FReepers Against Voter Fraud - (Thread 2)

November 29, 2002 | sweetliberty

[sweetliberty]

Since I am renewing this thread a little sooner than planned, I am leaving the original body of the thread in place and just making additions of references at this time. I think it is important to keep the statement of purpose and how we came to it at the forefront for now. Later on, as more people become aware of the thread and how it is set up, I will probably change it some and just give a link back to the original.

"The right of citizens to vote and have their vote count is the cornerstone of our democracy - the necessary precondition of government of the people, by the people and for the people. Enforcing the laws that guarantee voting rights and punish voting fraud is the duty of the Department of Justice. More than mere law enforcement, our responsibility to protect the access to and integrity of elections is the responsibility of upholding freedom itself.

America is a nation whose founding documents and most inspired words uphold the ideal of democratic self-government as a model for the world. The opening phrases of the Declaration of Independence declare that governmental power, if it is to be just, must be derived from the consent of the governed. The Constitution begins, purposefully and deliberately, with these three words: "We the people . . ."

America has failed too often to uphold the right of every citizen's vote, once cast, to be counted fairly and equally. Votes have been bought, voters intimidated and ballot boxes stuffed. The polling process has been disrupted or not completed. Voters have been duped into signing absentee ballots believing they were applications for public relief. And the residents of cemeteries have infamously shown up at the polls on election day.

Today, it is more important than ever before that we embrace the privilege that makes us unique among the peoples, nations and societies of human history. Our way of life is not a given, and our freedom is not an accident. Liberty is a rare gift for which millions have worked and suffered and sacrificed and died. It now falls to us to guard this gift from those who would destroy it. It falls to us, the free, to ensure that the cornerstone of our freedom - government of the people, by the people, and for the people - does not perish from the earth."

(Excerpted from remarks of Attorney General John Ashcroft at the Voting Integrity Symposim - October 8, 2002)

LINK TO THREAD 1

It has been quite a month and overall a victorious one for Republicans. The new year looms bright on the horizon with the promise of much needed changes taking place now that we have the majority in both the House and Senate and with the opportunity to finally have some conservative judges seated who will uphold the Constitution rather than legislating the socialist agenda of the Democrats from the bench and Tiny Tommy Daschle and his obstructionist thugs have been spanked soundly and sent to their rooms.

While we had several days of delirious gloating, drunk on the thrill of a hard earned and well-deserved victory, we know all too well that the election and the events leading up to it were not without incident and once again the deck was stacked against us as the Democrats tried every trick in the book in yet another shameless effort at stealing an election. With the blatant disregard for the law so characteristic of them when it obstructs their designs, they managed to get a liberal kangaroo court to uphold the replacement of Torricelli on the ballot in New Jersey beyond the legal deadline for doing so for no other reason than having determined that the scandal and corruption surrounding Torricelli rendered him incapable of winning. In Minnesota, prior to Paul Wellstone's ill-fated final flight, a plan was uncovered that had Democrats busing in students from out of state to take advantage of Minnesota's same day voter registration to vote illegally for Paul Wellstone. Even as this was being revealed, the campaign was underway to push a similar same day registration legislation in Colorado and California, thereby opening new avenues for illegal voting in those states. In South Dakota Democrat operatives (sorry, I cannot bring myself to use the word "Democratic") paid a field worker in excess of $12,000 over a period of 3 months to register native Americans on the reservations. It was later discovered that many registration cards that had been turned in by that worker had been written in the same handwriting. Among the newly registered was at least one who was known to be recently deceased. This and other irreglarities that were uncovered in South Dakota has led to 1 out of 10 ballots there being under investigation. Fish need water, plants need sunshine, an addict needs a fix and Democrats need power and these three cases are just samples of the extent to which they will go to get it.

The idea for this thread was born following the Arkansas Hog Wild FReepers' discovery of organized intimidation tactics on the part of Democrat and NAACP operatives in Jefferson County, Arkansas as relayed by FReeper, stop_the_rats, a Republican poll watcher who gained undesired and unfair national notoriety during early voting, and by a Republican campaign worker who "infiltrated" the Clinton led, pre-election campaign "event" there. The original story was posted as part of the after-FReep report with more detail added in a post-election update. The story generated such outrage that the thread turned into a FReeper brainstorm as we labored over how we might counteract the dishonest methods employed by the Democrats to hijack elections. The effort yielded an abundance of references and it was generally agreed that voter fraud is, or at least should be, of great concern to all of us. There is a strong probability that the South Dakota election was stolen and in Arkansas the fraud machine was spinning out of control and may well have cost Tim Hutchinson his senate seat as well, despite the shadow cast over him in the wake of his divorce and remarriage. Chances are that we'll never know. Thankfully neither of these races ended up being the tie-breaker that would determine the balance of power in the Senate, but either could have been and had that been the case, you can bet it would have gotten really ugly and may have produced an entirely different result.

Even as the Democrats are still licking their wounds and wondering what on Earth happened on November 5, they are already scrambling and scheming and conniving as to ways to prevent our intercepting their next power grab in 2004. This is revealed in their ongoing efforts to block any attempt to validate a voter's legitimacy whether it be by requiring a legal form of ID at the polls, the repeal of motor voter legislation, cracking down on absentee balloting and early voting, doing away with same day registration or by the presence of poll watchers at polling places. In every case they play the race card crying "black voter intimidation" when in reality they are simply thrashing against the net that could trap those guilty of voting illegally thereby inhibiting travel on their familiar roads of voter fraud. Thankfully, Republicans were more diligent this year and undoubtedly made an impact. More questionable ballots were challenged, more questions raised, more accountability called for and more light shed on irregularities. Until recently, prosecution for voter fraud has been virtually unheard of, but that is starting to change. There have been hundreds of stories published over the past several weeks relating to voting irregularities and credible allegations of fraud. Some have led to criminal charges being filed and still others have led to investigations which are ongoing. While it is unlikely that all election fraud can be stopped, it is much harder for it operate under a spotlight, which is exactly why we must each do our part to make sure that the spotlight stays on those "shadowy" recesses where voting machines mysteriously vanish, ballot boxes are obscured from view and the demons of electoral darkness run amok.

It was suggested that the opening remarks of Attorney General John Ashcroft be used as the basis of our mission statement for this thread. In these precarious times when we are at war and we are threatened daily by terrorism, our liberty has become more precious than ever and we must be vigilant to protect it not only from foreign invaders, but also from those who would erode it from within by compromising the integrity of our elections. In order to succeed in a battle it is essential to know the enemy and attack at his greatest point of vulnerability. Included here is a list of links, which while by no means exhaustive, can serve to enlighten the electorate. Many of these stories are from Arkansas only because this was the springboard for this thread and we look forward to other FReepers adding stories from their own areas as well as any based in personal experience. The original thread also produced a wealth of resources as we discussed who we should contact if we became aware of voting irregularities or suspected fraud. Again the list of links is far from comprehensive and additions are welcome. Of course the whole point of this exercise is to get more conservative voters involved in changing the laws to close loopholes which make it easy to cheat, to promote the enforcement of existing election laws and to take part in the election process at the local level all with the goal of intercepting future fraud campaigns. In other words our goal is to STOP THE RATS FROM HIJACKING THE ELECTION PROCESS AND TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!

Many thanks to all the wonderful FReepers who contributed their time, energy and ideas to produce the foundation for this thread:

For their contributions of information and links, thank you to kcvl; kayak; zeaal; demosthenes the elder; terriergal; Brad's Gramma; Budge; TheLion; backhoe; ForGod'sSake; Congressman Billybob; nicmarlo; Ragtime Cowgirl; to ST.LOUIE1 for his graphics and of course to Jim Robinson who has given us this great forum and sense of purpose. A very special thanks and salute goes out to stop_the_rats for her patriotism and tenacity in facing down the enemy within. She is a warrior of whom we should be proud. What a great screen name AND battle cry for the mission of this thread!

On thread 2, I also want to thank Saundra Duffy, Mia T and mlmr for their alerting us to a couple more hot spots and also providing some additional information. Thank you to diotima, ffrancone, and Nick Danger for their efforts to move this campaign beyond Free Republic and disseminate information for public consumption. Updates on this effort will be posted regularly as well. Geist Krieger, has provided a very interesting and in depth analysis of methods of voting and their impact on our elections. If anybody has a means of storing a document for public access, please let me know and I will FReepmail it to you so that a link can be posted. It is quite long.

AWARENESS

KNOW THY ENEMY! If you're like me, you once had a naive trust in the integrity of our elections in America. All that changed for me though, with the election debacle of 2000 when it became readily apparent that Al Gore was trying to steal the presidency and his operatives were so desperate that they were doing it right in the face of the American people. I was absolutely furious but I believed that now that people could see the Clinton/Gore political machination for the shameless assault on America that it was, they would wake up and demand accountability from those responsible. I really wasn't prepared for seeing how many people would continue to perpetrate the lies the Democrats told even in the face of that fiasco and how many would continue to buy into them. Even after that I believed that surely, now that it was out in the open, something would be done to fix it before the next election. I also was not prepared to discover the extent to which voter fraud had woven its way into our political system like a burrowing parasite with expanding tentacles entwining themselves around the arteries of freedom. The sense of betrayal I have felt has been disheartening, to say the least, but it gave rise to the outrage that made me determined to try to do something about it. If you read even a few of these links, it will change forever the way you look at future elections and will hopefully encourage you to be part of the solution.

If any of these links become outdated many of these articles are posted in their entirity on the original FReep thread. If you let me know via FReepmail, I will make editorial adjustments accordingly before renewing the thread.

GENERAL ARTICLES ON VOTER FRAUD -

The Greatest Cover-up Of All: Vote Fraud In America

ELECTION FRAUD 2002 (Lots of links)

How Some Elections Are Stolen! (Lots of Links)

Controlling Fraud, Corruption and Unfair Practices

Voter Reform: Why Are Democrats Opposed To A Photo ID to Vote?

Should Georgia Adopt Early Voting? (Relates to Problems Associated with Early Voting)

An election scam

The Democrats Lost Ugly

Ghost Precincts

Vote Fraud: Will YOUR Vote Be Stolen This November?

Should We Take Voter Fraud as Seriously as Business Fraud?

Stopping Voter Fraud Made a BIG Difference!

Orgins of Modern Democrat FRAUD

Damn Dirty Democrats

Fraud a Part of Demos' Senate Strategy?

CASTING BALLOTS: GOP to have hundreds of spotters at polling sites

Bond Celebrates President's Signing of Anti-Vote Fraud Bill

Need Vote Fraud articles, stories, and evidence? Here's a source...

It's Voter Fraud Season Again!

The Vote Fraud Archives

The Nagging Problem of Election Fraud

More Is Better?

Democrats want to drop vote fraud plan, Bond says (Election "Reform")

Double Votes in 2000 Election

GOP Uncovers Democrat Vote Fraud

Bond's Debates Schumer Amendment that Undermines His Election Reform Bill

Too Easy to Steal: Why don't liberals want to stop voter fraud?

The Dangers of Voting outside the Booth

Testimony of Dr. Larry J. Sabato, Director University of Virgina Center for Governmental Studies Before The Committee on Rules and Administration United States Senate

The Motor Voter Act and Voter Fraud

Congress to establish voter-fraud task force: Nationwide investigation will 'put people in jail

How Democrats Steal Elections

Can we trust the vote count anywhere? In any race? In any election?

The Greenwood Position (Peggy Noonan)

Stalin-Like Contests

Voter Fraud Again!

Knock and Drag: Ryan Lizza reveals how Dems. got out the black vote

Voter Fraud! It Doesn’t Get Any More Blatant Than This !

American Apartheid

......

WE KNOW THESE STATES HAVE PROBLEMS -

ALABAMA -

Vote Fraud Alleged in Alabama

Voter Fraud in Alabama Is a Proven Fact

Alabama Primary Challenge Goes Down in Flames

ARKANSAS -

Grand jury requested to delve into elections (Excerpt)

Arkansan pleads guilty in vote fraud

Looking Back On Tuesday's Election Problems

Arkansas - Democratic Party seeking injuction to keep polls open until 10:00 p.m. tonight

GOP to ask for probe of Phillips Co. voting

Scandal: Postal Exec Caught Using USPS Budget to Unseat GOP Senator

1,000 Republican Students Denied Right to Vote

Arkansas GOP charges vote fraud

FRAUD in Arkansas!!! Voters Illegally Casting Ballots 2 Weeks Early in Organized Effort by Dems

Voter Fraud in Arkansas

CALIFORNIA -

Elections Officials Hand Over Voter Info

State Assembly Race Still Too Close to Call and What's Up With Those MILITARY ballots?

Provisional ballots are questioned

Fresno judge halts counting of provisional ballots in close assembly race

United States Attorney Northern District of California

California Govervor's Race: A Democratic Party Art Form - Inventing Voters

Election fraud in Arvin, Ca -all who committed voter fraud got away with it in 2000 election"

CONNETICUT -

DUPLICATE VOTERS

FLORIDA -

Voters Accused of Double-Voting Attempt

Florida Saga Continues- Broward County "Finds" 104,000 Votes, Oliphant, "Only A Small Problem"

Voter fraud that's legal

Fears of Massive Illegal Ballots in Fla. - Again!

State attorney probes ballots

McBride Campaigns In Black Church -- IRS Violation?

165 Broward precincts lacked GOP staff, review finds

18 new voting machines go missing in Broward

Could It Be That Florida Democrats Are Too Stupid To Vote?

Black Republicans Suffered Worst in Florida Vote Count

Non-Voted Ballots and Discrimination in Florida

2,000 Floridians voted illegally Nov. 7

The Dimples Prove Fraud

"Explicit statistical evidence of massive ballot tampering in Palm Beach, Fl"

Democrats: Party Without a Conscience

Broward County Can't Count!!!

Voting Irregularities in Duval County

Downside Legacy on THE RECOUNT to 12/2/00 (More links to articles on 2000 election)

Felon For Gore: 2,000 Felons Voted for Gore in Florida alone

Exclusive: Recount Observers Tell NewsMax.com of Democrat Fraud

Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart: eye-witness account of Miami-Dade ballot fraud

Unstatesmanlike Conduct

How Gore and Chris Sautter Are Stealing Our Election and Our Country

DEMOCRAT MEMO ON HOW TO DISQUALIFY MILITARY VOTES

Palm Beach County "massive voter fraud is now evident"

Absentee Ballot Fraud among Democrats in Florida an Old Story

Missing Voting Mechanism Recovered

Evidence shows HOW the Palm Beach Democrats voided 15,000 Bush ballots, 3,400 Buchanan Ballots

Open Letter To Mark Levin - Statistical Proof Of Election Fraud

Al Gore's Class-Action : Trial lawyers try to litigate their man into the White House

INDIANA -

The law can be such a hassle sometimes: Or another example of how Rats steal elections

Absentee ballot requests seized; probe launched

KANSAS -

Democrats Urge Kansans to Vote Illegally

KENTUCKY -

Investigators monitor 17 counties across state

LOUISIANA -

Landrieu Redux ~ WSJ. '97

Two convicted of voter fraud get probation

They're Stealing the Election

Citizens For A Better America

MAINE -

RATS Stealing State Elections In Maine -- A Measured and Thoughtful Response

Hall Named Provisional Winner in Dist. 16 -- Fossel Withdraws Appeal -- New Strategy Revealed

Overt Disenfrancisement Condemned

DEMOCRATS REFUSE TO COUNT ALL THE VOTES

MARYLAND -

Maryland: 10,000 Republican Absentee Ballot ApplicationsTossed Out

Maryland Gov. Race: Polls Good for Ehrlich, Dem. Party Disenfranchises GOP Absentee Voters

MASSACHUSETTS -

Howie Carr - Photos and Video of RAT Voter Fraud in Massachusetts!

More Dem Fraud

Romney (R) Complains Of Voter Irregularities In Boston

MICHIGAN -

Detroit's voter rolls in question (too many registered)

MINNESOTA -

Scores use strip club as voter registration address

VOTE 2002: Taxpayers League says group backs voter fraud

MISSOURI -

Voter Fraud: Can It Be Stopped?

Democratic officials challenge rule on provisional voting (Missouri)

Most (Almost All) of the 3,000 registration cards turned in for next month's primary were fraudulent

St. Louis city voting extension raises questions

NEW HAMPSHIRE -

Don't use students to abuse elections

NEW YORK -

Hillary: Why I Oppose Stopping Election Fraud

2-BALLOT VOTERS FACE DOUBLE TROUBLE

NORTH CAROLINA -

Martin County elections board to discuss alleged vote buying

OKLAHOMA -

More allegations of vote fraud surface

Investigators Look Into Another Vote Fraud Case

Arrests made in voter fraud case (Oklahoma Dems Runoff)

PENNSYLVANIA -

Penn Researchers Document Large-Scale Voter Registration Problem

RHODE ISLAND -

Citizens Group Alleges Elections Fraud Group Says Non-Citizens, Immigrants Can Vote

SOUTH DAKOTA -

The Oglala Sioux's Senator

Let’s Hear It for Fraud – And REAL Soon

The Oglala Sioux's Democrat Vote Fraud Scheme Has A Familiar Ring

VOTER FRAUD ARREST TO BE MADE - SD

South Dakota Suspicions

Dead Men Voting

Arrest Expected in Voter Fraud Investigation

The New Democrat Plantation: A FR Roundup of Vote Fraud In South Dakota (Multiple Links)

Absentee forms found burned

Vote Fraud South Dakota Style - by the numbers

Dem Ethics? South Dakota Dems don’t acknowledge the importance of their voter-fraud problem

Daschle accuses Republicans of voter harassment

South Dakota Dem Hit with Vote Fraud Indictment

15 false absentee ballot applications found(in SD)and more may be coming

TEXAS -

A Poll Watchers Tale - Vote Fraud in Houston, Texas

Official raises concerns of voter fraud in Hidalgo County (Heart of DemocratCounrty in Texas).

WASHINGTON D.C. -

D.C. MAYOR WILLIAMS CANNOT BE ON THE BALLOT! (MORE DEMOCRAT VOTER FRAUD!)

WISCONSIN -

Democratic Vote Fraud in Wisconsin Gov. Race

ACCESS

In order to effect changes it is important to have channels through which we can make our voice heard. One reason the Democrats get away with as much as they do is because they make a lot of noise. It is time WE make some noise of our own. There are a number of individuals, organizations and media sources who support our Constitution and seek to protect the integrity of our elections. Here are a few of them. Rather than clutter the body of this thread with a long list of email addresses, I will post the websites. Most of these have contacts and email addresses on them. While I have not listed any here, it is important to keep in mind that just because a source is on the opposing side doesn't mean that they can't still be used to our advantage. Consider this parable of Jesus.

"In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. "There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me legal protection from my opponent.' "For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'" (Luke 18: 2-5)

................

INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS AND MEDIA SOURCES

Department of Justice Voting Rights Home Page

FBI

American Conservative Union

Eagle Forum

Eagle Forum of Arkansas

The Heritage Foundation

ACLJ

Fox News

Drudge Report

Rush Limbaugh

Hugh Hewitt

.......

ELECTION LAW

Election laws and practices vary widely from state to state, and therein lies part of the problem. In order to address the issues we need first to know what the law, as it currently exists is and work within it and where applicable work to see that it is enforced. Second, you will come to discover that many of the opportunities for fraud are born from flaws in the laws themselves, in which case we need to work on getting those laws changed. Below is a very brief list of some election laws and guidelines which we have referenced recently. I am sure this section will grow considerably as others add their contributions.

ELECTION LAWS, RULES, GUIDELINES

Arkansas Election Code

Arkansas Election Faqs

State Requirements For Voter ID

Texas Pollwatcher's Guide

Vote Fraud and Election Issues (Lots of Links)

Limitations On Lawyers

Reporting Unlicensed Lawyers

2002 Florida Statutes

Florida Voter Fraud Issues

Proposition 52 Dealing With Voter Fraud in California

..........

GENERAL REFERENCE

List of U.S. Counties

National Association of Counties

Online Newspapers

..........

ACTION

What can FReepers do? For starters we can identify states that will have key races in the 2004 election. Is your state one of them? Are there known problem precincts in YOUR county? Let's start getting important information about the race, the candidates, the electoral history of the state, the laws in that state and how open they may leave the process to tampering, history of voter fraud in the state, conservative media outlets there, and whatever else you can think of that might be relevant to equip the electorate to head off problems in advance.

Democrats LIE! Their biggest and most effective lie is that Republicans are deliberately trying to prevent blacks and/or other minorities from voting. In effect, they're calling us racists. The truth is that it is them who seem to consider blacks and other minorities so inferior and ignorant and lacking in initiative that they are incapable of voting without the benefit of THEIR (the Democrats') "guidance" and "protection". They squeal "intimidation" at every opportunity and intimidation certainly comes into play. The real question is "who is doing the intimidating?" Their greatest fear is that blacks will recognize how badly they've been duped and insulted by these people and leave the party in droves. That can work in our favor if we work with it. Black conservatives have perhaps the greatest responsibility for telling other black voters the truth about the Democrat party, although it is certainly something we should all work on. Independent thought is the enemy of the Democrats.

Talk about election fraud. Bring it up whenever an opportunity presents itself. Keep a notebook at all times and if someone tells you anything pointing to vote fraud, get more details. Write down such things as county, precinct, candidates in the race, name of the witness and whatever else you can think of. If it seems credible, report it to someone, then follow it up and find out what, if anything, was done with the information.

Have your elected officials, city attorneys, election officers and judges in your email address book, your regular address book and on speed dial. When you become aware of a credible allegation of voter fraud, get busy and push for them to prosecute offenders very publicly and to the FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW! If a few people are seen to be doing time for their electoral indiscretions, observers may be less willing to follow suit.

Rally others and spend election day in parking areas of and near problem polling places at ready with notebook and camera. A favorite technique of Democrats is to load up buses full of paid voters and haul them from precinct to precinct to cast multiple votes. Getting license numbers of these buses and observing them closely could yield enough evidence to prove fraud. Note or photograph anything "out of the ordinary".

"Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything." (Josef Stalin)

Take part in the process. Here is a list of suggestions that stop_the_rats posted on another thread:

1. Plan to take election day off in 2004.
2. Be a poll worker. You get paid for this.
3. Be a poll watcher. Call your local Republican headquarters or the campaign office of one of your Republican candidates and volunteer to be a poll watcher.
4. Count absentee ballots. You get paid for this also.
5. Be a poll closer. It's a long day. Some people who can't poll watch because of work, could agree to come after work for 2 hours and close the polls to give poll watchers a break. Get final counts and make sure no "late" voters turn up.
6. Take lunches to poll workers and poll watchers.
7. Man the headquarters so if problems arise, poll workers or watchers have a place to call for help. Have a list of numbers: local election officals, state officals.
8. Find a person who will agree to "be in charge"of all the rules poll watchers and poll workers need to follow. Each state has rules and in some cases, state election representatives will come to your city and give a presentation.
9. Encourage others to get involved.
10. Smile; we have them worried!

Some might want to take it a step furthur, if that is an option in your area, and be an election judge. Or you may have specific talents and training that you could donate to the cause, such as legal assistance and advice.

Finally; ask questions. FReepers have an uncanny ability to ask the right questions in most any situation AND to find answers and we have an inexhaustable resource right here on Free Republic. Here are just a few questions to start with.

"If fraud is suspected, how do we find out who is behind it?"

"How do we work to get cooperation between poll watchers and workers and clarify expectations on all sides BEFORE an election?"

"How can you prove fraud? What is legal in a given state (photos, tape recording, witness statements, compiling a list of names, video taping) and how can these techniques be implemented in a non-obtrusive way?"

How limiting is jurisdiction on working in some capacity at the polls? This may vary from state to state. For example, during the training for counting absentee ballots in Pulaski County, Arkansas, I was told that to be a poll worker or to count ballots, you had to be a resident of the county in which you served, but that a poll watcher could be from anywhere as long as he or she was authorized by the candidate or party. This could be very useful to pursue. In the 2002 election, in spite of all the Rat hype, there was still a shortage of Republican poll watchers in a number of "problem" locations. There were also quite a few FReepers who expressed a desire to do something, but there were no particular problems in their own areas. If we can, in fact, be poll watchers anywhere, that may have great potential for wider coverage of historically fraud prone precincts in future elections.

And last, but certainly not least, pray!

"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12a)

FReepers; your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get out there and STOP THE RATS!

.....

As information has been posted, I have been keeping track of counties that have a history of voting "irregularities" and/or blatant fraud or in which there is legal action currently pending. From that information I have generated a county "watch list". This is not only to alert those seeking to combat the voter fraud travesty, but also to put those responsible for it on notice that the game is up and the heat is on. This list will no doubt grow as more cases come to light, and by all means, if you know of such concerns in your local areas, alert this thread and have the offending county "hot listed". It is the contributions of FReepers that will make this effort work!

ALERT!

COUNTIES ON THE WATCH LIST!

ALABAMA -

Greene County
Hale County

ARKANSAS -

Clark County
Jefferson County
Phillips County
Pulaski County

CALIFORNIA-

Fresno County
Kern County

Conneticut -

New Haven County

FLORIDA -

Broward County
Duvall County
Lake County
Miami-Dade County
Orange County
Osceola County
Palm Beach County
Seminole County
Volusia County

INDIANA -

Marion County

LOUISIANA-

East Baton Rouge Parish
Orleans Parish

MAINE -

Cumberland County
Lincoln County

MARYLAND -

Baltimore County
Montgomery County
Prince George's County

MASSACHUSETTS -

Suffolk County

MICHIGAN -

Wayne County

MINNESOTA -

Dakota County

MISSOURI -

St. Louis - city

NEW HAMPSHIRE -

Stafford County

NORTH CAROLINA -

Martin County

OKLAHOMA -

Haskell County

SOUTH DAKOTA -

Bennett County
Codington County
Dewey County
Minnehaha County
Pennington County
Shannon County
Ziebach County

TEXAS -

Harris County
Hidalgo County

WISCONSIN -

Kenosha County
Milwaukee County
Washington County
Waukesha County

The following states have been pinged, which means if your state's flag isn't flying, then FReepers in your state have not yet been alerted! The flags are posted in the order the states were pinged. It would be nice to have a representative FReeper from each state, particularly those states that are "fraud zones". If anyone would be willing to represent your state on this thread on a regular basis, please let me know and I will begin a list of FReeper contacts for each state.

[TheLion]

That gif is great! You could also call the daily thread "Rat Chat".

[TheLion]

Alabama:

Election debate may spur state law change

By Matt Collins - Staff Writer
January 16, 2003

With Gov. Siegelman's loss in the election race to Bob Riley last November, Alabama's election laws became a center of debate.
Siegelman's campaign was denied a recount of the election results.

The law, which allows recounts only in specific circumstances, barred the governor's supporters from having votes recounted after the election ended with Siegelman losing by less than 1 percent of the total votes.

As the law stands, a state recount is not allowed. Instead, recounts must be called in each individual county, and the law does not allow for a recount just because the final count is close.

Siegelman called for an election reform committee within a year of the 2000 presidential election and the troublesome recounts in Florida that followed.

"The secretary of state met with his subcommittee and issued a report on possible election reforms for Alabama," said Vicki Balogh, the secretary of state's director of elections. "The committee hasn't met since then."

Any changes to the law would have to go through the state legislature.

"It's a long process to get the law changed, but necessary," Balogh said.

Michael Ciamarra of the Alabama Policy Institute said that the recount issue is an example of how important the need for election law reform is in Alabama.

"An automatic recount law should be re-evaluated," Ciamarra said. "Voter ID would be the most important reform. Many states already have such laws."

"We wouldn't necessarily want to require photo identification to vote," Ciamarra said. "We don't want to disenfranchise anyone." In the Institute's proposed election-reform law, voters without a photo ID would be given a different ballot that could be challenged if any issues arose.

"Our election reform has been introduced to the state legislature and has been passed many times in the last six years, and has been pre-approved by the Justice Department," Ciamarra said. "It just hasn't passed by the state senate."

Besides voter ID, the institute is also looking to establish equal representation of both political parties at all polling sites.

"We would also like to have uniform polling hours in all counties and increased penalties for voter fraud," Ciamarra said.

Election reform is enjoying bipartisan support, especially with the recent election results.

http://www.theplainsman.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/01/16/3e26cf5d51532

[TheLion]

South Dakota:

Found this little gem while surfing for voter fraud news.

"If the state's Attorney General's office isn't going to enforce voting fraud misdemeanors, then it must provide the public a list of other misdemeanors it may choose not to enforce. Shoplifting? Marijuana possession? Reckless driving? Just let us know what we can get away with".

"There's always room for voter fraud on my watch as attorney general, because I'm too big of a wimp to do anything about it. Oh, sure, I'll kick around the Gina Score family and act big and tough; but when the time comes to confront a U.S. senator and his thugs for teensy weensy misdemeanors in a little ol' federal election, I'll run for the shade faster than a bald guy without a hat on a hundred-degree day in July."

http://www.zwire.com/site/News.cfm?BRD=2240&dept_id=455427&newsid=6662144&PAG=461&rfi=9

[TheLion]

Arizona: I like this Lady!

Lets see now, the Rats say the following terrible things about requiring voter ID's: "they are an unnecessary obstacle to voting; requiring ID's is legally offensive; they impose an unnecessary burden and people are denied their right to vote". What the Democrats are really saying here is that anything that could possibly prevent them from cheating shouldn't be allowed!/my words.

Lawmaker wants to require ID from voters

By HOWARD FISCHER
Capitol Media Services
01/09/2003

PHOENIX --- A veteran state lawmaker wants Arizonans to have to produce some form of identification before they vote at the next election.
Rep. Linda Gray, R-Glendale, is crafting legislation that would mandate would-be voters first show either a card with a photograph or two other forms of identification with the person's name and address. Gray wants the measure enacted this session.

But the plan is drawing fire from Rep. Linda Lopez, D-Tucson, who said it is an unnecessary obstacle to voting.

Gray said she never gave the issue much thought until she saw some "door hangars,'' literature left by the Arizona Democratic Party. She said one of the things emphasized was that people could vote without showing any form of identification.

"Now what is the point in emphasizing 'go vote and do not show your ID?' " Gray asked. "It sends up a red flag to me of voter fraud.''

Congress last year approved some changes in voting law that require states to get identification when people register to vote the first time. If they register by mail, then their ID would be checked the first time they vote. But, unlike what Gray wants to do, there would be no subsequent checks.

Paul Haggerty, executive director of the Arizona Democratic Party, said the perennial checking is both unnecessary and legally offensive. "We are against having to show ID for the same reason that the Supreme Court is against it: You don't have to have an identification card to be a citizen of this country,'' he said.

Haggerty said the new federal legislation deals with the issue when it is appropriate: when someone first registers to vote. He said even existing state law gave county recorders the power to check someone's residency at the time of registration, which is all that he believes is necessary.

Lopez said Gray's proposal imposes an unnecessary burden.

"We do not want to disenfranchise people, that when folks get to the polls they are denied their right to vote,'' she said.

She acknowledged that voters who drive probably would have no problem meeting the requirement. After all, Lopez said, they would have an Arizona driver's license. More problematic, she said, are those who don't drive, possibly because they are disabled, who have to use dial-a-ride services or other transportation to get to the polls -- and may show up without an acceptable identification. "Then what happens to you?'' she asked.

Gray said her bill will permit various forms of identification to be used. For example, she said, if someone lacks a state-issued ID card with a photo, two other items with someone's name and address, such as utility bills, could qualify

http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/nav_includes/story.cfm?storyID=57003

[TheLion]

Texas:

In Hidalgo County, requiring accurate voting registrating lists is "scaring people from voting and deterring minorities from voting".....at least according to good Democrats!

Deceased voter rolls divide Hidalgo County Republicans, state

By STEVE TAYLOR
The Brownsville Herald

AUSTIN — The Secretary of State’s office has disputed the accuracy of a survey that found 15,000 dead or unqualified people on Hidalgo County’s voter rolls.

In an internal e-mail dated Dec. 19, Elections Division Program Administrator Karen Richards says that based on the limited information her office has received, the criteria used to identify deceased voters is "unreliable" and that the method used to determine incorrect addresses is "wrong."

A more accurate figure for "deceased records" with an active voter registration on Hidalgo County’s voter list is 1,580, Elections Director Ann McGeehan wrote in a Dec. 20 letter to Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Teresa Navarro.

The computer-assisted study was commissioned by Hidalgo County Republican Party and conducted by Austin-based Voter Views, Inc.

Voter Views General Manager R.L. Edwards denounced the decision to release the correspondence, claiming he had answered every point raised about his survey in a meeting held with elections division staff last month.

"I am furious. I think it is disingenuous of the Secretary of Staff’s office to release to Hidalgo County a private e-mail that was sent to me without including my strong rebuttal," Edwards said.

"It is also unfair to me as a private business owner. I still have not been told why my report has failed the standard for the level of integrity to be considered or even utilized."

Voter Views’ study caused a storm of controversy when selected parts of it were released by Hidalgo County Republican Party Chairman Hollis Rutledge in the run-up to the Nov. 5 general election.

Rutledge said the county’s failure to maintain voter files "dramatically increased the opportunity for voter fraud and mischief in November’s elections."

Democrats countered that the survey was designed to deter minority voters from showing up at the polls.

Throughout the controversy, Navarro kept in regular touch with the Secretary of State’s office. She said the correspondence from Austin "vindicated" the county’s decision to not adopt the Voter View report.

"I knew from the outset that this report was seriously flawed, misleading and totally untrue and the Secretary of State’s investigation vindicates the position I took," Navarro said.

"I felt I needed to pursue this matter because it had received so much publicity. It had tarnished the reputation of the elections division so much that I was not going to just let it go."

In a Dec. 20 letter to Navarro, McGeehan confirms that Edwards and two lawmakers – state Reps. Mary Denny, R-Aubrey, and Betty Brown, R-Terrell – met with Secretary of State officials in December to "review statistical data that Voter Views had tabulated on the number of deceased persons still residing on the official voting list for Hidalgo County."

McGeehan said her office was not able to obtain a list from Voter Views of the "deceased voters," but was told the file exceeded 15,000 voters.

"We note that during the meeting, Voter View gave conflicting information regarding what criteria was used to identify the 15,000 voters flagged as deceased," McGeehan wrote.

McGeehan says the Secretary of State’s office has deceased records dating back to July 21, 1997. Those records indicate that a total of 5,805 deceased persons have been identified and sent to Hidalgo County since 1997. Of those 5,805 deceased records, a total of 1,580 have an accurate voter registration.

Navarro said that out of a total voter roll of approximately 250,000 voters, 1,580 was not a high percentage. "We dealt with the information the day we got it. It’s been remedied," she said.

Hidalgo County Clerk J.D. Salinas said the Secretary of State’s correspondence proved the county was right to ignore a "highly suspect and partisan survey that was designed to scare people from voting."

Salinas said he was "appalled" by a letter Edwards had sent to Navarro on Nov. 26, which mentioned the bad publicity the county had received over its voter rolls on the Rush Limbaugh nationally-syndicated radio show.

In the letter, Edwards said his company could "simplify this issue and very quickly produce positive results, which will diffuse much of the criticism of ineptness."

"We have wasted energy and money on a problem that pretty much did not exist," Salinas said. "Voter Views was looking for $5,000-plus of Hidalgo County taxpayers’ money even though to this day they have still not handed over this report."

Rutledge said he stood by the Voter Views report and his party’s decision to commission it.

"R.L. Edwards has spent around $2 million on software to produce very accurate reports," Rutledge said. "As far as I know the Secretary of State’s office has not allowed him to sit down and explain his methodology."

Rutledge said Republicans were not interested in "pointing fingers" at anybody. "The survey showed 4,223 names that were potentially dead. The issue is all about integrity and we still have a problem."

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/sections/archive/topstoryjmp/1-3-03/NEWS6.htm

[sweetliberty]

"Rat Chat".

I like it! The Rats won't though!

[sweetliberty]

Have you seen "The Two Towers" yet?

....

[sweetliberty]

I think it is also a good idea to follow what the enemy is doing and thinking regarding the election process. It's a frightening vision, but we need to try and get some perspective on where they're coming from. Here is a "for instance" for another segment that we might call "RAT musings".

...

Click on the pic.

[nicmarlo]

"RAT musings"

Oh, that is a great pic!!! And that made me think of something....you read C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters....the head demon to a jr. demon. .... well, the Rat Musings could be the "head rat" to the "jr. rats," having similar conversations about their covert operations and thoughts.......wacha think?

[sweetliberty]

Or how about a a RAT list for every new thread...kinda like an "award" for the rattiest rats in that cycle?

...

[nicmarlo]

Another Good Idea and I love that graphic, too!!!!

[TheLion]

Haven't seen any of the Lord of the Rings movies....are they worth it?

[TheLion]

The Rats would favor a tyranny of the minority, which is what they are trying to force on all of us.

[sweetliberty]

"are they worth it?"

ABSOLUTELY!! I think I can safely say they are the best made movies I have ever seen, and I am a tough critic! Have you ever read the books? How Peter Jackson was able to take such an involved saga and condense it into 3 3-hour movies without losing the essence of the story is nothing short of phenomenal and the attention to detail is meticulous. Magnificent movies. I can't wait for the third one. Get the extended version of Fellowship of the Ring and watch it. In addition to an extra half hour of footage, there are 6 hours of appendices that detail what went into its creation.

[TheLion]

Will have to check the Ring movies out...no pun intended!

[TheLion]

San Francisco:


SF meets election officials over voter registration
24/01/2003 - 7:33:10 pm

Sinn Fein chairman Mitchel McLaughlin has met with the North's chief electoral officer to discuss the removal of 130,000 people from the electoral register in the six counties.

The huge fall in eligible voters came about due to a reform of registration rules designed to tackle voting fraud.

Recent census figures also showed that almost 190,000 eligible voters are not registered.

The electoral office has insisted that it is addressing the problem and has written to schools and colleges to encourage the registration of first-time voters.

It also plans to write to all households who are not on the new register and said anyone who is concerned that their name is not registered to contact their local officials.


http://breaking.examiner.ie/2003/01/24/story85618.html

[TheLion]

Ohio: A good start!

State to take over county voter databases

By FRITZ WENZEL
BLADE POLITICAL WRITER


COLUMBUS - County elections officials in Ohio learned yesterday they will lose control over one of their most guarded possessions - their databases of registered voters - as Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell’s office implements new federal legislation to eliminate fraud from the state’s election system.

Top aides to Mr. Blackwell briefed the elections workers meeting here about provisions of the new national law that requires counties to turn over to state officials their county lists of registered voters.

The 88 county databases will be merged into one, and then cross-checked with the state’s database of licensed drivers and other state-owned computer lists to help identify fraudulent registrations, state elections Director Pat Wolfe said.

"We know that this is something that is very sensitive for you," Dana Walch, the director of election reform, told the county officials. "We understand you are very protective of your lists. But the way we have been doing it, with 88 separate county voter registration lists, is not going to work anymore."

The topic was a key part of the agenda of the Ohio Association of Elections Officials, conducting its winter meeting at the convention center here.

The state is expected to take control of the databases by the year’s end. It will be a public record, available for purchase by telemarketers and other firms, Mr. Walch said. County officials will still be able to edit the voter database, Mr. Walch added, but they will no longer be the lone masters of its content. The provision is part of a federal election reform bill signed into law by President Bush late last year.

The legislation’s intent is to prevent a replay of the 2000 presidential election debacle in Florida, and includes nearly $4 billion in federal funding to help counties pay for new voting machines.

"Here’s one drawback. We just purchased a brand new voter-registration computer system in August of 2001, and the staff is just now getting comfortable using it," said Joe Kidd, Lucas County board of elections director. "Now, it is going to be utterly useless to us. Now we are going to have to retrain everyone on a brand new system again."

Lucas County spent $229,000 for the computer system, and pays $30,000 a year for maintenance and training expenses.

Paula Hicks-Hudson, deputy director of the Lucas County elections board, said she was concerned the state might not be able to manage the database. She pointed to the state’s mismanagement of the child-support system between 1997 and 2000, which caused $38 million to be improperly withheld from needy Ohio families, as an example of what can go wrong with a program run out of Columbus.

Lucas County’s voter database came under fire last year, as thousands of fraudulent voter registrations were submitted to the elections board as part of a petition drive to qualify a constitutional amendment for the statewide ballot. Petition circulators, paid up to $2 for a signature they gathered, submitted the fraudulent registrations in an effort to boost their pay.


http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20030124&Category=NEWS24&ArtNo=101240095&Ref=AR

[TheLion]

Louisiana: They should work so hard to keep the long-time dead from voting!

Terminal votes should count

There is a venerable Louisiana tradition of voting the dead, those whose names adorned voting lists long after their demise, but who strangely managed to cast illegal ballots.
The law as it stands requires -- because of Louisiana's seamier electoral traditions -- that absentee votes cast by people who die before election day be disqualified.

However, there's a case for saying that the votes of the dead ought to be counted.

State Sen. Reggie Dupre, D-Montegut, wants to make a small change to allow the counting of ballots from people who cast absentee ballots in good faith and then die before Election Day, when the absentees are counted.

A constituent of Dupre's, a well-known man in the community, did that last fall. His vote was not counted.

The Terrebonne Parish clerk of court, Robert Boudreaux, and the registrar of voters, Linda Rodrigue, reported to Dupre that the late Teddy Duhe cast his ballot absentee, but died two days later. In accordance with state law, local elections officials canceled his vote.

The problem, Boudreaux and Rodrigue wrote to Dupre, is that the only reason elections officials knew Duhe had died was because he was well-known to them.

"Having over 1,000 voters for the absentee period, we feel that had this citizen been an unfamiliar name, we should not have immediately recognized that he had voted, and it is presumable that his vote would have counted," the officials said.

"The system does not identify that an absentee voter has passed away," they wrote. "We assume that, had he not been such an outstanding citizen in our community, his vote likely would have counted."

Dupre says the officials have a point. Today, the innocent dead probably do get their votes counted if local election officials don't know them personally.

Elsie Cangelosi, director of the National Voter Registration Act program for the state Elections Department, said the law is tough to enforce except in rural areas where most people are familiar with each other's names and activities.

Throwing out the votes of people who die between casting absentee ballots and election day is rare, and no one tracks how often it happens, she said.

As few and far between as these cases seem to be, why create any confusion at all by changing state law on such a picayune point?

"What if you have a terminal cancer patient who dies before the election? Why should not the last thing that person does, the last civic duty he does, count?" Dupre asks.

"If you're alive when you vote, your vote ought to count."

We can't help but think that, as rare as these cases are, the change in law will affect few people -- but those cases do seem injustices, however small. True, we doubt that the dead look down from heaven and rue that their last vote didn't count, but a modest change in election law is reasonable, particularly because local elections are sometimes decided by razor-thin margins. Changing the law would prevent cases in which officials would have to search the absentee ballots looking for dead people.

If lawmakers act on Dupre's suggestion, the bill ought to be very narrowly drawn to ensure that it does not interfere with laws needed to prevent widespread election fraud.


http://www.theadvocate.com/stories/012403/opi_edi1001.shtml

[TheLion]

Minnesota: A sure clue to fax vote fraud...the same phone number was used to send them! Dems will think of anything to come up with new ways to scam the system!



Posted on Sun, Jan. 12, 2003

MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE: Changes likely in absentee balloting
BY HANK SHAW
Pioneer Press

Lawmakers loath to repeat last fall's balloting brouhaha following the death of U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone are likely to change the way Minnesotans cast absentee ballots.

Sen. John Marty filed the first proposal last week, a sweeping series of changes that include a controversial provision to let certain voters cast a ballot through a fax machine.

Wellstone's death 11 days before the election invalidated tens of thousands of absentee votes cast for him. After former Vice President Walter Mondale replaced Wellstone on the ballot, many absentee voters struggled with local election officials to quickly obtain and return a new form.

Some voters postponed vacations to cast a ballot in person. Some drove hundreds of miles from college campuses or job sites. Others paid upwards of $30 for express mail services to ensure their vote would count.

Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer and the state Supreme Court cobbled together a set of fixes allowing voters to change their ballots. Marty's legislation would set many of those measures into law.

But the proposal — some of which Marty, a Roseville DFLer, has previously introduced but failed to pass — goes far beyond the Supreme Court ruling, and some parts may again face a bumpy road. Chief among them is the vote-by-fax provision.

Only Alaska allows voters to fax ballots if they are present in the state, although Missouri, Montana, Indiana and Hawaii let registered voters who are overseas vote by fax. Many other states allow fax voting for overseas employees of the federal government, such as soldiers, sailors and embassy personnel.

Republicans say fax voting leaves too much room for fraud.

"While I never suspect widespread voter fraud in Minnesota, it's not beyond reason to think that in close races there could be the temptation," said Tony Trimble, chief counsel to the state GOP.

A faxed ballot presents any number of problems: Its secrecy is compromised, and it could come through unreadable or, worse, slightly smeared. Local election officials would then decide whether to count the ballot. Marty's bill sets no rules for those election officials to follow.

Trimble also is disturbed by a provision removing the requirement for absentee voters to prove their residency, and one that lets a voter receive an absentee ballot every election without re-applying.

Marty said that provision is intended to help workers such as truck drivers and railroad employees, who are out of state much of the year.

"That's very nice of him to do," Trimble said, "But what about people who are deceased or who have moved?"

Trimble and Marty do agree on several changes to the law, however, and whether or not Marty's bill survives, some changes are likely.

They include:

• Allowing soldiers, sailors and other Minnesotans stationed overseas to vote by fax.

• Requiring local election officials to express mail absentee ballots to registered voters who request them. The voter pays for the service in advance, a prospect that leaves Kiffmeyer uneasy. She says well-to-do voters could afford such a service, but those with less money might not have the same opportunity to cast a ballot.

• Widening the eligibility for absentee balloting. Voters must now cite one of four broad reasons, which include "absence from precinct" on Election Day. It is unclear whether lawmakers will ultimately require voters to state a reason for voting absentee or not.

• Requiring election officials to supply a replacement absentee ballot to anyone who needs one if the ballot changes in any way, like what happened in the Wellstone case.

No hearing has been set for Marty's proposal.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/4927114.htm

[sweetliberty]

A democRAT is behind this action? I am shocked.