Trial Begins For BOE Workers Accused Of Rigging Recount (OH)

[OhioChick]

POSTED: 12:23 pm EST January 18, 2007
UPDATED: 12:28 pm EST January 18, 2007

CLEVELAND -- Three elections workers in the state's most populous county conspired to avoid a more thorough recount of ballots in the 2004 presidential election, a prosecutor told jurors during opening statements Thursday.

"The evidence will show that this recount was rigged, maybe not for political reasons, but rigged nonetheless," Prosecutor Kevin Baxter said. "They did this so they could spend a day rather than weeks or months" on the recount, he said.

Baxter said testimony in the case will show that the three Cuyahoga County workers chose sample precincts for the Dec. 16, 2004, recount that did not have questionable results to ensure the tally from the sample matched a previous vote count.

When the results matched, the workers were allowed to recount the rest of the county's ballots by machine, avoiding a full hand recount that would have been more lengthy and expensive, he said.

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/10784140/detail.html


<snip> Green Party candidate David Cobb and Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik suspected the workers did not follow the rules and filed a complaint, which led to the charges.

[kainah]

1. citizen recount in Wyoming

Next Tuesday, three citizens who filed public document requests will be getting the ballots from Sheridan County in the Trauner-Cubin US House race -- which Cubin, somewhat incredibly, supposedly won by abt 700 votes. They will count them under the supervision of trained election judges with the goal being, as they say, not to overturn the election, but to check the accuracy of the new voting counting equipment.

Trauner chose not to ask for a recount -- paid for out of his pocket -- after learning the state would simply resubmit the ballots to the machines.

I'm looking forward to the citizen recount results.

[Robbien]

2. Is this getting any play on Ohio networks?

The case seems to be flying under the media radar.

[ChromeFoundry]

4. I have not seen it...

covered on any of the local broadcasts.

[OhioChick]

5. Nothing here. n/t

[ChromeFoundry]

3. splendid!

All three employees have been on paid leave from the board, which has defended the workers, saying the employees did not knowingly commit fraud or break any laws.

Nice to know where my tax dollars are being spent! Is this also the defense..."I didn't know?"

[LiberalFighter]

6. Weren't these employees supervised during this procedure?

Was it regular employees making the decision as to which precincts to count?

Was one of these employees a supervisor that had the authority to make those decisions?

[LiberalFighter]

7. Doing a sample recount of just 3 precincts is not sufficient

The law should require 10 precincts or 10% of the precincts involved.

[Pooka Fey]

8. Once again, Cobb and Badnarik are my heroes. K&R

[jazzjunkysue]

9. Sure hope that prosecutor has the evidence, and a librul judge. n/t.

[lovuian]

10. These are Real Americans fighting for Democracy

:woohoo: