Same first name, same address, same signature. Different voter registration records. Both ballots were counted. The voter's second registration was processed in October 2004, during the massive flood of new registrations. It appears that King County Elections staff eliminated the normal checks for a pre-existing registration before recording a new one (it was supposedly a time-saving measure). That led to thousands of duplicate registrations. And some of the doubly registered voters voted twice. Including this woman.
Don't let the October 20th signature on the top one fool you. They were both mailed on October 19th using the same Muslim holiday commemorative stamp. Eid Mubarak!.
It would be interesting if the total number of obvious fraudulent (and proveable by simple inspection) ballots was greater than 130. Then we could just point out what we all, already know to be true that the only reason that Gregoire is in office is because Dean Logan and Ron Sims stopped the counting, before there was a more thorough investigation of all of the ballots.
I think you should have a "Known Fraudulent Ballots" counter on the home page. ;-)
Posted by: Jeff B. on September 29, 2005 05:58 PM
A running total would be great! Posted by: Bostonian on September 29, 2005 06:01 PM
Like your idea on the fraudulent ballot counter!
Posted by: Fed Up on September 29, 2005 06:02 PMThe fact this voter can register under the same first name and address with a different last name is extremely difficult to stop or detect after the fact of registration.
Imagine if KC ran a data base of matching first name, last name, and addresses (which by the way the Rossi camp did a few times), they would be hit with about 10K Sr and Jr matches to sift through. It would be to time consuming on the resourses they have to varify after an election. If you added the criteria of female to that search to eliminate the Srs and Jrs, now you have violated an equal protection law.
What this proves is that we need to get rid of 3rd party registrations and check ID's/addresses via a database at the time of registration, not after the fact. No law grants you the right to register to vote from you doorstep or a political party summer picnic.
My sister got two ballots last November. I under her maiden name and one under her married name (she has been married for 3 years now). Actually she got three ballots because she lives in New Mexico. She did not vote either of the ones up here (1 King and 1 Pierce), but easily could have and nobody would have known. Even Shark would not have caught it.
Posted by: T.J. on September 29, 2005 06:03 PMIt's simple...because you live in the Evergroovy State. Power to the people!!! (puke)
Posted by: Danny on September 29, 2005 06:27 PMThanks
Posted by: T.J. on September 29, 2005 06:28 PMWhy wouldn't a place as important as our elections office have this? It could be tweaked to recognize numerous entry matches like Stefans' example and alert the processors that there may be duplicate ballots cast from the same person.
Ron Sims has no problem spending 300K here and 500K there - for nonsense "Buddy-Blue Ribbon" committees to figure out why our elections are so screwed up! Why not spend the money on a truly non-partisan machine to catch the cheaters?
The software, of course, would have to be purchased by someone other than Sims or Logan or the liberal left on the council.....(.the last time they purchased software - it was from a convicted felon with a history of fraud and embezzlement!...Go figure! )
Getting two ballots (in error) is not a crime. Voting twice is. Are there no consequences?
The weird alliance between the left and Islamic America is now starting to make sense to me.
Posted by: Brad on September 29, 2005 07:09 PMDifferent spelling of last name
Benazouz and Boucenna
Check that out.. Posted by: Mr. Cynical on September 29, 2005 07:48 PM
Brad...Norm is too busy advising KC how to fire Nicole Way without repercussions, and how to hide "found" ballots.
Posted by: dl on September 29, 2005 08:26 PMKheiredine M Benazouz
1505 E. Harrison St
Seattle, WA 98112
The Postal Service website currently has stamps with Santa Claus Christmas tree ornaments, Madonna and Child, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. I don't see anything specifically for the 4th of July, but there are certainly plenty of stamps with flags and other patriotic themes. Happy Holidays!
Posted by: Bruce on September 29, 2005 09:46 PMWhat this proves is that we need to get rid of 3rd party registrations and check ID's/addresses via a database at the time of registration, not after the fact. No law grants you the right to register to vote from you doorstep or a political party summer picnic.
So unlike Seattle PI editorial page editor Mark Trahant, you do see a role for voter registration in our electoral process?
I, too, would favor a counter on your site, if only to keep you honest.
Posted by: Martin Brody on September 30, 2005 09:12 AMI'll take the Shark's honesty over YOURS any day - what have YOU done to make sure the elections are honest? Have YOU taken any time to see if the Republicans are doing anyting illegal? It's real easy to sit and armchair quarterback and throw out (baseless) accusations, it's another to go out and prove them. Shark (and others!) put their money where their mouth is - what about you?
LLL parasite!
igor
Posted by: igor on September 30, 2005 09:43 AMThank you for your work, Stefan. Posted by: Michele on September 30, 2005 10:00 AM
1) Is voting twice legal ?
2) If not, what is the actual statute/law which was broken by voting twice ?
3) If a crime was seemingly committed, and plausible evidence found, when will the person alleged to have committed the crime be brought before legal proceedings ?
4) If that person is not to be prosecuted, on what basis does that person escape prosecution ?
It's not a matter of party affiliation.
It's not a matter of asking for which candidate or measure that person voted.
It's whether or not that person committed a crime.
And, if that person did, what is to be the penalty for having done so.
Until there is a penalty, there is no reason for the behaviour to change or stop.
Or am I wrong ? Posted by: Alasdair on September 30, 2005 10:21 AM
So Martin....we'll try not to confuse you with the FACTS!!!
Any systems type person KNOWS where there is smoke, there is usually fire. When you see things like double votes and you truly want to improve the system, you back-track and find out exactly HOW this happened....and then developed systems to prevent it from happening in the future.
Martin is all 3 "see-no-evil" "hear-no-evil" "speak-no-evil" monkeys rolled into one partisan HACK!! Typical LEFTIST PINHEAD response to this. But let 'em talk my friends who are always RIGHT. In fact encourage Martin to talk even more about his level of tolerance for such blatant errors.
Speak to us Martin! Posted by: Mr. Cynical on September 30, 2005 10:42 AM
Once again, pressure should be brought against those who go after voter fraud. What are they doing when such proof is right in front of them?
Who are they? Does anyone know?
Posted by: HappyGoLucky on September 30, 2005 10:43 AMI reported this to the Prosecuting Attorney's office yeterday. It was apparently the first they heard of it. They promised to forward the details to the Sheriff for further investigation.
Perhaps the best way to clean up the election rolls is for Mr. Sharkansky's hard work being used to nail each and every voter who votes fraudulently?
Another naive question: How can the PA (or is it DA?) and the Sheriffs pass on arresting someone for this crime when the proof is handed to them like this? What is the definition of "Irresistible Evidence" to cause them to go do their jobs? At what level does the crime have to be in order for them to get serious about it?
In principal, should there be that big a distinction between voter fraud, and....?
Isn't a crime a crime? Do the PA and the Sheriffs get to pick what they enforce? Isn't that even more of a slippery slope?
Posted by: HappyGoLucky on September 30, 2005 11:09 AMThe thousands of duplicate registrations are a known fact.
That several of the duplicate registrants voted twice is a known fact.
How many of the thousands of duplicate registrants voted twice is not yet (and may never be) known, but I will bet you seven dollars to a dog turd (and hold the stakes in my mouth) that it is much, much higher than the number currently known.
But I'm impressed with your facility at putting words in other peoples' mouths. Almost as good as Bubba...
Posted by: ewaggin on September 30, 2005 01:07 PMIt's unclear how many people actually voted twice personally (Ms. Boucenna apparently did). I suspect a fair number of the people who seem to have voted twice in fact only voted once, but someone else cast another ballot in their name, likely without their knowledge.
Posted by: supercat on September 30, 2005 11:21 PM"(1) Any person who intentionally votes or attempts to vote in this state more than once at any election, or who intentionally votes or attempts to vote in both this state and another state at any election, is guilty of a class C felony.
"(2) Any person who recklessly or negligently violates this section commits a class 1 civil infraction as provided in RCW 7.80.120."
As of 2004, the law read as follows:
"Any person who votes or attempts to vote more than once at any primary or general or special election is guilty of a gross misdemeanor, punishable to the same extent as a gross misdemeanor that is punishable under RCW 9A.20.021."