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Republican to take seat in House amid touch-screen dispute
St. Petersburg Times ^ | Dec 29, 2006 | JONI JAMES

Posted on 12/29/2006 11:09:01 PM PST by jdm

TALLAHASSEE — Congressional hopeful Christine Jennings' drive for a new election in Southwest Florida suffered two blows Friday when Congress announced it would seat her opponent and a state judge denied her request to inspect vote-counting software in Sarasota County.

But Jennings, a Democrat who has fought relentlessly since official results showed her losing by just 369 votes to Republican Vern Buchanan in last month's election, was unfazed.

She pledged to appeal the judge's ruling and said she supported the seating of Buchanan "temporarily," in part because congressional leaders promised to remove him if she prevails in her call for a new election. "It is important to protect the voters, and this step will ensure they are not left without a voice in Congress," Jennings said.

At issue is the extraordinary number of voters in Sarasota County, 18,400, who did not record a vote in the highly contested race to replace U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, though they did vote for other races.

Jennings and her allies, including a group of voters who have joined her lawsuit, have argued that the undervotes, as they are called, represent a malfunction by the electronic voting machines used by Sarasota County, the iVotronic machine by Election Systems & Software.

In a motion seeking evidence for their case, they sought access to the so-called source code of the machines.

But ES&S, along with state elections officials, challenged that request, contending the source code amounted to a proprietary trade secret protected under state law. They have argued that the undervote was attributable to a poorly designed ballot that put two races on a single screen of the voting machines.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: buchanan; jennings; touchscreen
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To: jdm

This is actually a very understandable move by the Florida rat. He learned that using the "Kreskin" method of counting votes algore won in 2000 so why not keep trying it. The "Kreskin" method holds that voter who made a choice on all other lines should be viewed as "overlooking" the empty line and that the BoE should count that vote for the party the voter pulled other levers for. Since this "mistake" happens with rat rank and file voters more than it does with American voters, the rat mind theorizes that the missing vote is his. Of course this is complicated but to the rat it's a winner and he will stick with it.


21 posted on 12/30/2006 6:36:35 AM PST by jmaroneps37 (Millions of Democrat babies aborted in 1988 or earlier did not vote this year.)
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To: Clara Lou

I left quite a few blanks on my ballot last time.
This is pure BS.


22 posted on 12/30/2006 8:27:57 AM PST by sheana
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To: ZULU
All I can say at this time is I will not vote for John McCain. Not now not ever.
RNC: Read and heed, there are a large number of us out here who feel the same way, and all it takes is 3-4% of the base staying home. If John McCain is the GOP nominee, then there'll be a democrat being sworn in as President on Jan. 20 2009.
23 posted on 12/30/2006 8:39:57 AM PST by Valin (History takes time. It is not an instant thing.)
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To: jdm

The reason there were a higher portion of undervotes than in neighboring districts is simple: There was no incumbent. A good number of voters go simply on name recognition and won't vote for someone whose name doesn't register with them. In this case, Catherine Harris gave up her seat, leaving it to 2 first-time congressional candidates.


24 posted on 12/30/2006 8:52:45 AM PST by omni-scientist
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To: jdm
"It is important to protect the voters, and this step will ensure they are not left without a voice in Congress," Jennings said.

They'll have a voice, honey, it just won't be YOURS!

25 posted on 12/30/2006 9:02:48 AM PST by SuziQ
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To: Valin
If John McCain is the GOP nominee, then there'll be a democrat
being sworn in as President on Jan. 20 2009.

That's why it's so important for conservative repubs to understand we are going
to have to get in the fight big time in the primaries! We can not allow this Major
League Prick to head an already delapidate conservative movement.

We are going to have to fight, and unfortunately that is going to mean within our
own party first to oust rino's! We've got just under 1.5 years to make headway...

It's ok people to have to war within our ranks, it needs to happen NOW
while the door is open!!

DBM/dems will have 10 times the battle we will ever have!

26 posted on 12/30/2006 9:04:03 AM PST by sirchtruth (No one has the RIGHT not to be offended...)
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To: jdm
In a motion seeking evidence for their case, they sought access to the so-called source code of the machines.

I'm sure they'd LOVE to get their hands on THAT!

27 posted on 12/30/2006 9:07:24 AM PST by SuziQ
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To: jdm

Just another typical Democrat whiner who lost and wants a recount.


28 posted on 12/30/2006 9:10:03 AM PST by DennisR (Look around - God is giving you countless observable clues of His existence!)
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To: sirchtruth

You shouldn't call him "Major League Prick".
He never shows up at the meetings, he's 2 years behind in his dues, so we kicked him out.


29 posted on 12/30/2006 9:16:46 AM PST by Valin (History takes time. It is not an instant thing.)
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To: jdm; All

This is the same thing Gore used: "undervotes" - or NON-VOTES.

Contrary to what these people believe, NO ONE CAN DEVINE WHY PEOPLE DIDN'T VOTE FOR CERTAIN ITEMS ON THEIR BALLOT.

I have at times NOT VOTED - which is my priviledge as a citizen. This dem wants to claim the NON-VOTES as if they were her special privilege. So .. just as Gore did in 2000, she claims the machines were either malfunctioning or tampered with. Just more Sorelosermen in the dem party.


30 posted on 12/30/2006 9:49:07 AM PST by CyberAnt (Drive-By Media: Fake news, fake documents, fake polls)
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To: jdm
"It is important to protect the voters, and this step [challenging her opponent's apparent victory] will ensure they are not left without a voice in Congress"...

So let me get this straight: Ms. Jennings is not at all miffed about losing a cliffhanger. No, she altruistically wants to protect her constituents form losing their "voice in Congress." Got it.

I had been under the impression that the Democrats disliked the low-tech version of balloting in Florida. (Can anyone say, "hanging chads"?) But now it appears that they are disenchanted with its high-tech replacement. A cynic could be forgiven for concluding that the Democrats reflexively oppose any method of voting that does not result in a Democrat victory.

31 posted on 12/30/2006 2:40:56 PM PST by AmericanExceptionalist (Democrats believe in discussing the full spectrum of ideas, all the way from far left to center-left)
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