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Filed under Politics (National) Voting Fraud and Visiting Hours
Tiffany Wilson reporting from Columbus, OH (2008-10-08 11:20:21)
The Secretary of State of Ohio, Jennifer Brunner, is avoiding us. Her media relations people have fielded a full week of calls, messages and emails requesting a quick on-camera interview. We've uncovered some rather interesting, and perhaps legally-dubious activities during the "Golden Week" of instant registration that SHE encouraged. For example, I interviewed a non-partisan volunteer who admitted to telling homeless people to vote for Obama and then drove them to the polls. Are the homeless registering at multiple poll places? We found people casting early ballots on the electronic machines (illegal for first time voters). We saw Obama "Vote Today Ohio" GOTV efforts shuttling college students to the polls - are they double registering here and at home? With all of these questionable activities swirling in potentially the most important swing state this election year, we are simply asking for 15 minutes of Brunner's time to provide some clarity.
Given the possible acts of voter fraud that led to an ACORN office raid in Nevada, and that we found ACORN very active in Ohio as well, it certainly seems like these questions are even more relevant than they were earlier in the week.
I have six questions for Brunner. Six questions that need to be answered so we can understand all of the oddities surrounding early voting in Ohio. Six questions that have earned me a ticket to Brunner's waiting room.
I am about to drive to Brunner's office and wait for her schedule to clear. Will she have a minute today? Tomorrow? Friday? I hope so. She is a public figure who has so far refused to comment on a very timely and important issue: potential voting fraud.
So even if I'm denied at her office: I'll put the questions out there for you to mull over.
1. What is being done to verify voter registration?
2. Is a newly registered ballot considered valid unless proven otherwise? Or is it considered invalid unless proven to be accurate? For example, if I'm a homeless person who registers my address at the YMCA, is that accepted on face value? Or does someone follow up with a call to the Y?
3. During Golden week, what could prevent me (former Cincinnatian) from registering in Cincinnati with my drivers license and in Columbus (current home) with a utility bill?
4. How can you stop an out-of-state college student from registering absentee in their home state and registering/casting an early ballot in Ohio with a utility bill during last week's Golden Week? Can you catch them?
5. Brunner says that Golden week was so important because it allowed everyone (statistically favorable for her party's demographic) the opportunity to vote without waiting in long lines. However, she tried to keep people who requested absentee ballots through the McCain campaign from voting. Basically, saying they couldn't cast the ballot on a technicality. Ohio's Supreme Court over-ruled Brunner. But - isn't this a clear partisan play? Allow voters ease and opportunity to vote when they favor the Democrats but try to roadblock Republicans from voting absentee?
6. Brunner did not allow "observers" from both parties into polling places during the early voting period because she said that they were not specifically provided for by law. Why not allow both parties to observe the process? Removing observers certainly gives the impression that there's something to hide.
Will she answer these questions or continue to deny our requests for clarity and transparency in Ohio's early voting loophole? I'm about to find out.
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Comments
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DKinAU @ 2008-10-08 12:06:42 --
Partisan play.
Check, please.