Now that King County Elections has confirmed that the reconciliation reports it gave to the canvassing board were fake, it's time to press on to get the rest of the absentee ballot documentation that should explain the discrepancy of nearly 900 more absentee ballots than identified absentee voters. (hint: I predict that the explanation will be that a significant number of invalid ballots were commingled with the valid ballots and counted).
I've been asking for these documents for weeks. King County has not satisfied all of my public records request in a timely fashion. Today I retained counsel, who demanded release of the rest of the documents and threatened to go to court next week if I don't get the documents by Monday --
On February 22nd I sent Dean Logan a comprehensive public records request. His office has in fact produced a number of the documents that I asked for. But among the more important set of items I requested was:
all documents pertaining to the reconciliation of absentee ballots and absentee voters from the November 2004 election.It's now been more than six weeks since my original written request. The only responsive document that I've received is the now-repudiated Mail Ballot Report. In the interim, I've made more specific requests for reconciliation documents, such as the Absentee Ballot Audit Trail, as I've learned of their existence. King County has indicated it would release the documents, but has given me neither the documents nor a firm date when I can expect to receive them.
I don't want to go court. I just want the documents which King County is required by law to release promptly. I hope the county will do the right thing. Stay tuned.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at April 07, 2005 05:37 PM | Email ThisThey were banking on the fact that pre-blogging, there never would have been enough organization or mindshare to bring this to light.
And Gregoire fervantly hoped that the whole thing would just "go away."
I want the taxpayer dollars for that new fridge at the Governor's Mansion to come out of Gregoire's pocket and back into the General Fund when she has to vacate.
Posted by: Jeff B. on April 7, 2005 06:28 PMI suspect that Stefan did not enter in to this process with the intent of proving fraud, but fraud it is.
Posted by: MIMike on April 7, 2005 07:07 PMYou have to remember that you are attempting to shine the light of public scrutiny on something that many politicians in King County would rather keep in the dark.
They are going to fight you every single step of the way to keep from having to publically admit what they did and how wrong it all was and the cover-up that followed. It will ruin several political careers. It will also likely involve litigation against King County.
Because of all this, there are the worst kind of attorney's imaginable, now poring over every record trying to weight the damage that will be done by releasing the document versus the damage that will be done by withholding release until some more favorable time. This is not about right or wrong to them. This is not about following the law to them. This is about partisan politics. That is the mindset of the people who you are asking to be good and follow the law.
You are going to need to file the lawsuit, because they know you will spot the truth even hidden in the pages of mind numbing fluff they will use to try to hid it from others.
Good luck
Posted by: Bob on April 7, 2005 07:15 PMI am pleased to see Slade Gorton and others start to put on the pressure. It's long past time that Sims, Logan, et al start to feel the heat. Throw out the bums!
Posted by: Clean House on April 7, 2005 07:34 PMTim
Posted by: timman on April 7, 2005 09:08 PMYou DA MAN!
And I agree with the post above....No sense in tiptoeing around the *Fraud* word anymore.....
Posted by: Deborah on April 7, 2005 09:19 PMI agree with timman above and have sent in a donation. I'm married to the military and out in Kentucky these days, but still WA born and bred. And a WA homeowner to boot so, yep, I pay taxes there too. SP is my main source of real news about home. I really appreciate everything you've done.
Cheers from 2.727 miles away!!
what happened in my mind is this.....the Ratfinks lost the governor's race, closely....they conspired with all their devious minions on how to slip a few votes in here, a few there, and since they dominate the canvassing boards, it was easy to "interpret" votes...Ha!
I believe IMO that Gorton was robbed by Cantwell in the very same fashion....
btw....I personally don't think Gregoire or Cantwell ordered any of this....but the party mob knows exacty what to do to gather enough votes from somewhere....."provisional" votes from God
only knows who is what put Cantwell over the top....I questioned then and I still question those very convenient votes.....
!!OH!!..those named in the court case (Sorry Nicole) have an excuse. Still, I bet she is next on the flogging post.
Posted by: Splatter on April 7, 2005 10:34 PMIMHO, If they push, promote or endorse All-Vote-By-Mail fraud (AND THIS INCLUDES REPUBLICANS) they are not looking out for the voter. Plain and simple.
Posted by: Splatter on April 7, 2005 10:44 PMThe "gang of 873";
Felons, dead people, and non-citizens who voted;
Deliberate gun-decking of the Mail Ballot Report;
and who knows what else still to come.
I suspect one reason KCE has been stonewalling on the Absentee Ballot Audit Trail and other documentation in Stefan's PRR, is that they realize coming clean would finally, fully, and publicly blow the doors off their desperate attempts to maintain the fascade of the Gov-4-Now "Model Election" party line.
This appears to be coming to a head just in time for the formal start of the Election Contest trial in May. The Keith Ervin piece in the Seattle Times today is pretty devastating all by itself. Like former Senator Gorton is quoted as saying:
We are down to either "fraud or colossal incompetence"; there is no rational explanation that can make KCE whole. The evident result of either should be more than enough to meet the "it appears" standard in the RCW for setting aside the election. Serendipity, sez me.
And BTW: If justice prevails and the Supremes do finally sustain a decision setting aside the November 2004 travesty:
Somebody please make sure they ARE in Oly with a good digial camera the day the moving vans load up and pull away with Gov-4-Now's household goods. I can seem those pics making the rounds during the re-match; i.e.:
"No round trips: A one-way moving-van-ticket out of Oly, courtesy of the voters."
Methow Ken
If there was any "shopping" done in this case, it was done by the Rossi team in its selection of Chelan County. However, the race was statewide, so Rossi could essentially pick any county in the state. And more than that, it made more sense to stay away from King Co. (the county with the most problems... er, "model election").
Posted by: YourGovernorCostsMillion$ on April 7, 2005 11:42 PMHere are a few questions:
Friend or foe, what did I know and most important is it worth it?
Caught in the Mosh is no way to be.
Posted by: Splatter on April 7, 2005 11:52 PMThanks. Thats all I needed to know.
As for Rossi "Shopping", Hahahah.. Yeah, sometimes you have to search (or shop) for people with guts, intellegence and integraty (ears burning Sims, Reed?).
Posted by: Splatter on April 8, 2005 12:13 AMHey! Are you part of the "GOP hit squad"? Then you may want an honest election.
Hey! Do you take offense to this article?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/jamieson/219354_robert08.html
Then you may want to talk with P-I columnist Robert L. Jamieson Jr. he can be reached at 206-448-8125 or robertjamieson@seattlepi.com
But then again, you may be a "CRAZED LUNITIC" on the "FRINDGE" and a member of the "GOP HIT SQUAD".
Or you are a citizen of the UNTITED STATES OF AMERICA expressing your opinion.
It works both ways BOB.
Posted by: Splatter on April 8, 2005 01:05 AMSomeone once said it better than I can so I will just repeat the words...."SUE THE BASTARDS"
Posted by: BlueKnight on April 8, 2005 04:05 AMLET THAT DOG HUNT!!
'If it weren't for BAD LUCK, they'd have no luck at all'
The sad thought here is, this doesn't seem to be the first time they have pulled this, otherwise they wouldn't have been so sloppy.
Why do you think the DNC was so determined to recount only 'certain' counties in FL in 2000. HMM?
How many elections in how many states has the DNC stolen?
This seems to be the 'BIG PICTURE'.
'The darkest hour is just before dawn.'
The Sun is rising on a Brand New DAY!! [;-D
Posted by: Arky on April 8, 2005 04:45 AMAgain, it ain't the crime, it's the cover-up.
Still, in my opinion, the amount of discrepancies were remarkably low, but enough to affect the outcome of the election (i.e. per Gregoire- it is tied).
So, why not revote?
Posted by: swatter on April 8, 2005 07:34 AMKing County elections will need to stall you while they try to put together an explanation and summary that put the best face possible on the mess that was their absentee ballot processing.
It took them several weeks to put together an explanation and summary of the "big binder."
I expect at least that much time will be needed for the "big mess" at the absentee ballot processing center.
Posted by: Micajah on April 8, 2005 11:14 AM