Posted on 11/10/2010 11:32:51 AM PST by rumrunner
Joe Miller is contesting at least 10% of all write-in ballots. Misspellings tend to be in the first syllable of Lisa Murkowski's name- some wrote "Mercowski" or "Mircowski."
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News on the mispellings from Anchorage Daily news:
No matter which way it cuts, I can see requiring the exact spelling of a write in candidate, as a reasonable principle of law.
I believe that’s why she won the right to create a list of write in candidates, so people could see and spell her name correctly, as required.
Creating such a list itself is rather counter intuitive to the whole idea of a “write in” candidate.
Sorry about that. I guess I’m getting tired of the post-election “what ifs” that have been going around.
I’m not a lawyer but throwing out votes less than perfect spelling is offensive to me. This is common sense. “Mercowski” or “Mircowski” is obviously an attempt to spell Lisa’s last name. There’s no gray area to me.
lol. Why didn’t I think of that? Great idea!
Yeah, you’re right. Who cares about the law, or rules, or official balloting etc. Let’s just make the rules up, and change them as we go along....
Whatever suits you, right?
Elections are serious and when you consider less than 45% actually vote, why not make the voter adhere to the rules?
But I see you think differently.
What is the intent of the voter who writes in "Leeza Mur COW-ski"? Who says so? What if the voter intended to protest her running? Who says so?
More to the point -- what if the "law of the land" is NOT deciphered voter intent, but a written law that says the vote is to be counted for the person whose name is written on the ballot-- and spelling counts. A vote for Lisa Mirkowski is not a vote for Lisa Murcowski or Leza Mercowski or Lisa Murcowsky.
Voters could take written material into the voting booth. Just how do you discern the the intent of a person who can't spell the name of their chosen candidate?
If that’s the law....so be it....
When I was in college, I missed an A grade on a paper, because I failed to sign my name on each page of the test paper. I lost 5%.
I lost 10% on a grade for turning the paper in late...
At the time, I thought that I was being singled out and things unfair....maybe so.
But if we have no rules or laws upheld...then what do we have?
lol.
Does an election count as either horseshoes or hand grenades?
Maybe if the name was Murhorseki. lol
Yes that was the first thing they tried and failed at, my understanding is that was struck down and proper write ins for Miller will be counted.
After that failed they tried to go to the intent.
Murkowski is well aware of the law and every campaign stop made sure to explain to her supporters exactly how to vote for her.
How will they count Millercowski? OR Murkomiller OR Milkthecowski?
That’s what I want to know!!!!
[I’m not a lawyer but throwing out votes less than perfect spelling is offensive to me.]
Ignoring the law is offensive to me...especially when it is done to provide for a specific outcome. There is NO DOUBT in my mind here that if Joe Miller were the write-in candidate the name would have to be spelled exactly right including the dot over the i!
So we are to inferr intent? Shall we then hire Psychics. perhaps they can inferr intent before we vote and we won’t need pesky laws.
Do we really want to open up the pandora’s box of allowing the law to be ignored due to intent? really?
What do you think rat lawyers would do with THAT precedent????
But wait. What if there is an Alaskan citizen with the name Lisa Mercowski or Lisa Mircowski? Why is this a vote for Murcowski? That is why it has to be exact.
Damnstraightski !
What if there was a Murkowski and a Mercomski running and they spelled Mercowski? Would you know they didn’t accidentally turn their m upside down, or that their handwriting just wasn’t so legible?
There’s a lot of gray area that can come in if you don’t have a set standard.
If you were at all unsure as how to spell a name you could bring a cheat sheet or write it on your hand.
I think people should have to solve a couple of word problems before they vote to show that they are capable voters.
To bad they can’t copy a name from a provided list of voters to a ballot.
Miller is trying to get votes that might otherwise count for Lisa disqualified because of spelling errors. If he wins this way, it would be a textbook definition of winning on a technicality. This is the same garbage that Al Franken used to challenge Norm Coleman’s ballots and get them thrown out.
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