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DEL.ICIO.USA Republican wonders if early voting shouldn’t be part of the debate over election theft
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the early years of this century, voter fraud was a fixation reserved for one particular party.
The emphasis had its origins in two presidential defeats, and bitter ballot fights in Florida and Ohio.
In Georgia, conspiracy theorists even raised the possibility that hidden computer codes in newly issued voting machines had thrown the 2002 election to Sonny Perdue, the state’s first Republican governor in 130 years.
Liberals, African-Americans and young people were among those most likely to believe that their votes hadn’t been accurately counted. “The skepticism was on the Democratic side back then,” said pollster John Zogby. “They were obsessed.”
Paranoia has now shifted to the other foot.
That elections are being stolen right and left has become an article of faith among Republicans.
Attacks on liberal voter-registration groups like ACORN didn’t jump up from nowhere. The importance of countering voter fraud is a plank in nearly every state GOP platform, and the national one as well. Why?
”That’s easy. Our voters don’t cheat,” said Eric Johnson of Savannah, the ranking Republican in the state Senate and a prime supporter of Georgia’s 2005 voter ID law.
“We wouldn’t know how to cheat. [Democrats] seem to be creative. I mean they’re out there registering prisoners now. Openly and actively,” Johnson said.
The Senate president pro tem says he’s got no evidence that Democrats are subverting the November vote in Georgia — except for that lawsuit filed last week against Secretary of State Karen Handel.
Handel has encouraged local election offices to question the eligibility of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of new Georgia voters flagged by a computer verification program.
Those singled out must prove themselves — which voting rights groups say amounts to intimidation.
“What’s their motive for that [lawsuit], other than to get people who aren’t legal, registered?” Johnson asked.
If ballot integrity is one GOP incentive, changing demographics could be another. Given their party’s limited appeal among minorities, Republicans have long viewed with trepidation the proportional shrinking of the nation’s white population.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s voter registration operation carries the potential of speeding that process in Georgia, which has among the lowest voter participation rates in the country.
Only half of those eligible to vote in Georgia actually cast a ballot in the 2004 presidential election, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And that was a high-water mark in the state’s voting history.
Minorities make up a disproportionate number of the state’s non-voters, according to Doug Bachtel, the University of Georgia statistician and sociologist. The South’s legacy of black disenfranchisement is partly to blame, he said.
But Georgia’s white population also tends to be older, wealthier and better educated — all factors that coincide with higher rates of voter participation, he said.
Figures from the office of Secretary of State Karen Handel have made clear that the prospect of the first African-American president produced a surge of black voter registration that ended last week.
But it’s not just Obama’s success in bringing new voters into the game that has Georgia Republicans worried — for registration is only half the battle. Traditionally, where Democrats have fallen short is in the delivery of these new voters to the polls on Election Day.
Early voting may have changed that. So far, close to 40 percent of all early votes in Georgia have been cast by African-Americans, who usually make up 25 percent of the voting universe in statewide contests.
When they talk of voter fraud, many Republicans point to “motor voter” laws pushed during the Democratic era of Bill Clinton. The measures expanded voter registration sites to include driver license stations and even public libraries.
Early voting in Georgia was a Republican device, intended to make it easier for the party’s harried, suburban supporters to cast their ballots. Even so, it’s about to become part of the Republican debate over election theft.
Johnson called the practice “a mistake.”
“Even if it was well-intentioned, we may find that we’ve opened up more opportunities for those people who are looking for ways to cheat,” said the Senate leader, who’s likely to run for lieutenant governor in 2010.
Tighter controls on voter registration, and continued use of photographic identification may be enough, he said — but if not, the elimination or curtailment of early voting should be considered.
“I think what we’re seeing now is the ability to have time to go out there and pick up homeless people, and carry them to the polls, and register cats,” Johnson said. “It just opens up a 30-day period of time when, if your goal is to undermine democracy, you’ve got 30 days to do it instead of one.”
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Comments
By b6542
October 12, 2008 4:36 PM | Link to this
No problem with early voting. Just ONE vote per voter though please. ACORN is over the top.
By Derrick
October 12, 2008 4:48 PM | Link to this
Imagine that, state election officials enforcing federal and state law banning non-citizens from voting in an election!
Oh the humanity!
By JW
October 12, 2008 4:59 PM | Link to this
Mr. Johnson must have been born and raised in GA because he isn’t too bright. They wrote the rules, they used them to get elected, and now they object to people doing it by the rules. What is he really trying to say about the voting public? Does he want to revert back to the old GA rules complete with threats, tests, etc? He had better tread lightly if he is looking to run for state office. A sleeping giant has been awakened. It’s called “we the people”.
By Ben
October 12, 2008 5:04 PM | Link to this
I would like for Mr Johnson, or anyone else who claims that there is rampant voter fraud to point to one case in the last 20 years where someone was convicted of a felony offense. To my knowledge there has not been a single FELONY offense in that period of time. Sure, some older voters get confused, or some people may forget to change their addresses, but I challenge anyone to find evidence—real evidence—of systematic voter fraud.
By butch
October 12, 2008 5:11 PM | Link to this
Republicans gripe that Acorn turns in invalid registrations, but they can’t prove a single case where anyone actually voted illegally. One of the reasons people have registered multiple times is that the state didn’t register them the first time. Even the Federal government has complained about the number of registrations that GA has sent to be checked. Now, some people working for Acorn were getting paid by the number of voters registered and they cheated Acorn by turning in fake registrations. Those fake registrations cost Acorn and they cost the state some time to check, but they weren’t going to turn into votes. The Republicans know this, but use it as a red herring to continue their mission of keeping new, possibly young or minority, voters from registering.
By catlady
October 12, 2008 5:14 PM | Link to this
heh,heh. Eric Johnson is so funny. We have seen blatant efforts to steal elections by his “folks”. Close the door on fraud on absentee voting, Eric, which I suspect is done more often by older folks, who tend to be Republican. No ID needed. To vote early you have to show ID, so it is unlikely that you have much fraud there, just people who work for a living (remember that?) and find time any day they can to come exercise their Constitutional right (remember that?) to vote. You just don’t want a big turnout, do you, Eric? Afraid Georgia has too few bigots for your boys to win the elections?
I hope that the Justice Dept will come down hard on Georgia and other states if they are disproportionately asking for verfication from poor folks and minorities. After all, rich white folks get married and change their names as well, which should trigger the verification process, right? Let’s hear from them about being disenfranchized. However, instead of turning sadly away, they would raise h3ll.
By Peter
October 12, 2008 5:15 PM | Link to this
Absentee ballots don’t require any identification at all. Hummmmm … Imagine they have done all that legislation to “ensure there is no voter fraud” but not fixed the problem. What were they thinking?
By Al, Lawrenceville, GA
October 12, 2008 5:36 PM | Link to this
Republicans have this cheating stuff down to a science. My mother always told me to be suspicious of people who are known cheaters when they start accusing the other side of the same thing. All indications point to early voters more likely to vote Democrat. Now, the Republicans are calling it “a mistake.” The Republicans are going to find out just how big a mistake it was but it won’t be due to cheating. Get it?
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 12, 2008 5:43 PM | Link to this
Really Republicans?
Really?
Well when the Democrats thought that Bush stole the election in 2000 and 2004 they didn’t shoot or bomb anyone.
The head of the Democratic party in Arkansas just got shot by a crazy Republican, and that was BEFORE the election.
We’ll see what Republicans do when Obama wins.
Of course, John Lewis is ‘inciting hatred’ which is why all those people at Democratic Rallies are calling McCain a terrorist and Palin a traitor….you know calling him “That One” and saying “Kill Him!”
So we’ll see who does what in November and beyond.
By Sir Winston
October 12, 2008 5:51 PM | Link to this
No most democrats do not bomb things, Aaron. Just The Obama’s, peace be upon him, pals Ayers and Dorn do things like that.
As for Lewis, he just cost The Obama, peace be upon him, OH and PA with those ignorant comments. Peace.
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 12, 2008 6:18 PM | Link to this
So it was Lewis that cost him, as compared to say…..the Obama Youth video, or the Obama Gay Sex video or maybe the Britney Spears/Paris Hilton commercial?
Maybe it was the commercial that implied Obama used drugs?
Surely there’s a Willie Horton in that box of Kracker Jacks somewhere!
Either that or a decoder ring.
Hint: Always Drink Your Ovaltine.
Or….”Get a Clue.”
By Clever Republican Proxy
October 12, 2008 6:24 PM | Link to this
AHA! Obama said he used drugs! Thus proving my superior intellect!
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 12, 2008 6:27 PM | Link to this
Wow! You got me.
That was about as clever as “Bombbombbombomb Iran!”
I know…low blow. That was just a comment to some fellow soldiers.
And Obama actually already admitted he used drugs. Just because we make mistakes in our past doesn’t mean it makes sense to use them to haunt them forever.
Because if we don’t forgive each other mistakes under duress, does McCain really want to bring up his POW status and a certain video he was forced to make?
By Bill Wheeler
October 12, 2008 6:35 PM | Link to this
Considering that Obama knew Ayers casually and he was 8 when Ayers was doing his anti-government activity, I don’t think that qualifies Obama as a terrorist and of course he isn’t “paling around with terrorists.” But on the otherhand half his staff has been found to be involved in overthrowing foreign governments, involved in taking money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac up until last month, and McCain himself is part of the Keating 5 scandal where he was chastized by congress for poor ethics. And by the way the Republican ticket are the only Presidential candidates of either party to EVER have been convicted of ethics violations (McCain for Keating 5 ethics violations and Palin who has recently been found to have violated state ethics laws. As far as elections? Every voting machine made in the US is made by a company run by Republicans. There has NEVER been a recorded case of ANYONE who has been arrested, charged and found guilty of voter fraud in the last 50 YEARS! But that doesn’t keep Republicans from whinning that there is a danger! In fact it has recently been found that the state laws which are causing the election dept of each state to cross check registered voters against outdated data bases are actually causing more Republicans to be taken off the rolls than democrats. Oh Karma!
By Kay
October 12, 2008 6:41 PM | Link to this
Any US voter need not be worried about voting. Just show their drivers license or their ID card. If they dont have one well tough. They have known for over 4 years that an election is coming. Anyone one can get a ID Card. This calls for a birth certificate or social security card. There is no reason at all that this country should not be using ID’s for voting. There are way to many illegals here not to use the ID for voting.
By Clyde Nugget
October 12, 2008 6:54 PM | Link to this
If registered dead people and the Dallas Cowboy football team as residents of Nevada isn’t fraud, what in the hell is fraud? ACORN is doing so much illegal voter registration everyone of the ACORN workers should be thrown into prison for a long time. They hire street people, felons to register non-existent people, felons, the deceased, they register businesses as people, etc. CROOKS AND OBAMA SUPPORTERS. That, folks, is fraud and illegal, a felon, so don’t say there has been no illegal activity from this awful, crooked ACORN. Obama will do anything, anything to get elected, lie, cheat, change his positions on issues to suit the voters even though he himself has not changed his mind, deny being a communist (his mentor was a card carrying communist, “like father and son”). If he wins, we will see a real change in American; democracy will be gone.
By Tax the rich, feed the poor til there are rich no more
October 12, 2008 7:05 PM | Link to this
No need to worry, NObama will fold, in spite of McCain’s lack of planning. And it WON’T be because of race - sorry for you - it will be because people aren’t that stupid to belive his BS. Tax, Tax, Tax the rich….oh, and more tax breaks for those low-life underachivers that don’t pay taxes (you know who you are). But, what will happen when the rich stop paying taxes? Who you gonna tax then to prop up your welfare state?
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 12, 2008 7:11 PM | Link to this
Yeah, because they’re buying so much of the BS the Republicans are shoveling.
And people who don’t pay taxes? I know more Republicans who take pride for dodging their taxes than Democrats.
I don’t know democrats who cackle with glee as they play little games for evading uncle sam taking ‘their money’.
“Low life underachievers” like…Children. Because almost all republican lawmakers voted against SCHIP to avoid ‘just another government handout.”
Sociopath.
By Aaron momma is calling...
October 12, 2008 7:17 PM | Link to this
Aaron, you don’t know any Republicans! You might envy quite a few though.
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 12, 2008 7:24 PM | Link to this
Unfortunately Morph, I DO know Republicans.
And the more I get to know them, the more I wish I didn’t. Unfortunately, some of them are family members so I have to pretend to like them.
Then there are the Republicans who pretend to be libertarians. All but one of them have no black friends and equate Vernon Jones with Barack Obama. They pretend to know all about the economy but refuse to pay attention to any source of information they don’t like. They pretend they’re intelligent but they’re really shallow, petty and disgusting…unless you’re their friend in which case you’re ‘in’.
I am sad to know far too many Republicans, and generally unless they’re supporting Obama already, they disgust me.
By tax the rich, feed the poor
October 12, 2008 7:25 PM | Link to this
Aaron, wise up. SCHIP is a handout - show me in the constitution or bill of rights where it’s funded or guaranteed that someone else has to cover your expenses. That’s what family, church or charity is for, NOT taxes or weath re-distribution.
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 12, 2008 7:29 PM | Link to this
Taxy,
If I wised up, I wouldn’t be wasting my time talking to you neanderthals and what fun would that be?
Wise means understanding when a struggle is utterly futile. Republicans do not think. Republicans think what they are told.
I hear and read about Republicans that used to think, but they’re pretty much gone now, or supporting or endorsing Obama.
SCHIP is a hand out?
Yeah. So is your freedom. It was given to you at great sacrifice by our forefathers. And they died so you can let children starve to death, bleed to death and throw them out of their homes.
Hail capitalism baby.
By MANGLER
October 12, 2008 7:37 PM | Link to this
You weren’t screaming voter fraud when you were ahead in the polls. But now you aren’t and suddenly there’s a problem. Intersting.
By foxdog
October 12, 2008 7:44 PM | Link to this
Stealing elections didn’t just start. Witness the 1960 election, Joe Kennedy buys Chicago(Illinois) and West Virginia for Jack.
By Ridley
October 12, 2008 7:48 PM | Link to this
It amazes republicans are so caught up in fear especially since Fear is the only thing they have offered anyone.
Kind of ironic for the party who claims a stranglehold on Christianity as bearing fearful is looked down upon in scripture
By Frustrated
October 12, 2008 8:14 PM | Link to this
ACORN pays folk to register voters. The false registrations are a result to sorry workers that fill out forms with the nonsense and report hours they did not work to ACORN, so the fraud is employee fraud, not voter fraud. The folk coming into vote have to have ID, and that ID has to match their registration. I would assume only the true Dallas Cowboys carry the right ID. ACORN needs to learn how to supervise employees and fire those that do not do their job.
By onetogo
October 12, 2008 8:51 PM | Link to this
i wonder how many other businesses are getting voter registration cards? we received some at our business and notified our local elections rep. he seemed to be very unconcerned but said he’d look into it, so gloria, james, taneska, lauren and delean…….. i hope you can explain how you live at my place of work.
By PW
October 12, 2008 8:51 PM | Link to this
I am one of those persons “forced” to register several times because of Georgia’s inability to get the registrations into their computer system. I moved early in the year and filed for a change of address in March. Each time I checked online it still showed my old address. I called and was told to send in another form. I did - twice. I checked on October 2nd and it still showed my old address so I went to the early voting site, luckily I had my orignal voter card showing I was a registered voter, changed my address in person and voted.
The Republicans are just mad because they created these “cool” rules for themselves and now other people have caught on and are using them. Oh well…
By Goldie
October 12, 2008 9:09 PM | Link to this
The Republicans should own up to their systematic “purging” of names from the voter rolls — talk about cheating! Karen Handel just seems like a GA version of Katherine Harris in FLA, who illegally purged valid names from FLA’s voter rolls in the 2000 election season, all because some names may have been “too similar” to convicted felons names!
Mr. Galloway— please do the state of GA a big service and write about the other side of cheating, which is denying registered voters the right to vote in this General Election, even though they also voted in the last General Election… Karen Handel’s office has been purging voters names if they did not participate in the last few primary elections. Not everyone participates in the primaries; and many voters only participate during a General Election so they can vote for the President. There have been some voters who found out the hard way that they only thought they were still registered to vote, when in fact their names had been purged.
Republicans always want to suppress the number of voters who turn out every General Election, because they know they can’t win otherwise!
By Critical Thinker
October 12, 2008 9:13 PM | Link to this
Bottom line - no campaign, no matter how sleazy, would be dumb enough to PAY someone to complete voter registration cards with names of athletes and restaurants to win an election Angry republicans quickly attempted to tie this to Obama without THINKING. His campaign is too smart to think that a person will be able to vote under the name “Jimmy Johns” (a restaurant) and help their election. It is bad enough that we must deal with mudslinging and hatred - but must we add stupidity? Geez - when did patriotism become synonymous to dimwittedness?
By Constance
October 12, 2008 9:47 PM | Link to this
I went to vote early last Tuesday. The line was so long, I left with intent to return another day. The line was continuous. The personnel indicated that this has been the turnout everyday. I don’t think there is any voter fraud. People really believe they can make a difference. Many of my friends and collegues plan to vote early.
Stop sqabbling about this. Move on.
By Lynne
October 12, 2008 9:52 PM | Link to this
You know, it would be almost worth it to see Obama elected and see how you punks react to all he has in store for you. Boy are you going to be surprised!! Only trouble, I’ll have to suffer with you. Be afraid, be very afraid. You know NOTHING about this man.
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 12, 2008 10:25 PM | Link to this
Well here is what I do know Lynne.
I know that he doesn’t belong to a party that thinks that George W. Bush isn’t a war criminal.
I know that he didn’t select Sarah “Shoots Wolves from Helicopters” Palin.
And I know that he makes a pretty good case of saying who he is. Obama on television seems like a good match for “Audacity of Hope” whereas the McCain of “Flags of our Fathers” isn’t the liar I see ditching Letterman in a political stunt.
I also see someone who refuses to see anything they don’t want to see, Lynne.
By Chuck Uga
October 12, 2008 10:30 PM | Link to this
Goldie, Karen Handel is following the letter of the law. Maybe you should do some research. People cannot vote when they want and stay away from the booth when they want. Check it out…it’s not cafeteria-style.
By More Disgusted
October 12, 2008 10:46 PM | Link to this
I agree with Disgusted’s earlier post. Even if the states actually added these names to the voter rolls, the individuals would have to have PICTURE ID when they went to the polls. I participated in some of the registration drives here, and all that we did was hand over the blank application and take them back up. We did not/could not make the decision as to whether the individual was being truthful or not.
A duplicate registration should not be possible if the registrar’s office has their information correct. If duplications are happening, it is not the fault of ACORN or any other group that may be trying to get people registered. That fault would lie w/the registrar’s office and or the Sec. of State’s office.
Think about this…. How many of you have given bogus information on a credit card application to get a “free gift” at a ball game?
How many of you actually scheduled an appointment for the “free carpet cleaning” or “free estimate,” knowing you wouldn’t be there, just to get the people out of your hair!!
I am not suggesting that those who seek to register voters are being pests, but some people don’t want to admit that they can’t register for any of a number of reasons!
By **NO**bama.com
October 12, 2008 10:48 PM | Link to this
ACORN, what a joke organization. It shows that the only way dems think they can win is by cheating, go figure.
NObama will fold, don’t worry. The truth will ALWAYS win out.
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 12, 2008 10:55 PM | Link to this
The truth always wins out huh?
That is the DUMBEST thing I have ever heard.
First from your magical market fairy land:
If the truth wins out….how exactly did Clinton and Carter win?
DUH.
And if you’re on planet Reality…..how did W. win exactly?
By most bothered
October 12, 2008 10:56 PM | Link to this
More disgusted…The answer for me is NONE. I can tell someone I’m not interested. You might try that next time.
By Joe Sheppard
October 13, 2008 1:29 AM | Link to this
I would not refer to illegal voting as “paranoia”, when ACORN recruiters have being investigated in at least 8 states and been caught red-handed trying to get people to register multiple times. We also here now that scores of criminals were registered to vote in Florida. I wonder who they were planning to vote for?
The crying “foul” of liberals is a stunt to screw up the voting process (remember the stupid “chad” thing in Florida?). The liberals create a “paranoia” deleberately. Honest voters are concerned because voting irregularities are turning up everywhere in significant numbers. We should be angry that are only chance to make a difference is being robbed from us by those who believe the ends justify the means.
By Ronnie Moseley
October 13, 2008 1:31 AM | Link to this
I have only one statement for Obama voters, do not be intimidated by the joe six packers(whites that have migrated from places unknown), hockey moms(pittsburg,pa)where the last names end with(ki,sia),and those who love jacked-up pick-up, I say vote and be counted,birmingham,al. is only 120mi’s away.
By Billy
October 13, 2008 1:34 AM | Link to this
Voter fraud is when you go and vote twice. Election fraud is when you systematically purge thousands of people, disproportionally Democratic-leaning minorities, from the voter rolls in Florida before the 2000 election.
Sure, you claim it was part of a sweep of felons who should not be allowed to vote, but if you only have one “Bob Smith” on your felons list then only one should be purged. Sometimes multiple purges occurred for the same supposed felon, often it was due to a similarity in the names. Sometimes things were just flat made-up. Like the guy whose date of conviction was..drum roll…2007!
Let the ACORN staffers register as many “new voters” as they like. As has been mentioned already, it’s not voter fraud until the fake personas actually vote. And even if this occurred, it is nowhere near as big a threat to our democracy as the fact that partisan companies make the voting machines. Which provide no paper trail. And have proven easily hackable.
By Ronnie Moseley
October 13, 2008 1:36 AM | Link to this
I have only one statement for Obama voters, do not be intimidated by the joe six packers(whites that have migrated from places unknown), hockey moms(pittsburg,pa)where the last names end with(ki,sia),and those who love jacked-up pick-up, I say vote and be counted,birmingham,al. is only 120mi’s away.
By Joe
October 13, 2008 1:37 AM | Link to this
I would not refer to illegal voting as “paranoia”, when ACORN recruiters have being investigated in at least 8 states and been caught red-handed trying to get people to register multiple times. We also hear now that scores of criminals were registered to vote in Florida. I wonder who they were planning to vote for?
The crying “foul” of liberals is a stunt to screw up the voting process (remember the stupid “chad” thing in Florida?). The liberals create a “paranoia” deleberately. Honest voters are concerned because voting irregularities are turning up everywhere in significant numbers. We should be angry that our only chance to make a difference is being robbed from us by those who believe the ends justify the means.
By Billy
October 13, 2008 1:39 AM | Link to this
Voter fraud is when you go and vote twice. Election fraud is when you systematically purge thousands of people, disproportionally Democratic-leaning minorities, from the voter rolls in Florida before the 2000 election.
Sure, you claim it was part of a sweep of felons who should not be allowed to vote, but if you only have one “Bob Smith” on your felons list then only one should be purged. Sometimes multiple purges occurred for the same supposed felon, often it was due to a similarity in the names. Sometimes things were just flat made-up. Like the guy whose date of conviction was..drum roll…2007!
Let the ACORN staffers register as many “new voters” as they like. As has been mentioned already, it’s not voter fraud until the fake personas actually vote. And even if this occurred, it is nowhere near as big a threat to our democracy as the fact that partisan companies make the voting machines. Which provide no paper trail. And have proven easily hackable.
By Ronnie Moseley
October 13, 2008 1:41 AM | Link to this
after all the voting machines are a product of bushes main supported diebolt. now we just can’t let this happen again. even though bush daddy was the leader of the CIA, now we should know how these people like to create s**.
By jedclampette
October 13, 2008 2:01 AM | Link to this
By Billy
October 13, 2008 1:39 AM | Link to this
Voter fraud is when you go and vote twice. Election fraud is when you systematically purge thousands of people, disproportionally Democratic-leaning minorities, from the voter rolls in Florida before the 2000 election.
The purge was done by a data collection agency located in Georgia and not the state of Florida.
By Miss Kitty
October 13, 2008 3:35 AM | Link to this
And what’s wrong with registering homeless people? They have a stake in the direction the country is moving in as well. And its ironic that none of these Republican voices were crying about early voting and irregularities when George Bush & Co. stole a whole national election before our very eyes, disenfranchising thousands in what was probably the single most horrendous act of undermining public will and official corruption in the history of this nation.
Democrats are encouraged and motivated. We know this is the real deal. We are determined to let every vote count this time. And in 3 weeks, we will win across the board.
By I.T. Guy
October 13, 2008 4:38 AM | Link to this
Voter fraud through these machines will always be an issue as long as there is no paper trail to provide record of these votes., and here’s why:
Any Computer Programmer, Application Developer or Database Administrator (such as myself) knows this.
There are various ways that votes can be assigned to one candidate even though you see and select another candidate on the screen. Simple CASE or DECODE statements in the computer code can accomplish that. They can basically take your vote, store it in a variable and route it to a different column in the database because of the way the variables are mapped (say temporary variable A is actually mapped to column A instead of column B like it should).
They can take votes and reassign to another candidate after a certain number or percentage of votes have been cast for a particular candidate by the use of LOOPS…
They can delete records from the database tables whenever they want simply by specifying the rownumber range every so often by running a scheduled job on the back end of the database, thereby making votes disappear into a “black hole”.
The possibilities are endless with this stuff people!
The American people will be forever robbed of fair elections until we make things like this a big deal. We have to start voting OUT our politician’s who do not represent our interests. Why have their not been referendums in different states to give the people a chance to vote on whether or not we want these voting machines without paper trails people??
WAKE UP AND MAKE SOME NOISE! AJC take notice and use this info. to dig deeper and become a sounding board.
I cannot believe to this point I have not heard publicly (with all these Information Technology professionals in this country) the specifics of the how’s” being discussed.
By I.T. Guy
October 13, 2008 4:43 AM | Link to this
Voter fraud through these machines will always be an issue as long as there is no paper trail to provide record of these votes., and here’s why:
Any Computer Programmer, Application Developer or Database Administrator (such as myself) knows this.
There are various ways that votes can be assigned to one candidate even though you see and select another candidate on the screen. Simple CASE or DECODE statements in the computer code can accomplish that. They can basically take your vote, store it in a variable and route it to a different column in the database because of the way the variables are mapped (say temporary variable A is actually mapped to column A instead of column B like it should).
They can take votes and reassign to another candidate after a certain number or percentage of votes have been cast for a particular candidate by the use of LOOPS…
They can delete records from the database tables whenever they want simply by specifying the rownumber range every so often by running a scheduled job on the back end of the database, thereby making votes disappear into a “black hole”.
The possibilities are endless with this stuff people!
The American people will be forever robbed of fair elections until we make things like this a big deal. We have to start voting OUT our politician’s who do not represent our interests. Why have their not been referendums in different states to give the people a chance to vote on whether or not we want these voting machines without paper trails people??
WAKE UP AND MAKE SOME NOISE! AJC take notice and use this info. to dig deeper and become a sounding board.
I cannot believe to this point I have not heard publicly (with all these Information Technology professionals in this country) the specifics of the how’s” being discussed.
By Manny
October 13, 2008 5:44 AM | Link to this
As long as the voter is verified prior to voting, there’s really no voter fraud.
The folks at ACORN made a stupid decision by paying people per voter registration. That’s what’s going on. But those fake registrations didn’t actually vote yet.
And as far as Georgia is concerned, they verify the voter… believe me. You have to have a State registered picture ID before you’re allowed to vote.
I am concerned about the lack of paper trail, though. There should be a receipt system that verifies the vote. I mean, if you went to the store to buy milk, you get a receipt to verify your purchase, right? The same should be for your vote.
By Rale Krowe
October 13, 2008 6:35 AM | Link to this
Adult Only OBAMA Video. must be over 21 to watch..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK5TprmkgRw&feature=related
By rukidding
October 13, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this
Seems to me that Handel is actually following the law. Interesting concept for a politician.
By rukidding
October 13, 2008 8:38 AM | Link to this
Seems to me that Handel is actually following the law. Interesting concept for a politician.
By El Cid
October 14, 2008 4:13 AM | Link to this
Republicans don’t really think Democratic voters are cheating. It’s just their last excuse for why they’re losing. They don’t like the fact that increased voter participation means they lose.
And the notion that Democrats or “ACORN” is behind some scheme to ‘steal’ votes by having people register to vote is one of the most laughable charges by a completely laughable party in the past 7.5 years of absolute Republican ridiculousness and corruption.
The fact that these idiot spokespeople can publicly mouth a conspiracy of ‘homeless’ people voting — forget for a moment just HOW FEW homeless people there are compared to the voting population — just tells you how desperate they’ve become.
You want to hear about election corruption & fraud? How about the entire Republican Department of Justice is under investigation because they fired prosecutors who wouldn’t go along with their fake ‘voter fraud’ claims. Remember honorable prosecutor David Iglesias? Yes, Karl Rove and Bush Jr. had him wrongly removed because he wouldn’t go along with their scheme to fabricate — yes, FABRICATE — fake charges of voter fraud so as to scare people away from voting.
Republicans don’t like it when people actually vote. Or, rather, they consider anyone who votes that isn’t Republican to be ‘voter fraud’.
And like everything else, Republicans always accuse others of the wrongs and crimes THEY THEMSELVES are committing. But this time, they won’t be able to steal or intimidate this election away.
Or maybe they don’t care — maybe they think that by fake whining & crying that “ACORN” and “the homeless” are stealing their vote that they won’t have to follow what the new Democratic President & Congress do.
Think again.
By WAW
October 14, 2008 4:32 AM | Link to this
Johnson is such a jerk! He knows “those people” will vote for “that one”. This one did using the Republican provided “trash ‘em early” method.
By Drew
October 14, 2008 7:43 PM | Link to this
I love it - when Republicans believed that early voting would benefit their constituents, they supported it. But now that Democratic voters - especially those of a certain color - avail themselves of a privilege Republicans thought they had reserved for themselves, well! Time to change that law!
Republicans don’t have a problem with voting fraud. They have a problem with voting.
By JerryT
October 14, 2008 8:50 PM | Link to this
There may be many types of voter fraud (not sure), but a photo ID can only prevent one: Voter impersonation. And our ID law wouldn’t even really prevent that because we can renew our licenses online. My picture will be 8 years old when I have to renew. I’ve lost a lot of hair and I wear glasses now. Will I be denied? Are the poll workers being trained in recognition techniques?
The reason voter impersonation doesn’t happen is because it is practically impossible to get away with it even without a picture ID. It is more likely that a poll worker will now deny a ballot to a neighbor because of a feud than they will see a case of voter impersonation. Who is going to show up at a precinct where they or the person they are impersonating may be recognized just to cast one extra vote?
And illegal immigrants are not going to get registered, let alone get to vote. At least not if the Sec. of State is doing her job. The last thing they want is for their fake ID to be verified by the government.
By Acornia Utopia Jenkins
October 14, 2008 10:46 PM | Link to this
It is ok for libs to do the voter fraud. It is only rep. that steal elections. No lib or dem has ever broken the law, and certainly not Afro-American Libs or Dems. It is only the evil Rep. and their plan top heat up the earth that should be feared. As a proud lefty I think the reps need a final solution. Then we all can ride unicorns and lick rainbows while the gov’t get us off. Imagine…….
By Aaron Burr V. Mexico
October 14, 2008 11:29 PM | Link to this
Hey stupid.
Democrats do break the law and steal elections.
Only they’re Republicans now.
Most of the democrats that do steal elections have left the party.
And your faith in the market fairy makes the craziest stupidest liberal look like Einstein by comparison.
Conservatives just don’t GET it.
Markets without regulations DO NOT WORK.