Bush Has Solid Lead in N.M. After Canvass (but more new votes 'discovered' in 'locked bathroom')

AP ^ | 11/17

[ambrose]

Bush Has Solid Lead in N.M. After Canvass

Wednesday November 17, 2004 11:01 PM

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - President Bush has kept his lead in New Mexico after the last county in the state to certify votes from the election completed its canvass Tuesday.

Democrat John Kerry picked up 206 votes in Dona Ana County, New Mexico's second largest, while Bush garnered an additional 100, giving him a 6,047-vote lead statewide in an unofficial Associated Press tally. Results from the official count will be released next week.

In 2000, Al Gore beat Bush in New Mexico by 366 votes.

Dona Ana County's review discovered 86 provisional votes missing, but they were found Tuesday in a private bathroom in a locked area that only staff members could enter.

Most New Mexico counties had finished their canvasses by Friday, but Dona Ana County's results were tied up because of disputes over provisional ballots.

[RWRbestbyfar]

Those votes belong in a bathroom - they're sh*t.

[cvq3842]

I hope the Republicans are keeping an eye on what's going on down there.

[GulliverSwift]

Bill Clinton wanted to be alone with them.

[t2buckeye]

They can't make these things up!

[Shqipo]

The old "Ballots locked in the Private Bathroom" trick. What a bunch of sh**! When are close Kerry won state results going to be reviewed.

[anniegetyourgun]

Ballots in the bathroom......alligators in the sewers.....

[Jim Robinson]

There should be a law against counting votes "found" in bathrooms or graveyards.

[dalereed]

Since when was used toilet paper counted as a valid ballot?

[planekT]

Will these knotheads ever finish counting their frickin votes already? Sheesh.

[Parley Baer]

Their math is all wrong. They will need a hell of alot more than 86 votes. Parley

[niteowl77]

I'm feeling a bit disenfranchised at this point. I voted once- at the proper place, at the proper time, in the proper manner... yet my vote seems to be matched by people who either voted twice, voted late or don't exist.

[Another Thought]

So, can we conclude that "staff members" sat on the john while they made up ballots?

[NonValueAdded]

Sounds to me like someone wanted private, unobserved access to those ballots. In cases like that, I strongly believe that it is a "chain of custody" violation which immediately invalidates those ballots unless there is clear-cut evidence that the ballots retain their original seal. Those causing the ballots to be invalidated should be terminated and charged with a felony, maybe "criminal disenfranchisement."

[Luddite Patent Counsel]

How the ballots got there:

Kerry Operative: Look, Tom, we're about 6500 votes short. we'll need a little boost here.

Election Official: 6500 votes?!? That's more than a little boost! We're in New-Freakin'-Mexico, not Chicago! Where in the hell am I gonna get 6500 votes? You want me to just pull them out of my a$$?

K.O.: Well, now that you mention it...

[KoRn]

Was Sandy Berger there counting ballots?

[NewMexLurker]

In the 2000 presidential election, a couple of boxes were "found" in this same county. I believe those ballots were found under a pew in a church that had been used as a voting place. This kind of crooked crap has been going on in this state forever. Bush's lead was too large this time to be stolen, but it wasn't for lack of trying.

[mlocher]

Since when was used toilet paper counted as a valid ballot?

definitely votes for kerry.

[stands2reason]

LOL!!

[Boss_Jim_Gettys]

There should be a law against counting votes "found" in bathrooms or graveyards...or Philadelphia.