Workers accused of fudging '04 recount

[Algorem]

Prosecutor says Cuyahoga skirted rules

http://www.cleveland.com/election/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1144312870224340.xml&coll=2

Thursday, April 06, 2006
Joan Mazzolini
Plain Dealer Reporter

After the 2004 presidential election, Cuyahoga County election workers secretly skirted rules designed to make sure all votes were counted correctly, a special prosecutor charges.

While there is no evidence of vote fraud, the prosecutor said their efforts were aimed at avoiding an expensive - and very public - hand recount of all votes cast. Three top county elections officials have been indicted, and Erie County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter says more indictments are possible.

Michael Vu, executive director of the Cuyahoga County elections board, said workers followed procedures that had been in place for 23 years. He said board employees had no objection to doing an exhaustive hand count if needed, meaning they had no motive to break the law.

Internet bloggers have cried foul since 2004 about election results in Ohio, one of the key states in deciding the election. They have been tracking Baxter's investigation with online posts about the indictments...

Chronology of a recount

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1144313142224340.xml&coll=2

Nov. 2, 2004. Election Day:

Nationally, George W. Bush beats John Kerry, 60,693,281 to 57,355,978.

In Ohio, Bush beats Kerry 2,858,687 to 2,740,244.

In Cuyahoga County, Kerry beats Bush 448,503 to 221,600.

After the votes are counted, Cuyahoga County election workers secure the ballots and seal them...

[bullimiami]

1. 'while there is no evidence of vote fraud'. there is evidence but

people just keep pretending its not there. even now.

[Omaha Steve]

2. The machine stays greased

Hope that Blackwell is defeated this fall.

[0rganism]

19. We'll never really know if he was defeated

I'd bet you money he will win the official vote (with serious irregularities) and all subsequent (irregular) recounts, though.

[EFerrari]

3. Internet bloggers didn't riot at the Ohio state house. Ohioans did. n/t

[Pale Blue Dot]

4. I'm reading "Fooled Again" right now.

And the coverage of this story is exactly the same as it has been since just after the election: First, they report the wrongdoing without going into much detail about what went wrong; second, they hastily claim that there is "no evidence of vote fraud"; and third, the article implicitly claims that the only people who care about this are "internet bloggers", which is code for "the lunatic fringe".

If you haven't read Mark Crispin Miller's book, I highly recommend it.

[laundry_queen]

10. I second that recommendation.

Very comprehensive reading. Answered a lot of my questions.

[chill_wind]

13. Ohio and National Media Coverage

I missed this thread earlier, but had the same reaction in a dupe thread posted on this same headline. (see below)

It enrages me to remember the awol Ohio and national media all over again.

A Nexis database search of coverage over 60 days-- about 10 of any serious substance.

PLENTY of sneeringly derisive and dismissive articles by the Plain Dealer and other leading Ohio papers, though...clips here. Grr-rrrrrrh!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=858767&mesg_id=859828

[EFerrari]

20. Tonight, I'm taking "Fooled Again" t o a city supe who agreed with me

in December 2004 that the election was probably stolen. And, he wasn't comfortable talking about it!

Maybe this will raise his "comfort level". :toast:

[Demit]

5. A small point, but the national numbers quoted here are not right

I was following the count as it was updated, and

on 1/22/05 it stood at
Bush 62,041,268 (50.73%)
Kerry 59,028,548 (48.27%)

on Tues 11/23:
Bush 61,121,520 (50.9%)
Kerry 57,781,877 (48.1%)

on Fri 11/5:
Bush 59,459,765 (51%)
Kerry 55,949,407 (48%)

http://uselectionatlas.org/USPRESIDENT/national.php?f=0


The reporting is either lazy, or sloppy, but it's wrong on that point.

[gratuitous]

6. "Fudging counts" and "skirting rules"

Boy, it's a good thing there are so many euphemisms for "cheating." Folks might get upset if a spade was called, you know, a spade.

[rodeodance]

7. but no crime.

[Judi Lynn]

8. There may be an interesting outcome to this, yet, according to the

last part of the article:

Kathleen Dreamer was manager of the board's ballot department. Rosie Grier was assistant manager. Jacqueline Maiden was Elections Division director and its third-highest-ranking employee. All have been charged with misdemeanor and felony counts of failing to follow the state elections law.

A May 8 trial date is set for Dreamer and Grier, but Baxter wants to combine all three cases, including Maiden's, who was indicted later.

Kerger said he was surprised by the charges.

"We wrote, not to have any criminal charges, but just to find out what happened," he said. "The special prosecutor has the ability to conduct an investigation and not file any charges."

Kerger said he believes there are two reasons, generally, why an elections board would precount before a recount. The first is to change the results of the vote, which he does not believe happened.

The second, he speculated, was that "the workers were so tired and didn't want to hassle with doing a hand recount."
(snip/)

Thanks for posting this info.

[Lance_Boyle]

9. Rosie Grier, oh my! Thankfully not Rosey Grier...

"Free to be you and me" - not free to "fudge" the recount. Rosey is still da man!

[WhiteTara]

11. too exhausting to be democratic

wow. What an excuse. I hope any jurors are outraged by that argument. I sure would like to see bank account records. Damn them all.

[progressivebydesign]

12. I thought the real story was how the votes in Cuyahoga don't mesh.

I recall the discussion that the more than 50% of the votes to Bush was an anomoly because if you look at other races in the County, many many voters would have voted for almost all Democrats, but then vote for Bush instead of Kerry. I trust nothing out of Ohio in that election. Why the hell do you think Blackwell is being rewarded with a Gov. campaign???

[killbotfactory]

14. We have the best democracy money can buy!

Hooray!

[TexasLawyer]

15. I'm really missing TruthIsAll

right about now. Any word on how he's doing?

[bj2110]

16. k&r

[warrens]

17. Recount now

And make those CRIMINALS pay for it.

[Judi Lynn]

18. Kicking!

http://www.pittstoplindyhop.com.nyud.net:8090/images/geneKelly.jpg