| Recount in Alabama Dealt Setback |
Story Filed: Friday, November 08, 2002 6:40 PM EST
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Democratic Gov. Don Siegelman's call for a statewide recount suffered a blow Friday when the Republican attorney general said sealed ballots can't be opened just because the governor trails his GOP challenger.
``You can't break the seal based on not liking the count,'' Attorney General Bill Pryor said in an opinion awaited by elections officials across Alabama.
In response, Siegelman campaign spokesman Rip Andrews said: ``The bottom line is it's a Republican conspiracy at its worst.''
It wasn't immediately clear whether the governor would go to court to try to force a recount or take the issue before the Legislature, which doesn't convene until January.
According to unofficial returns from Tuesday's election, Siegelman lost to GOP Rep. Bob Riley by 3,195 votes out of 1.3 million cast statewide.
All 67 counties began certifying their vote totals Friday and any changes were not expected to change the overall outcome. Riley has proceeded as if he is governor-elect, even appointing a transition team chairman.
Siegelman demanded a recount Thursday. He pointed in particular to Baldwin County, where elections officials reduced his tally by about 7,000 votes late Tuesday -- enough to give Riley the victory.
The county blamed a glitch in its computer system for the revision, but the first-term governor said the switch was made after poll workers left for the night.
Alabama law does not provide for an automatic recount in tight races, but voters can ask for one, county by county, if they put up a bond to pay for it. Democratic supporters began filing recount petitions across the state Friday, with Siegelman's campaign or the Democratic Party offering to pay for the bonds if necessary.
However, elections officials were advised by Secretary of State Jim Bennett to wait for Pryor's opinion in part to ``avoid the situation that arose in Florida.'' Alabama has never had a statewide recount and some of its election laws date to the 1800s.
Pryor said the governor's petitions aren't sufficient to unseal the ballots and other election records. He said Siegelman could get the ballots opened under only two scenarios:
--He files an election contest with the Legislature and shows that illegal ballots were counted or legal ballots weren't counted and they would change the results. The new Legislature would consider an election contest in January.
--He gets a judge to order a recount in a county after finding that a voting machine or precinct did not make a report on election night.
``It is a crime to break a seal without following these procedures,'' Pryor said. The crime is a misdemeanor.
Siegelman's attorney, Joe Espy, disagreed with Pryor's interpretation and said a recount is needed to settle the issue in voters' minds.
``Whatever happened, happened. Let's just count the votes,'' he said.
In Baldwin County, Republican District Attorney David Whetstone said the ballots would remain sealed, based on Pryor's advice.
``As of right now, no one is going to recount the votes in Baldwin County,'' he said.
Siegelman demanded a recount Thursday. He pointed in particular to Baldwin County, where elections officials reduced his tally by about 7,000 votes late Tuesday -- enough to give Riley the victory. The county blamed a glitch in its computer system for the revision, but the first-term governor said the switch was made after poll workers left for the night.
PURE BALONEY! ONCE AGAIN I POST THE PROOF THAT NO VOTES WERE CHANGED :
Here is a photo of the "Offending" printout from Baldwin County Alabama. Notice it has Seigelman at 19070 votes
Now look at the top line - TOTAL BALLOTS CAST - 45,032
OK let's do some math - first from the printout
Seigelman 19,070
Sophocleus 937
Riley 31,052
Writin 119
Over 0
under 188
Giving us a total of 51,366 -- IMPOSSIBLE when total BALLOTS CAST is 45,032
Now Lets see what we get when we put in 12736 for Seigelman
Seigelman 12,736
Sophocleus 937
Riley 31,052
Writin 119
Over 0
under 188
GRAND TOTAL - 45,032 TOTAL BALLOTS CAST - 45,032
PROOF POSITIVE that all this was was a TABULATION ERROR on one printout.
YOU LOST DONE SINGLETERM!!!! GET OUT OF RILEY'S HOUSE!
[Pryor said the governor's petitions aren't sufficient to unseal the ballots and other election records. He said Siegelman could get the ballots opened under only two scenarios:
--He files an election contest with the Legislature and shows that illegal ballots were counted or legal ballots weren't counted and they would change the results. The new Legislature would consider an election contest in January. ]
I have marveled at the audacity of the dims since November 2000. That they have a massive nation-wide vote rigging machine in place goes without saying (how many times do we hear about allegations of Republican vote fraud?). But, what amazes me is that they seem willing to demand recounts based upon charges of vote fraud, when in fact the reason for the recount is to commit vote fraud! They are so brazen nowadays that they think that they can get away with ballot tampering after essentially making the same charge of the opposition. Simply astonishing.
[Siegelman's attorney, Joe Espy, disagreed with Pryor's interpretation and said a recount is needed to settle the issue in voters' minds.
``Whatever happened, happened. Let's just count the votes,'' he said.]
Let's just count the votes. Where have I heard THAT before!
I recall an article I read during the election-2000 fiasco, by an ex-dimo operative, wherein he disclosed how thew dims fraudulently win close elections nation-wide. Basically, he said that if registration fraud is insufficient to deliver the election, but it is close -- i.e. within say a few thousand votes -- they will always demand a recount to create an opportunity to "handle" the ballots. In so doing, they can generally eliminate enough votes for the opposition (i.e. by double punching/marking) and create enough votesfor their candidate (by a number of means, including introducing new ballots) to turn the election. He actually bragged about having been personally involved in stealing a NUMBER of high-profile national races over the years.
Alabama's law is well reasoned. The 'pubs need to embark on a nation wide campaign to end vote fraud by the dims. That's all.