[Torie]

Yes, there is a lot of deadwood registered voters in Philly, but it just doesn't show up in the numbers much. Turnout in most of the precincts in Philly is lower than the state as a whole vis a vis registered voters. I am not saying there isn't any fraud. I am just saying that the numbers suggest that it is fairly marginal. I did a precinct by precinct spreadsheet on it, and had the discrepancies in a handfull of precincts explained by another political junkie who pointed out, that except with respect to one precinct (a new apartment building maybe?), it was probably a transposition of digits by the inputer.

[Tamzee]

http://press.arrivenet.com/politics/article.php/677278.html


Philadelphia Identified As No. 1 Election Fraud 'Hot Spot' In America, Says Legislative Fund


Date : Tuesday, August 02, 2005


WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In a report released today, the American Center for Voting Rights Legislative Fund ("ACVR Legislative Fund") identifies Philadelphia as the number one election fraud "hot spot" in America. The report, "Vote Fraud, Intimidation & Suppression In The 2004 Presidential Election," is the most comprehensive and authoritative review of the facts surrounding allegations of vote fraud, intimidation and suppression made during the 2004 presidential election. The report lists the top five election fraud "hot spots" in the country based on its findings and the cities' documented history of fraud and intimidation. ACVR Legislative Fund calls for immediate attention to these areas.

"Election after election, political parties, election officials and the news media act surprised when fraud, intimidation and suppression activities occur. Now everyone is on notice that there's a problem in Philadelphia and those who don't participate in a solution will be held accountable," said Brian Lunde, ACVR Legislative Fund board member.

ACVR Legislative Fund will work with national and state political parties, state legislators and local officials to create a process that supports local election officials in each of these "hot spot" cities and ensures that any effort to continue the historic pattern of fraud and intimidation in the 2006 election is exposed and stopped. Other "hot spots" identified in the report were Milwaukee, Seattle, St. Louis/East St. Louis and Cleveland.

Summary Of Philadelphia Findings:

-- Republican volunteers violently intimidated by union members, who assaulted the volunteers' vehicle and chased them in traffic.

-- At least 15 new registrants found to be deceased.

-- Many addresses listed for new registrants were in fact vacant lots and boarded-up buildings.

-- Polling places located in local bars, unsafe abandoned buildings, district office of Democrat state Sen. Vincent Fumo and private home decorated with Kerry sign in window.

-- 43 polling locations inaccessible to the handicapped and 17 in businesses or homes where voters could be intimidated.

-- ACT and MoveOn illegally distributed and collected absentee ballots from prison inmates in at least one Philadelphia prison, according to news reports.

-- City voter rolls nearly matched census estimates of the voting-age population.

-- ACORN reportedly put inaccurate information on voter registration forms.

Violence against GOP volunteers in Philadelphia addressed on page 29; City vote fraud/election irregularities section begins on page 62.

ACVR Legislative Fund sent a letter to national political party chairmen Howard Dean and Ken Mehlman today calling on them to identify issues of concern in Philadelphia and other "hot spot" cities by October 1, 2005. ACVR Legislative Fund also called on the national political parties to adopt a zero- tolerance policy against vote fraud and intimidation that commits them to pursuing and fully prosecuting individuals and allied organizations who commit vote fraud or who seek to deter anyone eligible from participating in the election through fraud or intimidation.

"No amount of legislative reform can effectively deter those who commit acts of fraud and intimidation if there is no punishment for the crime and these acts continue to be tolerated," said Mark F. "Thor" Hearne, ACVR Legislative Fund Counsel. "We must put a stop to vote fraud, intimidation and suppression in Philadelphia for people to regain confidence in our electoral process."

The report finds that thousands of Americans were disenfranchised by illegal votes cast and a coordinated effort by members of certain "nonpartisan" organizations to rig the election system through voter registration fraud in more than a dozen states. The report further finds that while Democrats routinely accuse Republicans of voter intimidation and suppression, neither party has a clean record on the issue. The report finds that paid Democrat operatives were far more involved in voter intimidation and suppression activities than were their Republican counterparts during the 2004 presidential election.

The report makes eight key recommendations that, if implemented, will secure the American election system so that all voters will have the ability to participate free of harassment and no legitimate voter will be disenfranchised by an illegal vote.

ACVR Legislative Fund was founded on the belief that public confidence in our electoral system is the cornerstone of our democracy. The organization was established primarily to further the common good and general welfare of citizens of the United States of America by educating the public about vote fraud, intimidation and discrimination which impacts the constitutional right of all citizens to participate in the electoral process. ACVR Legislative Fund is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that neither supports nor endorses any political party or candidate.

Please visit http://www.ac4vr.com to view the report in its entirety.