Wash. State Republican Party Says Clerical Error Should Bar 735 Ballots [View All]

http://www.moveleft.com/moveleft_essay_2004_12_21_washington_state_recount_for_governor_and_735_ballots.asp

In Washington State, they are doing a hand-recount in their close governor's race.

In majority-Democratic King County, Washington, election workers discovered that they mistakenly rejected 735 legal absentee ballots.

They rejected those absentee ballots because they didn't have a signautre-on-file in the computer.

But they now realize they do have a signature-on-file on paper.

Washington State only mails absentee ballots in the first place when they have a signature-on-file.

The election officials in King County want to count those ballots for this recount. However, "on Friday, Pierce County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Arend granted a (Washingon State) Republican (Party) request for a temporary order preventing King County from including the ballots in the hand recount. Democrats, King County and Reed have appealed that to the Supreme Court, which will consider the matter tomorrow." ("Reed says county has right to fix error, tally 735 ballots" by David Postman, Dec. 21, 2004.)

This how Republican Dino Rossi responded through a spokeswoman to the news that several-hundred ballots won't be counted, pending appeal ("Judge blocks count of some Wash. Ballots," AP via USA Today, Dec. 17, 2004):

Rossi spokeswoman Mary Lane said the judge made the right decision.

"If King County were allowed to keep adding more ballots, elections would never end," Lane said.

As for those whose ballots aren't counted, she said: "That is King County's fault. We cannot be held responsible for the fact that King County made a mistake."

People like Dino Rossi and his spokeswoman Mary Lane, who are contemptuous of democracy, should not hold power in a democratic society.

http://www.moveleft.com/moveleft_essay_2004_12_21_washington_state_recount_for_governor_and_735_ballots.asp