He said the probe will not end with Tuesday’s election. "Our intention is to continue to investigate these matters as long as it takes and well beyond Tuesday, the date of our general election," he said.
At the press conference, McBlain displayed a stack of documents he and Green said contained incomplete information.
"What we have here are forms that for one reason or another are bad," said McBlain. "We have approximately 1,100 voter application forms that were not complete when they were sent to us. We’ve sent letters to the applicants as well as tried to telephone them."
He said the remaining pile consisted of forms in which no response was received. He said there will be people on Election Day whose forms were improperly prepared by voter advocacy groups who won’t be able to vote.
"We have another 300 instances of voter-registration applications that were processed and accepted with completed information. We mailed voter information cards to the voter, and they have been returned to us with no such person at that address or no such address."
He said some went to vacant properties; at others, a resident reported nobody with that name lived at that address. He said still others who received the card indicated they had not requested a change -- and when the signatures were compared, they turned out to be fakes.
Green said 30 forged signatures have been discovered on voter registration applications. Among the victims, Green said, was the 98-year-old woman. He said there are another 31 instances in which absentee ballot applications have been submitted for residents of a local nursing home, which he declined to name.
"In connection with those applications, we have determined at this time that none were signed by the voters. Each of these applications appears to have been filled out by the same person in the same hand," said Green.
McBlain added its newly established Voter Integrity Project -- made up of county officials -- has detected an "unprecedented amount of fraud and attempts to deceive the system." The Voter Integrity Project is a joint effort of the county solicitor’s office, the Bureau of Elections, the Voter Registration department and the county Executive Director’s office.
Green said members of the Voter Integrity Project have also brought to his attention other practices of individuals and voter advocacy groups, which he was reluctant to name, that have raised serious issues. "Each of these have the potential to further victimize senior-citizen voters in Delaware County," he said.
"It has come to my attention that some voter-advocacy groups have attempted to enter nursing homes without the approval of the nursing home administration and without following the established secure entry guidelines," said Green.
He lashed out at members of the groups that request personal identifying information, such as Social Security numbers from seniors. He said such information could lend itself to identity theft and other forms of economic crimes. "Although voters who are voting in their precincts for the first time will be required to show identifications, seniors and residents of nursing homes should know that no official from the county of Delaware or from any election board will be taking away their identifications. Identifications should not leave their possession and no third party should ask to take your identification on the basis that that person will be helping you to vote."
He urged senior citizens who are asked to provide such information to contact the District Attorney’s office.
"We wish to assure our residents we are making all possible efforts to ensure that Election Day in Delaware County will be marked by fairness and integrity," said Green.
Elder abuse is a felony and a tort. This could get interesting after the election.
Vote Fraud from the democrats? What else do you expect?
These stories actually make me feel better. Vote fraud has been going on for years and it has been ignored for too long.
This is so scary.
Tort?
Election fraud should be a capital crime..... offenders should executed immediately.
And it's even happening in heavily blue state Delaware. Republicans need to go after this aggressively and make sure these scoundrels are taken care of. This has got to stop.
""I understand why they feel threatened. When Democrats turn out in large numbers in Pennsylvania, we don’t lose," Rooney said."
Shouldn't he have said something like "When DEAD democrats turn out in large numbers, we don't lose"...?
Something tells me that the people that were hired by the Dem 527s probably collected their money and filed fraudulent/fake registrations. If the Dems are relying on these votes, they're going to be shocked on Tuesday!
Agreed. The word is out now...and hopefully the election officials will do their duty.
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