Fishy Ballot In Cambridge? “Scott Brown’s bubble was already filled in”

[jefferson_dem]

Fishy Ballot In Cambridge?

A software engineer in Cambridge tells he was handed a fishy ballot at the polling station in a local firehouse — it already had the bubble next to Scott Brown’s name filled in. But doesn’t think it likely that it was fraud.

“Scott Brown’s bubble was already filled in,” the software engineer, Aaron Kemp, 28, tells me by phone. “I handed it back to them and asked, `Can I have a clean ballot, please?’”

The workers at the polling place in the Lexington Avenue Firehouse “were very surprised,” Kemp says, adding that he asked them to look through the other ballots to see if any others had a bubble filled in. “They looked through and they didn’t see any other ones,” he says.

Kemp says the area is very Democratic, and he worries that other voters might get a similar ballot without noticing, fill in Martha Coakley’s name, and submit a ballot with two names filled in, rendering it ineligible. But he says he thinks it was more likely a foul up than fraud. And, obviously, this is only one example.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/fishy-ballot-in-cambridge/

[drm604]

1. How the hell could it be a foul up?

If proper procedures are followed, what accidental series of events could lead to this? This is either fraud or gross negligence, neither of which should be shrugged off.

In a really tight race, one or two of these in each heavily Democratic precinct could tilt the outcome.

[slackmaster]

6. The main definition of "foul-up" has something to do with proper procedures NOT being followed

Unless the procedures themselves are flawed.

[drm604]

8. Of course

I probably worded that badly. My point is that, whatever the cause, it's not something that should be dismissed as lightly as this voter seems to be doing.

To me, there just doesn't seem to be to be any way this could happen with proper procedures in place except by gross negligence or intentional fraud.

And frankly, it's difficult for me to see how this could happen by negligence. How do you accidentally fill in a bubble on a voting form?

[slackmaster]

11. Hopefully it was an isolated or even unique incident

I'm glad the voter was attentive.

[hack89]

17. Say you start to fill out the ballot and realize you made a mistake

so you give it back to the poll worker and ask for another one. The poll worker is careless with the bad ballot and it eventually gets put back with the unfilled ballots.

Do you realize who runs our polling places? Usually poorly trained senior citizens. With such a crush of voters there will be many errors today.

[drm604]

21. Yea, I can see that possibly happening,

but in two places, and both times in Brown's favor? It seems too convenient.

[Kdillard]

2. Unbelievable. Hopefully the people voting will pay attention.

[jdlh8894]

3. Are they using PAPER ballots??? n/t

[drm604]

4. Yes,

but even paper ballots aren't perfect. Voters have to be vigilant.

[KingFlorez]

5. That was not an error, trust

This is their insurance, they are counting on having Coakley's votes thrown out. To anyone in Massachusetts, check your ballot before you cast it.

[goclark]

7. Yep, Rove Playbook at work nt

[drm604]

9. Absolutely.

How do you accidentally fill in a bubble on a voting form. It makes no sense.

[Blasphemer]

12. Indeed not. The PTB have a lot invested in this race... nt

[drm604]

10. I've PM'ed Bradblog with a link to this thread.

Hopefully he can help to get the word out.

[Blue Owl]

13. I sure hope

nobody investigates this. We need to remain in the shadows about the integrity of our election systems.

Americans can once again take comfort in not knowing whether their vote was counted or if a bunch of phony ballots were secretly registered as a result of the GOP infiltrating the privatized, non-verifiable vote-counting industry.

The beauty part is that Karl Rove doesn't even have to violate the Hatch Act to steal elections anymore -- he can do it right from his own cesspool.


:sarcasm:

[jefferson_dem]

14. Another one.

Update: A second voter — Julia Volynskaya, a 34-year-old social worker from Brighton — is now reporting the same experience.

“I was handed a ballot and when I went to fill it out I saw that the bubble next to Brown’s name was already filled in,” Volynskaya, who voted today in Brighton. Election workers, she added, promised her they “were going to look into how this happened.”

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/fishy-ballot-in-cambridge/

[drm604]

16. How odd.

It's weird how the same accident could happen twice like this. I'm sure it's a coincidence. :sarcasm:

Let me guess, Brighton is a Democratic stronghold, right?

[Cha]

18. WTF! I don't want cheating but why is it only brown's name

filled in?

[City Lights]

15. How convenient.

:nuke:

Republicans can't win without cheating.

[ObamaKerryDem]

19. +1

They try to pull this shit everytime...EVERY. TIME.:thumbsdown:

[LeftyAndProud60]

20. Cambridge? Figures

[Clio the Leo]

22. "Coakley Campaign To Sound Alarm On Reported Ballots Pre-Marked For Scott Brown"

Coakley Campaign To Sound Alarm On Reported Ballots Pre-Marked For Scott Brown
Eric Kleefeld

The Martha Coakley campaign just sent out a media advisory, announcing a press conference at 5:30 p.m. ET, alleging irregularities in the special Senate election.

The press conference will involve reports of voters who received ballots that were already marked for Republican candidate Scott Brown.

It should be noted that the Coakley campaign will have on hand as an attorney one Marc Elias, who was previously the head recount lawyer for Al Franken in Minnesota, a legal drama that lasted for eight months after election day 2008. Elias also worked on another high-profile recount before that, the Washington state gubernatorial race in 2004. So clearly, the Coakley campaign was fully prepared for a super-close election by having Elias already on hand in Boston.

MEDIA ADVISORY: COAKLEY CAMPAIGN TO DISCUSS INTEGRITY OF ELECTION
Multiple Reports Of Ballots Pre-Marked For Scott Brown

BOSTON - Following multiple independent reports of ballots being given to voters pre-marked for Republican Scott Brown, Coakley Campaign Manager Kevin Conroy and Attorney Marc Elias will hold a press conference in the Sheraton Grand Ballroom at 5:30 pm.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/coakley-campaign-to-sound-alarm-on-reported-ballots-pre-marked-for-scott-brown.php

They've hired Al Franken's former campaign attorney.
http://twitter.com/senatus/status/7962750774

Jessica Yellin says the Mass Sec of State is aware of two cases ... both voters were given new ballots.
http://twitter.com/YellinCNN

[Clio the Leo]

23. Coakley statement on the matter....

http://ow.ly/Yn3D

[jefferson_dem]

24. Thanks for updating.

:hi:

[Clio the Leo]

25. CNN just tweeted this "news".....

.... I'm not sure what I feel about the notion as a whole but the fact that CNN is reporting it is a GOOD thing.