We all have heard of ballots being found in the trunks of cars, and elsewhere during recounts. In a hotly contested race for the State Senate in New York, Democrats have gone one better, and found two new (and uncounted) voting machines.
Traditionally Republican, the State Senate moved over to the Democrats in 2008, giving Democrats complete control of both houses of the state legislature and the Governor’s office for the first time since the New Deal.
In the 2010 mid-terms, however, Republicans made a comeback, and are on the verge of taking back the State Senate. This will have important implications for redistricting.
There are a small number of contested races, however. One of those races is in Buffalo, NY, in which the Republican is leading.
During the recount process, Democrats did not just find new ballots, they found two new voting machines:
Two new voting machines were located last night in Buffalo, according to Sen.-elect Mike Gianaris, a Democratic attorney helping his party’s efforts in ballot counting.
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Antoine Thompson trails GOP challenger Mark Grisanti by 821 votes, but Gianaris said the new voting machines and how they’ve been handled are a “total disaster” and “complete mess,” adding that lawyers for Thompson are considering legal action that might force a complete recount of paper ballots optically scanned by the machines.
This would involve an amount of paper not seen in 50 years; elections in recent New York history have until this year been conducted with mechanical voting machines, not electronic machines that scan paper ballots. Such a recount would take a long time, to the dismay of people hoping the Senate will be clearly decided before January, when it is set to reconvene….
Democrats must win Thompson’s seat, as well as seats held by Sens. Suzi Oppenheimer and Craig Johnson, to maintain a 32-30 majority in the chamber. Oppenheimer is leading her GOP challenger, but Johnson is trailing.
When this trick doesn’t work, what will be next?
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Comments
Who aren't there ever any "found" ballots by Republicans?
Perhaps they can resurrect the dead. Oh, that's already been done.
Shayne, Republicans have been too busy in their all-out push to get Bristol Palin named the winner of Dancing With The Stars.
By any means necessary!
This is the first time I've seen Democrats calling for the process to be fixed – it is usually in their favor, so they would rather "the (Repub) loser" just "concede" and "accept their defeat with grace." Kinda like Al Frankin. Heh.
I am not quite sure what they think the machine was used for – did they transmit electronic counts from the machines? Or is it simply the fact that they are being kept in someone's trunk in violation of the voting regulations that makes this such a huge issue?
Whatever the answer, it is just another example that shows our election process is in jeopardy. It has been clear to many/most of us already…..but hopefully FINALLY the integrity issues will be addressed – and fixed!!!
How did the machines end up in car trunks?
Oh come on now, Bill
You know those machines were perfectly placed in the phantom congressional districts and zip codes from the stimulus fiasco!
The alternative Democrat Bizarro world is finally having a chance to vote!
http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/news/phantom-zip-codes-also-found-virginia
"Or is it simply the fact that they are being kept in someone's trunk in violation of the voting regulations that makes this such a huge issue?"
Well, of course, it's a chain of custody issue: Who knows what's been done with those machines, even if they were originally voted on by real voters?
It is astonishing how many "uncounted ballots" and now "found voting machines" show up in Democratic districts during close elections. Usually, these show up after the counting shows the Democrat is losing by a small amount and, voila, there are just enough new votes to reverse to outcome. Uncanny, that.
My suggestion is to discard the votes because the chain of custody has been lost and then throw the person responsible for the mislaid votes into jail for six months. Do that a couple of times and the whole problem goes away.
In all the stories I've read this year and in past election years, all the missing bags of ballots found – always involving closely contested races – are DEMOCRAT ballots. Now what are the odds of this except in a world where Democrat corruption and thuggery rule the Boards of Elections (and every other facet of politics)? I agree; throw out every ballot, every bag, every machine that has no official chain of custody.
Here in Orange County (NY), the Board of Elections in Goshen refused to let any media or anyone else in to watch the vote counting until well after midnight on election night. At least 3 hours passed after polls closed and no one knows what was going on. Reports of Democrat fraud are pervasive all over the state but here in OC many of us have lost all faith in any fair process whatsoever. Virtually no one in the violent, criminal city of Newburgh voted yet somehow Dem Maurice Hinchey is beating Republican George Phillips in a county Phillips was way ahead in prior to the election. The truly sick thing is there is not a Democrat anywhere who gives a damn. What's going on in Buffalo is no surprise. (BTW, absentee ballots in the Hinchey-Phillips race are still being counted and supposedly will be completed by Nov. 30th. I'd bet $1,000 Hinchey has stolen the race. There is no question Phillips should have beaten him this year.)
I still say the country should secede from CA and NY.
Professor, off-topic but I am hoping that you will comment about Joe Miller's vote challenge to the federal district judge was sent back to the state court. Was that just the judge merely forcing Miller to exhaust state avenues first? Seems to me that Miller is challenging the state's refusal to enforce its own law and so appealing to a higher court. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/19/federal-judge-halts-certification-alaska-senate-election-miller-eyes-lawsuit/
Let me guess… these 'found' voting machines have an uncanny majority of votes for the Democrat candidate.
Who'd have thunk it?
Ever notice how there have NEVER, ever, been Republicans who 'found' votes or ballot boxes??
Uncanny.
Voting machines found in a car trunk – wasn't the car supposed to be the river?