Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neeka who wrote (93945)	1/5/2005 10:58:48 PM
From: KLP	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793731

From AP Breaking: With Deadline to File Challenge Looming, Washington State Republicans Point to More Flaws With Governor's Election By Rebecca Cook Associated Press Writer Published: Jan 5, 2005 ap.tbo.com OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - State Republicans Wednesday charged that hundreds of provisional ballots may have been counted on Election Day without being verified. It's the latest in a series of allegations from Republicans who are pointing to flaws in the governor's balloting and demanding a new election. After losing the first two counts, Democrat Christine Gregoire beat Republican Dino Rossi in the third count by 129 votes out of 2.9 million ballots cast. State Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance said an admission by election workers in King County that provisional ballots had been counted without verification is "absolute proof" of the need for a new election. The heavily Democratic county includes Seattle. "It's enough right there to invalidate the election," Vance said. "This is a bombshell." Gregoire's inauguration is scheduled next Wednesday. Republicans are preparing for a possible court challenge to the election - the deadline to file such a challenge is Jan. 22. Democrats downplayed the importance of the GOP claim, saying King County verified 94 percent of provisional ballots. "There would have to be thousands before it would make a difference," said state Democratic Party spokeswoman Kirstin Brost. "This is just the attack of the day from the Republicans." The exact number of such ballots in King County was not immediately available. Provisional ballots are given to people who go to the polls on Election Day, but who aren't listed as registered voters in that precinct. Election workers research afterward to determine whether the vote is valid and should be counted. GOP election observers in King County said they saw hundreds of provisional ballots go straight into the voting machines on Election Day without any checks. Election workers said a review of polling place records should indicate the extent of the problem, but it may be impossible to determine exactly how many provisional ballots were fed into the tabulating machines on Election Day. King County this week is reconciling its list of voters in the 2004 election, which is about 3,500 names short of the number of ballots cast. At least four other counties have similar discrepancies, which county auditors say is common. AP-ES-01-05-05 2137EST