Washington State: More "missing" ballots discovered

[Carolab]

Rossi gains a few more votes

By Ralph Thomas and Keith Ervin

Seattle Times reporters

Loser might ship governor's race to Legislature

Republican Dino Rossi gained a few more precious votes yesterday after eight more counties completed their manual recounts in Washington's closest-ever race for governor.
But with the recount still continuing in the state's largest counties, two-thirds of the more than 2.8 million ballots cast statewide still have to be tallied.

Democrat Christine Gregoire is hoping to get a big boost today when King County's canvassing board meets to decide whether to count hundreds of additional ballots, mostly ones that county elections officials this week discovered had been mistakenly rejected during the initial count.

Rossi led by 261 votes after the initial count last month, triggering an automatic statewide machine recount. When Rossi's lead dwindled to just 42 votes after the first recount, Democrats requested a second recount — this time by hand.

So far, the hand recount seems to be going Rossi's way.

As of last night, Rossi had gained a net 64 votes over Gregoire. Of the 32 counties that have completed their latest tally, Rossi has gained ground in 17, compared with six counties where Gregoire has gained. In the remaining nine counties, the recount has been a wash.

But King County remains a big worry for Rossi and the Republicans. For the second straight day, the party learned yesterday that more ballots had turned up there.

Bill Huennekens, King County's superintendent of elections, said last night that election workers had recently found 22 ballots in the pockets of voting machines already put in storage. The county's voting machines have pockets on the side where voters can place absentee or provisional ballots.

Huennekens said workers missed the 22 ballots when they initially emptied the pockets.

(More)http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002120043_recount15m.html

[IAMREALITY]

1. Yeah, I read that a few hours ago. Not Sure

Those 22 will be able to count as easily as the other 570, but I think even the 570 will be enough!

[Verve]

2. Like I said in the other post, King County needs to work on their

organizational skills. It's starting to look a little fishy when they continue to find ballots a month after the election!

[merwin]

3. lbn link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1074426

[googly]

4. -We will find enough votes, one way or another for Gregoire win

The "lost" votes now found should net Gregoire +113 votes, and the manual recount itself could gain 300 to 400 votes, more than enough for a win! This one is in the bag, take it to the bank. Dino Rossi can go golfing.

[skids]

11. Well...

The manual recount may not net any votes. Right now, even when you do the math, Gregiore is about even in the number of added votes per machine-recount vote (anyone notice a mild fish oder hanging over over Skagit and Walla Walla tonight?)

Unless something weird happens in the rest of the remaining counties (Snohomish ought to be interesting, given irregularities there) then if Gregiore does win the hand recount, it will be entirely on King County.

With King the last one to count, and all this stuff going on in King, that's going to result in a complete PR shitstorm.

It would have been cleaner (and could still be on an outside chance)
if she was in the lead, percentage-wise, before King.

[spotbird]

14. The absentee are easily verifiable.

If they were the other way you'd support their being counted.

As for the other 22, I'll agree even if it was an honest mistake there must be an investigation before they should be included.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

5. "I know there aren't any ballots in this pocket, because I always

put the ballots in my other pocket and not ever in this pocket here and...er....oh, say, look at that."

[Pithy Cherub]

6. Here a vote, there a vote, everywhere a vote...

is an embarrassment for every individual responsible for running a fair, clean and honest election. Honestly, to find hundreds of ballots after the fact is another serious wakeup call about how elections are conducted. Wouldn't even know about these oopsies if the Governor's race wasn't so tight.

[MarkusQ]

8. Imagine if they ran banks this way...

IP newswire
Dateline: your town

Another box of money was found in the offices of Central Fidelity Faith and Trust, as its biannual audit entered its week. This is the fifth such box identified, though there is as of yet no official word on how much money has been found. Bank officials issued a statement saying that manually counting the money is a waste of time, but will be done if there is sufficient pressure from the media. Observers said that it was not uncommon for boxes of money to turn up in various corners of busy banks, and the alarmists who say otherwise are just crackpots. In any case, no one expects the total to be anywhere near enough to affect the banks financial statements, which were filed amidst great ceremony last Friday at a party held in honor of the bank's current accounting firm.

--MarkusQ

[BlueDog2u]

10. rofl/eom

[MarkusQ]

13. Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week. Try the veal. (n/t)

[Pithy Cherub]

12. ROFL! As a result of our CPA certified audit , we regret to inform you

that this does not affect the balance of your financial accounts. The funds were left over from our 2003 annual report and you had a safe harbor of thirty days to initate your claim! We will make a donation to worthwhile charity on your behalf!

Warmest Regards and A Prosperous New Year,
Central Fidelity Faith and Trust a wholly owned subsidiary of TRIAD

[googly]

16. You are funny, have you considered writing comedy?

You have talent!

[MarkusQ]

7. Is this the same "King County" mentioned in the Diebold memos? (n/t)

[MarkusQ]

15. Some interesting history there...

Some of which you can read here.

Funny how the same names keep cropping up.

--MarkusQ

[IndyOp]

20. OMG Dean worked with Global Election Systems in the 90's...

It was Global Election Systems that was responsible for Gore's -16,022 votes in Volusia County Florida in 2000 !

:puke:

[Andy_Stephenson]

17. Yes

They are famous for "Doing End Runs around the data base".

[Alizaryn]

9. Oh I bet they are fuming!

[googly]

18. King county needs to consult the Mayor Daley's Chicago machine on

how to adjust vote counts so a victory is assured. They have lots of
experience in Chicago in these matters.

[IndyOp]

19. Wow! Please vote "yes" for the recount on Washington newsite...

Right now the 'no' freepers are waaaaayyy ahead.

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x170230>

:kick: