Posted on 3/18/2005, 6:00:22 PM by Jean S
At least 82 felons voted illegally in the presidential election Nov. 2 in Milwaukee, though the total is likely far higher, a new computer analysis by the Journal Sentinel has found.
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Indeed, there are more than 600 potential matches between felons on probation and parole and names and middle initials of people who voted in the city. But a full analysis could not be completed by the newspaper because of a 2003 state law that bars access to birth dates of voters.
The newspaper, though, was able to do a partial analysis by combining several computer databases to capture birth dates for about 39% of those who voted in the November election.
That showed at least 82 votes by felons, who are not allowed to vote until their probation or parole has been completed.
Illegal votes by felons are part of an investigation into possible voter fraud in the city.
U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic and Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann launched the investigation after the Journal Sentinel revealed major problems. Those included 1,200 votes from invalid addresses; 7,000 more ballots cast than people later recorded as voting by the city; and 1,300 same-day registration cards that could not be processed because of missing information.
The review of felons underscores how the lack of access to birth dates limits the public's ability to identify who has voted.
It also provides clear evidence of fraudulent voters in the November election, in which Democrat John Kerry topped President Bush by about 11,000 votes in Wisconsin.
"Anybody found to have voted illegally should be penalized," said Sharon Robinson, acting head of the city Election Commission, when told Thursday of the newspaper's findings.
She said the office's procedure is to delete names of felons from the registration rolls when made aware of convictions. It is unclear, though, how effective this has been or how many remain on the list.
In addition, same-day registration allows anyone to present ID and vote. That makes it difficult, if not impossible, for poll workers to identify felons who should not vote.
"Election signs and materials spell out the penalties," said Robinson, noting voters are expected to comply with laws.
Robinson was named to head a team of city managers helping run the office after the resignation of Lisa Artison on March 1.
Four years ago, the newspaper found that 361 felons voted illegally. Three were charged by McCann, but those charges were dropped when prosecutors couldn't establish that the felons knew they were ineligible to vote.
Felons who vote commit another felony, punishable by up to four years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Biskupic declined to comment Thursday on the newspaper's findings, speaking on behalf of the agencies involved, which include the FBI and Milwaukee Police Department. The investigation was launched Jan. 26.
Investigators have access to the full birth date information that is off-limits to reporters and the general public. They would be able to make the same comparison the newspaper did, matching the names of voters to felons who remain ineligible to vote.
Additional legwork would then be needed to establish legal cases against any felons. For instance, investigators may have to show the felon knew he or she was ineligible to vote and did so anyway.
Several felons listed as voting who were reached by the Journal Sentinel hung up when asked whether they voted.
"I'm not interested in this right now," said one, after denying he had voted in the election.
Ronald Gay, 42, who voted from an address in the 4300 block of N. 36th St., could not be reached, but a woman who identified herself as his wife said Gay had definitely voted.
"He voted the same night I did," said the woman, who would give her name only as "Mrs. Gay." Later she asked: "Will he get in trouble for that?"
The woman said she and Ronald Gay are separated and that Gay now lives out of state. He could not be reached for comment.
"I don't think he was aware" he shouldn't vote, the woman said. "If he was aware of it, I would have told him not to."
Although the newspaper has identified 82 felons who voted, it could not determine the actual number.
Because the 2003 change in state law restricted public access to birth date information, as well as driver's license and Social Security numbers, only election workers are allowed to see such information, as a guard against identity theft.
Arguing that the change went too far, state Rep. Mark Gundrum (R-New Berlin) said this week he would draft a bill to reinstate public access to birth dates, a critical means of identifying specific voters.
Gundrum called on investigators to take a hard line with any violation they find.
"It will immediately help clamp down on the abuse of the system," Gundrum said. "There has got to be some oversight on the system to make sure there is integrity to the system."
In Milwaukee, the situation has been compounded by the city's unwillingness to confirm any of the 600 potential matches the newspaper identified between felons and voters.
Officials have cited the ongoing investigation as a reason for withholding election material.
In an attempt to get around the roadblock, the newspaper combined information from several computer databases. This provided an accurate view of felons who voted but also a partial one - the newspaper could link birth dates with only about 39% of the 277,000 people who voted Nov. 2.
To complete its partial analysis, the newspaper began with the city's own computerized list of everyone recorded as having voted. It then used voter ID numbers - a six-digit code used by the city to track voters - to match the 2004 list against a separate computer database obtained in 2000.
That list included anyone registered in the city at the time and their birth dates. The match allowed the newspaper to capture birth date information for 107,616 of those who voted in November.
That list was then matched against a computer database from the state Department of Corrections that listed all felons on probation or parole at the time of the election, along with their birth dates.
There were 82 matches.
The actual number, though, is likely much higher.
First, the list could not be checked against 61% of those who voted. Second, the 7,000-vote gap - between votes cast and those recorded as voting - means thousands of voters are not even on the city's computer list.
In addition, the newspaper in earlier reviews found hundreds of cases in which voter names were incorrectly listed twice in the computer system.
That means the 7,000-vote gap may actually be larger.
Likewise, the 1,300 same-day registration cards the city could not process are not in the database. Many of those were missing names or addresses.
Indeed, flawed recordkeeping by the city may mean that some felons who voted are not in the computer records and the reverse - that some who didn't vote are listed as voting.
Annette Deans, who worked at the polls Nov. 2, said she is perplexed as to why her husband, Arthur Deans, 48, is listed as having voted.
"I know he can't vote," said Annette Deans. She added that her husband, convicted of a drug-related offense, did not vote, but that she did.
While the city's computerized list of voters show Arthur Deans as voting, they do not list Annette Deans as voting.
"There were a lot of flaws (at the polls) that day," said Annette Deans. "We didn't have any room to breathe."
The democrat party is the Antisocial Personality Disorder Party, pure and simple.
Was that 82 total or 82 at the same address?
Any word yet on how many dead people voted this time? That's another favorite trick.
Only 82? Probably more like 820 or 8200!
How many times?
Thanks for posting that, Jean. I was about to do the same.
"That means the 7,000-vote gap may actually be larger."
You can count on that!
"Annette Deans, who WORKED AT THE POLLS Nov. 2, said she is perplexed as to why her husband, Arthur Deans, 48, is listed as having voted.
'I know he can't vote,' said Annette Deans. She added that her husband, convicted of a drug-related offense, did not vote, but that she did."
Interesting that the poll workers are family members of felons.
Cripes. What a mess.
I'm so glad Hitlery is on top of this with her "Make Every Fraudulent Vote Count" bill that she just introduced. /sarcasm
"82 felons voted in Nov. 2 election"
So what? I want to know how many of them were ELECTED.
That 82, plus the probably couple of million more around the country is why F'ning got 58 million votes in the last elections. Felons and their family members vote democrat, for all those free hand outs.
Hillary's attempt to create election chaos (Count Every Vote Act of 2005)
If a felon has completed his / her sentence, it is not illegal for them to vote in WI, or over 30 other states.
Voting Rights Restoration Process
It's a states rights issue. Hillary has no business interjecting herself into it what so ever.
bump for later.
these scumbag LIBERALS know no bounds. rigging elections and ruling from the bench via activist scumbag liberal judges. they are TRULY the scum of the earth
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