Way back during the heat of the 2004 election contest controversy, evidence of duplicate registrations, felon voters and dead people still on the rolls were used to fling charges of incompetence, negligence and corruption at King County Elections. Evergreen Freedom Foundation president Bob Williams even publicly called for elections director Dean Logan to be jailed.
What an asshole. (Williams, that is.)
What these vicious, partisan blowhards conveniently ignored was the fact that for all the duplicate registrations and such, there was very little evidence of double voters, and that these registration irregularities did not just occur in King County, but were endemic across the state and throughout the nation. That’s why as part of the Help America Vote Act, the US Congress had required states to develop statewide voter registration databases… a database WA was in the process of creating in November of 2004.
Well, WA’s database went online this past January — as long scheduled — and yesterday Secretary of State Sam Reed announced that they had culled 55,000 duplicate registrations and dead people from the rolls.
Good.
That’s one of the reasons why we spent all this time and money building this database. As for its actual impact on actual voter fraud….
But investigations of the records found very few cases of potential voter fraud. About 30 cases of possible double voting were forwarded to county officials for investigation, Reed said.
In most cases, he said, people moved and forgot to notify their local election offices — a common problem for voting regulators.
“They’ll change their magazine subscriptions and they’ll change a lot of other things, but they don’t bother to contact their elections officials and say, ‘Cancel my registration,’ ” Reed said.
Officials also aren’t aware of any cases of votes cast under the names of deceased people, Reed spokeswoman Trova Heffernan said. Election officials simply had not been notified of the deaths.
Of course, all this comes as a big disappointment to elections conspiracy theorists like our good friend Stefan and the folks at the EFF, where Jonathan Bechtle, director of their Orwellian-named “Voter Integrity Project” used Reed’s announcement as an opportunity to once again slam him and other elections officials:
“It’s an indicator of the systematic problems, and it’s not going to be solved by a couple of months of checking. It has to have some real leadership to change how the system works,”
What an asshole.
Putting aside for a moment the question of how big a problem these “systematic problems” really are, of course it’s not going to be solved in a couple of months… it takes years. Development of the statewide database was initiated well before the 2004 election, and the full benefits won’t be realized until well after its go-live date. Similarly, Dean Logan had only been running KCRE for a little more than year before the infamous gubernatorial statistical-tie put his office under the microscope, at which time he had only begun to implement a series of planned reforms.
To critics like Stefan and the assholes at EFF, every flaw or error is an opportunity for a personal attack. Dean Logan, a quiet, mild-mannered, (dare I say “nebishy”) apolitical technocrat is vilified as the evil mastermind of a corrupt Democratic machine. And we’re told we must put “real leadership” as SOS, because Sam Reed largely chose to honor the obligations of his office over the partisan demands of his Republican Party. (Florida’s Katherine Harris and Ohio’s Kenneth Blackwell represent the GOP model of “real leadership” in an elections official.)
Reed says his office is investigating another 900 registrations that might be from felons who haven’t had their voting rights restored, and while I strongly disagree with our voter disenfranchisement laws, I suppose this is another example of the statewide database doing its job.
And another example of our elections officials doing their jobs as well.
Makes you wonder why Reed is a rethucklican. Congrats to him in any case.
Good try, Goldy. But the irredentist wing of the gop cannot be assauged by actual competence. Remember, they are right wing Trotskyists.
Can you explain how black Democrat districts around the USA vote at 115% of registration? [If I “axe” this question, am I racist?]
Why do Dem hate voter ID? The IDs can be received for FREE with proper “docs”. Could it be that Dems rely on voter fraud to win elections? Why, yes, it could be!!!!
Remember when Democrats in Broward County, FL, locked the doors and then “counted” the votes by Democrat hands because the computers were “racist”?? hehe, JCH
Goldy, will you slash my van tires [a la Democrat street blacks in Milwaukee, WIS] if I make fun of Democrat voter fraud???
Hey, maybe the GOP won’t torpedo their own man if Sam Reed dies his hair plastic red and gets a pair of fake boobs.
Hey, maybe the GOP won’t torpedo their own man if Sam Reed dies his hair plastic red and gets a pair of fake boobs.
Commentby ArtFart— 5/13/06@ 1:14 pm …….ArtFart, A well thought out post, and right on the theme of voter fraud……………..NOT!
Some poor wording: “To critics like Stefan and the assholes at EFF” implies that Stefan isn’t an asshole.
Yes, REP PK, you rave insanely with the most remote nexus to Washington state voter registration and when the bait is taken you assert “off thread!”.
As if you were contributing to an intelligent discussion.
9 – Goldy has already called the Minnow a prick. To call him an asshole would really strain relations. There has to be some tiny scrap of civility between the two most read bloggers in WA.
Yeah, I’m joking…
Its no big deal. People move everyday, people die every day. Voter lists continue to need to be updated. How many dead people do you think remembered to cancel their voter registration before they died? Since most people don’t get paid to vote, except Republican millionaires who get lots of tax breaks, most people don’t make a special effort to cancel their old registrations.
I’m sure the number of people who cancel their old registration when they register at a new address statistically is no different whether one is a Democrat, Independent or Republican.
All the radical Republicans are doing is trying to inflame emotions to create a myth of fraud. None exists as far as individual voters. A better place to look is at the Diebolt type machines, without voter verified paper trails, that do not seem to be accurate and malfuction.
10, K, My best guess in that voter fraud accounts for between 10-20% of Democrat vote in the USA. Higher in black areas [Detroit. Philly, Chicago, lower in WASH state] Voter ID would correct MOST of Democrat voter fraud, but will be fought “tooth and nail” by the DNC and Hillary.
Oh, and that’s SUCH an educated guess, too.
Jackass.
Thanks JCH @ 3,4,5,6,8 and 13 for driving up the comments numbers on only the posts that are most damaging to your loony betters in the GOP. I appreciate being able to read the posts with the most comment activity first and you’re doing a great job of keeping those numbers high on the posts that especially make you lie awake at night sweating under your My Little Pony bedspread.
Well done.
We have voter ID and it is working really well. Read Goldie’s post and it’s clear. The voter identification currently required is perfectly sufficient to prevent fraud.
The system ain’t broke, so why are republicans trying to eliminate voters?
The fundamental Republican fallacy is to think that everybody should be aspiring to be exactly like them.
That applies very broadly, and in this case as well. Most of the Republicans posting have government I’d handy. They think everybody ought to have it handy, like they do. And if they don’t, they should aspire to – or face the consequences in the form of not being a person who actually counts in elections.
That is “ID” not “I’d”. Darned autocorrect.
OHHH, GawWwwwd [JCH] you are ATLAS!!!! Grab that STEM, buhhday and RIDe that 500 pound TOMMYHAAAWWWWK to freedom-a quarter ton of pure unadultered CONSERVATIVE JIZZZUMMM—–SHRUGGAH-SHRUGGAH-SHRUGGAH….Oh, Oh, Oh, aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! You are some humpa-humpa ringa dingahhhh do wHHHAAHHH Dooooodeey, BAY-OH-BAY!!!!!!!
How’s the weather today in Algona? Per my lawyer’s instructions, send money.
Can someone explain to me a logical reason why a voter should not have to show ID in order to vote? If there are those without ID, it seems like it would make more sense to get them an ID than to eliminate the whole verification process.
I’ve been a treasurer in several organizations. The one thing we always wanted to avoid was the appearance of impropriety. That’s why there were so many rules and procedures. They were in place to protect the treasurer from accusations. Seems to me that election officials would want the same protection. Requiring ID to be shown means that you can’t be accused of fraudulent voters. Why wouldn’t you want that?
When a donk says:
But investigations of the records found very few cases of potential voter fraud.
There was massive voter fraud. You can count on it.
Two little words would cure voter fraud for everyone. “ID Please” Of course the dems won’t have this. The democrats are the party of voter fraud.
Democrat ticket in Alabama for 2006:
Governor: Siegel Man (former Governor Don Siegelman, who is presently on trial in federal court for corruption charges)
Attorney General: Sieg Heil Man (Larry Darby, head of the Atheist Law Center and Holocaust denier, who wants to “reawaken white racial awareness)
WARNING: IF you knowingly provide false information on this voter registration form or knowingly make a false declaration about your qualifications for voter registration, you will have committed a class C felony that is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, or by a fine of up to ten thousand dollars or both imprisonment and fine. (RCW 29A 08.210)
They don’t mention how many of the deceased cast ballots.
Nor what party most of the deleted belonged to. Let’s take a guess!!!!!!!
Is there a living breathing person who doesn’t know this is the same reason Dems pushed “Motor Voter” through–which requires ONLY a driver’s license to register to vote–and NOW Dems are pushing said driver’s licenses for millions of illegal aliens?
THAT’s what Dems consider ”outreach,” along with registering felons still in prison, along with registering even the mentally incapacitated in nursing homes….Best guess: 10-20% of Democrat votes are illegal can be considered voter fraud.
That’s how you build a following….personally villify people who disagree with you. The Rs are especially good at it.
Can someone explain to me a logical reason why a voter should not have to show ID in order to vote?
Sure can, Janet. Presumably they showed acceptable ID to register in the first place. Now just exactly what about this is too hard for you to understand?
Best guess: 10-20% of Democrat votes are illegal can be considered voter fraud
As opposed to 50-60% of so-called gopper votes counted by Diebold.
You really are a fucking nitwit jerk.
wait, wait, [JCH]…..[yawn………….]
Yeah. Seen that one, too. You’re still a fucking jerk.
Better trolls, please.
Nor what party most of the deleted belonged to. Let’s take a guess!!!!!!!
Commentby REP Pat Kennedy [D-Bitchslap the Black Security Guard At LAX]— 5/13/06@ 4:23 pm
Yes. Let’s. Last count I saw, they were all republicans. You fucking nitwit. You are a jerk.
[yawn…………….better trolls, please].
[JCH]is a fucking lying clown.
[JCH] is looney beyond all measure–I mean really, trolling the internet from Kent to get weather reports from Hawaii. How bizzare can you get?
Trent Lott [RF] Racist fuck.
As opposed to 50-60% of so-called gopper votes counted by Diebold.
You really are a fucking nitwit jerk.
Commentby Proud To Be An ASS— 5/13/06@ 6:31 pm […………………..Proud To Be An ASS, Let’s see!!….The voting machines purchased by Democrats in Democrat districts, stored by Democrats, maintained by Democrats, tested by Democrats, and used in Democrat dominated polling stations are “racist” and “rigged” by Republicans. Total bullshit, even for dumbass HA.ORG Democrats!!!!! hehe, JCH
30, 31, 32…..Truth hurts, doesn’t it?? “Motor Voter” plus “illegal aliens” equals massive Democrat voter fraud. It really is that simple.
Not a lot of HA.ORG Democrat posts on this Democrat voter fraud thread. Gee, I wonder why???????????????? hehe, JCH
Trent Lott [RF] Racist fuck.
Commentby Proud To Be An ASS— 5/13/06@ 6:39 pm [……………………………………………………………………..Proud To Be An ASS, Wouldn’t that be Robert “KKK” Byrd, Racist fuck????]
35, 36, 37: As opposed to Ann Coulter voting anywhere she feels like? I hear they had auctions to see who gets to vote most in tonier districts of Palm Beach.
Can you explain how black Democrat districts around the USA vote at 115% of registration?
Well, you can’t.
[If I “axe” this question, am I racist?]
Most likely.
Trent Lott [RF] Racist fuck.
Commentby Proud To Be An ASS— 5/13/06@ 6:39 pm [……………………………………………………………………..Proud To Be An ASS, Wouldn’t that be Robert “KKK” Byrd, Racist fuck????]
No, that would be Trent Lott, racist fuck. Why do you ask? Can’t read?
The Diebold voting machines have already been poven to work by the State of California, one of the biggest commie states in the union. The donks can never prove their claim of voter fraud from the right. If they ever tried too they would be hanging themselves. Everyone know dems cheat.
How many of those 55,000 canceled registrations were in Rossi counties? I’d like to see a county-by-county breakdown! Show me a dead voter or double voter, and I’ll show you a Republican.
Let us hope and pray that Stefan, Jonathan, and their ilk turn on Reed and help elect a Democrat as WASOS.
3
“Can you explain how black Democrat districts around the USA vote at 115% of registration?”
Easy – JCH is a fucking liar. Would you like to try a harder question?
That’s how you build a following….personally villify people who disagree with you. The Rs are especially good at it.
Commentby Thomas Trainwinder— 5/13/06@ 4:42 pm
Best way to villify a dem is too tell the truth. Nuff said.
Let’s see!!….The voting machines purchased by Democrats in Democrat districts, stored by Democrats, maintained by Democrats, tested by Democrats, and used in Democrat dominated polling stations are “racist” and “rigged” by Republicans. Total bullshit, even for dumbass HA.ORG Democrats!!!!! hehe, JCH
a) how come the math doesn’t add up
b) and why did it take forever to show us this , even w/ bad or no arithmetic that adds properly
@48:
a) Is this a question?
b) Forever is a very long time.
Qestion: How would a democrat know something didn’t add up? The KCRE already proved that dems cant count.
Proud – tell me you aren’t that $tupid. If you show a valid ID when you register, why should you have to prove that you are that person when you show up at the poll? Waiting . . .
This is the problem with full mail-in balloting. Anyone can vote for anyone else, as long as you get hold of their ballot. Grandma a little feeble? No problem, just take her ballot, and hope she doesn’t notice. Your wife been beaten regularly? Just threaten another beating if she votes differently than you want her to.
There is a good reason for private, secret ballot. And proving you are who you say you are.
@29 AND WHAT PROOF IS THAT ASSHOLE A WATER BILL?
Janet: ProudHesAnASS is that stupid, and I bet he does beat his wife too.
Just like ASSnonymous saying “And if I had daughters, and they were crack whores, they at least would have jobs…”
So selling drugs and your body is a job ASSnonymous?
#47: I proved that comment in Ohio last year. I proved who controlled Columbus, Toledo, Cleveland, and most other librul cities, except Cincinnati!
#47:”The voting machines purchased by Democrats in Democrat districts, stored by Democrats, maintained by Democrats, tested by Democrats, and used in Democrat dominated polling stations are “racist” and “rigged” by Republicans. Total bullshit, even for dumbass HA.ORG Democrats!!!!!”
I agree. If you look at where the voting problems occurred in most Ohio donk precincts, they were controlled by the donk in that precinct. Now go back and look at Miami-Dade and Broward. Donk control it and donk provided the systems.
I also raised the California issue in January with the multiple donk counties who used the machines. So for Rabbit Pellet and you other Northwest Division of Lunatic Moonbats, if these voting machines are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo wrong, then the Kerry votes in 2004 and three cheers you ASSwipes gave over Schwarzenegger’s ballot initiatives losing last November need reviewing, eh? See how silly your logic is when put into sunshine?
A plane carrying U.S Sen. Edward M. Kennedy across Massachusetts was struck by lightning and had to be diverted to New Haven, Conn., his spokeswoman said. The plane lost all electrical power and the pilot had to fly the plane manually, according to spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner. After consulting with his attorney, Sen Kennedy will be wearing a white neck brace for the next 72 hours. hehe, JCH
Proud – tell me you aren’t that $tupid.
Why bother? You can’t hold an intelligent conversation with a paranoid.
If you show a valid ID when you register, why should you have to prove that you are that person when you show up at the poll? Waiting . . .
Yes, indeed. Why?
This is the problem with full mail-in balloting. Anyone can vote for anyone else, as long as you get hold of their ballot. Grandma a little feeble? No problem, just take her ballot, and hope she doesn’t notice. Your wife been beaten regularly? Just threaten another beating if she votes differently than you want her to.
Typical conservative bullshit. Presume guilt until innocence is proved.
There is a good reason for private, secret ballot.
True. Why are republicans so opposed to it?
Janet: ProudHesAnASS is that stupid, and I bet he does beat his wife too.
You, sir, are fucking pond scum.
Gee, I wonder if my old registrations were among those deleted. When I moved and changed my driver’s license info, shortly thereafter I found a new voter’s regitration card in my mailbox. Not an application, but a card showing my new precinct. Did they bother to cancel my old regisrations at the same time? Who knows.
Or perhaps the Republicans will try to prosecute me for voter fraud for moving and changing my driver’s license address, without first cancelling my old voter registration.
RCW 29A.08.340
…To register to vote, transfer his or her voter registration, or change his or her name for voter registration purposes under this section, the applicant shall provide the information required by RCW 29A.08.210:
(1) The address of the last former registration of the applicant as a voter in the state;
(2) The applicant’s full name;
(3) The applicant’s date of birth;
(4) The address of the applicant’s residence for voting purposes;
(5) The mailing address of the applicant if that address is not the same as the address in subsection (4) of this section;
(6) The sex of the applicant;
(7) A declaration that the applicant is a citizen of the United States;
(8) The applicant’s signature; and
(9) Any other information that the secretary of state determines is necessary to establish the identity of the applicant and prevent duplicate or fraudulent voter registrations.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/def.....29A.08.210
Sorry, that was wrong. Sinve January 2006 it’s been changed:
An applicant for voter registration shall complete an application providing the following information concerning his or her qualifications as a voter in this state:
(1) The address of the last former registration of the applicant as a voter in the state;
(2) The applicant’s full name;
(3) The applicant’s date of birth;
(4) The address of the applicant’s residence for voting purposes;
(5) The mailing address of the applicant if that address is not the same as the address in subsection (4) of this section;
(6) The sex of the applicant;
(7) The applicant’s Washington state driver’s license number or Washington state identification card number, or the last four digits of the applicant’s Social Security number if he or she does not have a Washington state driver’s license or Washington state identification card;
(8) A check box for the applicant to indicate that he or she does not have a Washington state driver’s license, Washington state identification card, or Social Security number;
(9) A check box allowing the applicant to indicate that he or she is a member of the armed forces, national guard, or reserves, or that he or she is an overseas voter;
(10) A check box allowing the applicant to confirm that he or she is at least eighteen years of age;
(11) Clear and conspicuous language, designed to draw the applicant’s attention, stating that the applicant must be a United States citizen in order to register to vote;
(12) A check box and declaration confirming that the applicant is a citizen of the United States;
(13) The following warning:
“If you knowingly provide false information on this voter registration form or knowingly make a false declaration about your qualifications for voter registration you will have committed a class C felony that is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to ten thousand dollars, or both.”
(14) The following affirmation by the applicant:
“By signing this document, I hereby assert, under penalty of perjury, that I am legally eligible to vote. If I am found to have voted illegally, I may be prosecuted and/or fined for this illegal act. In addition, I hereby acknowledge that my name and last known address will be forwarded to the appropriate state and/or federal authorities if I am found to have voted illegally.”
(15) The oath required by RCW 29A.08.230 and a space for the applicant’s signature; and
(16) Any other information that the secretary of state determines is necessary to establish the identity of the applicant and prevent duplicate or fraudulent voter registrations.
This information shall be recorded on a single registration form to be prescribed by the secretary of state.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/def.....29A.08.210
The voting rolls appear to be currently being updated and maitained in the ways that will satisfy most concerns. As Sam Reed said, there IS not list of illegal aliens against which voting rolls can be checked.
But failing a showing of some really large problem, I don’t see that the expense, dislocation, and openign the sysytem to error of dumping our entire voting DB and re-registering every voter is justified.
And unsupported claims of widespread systemic fraud does not constitute justification. Your personal certainty notwithstanding.
“To critics like Stefan and the assholes at EFF, every flaw or error is an opportunity for a personal attack.”
It takes one to know one !
Im thinking these voters were Gregoire supporters…
Look how rabid the wingers are today. Goldy must have hit a nerve. Their core issue in Washington state has been unplugged — so watch them squeal. Fascinating.
The best that Janet at the RNC can do is to rehash that tired, old canard about showing ID. Why argue? That dog won’t hunt, and Sam Reed has proven why: IT ISN’T NEEDED.
These guys got nothing except for JCH and his cyber masturbation. What happened to the their so-called party of ideas?