|
|
Wednesday, November 17
Caught on Tape: Florida Election Officials Trash Vote Records
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 17 Nov 2004 02:43 PM CST
 Caught on Tape: Florida Election Officials Trash Vote Records
Blackboxvoting.org
NOV 16 2004: Volusia County on Lockdown
County election records put on lockdown
Dueling lawyers, election officials gnashing teeth, Votergate.tv film crew catching it all.
Here's what happened so far:
Friday, Black Box Voting investigators Andy Stephenson and Kathleen Wynne popped in to ask for some records. They were rebuffed by an elections official named Denise. Bev Harris called on the cell phone from investigations in downstate Florida, and told Volusia County Elections Supervisor Deanie Lowe that Black Box Voting would be in to pick up the Nov. 2 Freedom of Information request, or would file for a hand recount. "No, Bev, please don't do that!" Lowe exclaimed. But this is the way it has to be, folks. Black Box Voting didn't back down.
Monday Bev, Andy and Kathleen came in with a film crew and asked for the FOIA request. Deanie Lowe gave it over with a smile, but Harris noticed that one item, the polling place tapes, were not copies of the real ones, but instead were new printouts, done on Nov. 15, and not signed by anyone.
Harris asked to see the real ones, and they said for "privacy" reasons they can't make copies of the signed ones. She insisted on at least viewing them (although refusing to give copies of the signatures is not legally defensible, according to Berkeley elections attorney, Lowell Finley). They said the real ones were in the County Elections warehouse. It was quittin' time and an arrangment was made to come back this morning to review them.
Lana Hires, a Volusia County employee who gained some notoriety in an election 2000 Diebold memo, where she asked for an explanation of minus 16,022 votes for Gore, so she wouldn't have to stand there "looking dumb" when the auditor came in, was particularly unhappy about seeing the Black Box Voting investigators in the office. She vigorously shook her head when Deanie Lowe suggested going to the warehouse.
more »
Iowa Caucuses in Jeopardy?
by
Trish Nelson
on Wed 17 Nov 2004 09:07 AM CST
 Iowa Caucuses in Jeopardy?
by Dawn M. Mueller
www.dailykos.com
Daily Kos has two threads up [Monday] and [Sunday] night about Tom Vilsack and the Iowa caucuses. The upshot is that Vilsack, if DNC chair, would try to prevent the presidential primary process and calendar from being altered in a way that would shift focus away from Iowa. The general feeling on the blogs and in states outside of Iowa is that the Iowa caucuses are doing Democrats nationwide some damage, and that it might be time to move to regional primaries or a nationwide primary, or at least review the entire calendar strategy. Iowa is not representative of the U.S. population in many ways, especially as Hispanics are a growing segment of the U.S. population, yet Iowa seems intent upon continuing to make Iowa an unfriendly place for minorities. Iowa is essentially asked to choose a president for a nation it demographically does not represent, and Democrats and others across the nation believe it is time for a change.
That Tom Vilsack, as Iowa governor, signed the "English-only" law is not sitting well across the nation with many minorities. There is opposition to his seeking the position of DNC chair as a result of these concerns and that Vilsack would be someone who is likely to preserve the status quo of the Democratic Party, rather than to seek to make much-needed changes.
The question is whether or not Iowans will be amenable to changing the primary calendar, and possibly the process, for the good of the Democratic Party nationwide, and whether Iowa Democrats will consider moving from a caucus system to a primary system, in order to encourage greater participation by the voters, and to allow Iowans to focus more time on recruiting new members to the Democratic cause and preparing for the general election, rather than siphoning off so much money, time and energy in trying to get people to the Iowa caucuses. The way that the Iowa caucuses are run is seen as antiquated, cumbersome and intimidating to persons who don't wish to be coerced into deciding for whom they should vote.
|
|
