Posted on 06/02/2005 10:22:01 AM PDT by migueles
SEATTLE - As the results of 2004's general election are being contested in court halfway across the state, two people pleaded guilty Thursday to voting twice in the election.
Doris McFarland and Robert Holmgren each admitted in King County District Court that they cast ballots for their recently deceased spouses.
Each will have to pay $490 in fines and court fees but they won't spend any time in jail. Multiple voting is a gross misdemeanor that can carry up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
"My wife died just before this election," Holmgren, 59, told Judge Eileen Cato. "My judgment was clouded by the grief. I'm really sorry for what I did."
McFarland's lawyer, John Price, told the judge that she simply didn't know what to do with the extra absentee ballot after her husband of 63 years passed away.
The judge told each client the court was sorry for their losses and wished them luck.
The King County prosecutor's office is investigating another four or five cases of multiple voting in the county, spokesman Dan Donohoe said Thursday.
In Chelan County Superior Court in Wenatchee, Republican candidate Dino Rossi and the state GOP have challenged the 129-vote victory of Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire, alleging that election officials' errors, illegal voters and fraud stole the election from Rossi.
The case has focused particularly on King County, which has a third of the state's total votes.
I don't know, maybe throw it away, turn back in......or maybe fraudulently fill it out and vote twice for Chrissy Gregoire.
did they both vote for Gregoire?
They should be in jail or at least not allowed to vote again.
Did they double vote Democrat?
I hate when I have to make decisions like that. There is just no easy answer.
I would think it's a high probability that they did vote for her.
Is Robert Holmgren related to the Seahawks coach, I wonder?
Since it is not mentioned... BUT if it were a double Republican vote it would be all over CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, PBS... hell, it would replace the Deep Throat coverage!
I posted the link on the Washington thread.
Yeah, I wasn't thinking straight so I filled out her absentee ballot and mailed it in - happens all the time...
OLTG's Axiom...(This goes back to the Clinton Administration...)
Only criminals claim to be stupid as an excuse for their activities...
Stupid people always make other excuses.....
FBI files??? Bureaucratic snafu!
Travel Office Firings??? Inexperienced White House Managers!
I'll keep that in mind if I ever get caught
*-robbing a bank
*-speeding on the Interstate
*-tearing the tag off a pillow
*-shooting a burglar
*-forgetting to tip my waitress
*-smoking
*-wearing cologne
*-embezzling $322,758 from an employer
*-firing an elastic at the boss
*-parking in a handicapped spot at 2am
*-selling last year's SuperBowl tickets at this year's Superbowl
*-swearing at a telemarketer
*-seducing the boss's wife
*-throwing a pie at Hillary Clinton
*-flashing the Judge's 22 year old daughter
As these frauds keep getting convicted, I assume the judge is tossing the vote also or at least requesting the election officials do so?
So, if your spouse dies it's OK to vote twice? Gee, what a concept!
It is now precedent (at least in Washington) that a sleazebucket can cancel out my most valuable right as a citizen for $400.
Just great.
At the very least the article should state what party these people were enrolled in.
Had they voted for Rossi, it would have been in the headline.
This is Seattle, my friend. You can safely make that assumption.
Correction:
the state GOP have challenged the 129-vote 127-vote victory of Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire,
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