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]

Mississippi:

Another article on vote reform. Lets face it, the Democrats will do absolutely nothing to reform the voting system. They need it as loose as possible to commit fraud. Everything else is a smokescreen!

Sunday, February 9, 2003

State needs to add ID provision

Mississippi's effort to reform its elections system - and obtain $34 million in federal aid to fund the process - is being frustrated by an outdated (and we believe, unfounded) objection.
House Bill 1146 is designed to enable Mississippi's elections system to conform to the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

But there's a catch: Some House members object to a proposed amendment in the bill that would require voters to show an ID at the polls.

"In my opinion, to ask somebody for ID in the state of Mississippi at the polling place is a form of harassment and is unnecessary," said Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg.

We beg to differ.

In a democracy, the voting booth is a sacrosanct place. To ensure the integrity of the process, it's important to know - with some degree of certainty - that the people who cast ballots are who they say they are.

An ID provision affords this important - and much-needed - protection.

Mississippians are routinely asked to present IDs to complete any number of business transactions: To write or cash a check, to purchase tobacco or alcohol, etc.

People may complain (mostly about the inconvenience) of having to show an ID to write checks or purchase tobacco.

However, no one claims this practice is discriminatory.

It is simply the time-honored method of providing the bank or business with the assurance that you are who you say you are.

Why should we have a different - read "lower" - standard for something as important as voting in elections?

Under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, first-time voters who register by mail are required to provide identification when they cast ballots.

There is no corresponding statute in Mississippi law - hence the need for state officials to approve the ID provision.

Granted, the ID requirement would constitute "harassment" if it were used selectively. (For example, if black Mississippians were asked to show ID while white Mississippians were not.)

However, the Mississippi of today is a far cry from the Mississippi of yesteryear - e.g. when blacks were discriminated against at the voting booth through the heinous practice of "poll taxes."

There are laws in place to prosecute elections officials who might choose to use the ID provision as a form of discrimination.

Besides, as Rep. Bill Denny, R-Jackson, says of HB 1146, "You're not withheld from voting if you don't have identification. You just have to say, 'I swear I am who I am,' and that's under penalty of a $5,000 fine, one year in prison, not to exceed five years."

Flaggs' objection to the amendment could kill the bill.

That outcome would deal a serious blow to Mississippi's efforts to reform its elections system.

Not only does the state need the federal money to upgrade the system, Mississippi voters need greater assurance that all votes cast in local and state elections are genuine and accurately represent the names of those who've registered to vote in their respective precincts.

This is not a black and white issue, as some would have us believe.

It is a "voter integrity" issue.

And until Mississippi raises the standard at the ballot box by requiring all voters to show ID, our efforts to curb voter fraud will continue to be frustrated

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/news/stories/20030209/opinion/948095.html

[TheLion]

If I was a little closer...it would be a done deal!

BTW, the article I just posted mentions the Help America Vote Act...did you archive it? I couldn't find it. If not, let me know and I will find and post it. We need to know this law. The Rats will try everything, not to comply.

[TheLion]

Found a good link. This the whole law:

http://www.fec.gov/hava/hava.htm

HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT

[TheLion]

It will take a week to read the text of the ACT!

[sweetliberty]

"It will take a week to read the text of the ACT!"

I expect that is part of the reason that these things have such a hard time getting off the ground...they are just way too complicated. It really isn't that difficult a concept to grasp that you should be able to prove, and should reasonably be expected to do so that you are, in fact, legally eligible and qualified to vote. What is so all-fired difficult to understand about that?

[TheLion]

It looks like nobody really has to comply until 2006 or 2007. The Rats will find every loophole they can.

[TheLion]

"you are, in fact, legally eligible and qualified to vote. What is so all-fired difficult to understand about that?"

This is the problem in a nutshell. We know it, the Rats know it and they will do everything possible to prevent it.

[nicmarlo]

Democrats will do absolutely nothing to reform the voting system. They need it as loose as possible to commit fraud. Everything else is a smokescreen!

very true.

[TheLion]

California:


Resolution On Electronic Voting - St Clara County
Tuesday, 11 February 2003, 10:55 am
Press Release: Santa Clara County Scientists

(NOTE: Santa Clara County is in the heart of Silicon Valley and is the home of Stanford University. Recently 100+ scientists endorsed the following resolution and postponed the purchase of electronic voting machines for the county. See... Security of e-vote machines targeted for a report on the decision of the County supervisors. The resolution below comes from: http://verify.stanford.edu/evote.html

Resolution On Electronic Voting
FOR THE LIST OF ENDORSEES OF THIS STATEMENT SEE…
http://verify.stanford.edu/dill/EVOTE/endorsements.html

Introduction

As a result of problems with elections in recent years, funding is being made available at all levels of government to upgrade election equipment. Unfortunately, some of the equipment being purchased, while superficially attractive to both voters and election officials, poses unacceptable risks to election integrity - risks of which election officials and the general public are largely unaware.

We are in favor of the use of technology to solve difficult problems, but we know that technology must be used appropriately, with due attention to associated risks. For those who need to upgrade, there are safe, cost-effective alternatives available right now, and the potential for vastly better ones in the future. For these reasons, we endorse the following resolution:

"Computerized voting equipment is inherently subject to programming error, equipment malfunction, and malicious tampering. It is therefore crucial that voting equipment provide a voter-verifiable audit trail, by which we mean a permanent record of each vote that can be checked for accuracy by the voter before the vote is submitted, and is difficult or impossible to alter after it has been checked. Many of the electronic voting machines being purchased do not satisfy this requirement. Voting machines should not be purchased or used unless they provide a voter-verifiable audit trail; when such machines are already in use, they should be replaced or modified to provide a voter-verifiable audit trail. Providing a voter-verifiable audit trail should be one of the essential requirements for certification of new voting systems."

We elaborate below.

The Problem

In response to the need to upgrade outdated election systems, many states and communities are considering acquiring "Direct Recording Electronic" (DRE) voting machines (such as "touch-screen voting machines" mentioned frequently in the press). Some have already acquired them. Unfortunately, there is insufficient awareness that these machines pose an unacceptable risk that errors or deliberate election-rigging will go undetected, since they do not provide a way for the voters to verify independently that the machine correctly records and counts the votes they have cast. Moreover, if problems are detected after an election, there is no way to determine the correct outcome of the election short of a revote. Deployment of new voting machines that do not provide a voter-verifiable audit trail should be halted, and existing machines should be replaced or modified to produce ballots that can be checked independently by the voter before being submitted, and cannot be altered after submission. These ballots would count as the actual votes, taking precedence over any electronic counts.


Election integrity cannot be assured without openness and transparency. But an election without voter-verifiable ballots cannot be open and transparent: The voter cannot know that the vote eventually reported is the same as the vote cast, nor can candidates or others gain confidence in the accuracy of the election by observing the voting and vote counting processes.

All computer systems are subject to subtle errors. Moreover, computer systems can be deliberately corrupted at any stage of their design, manufacture, and use. The methods used to do this can be extremely difficult to foresee and detect. Current standards and procedures for certifying electronic election equipment do not require unambiguously that equipment provide a voter-verifiable audit trail. Without a voter-verifiable audit trail, it is not practical to provide reasonable assurance of the integrity of these voting systems by any combination of design review, inspection, testing, logical analysis, or control of the system development process. For example, a programmer working for the machine vendor could modify the machine software to mis-record a few votes for party A as votes for party B, and this change could be triggered only during the actual election, not during testing. Many computer scientists could list dozens of other plausible ways to compromise computerized voting machines.

Most importantly, there is no reliable way to detect errors in recording votes or deliberate election rigging with these machines. Hence, the results of any election conducted using these machines are open to question.

Available alternatives to DRE machines

When a reasonably reliable, accurate, and secure voting technology is already in use, such as optical scan ballots, acquisition of DRE machines would be a major step backwards. However, many areas urgently need to upgrade their equipment before the 2004 elections. In these cases there are several acceptable options available now.

At this time, the only tried-and-true technology for providing a voter-verified audit trail is a paper ballot, where the votes recorded can be easily read and checked by the voter. With appropriate election administration policies (for example, ensuring the physical security of ballots), voters can be reasonably confident of the integrity of election results. Two specific alternatives that are available now are:

- Precinct-based optical scan ballots. The CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project found them to be the most accurate at recording the voter's intent and not significantly more expensive per vote than touch-screen machines.

- Touch screen machines that print paper ballots. Such systems would have many of the advantages of DRE machines, including potentially improved accessibility for voters with disabilities. There is at least one such machine that is certified in several states, and we hope that all vendors of existing DRE machines could provide an option to add ballot printers (DRE voting machines in Brazil have been retrofitted with ballot printers, for example). The paper ballots must be submitted by the voters, to be available for counting or recounting and to avoid vote-selling. The votes on the paper ballots must be regarded as the definitive legal votes, taking precedence over electronic records or counts.

Of course, use of appropriate equipment is not sufficient to guarantee election integrity. Elections must be administered to minimize the possibility of error and fraud, and maximize the likelihood of detecting them if they occur. In particular, even with an audit trail, audits must actually be conducted. If electronic counts are used from machines that also print ballots, or if paper ballots are counted electronically, manual recounts must be conducted with enough frequency to make the detection of error or fraud likely.

Future Alternatives

There is certainly room for improvement in voting technology. Elections pose several unique technological challenges, especially simultaneously achieving auditability while preserving ballot secrecy. Voting technology is an active research area that has already produced several proposals that promise to be much better than any system currently in use. For example, there are proposals that may be able to eliminate the possibility of "ballot box stuffing." Unfortunately, if available funds are spent on fatally-flawed "high-tech" voting equipment, it will be a long time before there is more funding to adopt truly superior voting technology.

Conclusion

The conduct of elections has been taken for granted for too long. Election reform is now receiving much-needed attention, but we must guard against changes that inadvertently create even worse problems. Unauditable voting equipment will erode confidence in our elections, causing further disillusionment of the voting public.


http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0302/S00108.htm

[TheLion]

California:

All-mail balloting possible
Voters may eliminate polling places

By Susan Abram
Staff Writer

BURBANK -- As a polling booth inspector in Burbank for more than 20 years, Libby Nardo has seen the democratic process in action in big and small ways: from mayors stopping in to vote for themselves and pose for a few snapshots, to teens walking into a polling place for the very first time.

So the notion of eliminating the whole polling booth concept in favor of an all-mail-in ballot election doesn't sit too well with 78-year-old Nardo and some other Burbank residents.

"Some residents really enjoy coming to the polls," Nardo said recently. "I think they will miss it. They'll miss coming just to talk. It's not all about the voting, but about families coming together. Some of them are widows that live alone; some are widowers. They enjoy talking to us. It's a good pastime for some people."

Come Feb. 25, residents of Burbank will be going to the polls, maybe for the last time if they pass Measure M, which would eliminate polling places altogether for an all-mail-in ballot election.

The voting-on-the-go issue was raised by city officials last October, who placed the measure on the ballot as an advisory vote. If residents pass it, the council will consider the results and then decide whether to make it an ordinance.

"We could be a trend-setter here," said City Clerk Margarita Campos. "Burbank is an ideal city for an all-mail ballot. It's small; it's bipartisan. An all-mail election creates more work for our staff, because our staff has to check each one, but the high voter turnout is worth it."

Based on evidence from a special election on Measure A two years ago, in which 30 percent of the 55,000 registered voters balloted during the mail-in drive, Burbank officials believe the city is ready to make the switch to the new system, even if, at first, it comes at a higher price. That special election cost $122,386 compared with $94,144 during the 2001 general election in which 11,165 residents -- or about 20 percent of registered voters -- voted. The per-vote cost was $628 for the mail-in ballot and $8.43 for traditional voting.

Campos said that while it's difficult to tell what drove the voters during the special election -- passion for Measure A, which placed a cap and curfew on flights at Burbank Airport, or the convenience of mail -- the ultimate goal is to attract voters.

The process for an all-mail ballot would be the same as the one now used for permanent absentee voters. The voter receives a sample ballot, an informational pamphlet and a ballot with a return envelope.

In 1998, Oregon voters passed an initiative for an all-mail ballot election. They used all-mail ballots for the first time in the 2000 presidential elections. In some Oregon counties, voting by mail has been done for almost 20 years, said John Lindback, director of the Elections Division for Oregon's Secretary of the State's Office.

In the 2000 general election, 80 percent of the 1.9 million registered voters mailed in a ballot, the highest turnout for any state, Lindback said.

"It's a much easier election to conduct," Lindback said. "We don't have the low voter turnout that others are experiencing."

That state also has had a lot of time to train personnel on how to detect fraud, Lindback said, and ballot drop-offs give voters more confidence if they are insecure about sending their signed documents through the mail.

While the notion of mail voting seems promising, it won't be happening too soon statewide in California, said Conny McCormack, Los Angeles County's registrar-recorder and clerk.

The county already is experimenting with touch-screen voting.

"I don't see an all-mail ballot happening statewide," McCormack said. "But certainly for cities as small as Burbank, it's a viable solution."

McCormack said there are many safeguards in place to avoid voter fraud. City clerks compare signatures on the ballots to those from registration cards.

But some Burbank residents still are skeptical.

Tom Kaptain, who authored the opposing view on the ballot, said he's heard that other counties have encountered fraud.

"People turn around and mail them right back in the first week without listening to the candidates and without listening to the issues," he said. "And people do things like pay people for ballots. There are a lot fewer safeguards for fraud. There are those who are deceased who still receive ballots in their name and people still vote or them."

Kaptain also said that family members could be coerced into voting for someone they don't like.

"One of the things you lose with an all-mail ballot is the sanctity of the secret ballot," Kaptain said.

Florence Nos, an elections inspector in Burbank, said if people want to become part of the democratic process, they should try to make the extra effort to visit a polling place.

"If you are really interested in who is running, you will make that effort," Nos said. "It's like if your child is in a play; you get out of work to go see them."

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20946~1169407,00.html

[TheLion]

Good Article by Michelle Malkin: 2/10/2003

"If we're not concerned about voting fraud by illegal aliens, that tends to just underscore this devaluing of citizenship. Isn't voting supposed to be one of the most precious privileges for American citizens?"

"And, you know, the Democrat Party has been quite the innovator when it comes to turning illegal aliens into instant Democrats".....excerpts

http://www.arizonarepublic.com/opinions/articles/0210debate10.html

[nicmarlo]

I know I've been anemic on this thread, lol, but I found this......and thought perhaps it may be helpful, research-wise:

THIS SITE IS A RESOURCE SITE FOR FIGHTING VOTER FRAUD"

[TheLion]

The site is worth some time. Much of it is centered in Texas but there are other parts that reach out to other areas. Good find!

[TheLion]

Mississippi: Follow-up story


State Capitol 02/11/03
Republican Women Lobby For Voter ID Bill Legislation

By Davis Brister
davis@wlbt.net

Dozens of Mississippi's female Republicans have stepped up their efforts to get a controversial bill passed through the legislature.

They rallied at the Capitol Tuesday in favor of a voter identification bill. It would require first time voters who register through the mail to show IDs at local precincts. The bill would draw more than 30 million federal dollars. Some state lawmakers say Mississippians should have to show an ID each time they vote.

Members of the legislative black caucus say that part of the bill might discriminate against African-Americans, who fought years ago to eliminate poll taxes and other obstacles to keep them from voting.

Rep. George Flaggs of Vicksburg said,"It has the potential to harass minority voters when they go to the polls based on the history of this state."

Paula Hairston with the Federation of Republican Women said, "In instances, there's been unfairness in people voting more than once and people who are dead voting."

The Secretary of State's office says virtually every fraud case in Mississippi involves write-in ballots, as opposed to fraud at the precincts. Secretary Eric Clark has not said whether he supports or opposes the amendent.

http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=1125470&nav=2CSfDvPj

[TheLion]

Wisconsin: A liberal Whine!

Voter Registration List To Cost Millions

Despite Defecit, Legislature Forced To Comply With Feds

POSTED: 4:12 p.m. CST February 10, 2003

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin lawmakers may have to spend millions of dollars to create the state's first master list of registered voters despite the state's $3.2 billion deficit for the next two-year budget beginning in June.

It's all because of a new federal law that's trying to prevent election fraud nationwide......excerpt

http://www.channel3000.com/news/1968528/detail.html

[TheLion]

Wisconsin:

Posted Feb. 10, 2003

Law requires statewide voter lists


The Associated Press

MADISON — A new federal law could force Wisconsin lawmakers to spend millions of dollars to create the state’s first master list of registered voters in an effort to prevent election fraud nationwide.

The Help America Vote Act requires states to compile lists of registered voters by 2004, improve ballot machines and stiffen voting identification requirements.

“There is not a foolproof system in place in Wisconsin,” said state Rep. Stephen Freese, R-Dodgeville, chairman of the Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committee.

HAVA requires states to build computerized state-wide databases of registered voters accessible to other state agencies.

Ten states already have lists that comply with the act, according to the Election Reform Information Project, a nonpartisan election information clearinghouse.

Twenty-eight other states keep lists, but they’ll have to upgrade their technology. Twelve states, including Wisconsin, don’t keep lists at all, according to the clearinghouse.

But finding the money to implement the law could be tough as states, including Wisconsin, grapple with mounting budget deficits.

The act provides $3.9 billion in federal money for states to create and upgrade their lists, improve election equipment and make polls more handicapped-accessible. But states must match some of that money to get the federal funds.

Wisconsin would have to put up about $2.75 million to get about $60 million in federal money.

The state Elections Board plans a $200,000 study to pinpoint the cost of complying with the act.

Wisconsin may not need $60 million to comply with the law and could request less, in turn reducing its match requirement, said Elections Board Executive Director Kevin Kennedy.

Gov. Jim Doyle said he wants to see the Elections Board study before he commits any money. But he’s not happy with the federal law.

Most of the federal money will go to states with well-publicized voting problems, Doyle said. Wisconsin’s elections historically have been clean, which could mean less money for the state, he said.

http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/news/archive/local_8599513.shtml

[timestax]

bump

[TheLion]

Minnesota: Follow-up story.


Defendants in strip club voter fraud case say they were duped

Associated Press

Published Feb. 13, 2003

HASTINGS, Minn. - Defendants in a voter registration fraud case linked to a former strip club are telling stories of being duped or pressured into taking part in the alleged scheme to save the club.

Several of 94 people charged with forgery testified in Dakota County District Court this week that a person from Jake's Gentlemen's Club in Coates had approached them at bars in Red Wing and in Wisconsin, asking them to sign voter cards to keep Jake's open. Some said they had been drinking and saw others sign, so they did, too.

Former dancer Carol Finlay said during her hearing that she initially declined to sign the false registration card. But later, at a meeting with about five other dancers, a bar manager told them to sign or lose their jobs, said Andrea Ryan Anderson, an attorney for Finlay and another dancer.

``They questioned if they could register with the bar address,'' Anderson said. ``They were promised they would not get in trouble.''

Finlay ``feels she was coerced into this and duped,'' Anderson said. She said Finlay plans to sue club owner Richard J. Jacobson to recover her $240 fine and fees, and other legal costs.

The 94 were charged with felonies in October. County election workers raised questions when 89 registration cards postmarked Oct. 5 listed the bar as the voters' residences.

Jacobson had hoped the new voters would elect three sympathetic candidates to Coates' five-person City Council, according to authorities who said Jacobson hoped the new council would rescind an ordinance outlawing Jake's. A federal appeals court has upheld the ordinance after a 10-year court battle. Jake's has been closed since Oct. 8.

Jacobson is charged with conspiracy to commit forgery and to procure unlawful votes. He has since opened a strip club in the Mille Lacs County town of Bock, and has hired some employees from Jake's, said one of his attorneys, Randall Tigue.

Because most of the 94 defendants had only minor involvement in the alleged conspiracy, the Dakota County attorney's office is offering them deals under which they would pay $240 in fines and fees and have no felony record, said Phillip Prokopowicz, the chief deputy county attorney.

At least 30 defendants have accepted the plea deal. Prokopowicz said Jacobson and about eight others, including his mother, Marlys J. Jacobson, are challenging the allegations.

Several defendants said during hearings at the Hastings courthouse this week that they didn't know signing the voter cards was illegal.

``If I would have known that's what it was, I wouldn't have done it,'' said Rachel Auge, who said she was approached in a Wisconsin bar. ``I am going to fight it and hopefully the court will see it in my favor.''

Another defendant, Kari Miller, told Judge Rex Stacey she and her boyfriend had signed voter cards at a bar in Red Wing.

``I apologize,'' she said after entering her guilty plea.

``You don't have to apologize to me,'' Stacey replied. ``You shouldn't have been asked to sign that card.''

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3652269.html

[TheLion]

North Carolina:

NCCU students charged with voter fraud


From staff reports : The Herald-Sun
news@heraldsun.com
Feb 13, 2003 : 10:57 am ET

DURHAM -- Three N.C. Central University students have been charged with voter fraud, a felony, according to officials at the Durham County Board of Elections.

Marquita Wood, LaShaunda Bunn and Genise Peet first voted at "one stop, no excuse" absentee voting at NCCU, then voted again on Nov. 5 at precinct 49, the school’s main library, officials said. The three may have been enticed by an offer of free homecoming tickets in exchange for voting, elections officials said.

The three listed NCCU dorms as their addresses.

http://www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-320392.html

[TheLion]

South Dakota: Follow-up


Red Earth - Charges Dropped
Charges Dropped

The woman at the center of the voter fraud investigation has had all charges against her dropped - at least temporarily. Rebecca Red Earth-Villeda was charged with 19-counts of forging absentee ballot applications for the state Democratic Party.

Attorney General Larry Long says his office was not allowed to be on federal land by a tribal council and a tribal judge. That prohibited him from serving grand jury subpoenas because the charges all involve people that live on the Crow Creek Reservation. So, Long explains, they asked a federal court to intervene. "We couldn't get it resolved in time for our preliminary hearing so we had to dismiss the criminal case and hopefully if we are successful, we'll get to re-file."

The Attorney General's office has now filed a complaint, and a federal judge will take up that request in Pierre next Tuesday.


http://www.ksfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=1124615&nav=0w0jDun1