Question about ballots / voting re: Foley

[tyedyeto]

I read yesterday that since the Nov. ballots have already been printed, the Repugs will name a new 'nominee' and that ALL votes for Foley will automatically be counted toward the new 'nominee'. How can that happen? I always believed that if you vote for someone that is who receives the votes. If they want someone else, shouldn't that person be a write-in candidate?

[Crazy Dave]

1. The republicans are in charge and if they don't like the laws...

...especially election laws, they just change them. I'll bet money there'll be emergency amendments and delays authorized for this bump in the road. Don't forget, they need to do some polling before they even choose a candidate.

[rzemanfl]

3. Great! If Jeb calls a special session for this, Crist will lose the

Governor's race. Won't happen in my opinion.

[liberaliraqvet26]

7. they would have to have an emergency meeting of the legislature..

politically I dont think they could do it. Every state sen & rep would have to go to tallahassee. It would keep the Foley thing in the news and probably will be more damaging to them.

Also the Florida Supreme Court is reliably liberal and will overturn any challenge.

I think their backs are to the wall on this one.

[Crazy Dave]

10. I think you are correct

Looking at it in a different way you made me realize that having Foley disappear as soon as possible will be their best option. Look for another distraction by mid week to take America's short and predictable attention span and focus it on something else. Maybe a new Bin Laden video or audio tape? An elevated security level based on "credible intelligence" from the same people who brought us the yellow cake uranium from Niger fairy tale?

[liberaliraqvet26]

11. Plus if you look at how it could affect Crist...

Crist (R-gov cand.) will likely already suffer in Foley's district, just because of party affiliation. The state party will be hammered in the media if they play games with this. There is already precedent from '04 and they know the Florida Supreme Court will not go to bat for them.

ALSO, Crist (like Foley) has always been dogged by rumors of his sexual orientration. Some ultra- conservatives are already upset about this. You can be sure that the Foley thing will make them watch every move he makes into the election. If you read right wing blogs you see that in their sick and dimented minds they honestly believe that there is a correlation between sexual orientation and child predators.

[Poppyseedman]

2. I'm not sure about Florida law, but didn't NJ have the same problem when

they replaced the Torricelli with Laudenburg?

Precedent might have been set.

State law says that when a vacancy occurs in a race, the "appropriate state, district or county political party" designates a new candidate.

When the vacancy occurs after the primary election, as is the case with Foley's resignation, "the ballots shall not be changed and the former party nominee's name will appear on the ballot. Any ballots cast for the former party nominee will be counted for the person designated by the political party to replace the former party nominee."

Democrats faced a similar situation when Jim Stork, the party's challenger to Republican U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw, dropped out of the House race for health reasons in September 2004. His name stayed on the ballot while Democrats picked political consultant Robin Rorapaugh to replace him. Rorapaugh got 35.3 percent of the vote.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/nation/epaper/2006/09/30/a29a_negron_0930.html

[rzemanfl]

5. Didn't a woman candidate get murdered in Nevada after the

ballots were out?

[tyedyeto]

12. So, that means primary votes are worth - Nothing ?

And does it mean that at any time a political party can ask for the resignation of a candidate and then count all the votes the duly elected primary winner receives as being cast for a new candidate? What if this happens at the 11th hour of a campaign? If I vote for a 'name' on a ballot, I expect that vote to be counted toward that name, not a 'stand-in'.

Just doesn't seem constitutional to me.

[lonestarnot]

4. It's too fucking late for them to choose a candidate. We TAKE THE SEAT!

[cally]

6. It's Florida law

But the Republicans are likely to sue and try to get a new name on the ballot. Supposedly, not all the ballots have been printed so this will end up in court. I would not be surprised to have a Bush appointed judge stop the printing presses, and then rule that a new name can go on the ballot.

[liberaliraqvet26]

9. the Florida Supreme Court will not do that.

they have a clear liberal tilt and have ruled on this already in '04. they have the final say.

5 DEM appointees vs 2 JEBbies

They have been striking down Jeb's crap since he took his throne.

[cally]

13. That makes me happy...I didn't know it was still Dem leaning

Thanks

[liberaliraqvet26]

14. its the only thing we got left down here...

they keep striking down his voucher scheme.

[tyedyeto]

15. New ballots with a new name works for me but...

I have always believed your vote counts toward the exact name you voted for. If new ballots are not printed, then I have a problem with the voting process.

[spanone]

8. CNN reported that votes for Foley would be counted as votes for the new

candidate. So people will have to pull the lever for a pedophile republican. That should set well with the right wing Christian politicos. Let's see how much stomach they have for that shit.

[KharmaTrain]

16. The Fundies Will Have To Vote For Foley

As other posters have noted...it's posted at Election Central at TPM...the balots have been finalized (absentees have already gone out), thus Foley's name stays on the balot. The Repugnicans can name someone who will be the Repugnican candidate...and I suspect that's a done deal by now...but voters will not see that person's name on the November balot, they'll see Foley's. In order for the GOOP to hold this "safe seat", voters will have to vote for Foley as a proxy for the new candidate. That means the fundies and freepers will have to pull the lever for a gay pedophile.

[tyedyeto]

17. But they (the Repug machine) will be out in force...

telling them "You're not really voting for him... It's just a name and we have a 'new' guy but you have to actually vote for the 'old' guy in order for the 'new' guy to win?"

I believe all votes cast for the 'old' guy should count toward the 'old' guy and a 'new' guy should be a write-in candidate. Makes sense to me, anyway.

[KharmaTrain]

18. Don't Be So Sure About That...Look At Their Choices

My bets are the Repugnican vote in that district will be supressed now. Who to vote for? Kathrine "boobsalot" Harris? This stuff has so much slime as to keep all but the most rabid party hacks...the ones who would applaud booosh eating a live baby on prime time TV...to go to the polls.

No need to mess around with a write in...having Foley's name in people's faces is like having an advertisement in every voting booth that says "Vote Repugnican...Vote Pedophilia".