These clowns can only sue so much before the public decides they've had enough. The Demmies will always have the undereducated to pander to but the average person only paying half attention to politics will start to see a pattern here.
Just remember, every new lawsuit equals hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans who say to themselves "NO MORE!"
Still more precincts than poll watchers, but if the GOP is (finally) organized enough to line this up they should be organized enough to know where they are most needed. While the RATs are squeeling like stuck pigs the GOP already has them turning on the spit.
They can't read rules any better than they can vote. The only thing they know how to do is file lawsuits, abort babies, raise taxes and create welfare states.
Oh well... The Democrats simply missed another pesky little deadline laid out by law... Nothing the courts can't fix...
165 Broward precincts lacked GOP staff, review finds
By Scott Wyman and Buddy Nevins
Staff writers
Posted October 25 2002
Broward County Elections Supervisor Miriam Oliphant failed to comply with a state directive to use poll workers from different political parties at each precinct during the September primary.
Registered Democrats held all jobs as poll clerks and inspectors at more than one-fifth of Broward's 750-plus precincts on Sept. 10, according to a review of Oliphant's records by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Oliphant disputed the need for political diversity when Republican leaders raised concerns before the primary. But the state Division of Elections, in a memo written the week before the primary, told her the law required it and she promised to comply.
On Election Day, 165 precincts were run exclusively by Democrats, crisscrossing the county from heavily minority areas to condominium complexes. Only six had all-Republican staffs.
County Republican leader George LeMieux blasted Oliphant for breaking her promise and said he wanted assurances there would not be a repeat in the Nov. 5 election.
"What she did is against the law," LeMieux said on Thursday. "The law requires that the workers not be all from one party for a reason -- to prevent fraud. Having all from one party could skew the results. The workers have nobody to stop them from stacking the vote count."
Oliphant could not be reached for comment. But Robert Buschel, the lawyer who advised her before the primary, said he was surprised and disappointed to learn of the staffing problems. Her current lawyer, Mike Robinson, said he would urge Oliphant to make sure it doesn't happen again.
"We have to have political diversity across the board in this election," Robinson said. "It's just common sense to have everybody represented."
Primary problems
The questions of political diversity are the latest problem facing Oliphant. She was on the verge of being removed from office for misconduct following widespread problems during the primary and has since faced charges of misspending while running up a $1 million deficit.
Ed Kast, director of the state Division of Elections, said the GOP's only recourse is legal action if Broward doesn't diversify its staffs. He said his office can only explain the law to supervisors.
"She is the duly elected constitutional officer and that is a decision she has to make," Kast said. "The statute is clear and states it very simply, but there is nothing in there about what happens if you don't do it."
The law states that "no election board shall be composed solely of members of one political party." The only exception is a primary involving candidates of only one party.
That means the clerk, assistant and inspectors comprising the election board at each precinct must be a mix of Democrats, Republicans, people registered with minor-party affiliations and independent voters.
LeMieux plans to discuss the problems today with Deputy Supervisor Joe Cotter, who was hired to run the November election after September's disastrous primary. LeMieux said he thinks he and Cotter can work out an agreement, but he is prepared to go to court if necessary.
The GOP is concerned about the fairness of the Nov. 5 election if polling places are staffed solely by Democrats. The gubernatorial race between incumbent Jeb Bush and Tampa lawyer Bill McBride is expected to be close, so the election process in heavily Democratic Broward could be critical.
Cotter promised to do all he can to ensure political diversity.
"I've given that direction to our poll worker department, and we are proceeding along those lines," Cotter said. "We have reached out to the Republican Party, provided them our database of poll workers and are working with them."
Offers ignored
The lack of diversity in the primary occurred despite a GOP offer to help find poll workers. Shortly before the election, the party released letters from Republicans who said they were ignored when they tried to volunteer.
A review of Oliphant's records showed all-Democratic staffs at nine of Lauderdale Lakes' 13 precincts, 11 of Lauderhill's 24 precincts and 13 of Sunrise's 40 precincts.
Republican workers were particularly lacking in minority precincts. No Republicans were on staff at Precinct 53Z in Carver Ranches, 38R at Dillard Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale or 6C at Sanders Park Elementary School in Pompano Beach -- precincts with more than 1,500 voters each, almost all black Democrats.
Dominating precincts
The elections office also had problems finding non-Democratic workers for older condominium communities, traditionally Democratic strongholds. Precincts in Century Village, Hawaiian Gardens, Wynmoor Village, Sunrise Lakes and Kings Point had all-Democratic staffs.
Three of the six precincts with all-Republican staffs were in Parkland. Two were in Davie and the other was in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
Elections experts say officials can have difficulty following the law when an area is dominated by one party, meaning volunteers from other parties would have to drive farther to work there. Growing areas also can have problems staffing an increasing number of polls, they say.
But Dennis Myers, president of the 130-member Northeast Broward Republican Club, said he would have been glad to help the elections office.
"We could have recommended plenty of Republicans," said Myers, whose club has members in such Democratic condominiums as Wynmoor and Palm-Aire.
Broward's troubles with political diversity began when Buschel reinterpreted state law for Oliphant.
Her predecessor, Jane Carroll, tried to ensure diversity at each precinct before she retired in 2000. But Buschel and Oliphant decided that she didn't have to determine whether each precinct had workers of different parties as long as the entire group of 5,000 poll workers had a mix.
Protecting the polls
Republican officials were deeply suspicious of Oliphant, a longtime Democratic activist. The GOP wanted to stick to the traditional understanding, especially in light of allegations of political intrigue at the polls during the 2000 presidential election.
Despite Cotter's promises that the staffs will be different, some Republican candidates are preparing to have their own representatives at the polls.
U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw's campaign has assembled hundreds of certified observers who will be allowed to enter the polling places. In addition, Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale, will place other volunteers outside polling places.
"If there are precincts in our congressional district that do not have Republican poll workers, we will be there," said Larry Casey, Shaw's campaign manager. "The Shaw campaign will put people there. We will not leave any poll unprotected."
Staff Writer Brittany Wallman contributed to this report.
Scott Wyman can be reached at
swyman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4511.
Rules are about the same as law, and ignorance of the law is no defense, except if you a democrap.
Whine whine whine. Guess Meeks and Reno are the new couple!
Stacking? 90% of them were Dems the last time around, run and controlled by a Dem officer. What a crock! The Dems are pissed because they aren't allowed to cheat!
"The Democrats, led by former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, said in the complaint that GOP officials unfairly benefited from new rules the Democrats learned of only after it was too late to submit forms."
LIE! LIE! LIE! (do I sound like Robert Byrd (D-WV)?)
As a FIRST TIME poll worker (not former Attorney General of the US), I had the information regarding registration as a poll watcher in August. The filing deadline was October 22.
They just didn't expect the level of activism from the GOP that has resulted from our being SICK AND TIRED of their games with our elections.
Yes, YaYa123, unfortunately, you are correct when you say:
"But beware! Like a wounded animal, the Democrats will attack viciously, anything is possible from here on out."
I'm really starting to hate these DemocRATS. ;^(
