Recount: Does anybody know anything about this?

[janet118]

SERIOUS BREAK IN CHAIN OF CUSTODY IN WAUKESHA COUNTY!

Breaking News Out of Waukesha County Wisconsin -- This being reported from witnesses on the ground in Waukesha
"At around 2:15pm, we were ready to open the bags for Delafield. There were three bags total. Bags 1 & 2 were fine. The numbers all matched up. When we got to bag 3, we found out that the bag # was NOT RECORDED ON THE INSPECTOR'S statement...! The Republican canvass person said we could assume that the clerk forgot to write the # down on the inspector's statement and we could proceed. Of course, this is a break in the chain of custody!..."
So Bill (volunteer lawyer) objected. I got my phone out and went to call the campaign. The sheriff wouldn't let me out the back door (even though I went out that door to use the restroom earlier) but made me go around everyone to the front door (front door is for reps, back door is for public). I had to get past the guy sitting out front wanting to know if I was leaving for the day, what my name was...
I called the campaign and they said to tell Bill to tell the judge that we are considering making an objection and want to have legal counsel. They said DO NOT open the bag. I raced back into the room and found Bill. He said the bag had already been opened..."

Found it on Facebook and was wondering if it has any basis in reality. And if it does, what does it mean?

[htuttle]

1. It originated from a volunteer (self-reported) in the Waukesha County recount

I first saw it on a page for the Election Integrity group. If true, it means that a whole bag of ballots showed up with no documentation as to it's origin.

[sybylla]

2. Heard about it around noon. Didn't know the details.

Reading it now, and being a recount observer in a central WI county, I can explain that what happens on election night is that all the ballots are sealed into bags with a numbered, tamper-proof seal. The numbers are recorded and reported in the paperwork that is kept on file locally and, IIRC, also reported to the county.

In this case, the third bag of ballots for Delafield had a seal, but the seal number had not been recorded on election night. There's no way to know if the seal that's there is the original seal. Or even if there was legitimately a third bag (at least until 1 and 2 are counted).

But the board of canvass member cut open the bag despite the objections of the Kloppenburg Rep. while the Kloppenburg rep was out of the room. My guess is that they mingled the ballots together quickly enough that there's no pulling them out now. And not even any way to know how many there were in that uncontrolled bag.

Very, very wrong in my book. Not one of those ballot should count until they know a whole lot more about their circumstances and, as that doesn't look likely, they shouldn't count at all.

IMHO.

[PeaceNikki]

3. Read my replies in this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x983334

[janet118]

4. Thanks . . . that clears up a lot

The hysterical reporting didn't quite register high on the truth-o-meter so I thought I'd check it out with people who might know something about it.

I can't believe they don't have more legal back-up. Didn't she hire Franken's lawyer?

[Viking12]

5. Thanks for your hard work PeaceNikki!

And thank you for bringing accurate information and rationality to the discussion. The people that scream "ZOMG!@!!" at everything aren't doing us any favors.

[PeaceNikki]

6. The person who filed this report has blown it out of proportion and SERIOUSLY overblown the number

of votes in the bag in question. Bill and Darcy did exactly what they were supposed to do: object. The Board did exactly what it was supposed to do: review evidence and make a ruling.

We've had 2 bags now with suspect seals - both entered into evidence with objections. Eye-brow raising, for sure, but still not freak-the-fuck-out worthy. The elections process requires people to do a very specific set of things. People make mistakes. It *could* be something else, but right now we keep watching and keep making careful note of these anomalies. Freaking out doesn't help anyone.

[Sadena Meti]

7. This all relies on the assumption that ballot stuffing is taking place.

Clerical errors or electoral conspiracies. Take your pick. If there was a conspiracy, they would have done a better job of it.

[PeaceNikki]

8. My gut agrees with you on thie BUT

If we keep seeing a new bag every fucking day with chain of custody issues, I am making myself one of these: :tinfoilhat:

We're on day 3 and now have 3 bags with issues.

[Sadena Meti]

9. I am a firm believer in human incompetence than in conspiracy theories.

[PeaceNikki]

10. As am I, until a fluke turns into a pattern.

Then all bets are off.

[sybylla]

11. There's chain of custody requirement for a reason.

Should we be cut-throat about failures of clerks and election officials who make errors late in the evening on election day? Perhaps not, if the preponderance of evidence points to errors.

But in a county where we've had nothing but trouble? No. It's time to start drawing a hard line in Waukesha until they get their act together.

If we don't know where the ballots have been at any point in the chain of custody, we can't say with any certainty the ballots were not touched.