Free Republic

Democrat Christine Gregoire will be sworn in as Washington's Governor today, possibly thanks to voters such as Mary Coffey, James Courneya and Rosalie Simpson. Why do we mention them in particular? Because, as the Seattle Post-Intelligencer recently reported, they're all dead... Revelations of the formerly living casting ballots in elections isn't new to American politics, although it's something most of us thought was a relic of the late Richard Daley's Chicago. But this isn't the only jaw-dropper to have come out of Washington's gubernatorial race, which Ms. Gregoire claims to have won -- on a third recount, by 129 votes...

Two people have filed challenges to the governor's election with the state Supreme Court, firing the first shots in the anticipated legal battle over the amazingly close contest. Both challenge the legitimacy of Gov.-elect Christine Gregoire, a Democrat who lost the first two counts but beat Republican Dino Rossi by 129 votes in a hand recount of 2.9 million ballots cast. Gregoire's inauguration is scheduled for Wednesday. The Associated Press obtained copies of the election challenges from the Supreme Court on Thursday. Both seem to be the work of private citizens and neither bear obvious fingerprints of the state Republican...

“I am heartened we have an opportunity to right a wrong,” said Dean Logan, director of Records, Elections and Licensing Services. “Clearly an administrative error was made in how these ballots were previously handled and presented to the canvassing board and we have the clear authority under state law to review these ballots.” In it’s ruling, the three-person County Canvassing Board instructed election staff to verify the signatures of 573 previously uncounted ballots. Once signatures have been verified, staff will remove the ballots from their security envelopes for the canvassing board to make a final decision on whether the ballots...