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Supreme Court: count the 723

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The Washington State Supreme Court has just issued a unanimous decision reversing the lower court’s restraining order, meaning the 723 “misfiled” King County ballots may now be counted.

More after I read it….

Comments

  3. From the ruling:

    Here, certain ballots were coded as having “no signature on file” without having been fully examined to properly place them in that category. In that sense they were never fully canvassed, and the seeming error in placing them in any category has become evident to the King County Canvassing Board. Under Doyle this is just the sort of apparent discrepancy or inconsistency that the board can correct through recanvassing.

    Hey… I nailed that one on the head, didn’t I?

  4. So Gregoire will win without those votes, and then again with the votes. Should put the Republicans in an ugly position of having to fight their way to the Supreme Court, or start changing the rules in the middle and convince all the other counties to re-open (of course there’s no guarantee those results will go there way, as evidenced by the hand recount). Glad the Repubs are back on the defensive, where they belong in this case.

  5. *Supreme Court = US Supreme Court (not State).

    And if the Republicans are somehow able to get a ruling allowing other counties to completely re-canvass, so can King. Remember that besides these misplaced ballots there are 1000-1500 rejected ballots that could be reintroduced.

    The Repubs know this and they know that a full count with “liberal” acceptance standards for previously rejected ballots will go Gregoire’s way too. What they really want is to pretend this election is “up for grabs” – to muddy the waters and confuse us all.

    Don’t let it happen.

  6. By saying that their “whopping” 8-vote lead should compel Rossi to concede, that’s proof that the Dems only wanted to count…and count…and count some more, until they had enough to take the lead. Then, “OK, we can stop now.”

    Dailey 1960 = Washington 2004.

  8. Strange, Dino’s “whopping” 42 vote lead was supposed to compel Chris to concede…

    Oh let me guess, it’s only right when your candidate is in the plus correct?

  9. When Rossi had a whopping 42 vote lead you were calling on Gregoire to concede. She didn’t, she played by the rules and followed the law, the Supreme’s sided with SOS and KC and she’s won. She’ll probably end up winning with an even larger margin than Rossi won the mandatory machine recount with. If Rossi believed Gregoire should concede weeks ago because people were “tired” and “fed up”, then why doesn’t he do the same now? People are certainly more fed up now.

    But wait, now look at who wants to change the rules because a legal hand-recount, the SOS and the State Supreme court unanimously “voted” against their arguments. It’s the Republicans.

    And to play Devil’s advocate, count, count, count is all legal and valid. Counting all legal votes cast (whether machine readable or not), with partisan observers watching while decisions are made on any questionable ballots is the way to get the most accurate count

    If you want to keep counting now, go ahead. Gregoire will still win.

  10. Let me preface my comment by saying I voted Gregoire and I’m glad she won. Having said that, before all us Ds get too giddy, let’s remember a couple things.

    1. She ran a crappy campaign.
    2. She wasn’t a great AG.
    3. As governor, she’ll probably make Gary Locke look dynamic. Can y’all say “Rob McKenna in ’08”
    4. This “victory” will definitely make Maria Cantwell’s (BTW, anyone heard from her lately?) next race more difficult.

    The point is that us Ds have a lot of work to do in the future if we want to stay blue.

  11. Hey, Jonathan, it’s “Daley.” And if you show us votes from dead people, we’ll listen. Otherwise stop your disparaging.

  12. From the Times article regarding ballot security:

    The court also addressed Republican concerns that the security of the questioned ballots had been compromised, saying while Republicans
    “suggest that there may have been some impropriety involved in this decision, or that the ballots involved might have been tampered with, but point to no facts supporting such a conclusion.”

    So much ado about nothing there – no facts to support their conclusion on ballot security.

    I especially liked this:

    State Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance said he had “nothing to say.”

  13. Comment by jcricket— 12/22/04 @ 2:19 pm

    State Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance said he had “nothing to say.”

    Does he ever?

  14. Steven – you’re right, but I don’t think getting a Republican elected is a way to eventually get Dems elected. People in power often stay in power, especially with the national situation being the way it is.

    Gregoire will have to overcome some powerful concerns to get re-elected, but having a democratic state senate and house should help her get things done.

  16. There’s been no fraud in this election. Gregoire’s won, and if the R’s have SCOTUS overturn the result, Rossi’s governorship will surely be tainted. He should show some class and concede if he truly cares about democracy, or else end up like Bush after 2000, and heaven forbid he “wins” again in 2008! :-(

  17. I have not read the decision, but what I heard earlier in the hearing which made me figure the court would rule the way they did, was all to do with “irreprable harm”. Since you can contest the election there was no irreprable harm to allowing these votes in. So, there goes any TRO. And the rest is all politics. May the best shark win.

  18. VICTORY is the ringing cry. Voter rights won, the ballots speak for themselves. Vance and Rove lost, the right wingers bellowing and braying is not a sign of good judgement.

    Cantwell will start her campaign tomorrow. The Dems get $$$$$$ back. WOW, feels good to this Democat.

    For thirty years a bill granting laws against discrimination to gay and lesbian and bi and trans folks has been stalled in Olympia.
    Talked to a Gay friend- YOU HEARD it here first, Democrats will pass and Gregoire will sign that bill- after 30 years.

    PREDICTION- The malaise and lassitude of Locke leadership will end, Democrats will go into can do mode. Two legislative sessions with obstructionist R’s marginalized.

    VICTORY IN MANY WAYS——–

  19. With all the problems this state has (transportation, education, broken tax system, mess at DSHS), if a top priority of a D governor and legislature will be to pass gay rights legislation, that will be an incredibly wasted opportunity. If that happens, there will be a lot more Dinocrats in the next election.

  20. Well, I would think that legislation would be one of the many things that would be unblocked by removing the R’s from Senate control…

  22. Passing civil right legislation is not “an incredibly wasted opportunity”. The only people who would come to that conclusion are outright bigots. Everyone should have the same legal rights. If Gregoire signs the bill, it will greatly increase support for her from progressives in this state. She does not currently have strong support from progressives, but if this were to change, she will be a force to be reckoned with.

  23. Steven, only right-wing talk shows talk about “gay rights” (as if it meant giving gays more rights than others). The legislation at issue (one bill, anyway) is to include anti-gay discrimination in the state’s anti-discrimination statutes (enforced by the Washington Human Rights Commission).

  24. Steven – you need to get some information. Booth Gardner had this bill on his Gov. request list years ago.. Mike Lowry had this bill on his request list- Mike was strong on civil rights. Gary Locke supported the bill starting in his career as a state legislature, sponsored it one session, would have signed it if it had ever passed it in the legislature.

    Always blocked by a handfull of very right wingers. Recently the bill passed the House last session, died in the State Senate.

    It is not a “trade” from other issues, plenty of time to work on a long list of stalled issues.

    Let’s all unite again for the well being of our state and work vigorously together to support some new vision, new leadership, AND most important- no more gridlock in Olympia..

    Dan Evans the elegant and towering fomer Republican Gov.
    was the first Gov to protect gays and lesbians by excecutive order and that order has been renewed by each and every Gov. since Evans.

    Simple, now that policy of non discrimination will be state law.

  26. What a complete load of bullshit. Keep findin votes left and right, and let other ones in when they shouldn’t be. You should be ashmaed of yourselves, there’s no honor in bending the rules. Maybe have that fat ass crybaby Paul Brendt do a little dance. Ought to change the name from Washington State Democrats to Washington State Panty-waists. You people make me sick. Go hug a tree or eta some tofu. I’m outta here.

  27. Great day, the supremes make the propper decision, the Repugs are very quiet, and over all else…..Mark is outta here. LMAO

  29. “…Q: Your last book is called “How to Talk to a Liberal.” With which words?

    A: A baseball bat is best. But if you absolutely must use words, something like: “Grow up.”

    HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE VERNAL EQUINOX!”

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