A new low even for the Democrats......

[keithr]

Disallowing 1400 absentee ballots, (mostly from service personnel posted overseas), is a new low for even the Democrats to sink to.

As everyone has probably heard, they even circulated a five page memo on how to accomplish it.

If I were a Gore supporter (God forbid!), I would be sickened and embarrassed by this latest display!

Yes, Al Gore wants "everyones vote to be counted" except when they might be for the opposition!


Keith


[Edited by keithr on 11-20-2000 at 04:02 AM]

[mairving]

They do get lower and lower. They are not held accountable for their actions by the American people. People will put up with anything that they do because they have helped them out.

Here is some more lowness, as reported in the Washington Times. <B>
" The White House has ordered the General Services Administration not to turn over keys of the presidential transition office to Texas Gov. George W. Bush, even if he is declared the winner in Florida". </B>
http://www.washtimes.com/national/default-20001120224212.htm

[clydefo]

keithr,<br>The absentee ballots were disqualified by elections officials because they did not comply with state law. This happened all over the state in both predominately Democratic and Republican counties. The ballots were never opened, so it is not known who cast them. Each campaign circulates memos about strategy and tactics, but it is all within the law. What’s the big deal with that?

[Jenni]

19,000 ballots were disqualified in PBcounty for being double punched. What's the big deal? Al Gore sure seems to think they are a big deal. Yet, they were legally and rightly disqualified by rules agreed upon way before this election.

[stylin19]

There may be a question about thowing them out because of postmarks.

The FSOS issued an opinion 11/14/00, that post-marks are not required. They just have to be in by midnight 11/17/00. This may be consistant with 42 USC 1973ff-3. SEC. 104.#5.
The question probably should be, is the FSOS opinion binding ? If so,the Fed law probably applies.

Let's not find out that anyone from the USS Cole had their ballot thrown out, cause then the ship will hit the sand, PR-wise anyway.


42 USC 1973ff-1.
SEC. 102. STATE RESPONSIBILITIES.
Each State shall —
(1) permit absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters to use absentee registration procedures and to vote by absentee ballot in general, special, primary, and runoff elections for Federal office;
(2) accept and process, with respect to any general, special, primary, or runoff elec-tion for Federal office, any otherwise valid voter registration application from an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter, if the application is received by
the appropriate State election official not less than 30 days before the election; and
(3) permit overseas voters to use Federal write-in absentee ballots (in accordance
with section 103) in general elections for Federal office.edit
quote:

42 USC 1973ff-3. SEC. 104.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE STATES TO MAXIMIZE ACCESS TO THE POLLS BY ABSENT UNIFORMED SERVICES VOTERS AND OVERSEAS VOTERS.
To afford maximum access to the polls by absent uniformed services voters and overseas
voters, it is recommended that the States —
(1) use the official post card form prescribed under section 101) for simultaneous voter registration application and absentee ballot application;
(2) adopt the suggested design for absentee ballot mailing envelopes prescribed
under section 101;
(3) waive registration requirement for absent uniformed services voters and overseas
voters who, by reason of service or residence, do not have an opportunity to register;
(4) if an application other than an official post card form (prescribed under section
101) is required for absentee registration, provide that registration forms be sent with
the absentee ballot and may be returned with it;
(5) expedite processing of balloting materials with respect to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters;
Armed Forces.
(6) permit any oath required for a document under this title to be administered by a commissioned officer of the Armed Forces or any official authorized to administer oaths under Federal law or the law of the State or other place where the oath is
administered;
Uniformed services.
(7) assure that absentee ballots are mailed to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters at the earliest opportunity;
(8) assist the Presidential designee in compiling statistical and other information
relating to this title; and
Armed Forces.
(9) provide late registration procedures for persons recently separated from the Armed Forces.

quote:

39 USC 3406. Ҥ 3406. Balloting materials under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
“(a) Balloting materials under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (individually or in bulk) —
“(1) shall be carried expeditiously and free of postage; and
39 USC 406.
“(2) may be mailed at a post office established outside the United States under sec-tion 406 of this title, unless such mailing is prohibited by treaty or other international agreement of the United States.
“(b) As used in this section, the term ‘balloting materials’ has the meaning given that term in section 107 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.”


Sec. 406. Postal services at Armed Forces installations
(a) The Postal Service may establish branch post offices at camps, posts, bases, or stations of the Armed Forces and at defense or other strategic installations.
(b) The Secretaries of Defense and Transportation shall make arrangements with the Postal Service to perform postal services through personnel designated by them at or through branch post offices stablished under subsection (a) of this section.

[clydefo]

From USAToday 11/20/00:

“To support their allegations of a Gore campaign to toss military ballots, Bush campaign workers faxed reporters a memo they said they obtained from Democratic count-watchers.
<b>But the memo does not specifically instruct Democratic observers to target military ballots. Rather, in three pages of boilerplate language that appears to have been lifted directly from instructions that elections officials provide to absentee voters</b>, it describes who qualifies as a legitimate overseas voter and what the voter s' ballots must include to comply with the law. (emphasis added)

…Though Republicans argued over the weekend for bending the postmark rules for military ballots, before the weekend's count they insisted that the postmark rules be strictly followed.”<p><a href=”http://www.usatoday.com/news/vote2000/pres75.htm"> http://www.usatoday.com/news/vote2000/pres75.htm</a>


[Edited by clydefo on 11-20-2000 at 02:18 PM]

[stylin19]

clydefo

your link returned "not found"

i have a copy of the 5 page memo titled:
"Subject: Overseas Absentee Ballot Review and Protest"

it's also posted here: http://www.drudgereport.com/absent.htm

I agree, that is doesn't explicitly say..."when in doubt, throw 'em out", but I infer from the memo subject, that that is exactly what the purpose of the memo is.
Every point made is a "how to" to protest. The wording of the body of the memo even suggests it's a "how to" to protest.

Others could read it as purely a memo citing the laws of Florida on requirements for valid absentee ballots.

The Florida Sec.of State issued her opinion re: postmarks not needed, on 11/14/00. It appears it was ignored.

It is in the Demos best interest to throw them ALL out, if they can. Then they only would have had to find a little more than 300 votes in the recount.

I don't beleive it's about anything else but winning..on both sides.

[Edited by stylin19 on 11-20-2000 at 02:07 PM]

[bob]

They have to toss the 1/2 that had LATE postmarks. Anyone disagree?

They had to toss the ones where the person was not even registered to vote. Anyone disagree?

The rest will be tracked down and verified with the same diligence as the dimples.

[stylin19]

bob

i agree about the unregistered, but the post-marks could be debatable.

[Edited by stylin19 on 11-20-2000 at 03:09 PM]

[bob]

If the postmark is 1 day late and they all came from just a few places and It can be shown that the mail was accidently postmarked the next day - then yes

[clydefo]

I don’t know what’s wrong the link posted earlier. USA Today has since replaced the earlier story with one about Fla AG Butterworth (Democrat) calling on election officials to count all non-postmarked military ballots that otherwise are ok.

[stylin19]

Fla. Attorney General just issued an opinion that the absentee ballots without post marks must be further reviewed