If the Ukraine can hold a new election to settle a tainted election, then so can the State of Washington.
The Seattle Times David Postman explains some of the legal mechanisms that we could use to make it happen:
Q: Is a new election possible?Likewise, the actual result of the voting cannot be ascertained by our threecount. Let's get on with a new election. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at December 26, 2004 11:20 AM | Email ThisA: Republicans would have to go to court to contest the election. State law says a judge has the right to "set aside" an election because of "error, wrongful act, or neglect" in the conduct of the election.
Q: How would that be proven?
A: Essentially, a judge would put the election on trial. Republicans could present evidence and witnesses to make their case that the election was flawed.
The judge could confirm the election, make Rossi the winner instead, or annul the election.
Q: What happens if the election is nullified?
A: No one seems to know for sure. The law does not specifically say the judge can call for a new election, just that he or she could set aside the current one.
State Elections Director Nick Handy said his reading of the law is that a judge's action to set aside the Rossi-Gregoire election would create a vacancy in the governor's office. That would call for a special election, which would be open to any valid candidates, not necessarily just Rossi and Gregoire.
The state Supreme Court, which is likely to eventually rule on any contested-election case, could set a runoff election between Gregoire and Rossi.
Q: Who can contest an election?
A: Any registered voter. The law says the challenge can be made for several reasons, including misconduct by an election worker or the counting of "illegal votes."
That's a broad term that can mean many things, including more than one vote cast by a voter or a vote cast by a felon whose voting rights were suspended.
Q: Has there ever been an election set aside under the contested-election law?
A: Yes, though not in a statewide race. In 1974 there was an Adams County Commission election nullified by a Superior Court judge, a decision later upheld by the state Supreme Court, over concerns about ballot security. The loser in the race argued that security was lax and presented evidence that ballots had been tampered with.
The Supreme Court ruled "that the irregularity was such that the actual result of the voting could not be ascertained and a new election should be held."
http://moreperfect.blogspot.com/2004/12/manufacturing-votes-in-king-county.html
King countie's recount % diff is less then 7 other red counties. So there goes the GOP argument of fraud. I think the real issue is that WA is still a (D) majority state by a BIG margin, and it's a miracle Rossi made it this close.
Posted by: Manco_Dollars on December 26, 2004 11:44 AMI'll admit that the voters in this state are schizophrenic. They scream for lower taxes, yet they want ever more public goods and services delivered to them. The answer is NOT the state Democrats' response - ie, to starve funding of necessary public goods while keeping the spigot to the public employee trough wide open in the hope that the electorate will cry uncle. The answer is to provide effective public administrative management, deliver public goods in the most efficient manner possible looking to innovative concepts such as gauging performance of public agencies through meaningful metrics (a la Giuliani's COMPSTAT program), public-private partnerships, etc., and provide effective leadership that will convince the public that knee-jerk Tim Eyman-style demagoguery will do nothing to promote the quality of life of our region or its long-term economic health.
Dino is a leader that thinks outside the same old tired liberal and conservative boxes, similar to Rudy Giuliani and (yes) Bill Clinton. Despite their partisan detractors, there is a reason those two are so beloved by the voters.
Posted by: LoneWolf on December 26, 2004 12:05 PMalthough a new election could help resolve the confusion - it would require an action by the legislature or the finding of fact by the court in regard to a contested election challenge. and the chance of either of those two things taking place is a 'snowball's chance in hell'
the smartest thing for the Rossi team to do is to concede, and take advantage of the political capital and use it for another day.
if he insists on contesting, he will lose the sympathy of the voters that side with him now,and be considered no better than Gregorie.
Posted by: JPO on December 26, 2004 12:29 PMA straw man argument on one count and a miscomparison on another. The Rs haven't been arguing fraud. The statements I've seen suggest that ballots were treated differently both within King county and between King Co. and other counties. This is not necessarily fraud.
Secondly, it is inappropriate to compare the King Co. hand recount differentials with the first recount differentials. Why? Because King Co. conducted a partial hand recount in the first recount whereas other counties conducted a pure machine recount. In theory there should have been a substantially smaller differential between King Co.'s original partial hand recount and its later complete hand recount as compared to other counties.
Posted by: barchester on December 26, 2004 12:46 PMyou just made the point: King County with hand-recount has LESS differential then machine counts, and it was Republicans saying there would be MORE differential with hand-recounts, so which is it?
Posted by: Manco_Dollars on December 26, 2004 12:51 PMbarchester is right, it's a red herring.
Let me explain it to you very simply:
The chart on the website you reference shows that King County added MORE votes, 1,524, than any county listed, even though the percentage is smaller.
Can 1,524 votes swing a 261-, 42-, 10-, or 130-vote lead? Absolutely. Therefore, King County could have enhanced and challenged enough votes to make a difference in the election. Get it?
That's not to say that they did, but they had motive and opportunity. We'll find out soon.
Posted by: Larry on December 26, 2004 01:13 PMIn absence of any proof, you have no business alleging that King County had motive and opp to defraud the state. This is just sheer Repug desperation on display, concede already!!!!
Posted by: Manco_Dollars on December 26, 2004 01:21 PM"Count every vote" welfare in predominantly Democrat King County is the only thing that gave Gregoire her slim margin. That welfare came from a lot of subjectivity, even if the subjectivity was generally pretty fair, it was subjectivity. This is why so many Washingtonions are upset. We would be far better off with an objective result from the machines that is at least acceptable to humans as being unbiased than with the obviously subjective results that we have now.
Posted by: Jeff B. on December 26, 2004 02:50 PMWhy are Gregoire and the Democrats afraid of a new election?
Let's make sure that every vote does indeed count by holding an election that achieves a decisive result.
Posted by: Jeff B. on December 26, 2004 03:01 PMSecond, if the Ukraine can have a new presidental election, Why can't the United States have new presidental elections? We had massive voter fraud in Ohio and Florida also.
It looks like the new Democratic Governor has some very good programs lined up for THE BLUE STATE of Washington.
Posted by: Magnum Serpentine on December 26, 2004 03:06 PMThe claims of massive voter fraud in OH have been debunked as have the claims of minority disenfranchisement in FLA. To date the greatest detected fraud in FLA has been voters registered in two states and felons who voted, and these voters were heavily centered in heavy Democrat districts. Sure, it is possible that these felons and snowbirds living in Palm Beach County made up a wildly disproporionate percent of the President's vote in those heavily D leaning counties, but much more likely is that these folks voted for Gore. So, your argument reduces to replaying the 2000 election to stop fraud by Gore voters.
Posted by: Barchester on December 26, 2004 03:29 PMWe have finally gained some ground after our obtuse, bigoted, narrow-minded red states placed Bush in the White House for another four years.
Christine has prevailed for our party and it is time to rejoice.
Unfortunately, Dino supports the Bush administration and the cold-blooded murder of innocent Iraqi citizens for weapons of mass-de-nothing. It is a quagmire in Iraq (as Dick Cheney had predicted it would be pre-invasion) and this Bush debacle has made America the mockery and disdain of the international community. Oh, and the love that we feel in the Middle East!
Quite frankly, many of us are ashamed. We are ashamed to be considered a part of this newfound heinous culture. A culture that is content to take murder and death to other parts of the world and to consider it just, because a person who is least deserving happens to occupy an office that he is incapable of bringing honor to, says, "It was the right thing to do."
How disgusting. How vain and how dare you (Bush) dumb-down our culture in such a foul way.
Rejoice democrats! We have been redeemed through the election of Christine Gregoire as our Governor.
Dino, man-up and concede. Be gracious and try to display good sportsmanship.
Mark Smitty