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Thousands volunteer in Ohio for historic recount
 AP Photo. A Christian Science Monitor story details how students planned for success in opposing the Ukraine’s crooked election. For the full story, click HERE. |
December 10, 2004
OHIO: If there is one last ray of hope for millions of anti-Bush Americans (and more millions overseas), it shines next week in Ohio. Three thousand volunteers have signed up to act as trained witnesses as each Ohio precinct recounts the presidential vote.
SUMMARY OF OHIO VOTING IRREGULARITIES
Steve Rosenfeld, Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman of the Columbus Free Press have vigorously reported the Ohio voting irregularities and have been nominated by Democracy Week for a “People’s Pulitzer.” For their latest report, click HERE. The following is a summary of the irregularities they found.
By Steve Rosenfeld, Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman, Columbus Free Press
The bitter battle over the stolen November 2 election in Ohio has turned into a rapidly escalating all-out multi-front war with the outcome of the real presidential vote count increasingly in doubt.
In Columbus, major demonstrations on Saturday, December 4, have been followed by an angry confrontation between demonstrators and state police at the office of Republican Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, the Bush-Cheney state chairman who is also officially in charge of certifying the election, at least for now. Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson has called on Blackwell to recuse himself from dealings with the election, saying his role as Bush-Cheney chairman has compromised his objectivity in delivering fair election results.
New revelations about voting machine allocations in Franklin County emerged on Tuesday, December 7. William Anthony, Chair of the Franklin County Board of Elections, told WVKO radio listeners that the Board begins "stationing voting machines four weeks out" before Election Day. Security questions were raised after a machine in Gahanna Ward 1B at the New Life Church recorded 4258 votes for Bush where only 638 voters cast ballots.
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The volunteer training, organized by the Green and Libertarian parties and by a consortium of activists and reform organizations, will be conducted this weekend all across Ohio. Each volunteer will be supplied with observer credentials from either the Green or Libertarian partythe two parties challenging the vote and paying for the recount.
The first round will sample 3% of the vote in a county, with "randomly" selected precincts that equal approximately 3% of the vote. Each ballot in this 3% will be hand examined by Board of Elections representatives from both the Democrat and Republican parties. Ballots will be sorted into stacks for each candidate, and a stack for challenged ballots. Ballots can be challenged by either of the BoE workers or by an observer.
Each stack of sorted punch card ballots will be held up to the light to make sure there are no sorting errors. Each stack of ballots will then be hand-counted by both the Democrat and Republican BoE representative. The hand counted stacks of ballots are then fed into the tabulating machine. The hand count and the machine must match "exactly", although the definition of "exact" has not been well defined. If there is a "high number" of challenged ballots, it may be determined that a hand recount for the entire county will take place. Again, the definition of "high number" is not well defined. If there is not a high number of challenged ballots, then the machine recount will take place the next day on the rest of the ballots.
Each county is organizing its own recount according to its own schedule, though most are expected to complete their work next week.
Note: explanation of recount has been updated 12/12/04 - ed.
Electronic voting machines that left no paper trail cannot be hand counted, but the machines will retabulate their votes. Franklin County, which includes the city of Columbus, uses electronic voting machines.
If you would like to volunteer as an observer in the Ohio recount, please register on votecobb.org. If you would like to join the volunteer discussions, please visit ohio-recount.info/phpbb2/ You must attend training and receive a letter of certification in order to be an official observer.
Major demonstrations were held in Columbus last Saturday, December 4, followed by a loud standoff between protestors and state police at the office of Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, who also served as the Bush-Cheney state chairman. Jesse Jackson has been in the state to rally support for the recount and to unsuccessfully ask Blackwell to recuse himself from the recount. Common Cause has also made that demand.
On Monday of this week, Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe announced the party will spend "whatever it takes" to study uncounted votes, long lines, machine errors and other irregularities.
Mark Your Calendar!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12 - PROTEST FOR A FULL VOTE COUNT!
For information on protests in your state this Sunday, December 12, demanding a full vote count and electoral reform, click HERE:
http://www.51capitalmarch.com/stateContacts.shtml
MONDAY, DECEMBER 13 - GREEN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DAVID COBB TO ADDRESS PUBLIC RALLY AT OHIO STATEHOUSE
Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb will address recount volunteers, the public and protesters who will gather outside the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, on Monday, December 13, the day that presidential electors meet in all state capitals to cast their votes. Cobb will make his address at approximately 12:15 p.m. on the High Street sidewalk adjacent to the Capitol grounds.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15 IS BILL OF RIGHTS DAY
Write a letter or op-ed to your newspaper NOW to let them know of the date, and include your views on the need to protect our freedom to speak out and protest. Also, take this coming week as a perfect time to join the Bill of Rights Defense Committee and the American Civil Liberties Union. See story on the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, and some valuable downloads, HERE.
Every week Democracy Week will report on events for the coming week. If you know of an event we should mention, please let us know at events@democracyweek.org.
NEXT WEEK'S FEATURES:
- Organizing for 4 Years of Protest
- Ballot Box Mysteries: What to Believe?
- Long Drive Home:
Campaign Volunteers Tell Their Stories
- Organization Profile: The League of Pissed-Off Voters
| Democracy Week is common calendar and toolbox for the progressive community, launched by Doris "Granny D" Haddock and volunteers associated with her efforts. Watch it grow each week into a resource to make the next four years imaginable and even a bit joyful. You can be a part of our team! We need experienced activists in every part of the US to serve as volunteer calendar coordinators. Please send us a note if you are willing to participate: Yes@DemocracyWeek.org
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