Sound Politics: The Mystery of the Bloody Ballot

November 17, 2005

The Mystery of the Bloody Ballot

Perhaps the weirdest thing to come before the King County Canvassing Board is the above absentee ballot, apparently cast by Betty Kobbe of Bellevue.

The envelope is stained all over with a dark red liquid resembling blood. I don't think it has been determined whether or not the stain really is blood, but just to be safe, the envelope is being handled as if it were a bio-hazard. The post office delivered it in a sealed plastic pouch. The canvassing board instructed Elections staff to tabulate the ballot under guidance from the Sheriff's Dept. on the handling of hazardous materials.

Whatever caused the mysterious red stain on her ballot, I hope Mrs. Kobbe is okay.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at November 17, 2005 10:43 PM | Email This

Comments

1. So, has anyone at the Sheriff's Dept. or Bellevue PD gone to check on Mrs. Kobbe and see if she's alright?

Posted by: Mike H on November 17, 2005 10:56 PM

2. I suspect it was Colonel Mustard in the transit tunnel with a moonbat.

Posted by: Pseudotsuga on November 17, 2005 10:58 PM

3. Bloody hell.

Posted by: TB on November 17, 2005 11:15 PM

4. Must've left it on top of the thawing hamburger! Happens every time....

Posted by: Misty on November 17, 2005 11:49 PM

5. They're not doing a good job.

Not a chance I'd handle a bio-hazard item ungloved.

Posted by: Ryan on November 17, 2005 11:58 PM

6. They're not handling the absentee ballot envelope directly. It's still sealed in the plastic outer envelope from the post office.

Posted by: Stefan Sharkansky on November 18, 2005 12:01 AM

7. The training I always had was to assume the outside of the container was also contaminated.

But I was also the guy putting stuff in the container...

Posted by: Ryan on November 18, 2005 12:09 AM

8. MAYBE MS. KOBBE SHOULD HAVE VOTED WELL DONE INSTEAD OF TARTARE?

Posted by: TACOMA PHLASH on November 18, 2005 12:49 AM

9. Bad Stefan, no donut!!
The readers are too punchy at this hour.
All posts should be done in prime time.

Posted by: Jim L on November 18, 2005 12:55 AM

10. Maybe I am having another memory lapse, but...
I don't remember my ballot being aqua in color.
Or is the photo of a provisional absentee ballot?

Posted by: cindy on November 18, 2005 08:04 AM

11. "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time
to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Perhaps Ms. Kobbe took Jefferson a bit too literally.

Posted by: ScottM on November 18, 2005 09:15 AM

12. Maybe it came from David Irons' mom? She just
wont listen.

Posted by: MARK on November 18, 2005 09:32 AM

13. This is Seattle, maybe the stain is coffee. Could be a latte or frappachino with additives for the red color. Hope Betty is OK, voting shouldn't be dangerous.

Please, no complaints about the spelling, I don't drink the stuff...and admitting that can be dangerous around here!

Posted by: dl on November 18, 2005 10:25 AM

14. Man that is creepy. I too hope that Mrs. Kobbe is OK!

Posted by: rolling eyes on November 18, 2005 10:45 AM

15. I think Misty is right. Until I mailed off my ballot, it was in the kitchen (on the counter where we dropped all the mail). If some thawing meat had leaked on the counter, it could have left blood all over the mail.

Posted by: timekeeper on November 18, 2005 10:57 AM

16. Looks like port wine - like the kind used in "Here, drink this while I fill that out for you."

Posted by: CSI on November 18, 2005 04:00 PM

17. Though I wish Mrs. Kobbe great health....the truth is, in King County, she could be 5 years in the grave and her vote would still be counted by Dean Logan......sigh....(providing the ballot was marked as *he* wanted..)

Posted by: Deborah on November 18, 2005 06:00 PM

18. Bates Motel.

Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on November 18, 2005 11:26 PM

19. Maybe it's "Mrs Kobe" like in Kobe beef--is this voter really a steak in Safeway?

Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on November 19, 2005 08:39 AM

20. I hope she is ok too.

Posted by: Laurie on November 19, 2005 09:19 AM

21. I wouldn't worry so much about her as I would about the post office worker whose thumb got caught in the machinery.

Posted by: Doug on November 19, 2005 11:48 AM

22. Cindy: I've never seen a ballot envelope that color, either, until I got my ballot today for Spokane's mayoral recall election.

The recall is being conducted entirely by mail; maybe mail-in ballot envelopes (as opposed to absentees) are always that color.

Posted by: ScottM on November 19, 2005 12:22 PM

23. For those fretting about Kobbe: Do you really think she took care of her ballot and mailed it whilst hemmoraging? Come on - get a grip.

Posted by: realist on November 19, 2005 02:24 PM

24. realist: Maybe she's a broken-glass Republican.

Posted by: ScottM on November 19, 2005 04:59 PM