Justice Dept clears the Oct 7 election. (MSNBC)

[bsiebs]

Link: http://www.msnbc.com/local/knbc/A1746013.asp?0na=x22023C1-

<snip>

The U.S. Justice Department on Monday cleared the Oct. 7 election to recall Gov. Gray Davis.
The decision, expected to be forwarded to California officials Tuesday, comes three days after a federal judge threatened to halt the election if the government didn't approve it.
Under the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, any changes in the voting process must be pre-cleared by the Justice Department in places like Monterey County, which have a history of low voter participation.
"This is not a problem," Jorge Martinez, a Justice Department spokesman, said late Monday.

<snip>

Well, Ashcroft moves fast when it is in the republican's best interest...

[kainah]

1. hardly a big surprise

the ACLU lawsuit is the one that has the best chance of stopping it until March. And then what happens when people have to slow down and wage a real, serious campaign? How will the media handle that?

[benfranklin1776]

3. Here's hoping we get to find out.

As the ACLU has noted the California chaos of October will make Florida's election process look like a well-oiled machine.

[bsiebs]

4. The press (specifically local television) is already bored

The local television media (at least in LA) is already showing signs of getting bored...now that Aurnald is not ahead of the pack. It is all still a hot topic here, but the media disappointment with Aurnald is palatable. If they have to really talk about things like the budget....what is the point?

And yes, of course, no suprise about the Justice Department,,, the ACLU suit is the only hope to slow the process down.

[benfranklin1776]

2. Jumping Johnny Asscrack strikes again

No great surprise here. No legal hurdle or the constitution will ever deter Johnny the hack from his appointed task of making America into the Rethug theocracy that he so deeply covets.

[IndianaGreen]

5. No shit! Ashcroft did move fast, but...

not fast enough to prevent the ACLU from filing suit in federal court. The judge is expected to rule within the next couple of days!

ACLU Files Federal Lawsuit Challenging Use of Obsolete "Punch Card" Voting Machines in California Recall Election

August 7, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES – With a gubernatorial recall election pending in the state, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today filed a lawsuit challenging the continued use of outdated, obsolete voting machines in counties with high concentrations of minority voters.

“The ACLU of Southern California takes no position on the Governor’s recall,” said Ramona Ripston, Executive Director of the ACLU of Southern California. “Our interest is in seeing to it that every voter will have his or her vote counted accurately. Most of us are now aware of the problems associated with these voting machines and I don't believe any one of us would like to see a repeat of the Florida presidential election debacle here in the Golden State.”

According to the ACLU’s complaint, the “punch card” voting machines are the same machines at the center of the controversy surrounding the contested 2000 presidential election in Florida. The continued use of the “punch card” machines will needlessly and unlawfully disenfranchise African-American, Latino, and Asian-American voters in counties where such machines are still in use, the ACLU said in legal papers.

Following the contested presidential election of 2000, the ACLU of Southern California filed a lawsuit against California officials on similar grounds and won. The state then entered into a consent decree, whereby election officials agreed to replace all “punch card” voting machines in use by the March 2004 primary election.

But if a recall election takes place in October 2003, as many as 8 million voters could be at the mercy of the defective “VotoMatic” or “Pollstar” machines which use “punch card” technology, the ACLU warned. At least six counties in the state (Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Clara, Solano, and Mendocino) are certain to use “punch card” voting machines if the recall election takes place as scheduled on October 7, 2003.

In the November 2000 presidential election, the error rate for the “punch card” machines was more than double that of any other system used in the state. “Votomatic” or “Pollstar” machines accounted for 74.8 percent of all ballots cast that did not register a vote for president in California.

“If the October election goes forward, we can predict with absolute certainty that every Californian’s vote will not count,” said Mark Rosenbaum, Legal Director of the ACLU of Southern California. “Democracy in California should not hang by a chad.”

The ACLU of Northern California and ACLU of San Diego joined the ACLU of Southern California in filing today’s lawsuit.

http://www.aclu.org/VotingRights/VotingRights.cfm?ID=13291&c=32

[jiacinto]

6. Doesn't surprise me in the least

Not at all. I knew Ashcroft was going to certify this election.