from Message 14838066
Assume 45,000 ballots were stuck with a stiff wire or pointed tool. It would take somebody a little bit of privacy and about 15 minutes. A ream of paper is 1 inch thick, 45,000 many ballots can be carried by one person in one handcart or box, damaged, and returned to position very quickly. More simply, they could be punched several hundred at a time while the stack is lined before being read at the voting machine - since all the ballots would already be lined up and stacked neatly in order at that time.
Originally,
3,000 = Buchanan
15,000 = Bush
25,000 = Gore (Gore has approximately a 2:1 margin over Bush in Palm
Beach Cty.)
1,250 = other parties and random existing errors
750 = "blank" or "protest votes"- No vote for President; other spots
may be filled in.
After ....
3,000 Buchanan + Gore = thrown out.
15,000 Bush + Gore = thrown out.
25,000 Gore (+ Gore) = GOOD VOTES for Gore = counted already
1,250 + others + Gore = thrown out.
750 = "blank" + Gore = Gore additional "free" votes
Stamping 45,000 ballots with a tool (or other device) THROUGH the Gore slot gives:
Every Gore vote = still a valid Gore vote. (No change in the total, no
change in the recount.)
Every Bush, Buchanan, Workers Party, and Libertarian Party ballot IS
IMMEDIATELY INVALID. They will be thrown out because they have two
votes. They NEVER were counted in the first place = no change in the
recount. The double-punch occurs ONLY in the presidential race, and no
position on the ballot is disturbed. All other races are correctly
counted.
EVERY ballot that had no vote (a "protest vote" against both major candidates) becomes a Gore vote. All other races on the ballot are not disturbed, and are correctly counted.
Evidence of fraud by selectively punching "empty" or "protest" ballots before the recount. |
