Johnson Now Leads Thune

[FlyingFish]

With 1 precinct remaining Johnson now has a 500+ vote advantageover Thune.

[tomahawk]

There is no "1". That "1" votes Democrat for organizing purposes. It is in the "D" column.

[Credo]

I got that. Jeffords is no more "independent" than his comrade from Vermont Sanders. For Organizational purposes in the 108th Congress the Senate now stands 51 R 49 D (Jeffords counts as Dem) not needing the Veep to break the deadlock. This assumes Thune does not prevail in challeges and Landrieu gets the dead out to vote New Orleans.

[alancarp]

More about Shannon County from web sources:

Minn. Public Radio: "In 1990, South Dakota's Shannon County made news when it was the poorest county in the nation. That ranking put the Pine Ridge Reservation in the federal government's Empowerment Zone. That gave the county millions in federal dollars for economic development. Even President Bill Clinton visited the reservation, putting it in the national spotlight.

"Shannon County showed some income growth in the last ten years. But it still ranks as the nation's second poorest county. "

Wounded Knee Battlefield is there - part of the Pine Ridge Reservation.

This is a great line from http://www.usdemocracy.org/Shannon%20County%205-22-02.pdf: "On Election Day, November 5, 2002, all Shannon County students in grades K-12 will be able to vote in their Kids Voting booths... on the same candidates and issues as the adults. [in their schools]."

Population: 12,783
Persons under 18 years old: 45.3%
American Indian/Native: 94.2%
6.0 persons per square mile

[tomahawk]

If the GOP can't stop and fight the vote fraud, it will become a minority party. These DemonCrap antics are ILLEGAL, criminal activities, and they must be stopped or we will live in a one-party state.

[alisasny]

Just heard to believe he won Shannon county with 92 percent of the vote. Reeks big time. Usually when its a landslide like this there is no other candidate or its a 3rd party.

[Credo]

I agree but I just don't see the Bush White House duking it out for Thune. I hope I'm wrong.

The only race that was fought in 2000 was FL. That was probably because Gore initiated all the legal action. They could've fought NM, IA and WI and the MO Senate Race.

[alisasny]

Shannon county has 6990 registered voters. Of those 3120 actually voted yesterday and 92 percent voted Johnson. It was the lowest turnout in the state at 44.6 with statewide turnout being 71.5.

Strange.

[tamikamaria]

I just called her back. She said she is mad, but she doesn't want to get involved. She said all the poll workers knew what was happening but they have no proof. In the case of the people saying they were bribed, it's her word against theirs, and they were drunk. It would probably be like Eunice Stone in Georgia, "Hey, we were just joking around!" By the way the correct quote was "How much cheese do we get for voting right?"

The majority of the poll workers in this precinct are also white Republicans. It would be the word of a couple of white people against some poor, disenfranchised Indian voters. I grew up on a Reservation, and I know where these poll workers are coming for. They have to live there, they don't want to cause a ruckus over something they have no concrete proof on.

She also said she would be worried about causing an uproar in the rest of the elections. We won a close House race and swept virtually all the other races. She said she trusts Thune will do what he has to do, and do the right thing. He can't have a recount and a lawsuit at the same time.

Folks, this was a small precinct on the Rez with a mostly Republican, white group of poll workers. They knew what was going on and they fought it as best they could. What do you think happened in larger precincts that had willing participants with this fraud?

[malakhi]

What will be added is the number - 50-49-1 means Republicans control every Committee ... if Jeffords officially becomes D and makes it 50-50 we have "SHARING" again.

Wrong. If the vote comes to 50-50, Cheney breaks the tie.

[trebb]

It's been hinted that 2 or 3 districts (Dems of course) stayed open an hour overtime (obviously to garner the needed votes to pull ahead) and that the Republicans may try to contest. Let's hope that

1. They do

2. It turns it around

[alancarp]

Shannon County vote turnout in 2000: 38.35% (state avg. 68.38%);

1998 33.29% (state 58.81%).

1996 43.7% (state 70.4%).

Yesterday: a little better proportionally (I think it was 44% vs. 71% -- can't find those numbers again right now; this would be highest rate yet by a little).

[FlyingFish]

It would be interesting to see how many of these were absentee ballots; Do you know if SD is paper or electronic ballots?

[txrangerette]

Thanks for buttressing the point I
made about Jeffords. As you say, for
organizational purposes he counts as
a Dem NOW. There is no "I", really.

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

How can Shannon County have 6990 REGISTERED VOTERS, if from the other post, it has 12,793 residents, and 45.3% are under 18. Simple math would indicate that 54.7% would be of voting age, which translates to 6,998 people. That would mean all but eight people are registered to vote. Are you kidding me? Where does that ever happen?

[AppyPappy]

Not if McCain and Chaffee bolt.

[alisasny]

http://www.state.sd.us/sos/2002/02genreg.htm

Here is the link to the 2002 general election voter registration.

Says 6990 registered, 505 GOP, 5556 DEM, than other

[alancarp]

How can Shannon County have 6990 REGISTERED VOTERS, if from the other post, it has 12,793 residents, and 45.3% are under 18. Simple math would indicate that 54.7% would be of voting age, which translates to 6,998 people. That would mean all but eight people are registered to vote. Are you kidding me? Where does that ever happen?

I just thought that was worth repeating.... my data is from the census bureau: 2001 Population estimate: 12,783. Regsitered to vote? Yeah: 6,990. Population under 18 in 2000: 45.3%.

As they say: DO THE MATH. Hello, uh, FBI?

[Oberon]

Meantime, thanks Libertarians! Thanks one hell of a lot!

It's a different party; expect them to vote differently. You're not angry at the Dems for not voting Republican, are you? It's to be expected. Particularly when people vote their conscience.

[txrangerette]

Maybe they were "urged' to register?
Now, define "urged". There's your
answer. My point, it's a possibility.

[alisasny]

link to under 18 population of 45.3:

http://www.mc-mncppc.org/research/data_library/population/po21a.shtm