Posted on 04/14/2005 7:45:37 PM PDT by Publius
If English bookies were handicapping the Washington election contest, they would be revising the odds in Dino Rossi's favor. After last week, I'd take those odds. Secretary of State Sam Reed, who had been seen as defending King County during most of the five months since the election, is now calling for an investigation and suggesting there's been a cover-up. After discovering 94 uncounted ballots, King County admitted last week that the canvassing board certified the November election on the basis of documents that falsely showed that all ballots were properly accounted for.
And then there's what I might find later this week when I (hopefully) receive some more documents in response to a public records request. These documents could explain away various discrepancies as innocent and irrelevant errors, or, as I suspect, deliver a fatal blow to the validity of the November election.
I've been reporting since January that the number of absentee ballots counted in King County was hundreds more than the number of absentee voters who have been identified as having voted, even though these numbers are supposed to match.
On February 22, I sent Dean Logan, Director of Records, Elections, and Licensing Services Division in King County, a public disclosure request for, among other things, "all documents pertaining to the reconciliation of absentee ballots and absentee voters from the November 2004 election." The only document his office delivered in response to that specific request was a "Mail Ballot Report" they gave me on March 7, which appeared to prove that every absentee ballot that came in the door was either valid and properly counted or invalid and properly set aside. But I noticed that the numbers in the Mail Ballot Report didn't square with other numbers the county published and I immediately suspected it was falsified.
As I argued on my blog last Monday and in this column later in the week, the discovery of the now 94 uncounted ballots was convincing proof that the Mail Ballot Report had to have been falsified. This report, which supposedly accounted for all returned absentee ballots, but somehow omitted any mention of 94 missing ballots, could only be a fake. It turned out that I was right. On April 7, King County admitted the report was based on a fictional ballot accounting that was "so flawed it was virtually meaningless."
Seeing my suspicions confirmed about the 94 ballots leads me to believe that when the rest of my public records request comes through (they're taking their time with it), it will become clear that King County's mistakes will make it impossible for Christine Gregoire to continue claiming she won the election fair and square. Reed even hinted that I'm looking in the right places. He told me he's "dismayed" that King County hasn't given a proper accounting for its ballots. He's also disappointed that every time King County has found a mistake, instead of admitting it, they have "essentially covered it up."
They can't cover it up much longer. State election rules require counties to keep a detailed audit trail with the date that every absentee ballot was returned and whether it was counted as valid or the reason why it was rejected. A spreadsheet with this information would settle this lingering controversy within hours, assuming of course that it proves that all ballots returned and counted really were accounted for.
Indeed, King County seems to be covering up the documentation showing whether or not the absentee ballots were properly accounted for. These documents are of vital public importance to help settle questions about the election one way or another. I'm prepared to go to court to obtain them. I hope that won't be necessary.
"I also heard that KIRO had a phone in poll and 75% of the 53,000 respondents said they wanted a new election."
That's somewhat amazing to me because KIRO is NOT one of the 2 conservative talk stations in town!
You're right, changing agency staff will be a HUGE first start. I may be wrong (though I'm usually not ;-)
but I believe the Sect'y of State here doesn't have a lot of power, but, the Gov can ask them to investigate elections (which Fraudoire, of course, won't do). With our newly elected Rep SOS, Rossi could ask him to do some further election investigation and make sure more of the grueling details come out (that's if the Feds don't do it).
Also, he could veto some of the runaway bills being passed by this Dim-controlled congress.
I know the Congress was looking to pass a pathetic excuse for performance audits. I'm not sure if the audits have to be governed by a law, or if the Gov can ask for them. The State Auditor (a respectable Dem) has been asking to do performance audits for years.
I read on his column on soundpolitics a few weeks ago that he's been asked to do a weekly column for them. I was a bit surprised about it, but figured, maybe even some of those bean brains are outraged over the election results (ok, so it's probably only 1 or 2 of them - the rest of them probably don't have a clue there even was an election).
Thanks for the ping Publius! We can keep hoping and praying!
bump
Assuming that the judicial system does its part and kicks our temporary governor to the curb, Rossi will win in a landslide in November and a whole lot of democrats will get kicked out of office. I just have to wonder what the mid-level state department managers who Dino said he was going to fire along with their bosses will do in November of a non-major election year. There will not be many parisan jobs for them. Oh, well should be an interesting next few months and summer.
Interesting response. If true, it demonstrates that the office of Secretary of State in Washington State is essentially a rubber stamp.
It is becoming clear that the Secretary of State office is unnecessary unless legislation grants it a real oversight and enforcement role.
Any Pulitzer should go to Sharkansky.....THAT's for Sure!
JUST watch.....I think you're a little behind the times.....and far away to make THAT prediction.
They're taking their time so they can falsify a record to account for everything. The problem is, it's a whole lot easier to find one little mistake, than it is to cover up every little mistake. Here's hoping that Gregoire gets to eat her innapropriate comments after "winning" a third count.
Wow from the Stranger no less........amazing.
Thanks for posting.
Too bad dueling is illegal.......it was the best solution for situations like this...< /sarcasm> (last sentence only)
Semper Fi
" JUST watch.....I think you're a little behind the times.....and far away to make THAT prediction."
The end result will be the dismissal of a few low-level election officials and a meaningless bill named "Voting Accuracy Act" or some such drivel. The election will not be overturned.
I'm trying to think of the last time a major election was overturned after being certified (in the US). It's far easier to wring out hands and write meaningless legislation while whining about liberal judges.
Sorry, I was talking about KIRO news television. Still surprising though.
The result will be a new election, along with the investigation of Sims by the Feds. That will be worth it.
Sims needs to spend a long time in Club Fed. (Although I'd rather see him spending those years in Shelton or Walla Walla.)
"Chrissy proposed a state income tax yet?"
Hasn't every Democrat we've ever had?
Personally, I'm sitting back watching this unfold and waiting eagerly for the case to go to Court. The wife and I both are prepared to recast our votes for Dino Rossi.
"...it will become clear that King County's mistakes will make it impossible for Christine Gregoire to continue claiming she won the election fair and square."
Mistakes? No. Try the multiple recounts gave the crooks enough time to fabricate enough false votes to give the appearance of a Gregoire victory.
I couldn't be happier that Mr. Rossi has stuck to his guns and fought this out. If nothing else, it will make the Leftist, disfranchising criminals think twice about trying to pull this crap again.
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