[Vision2020] How's that Closed GOP Primary Thingie Working Out?

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today's (May 23, 2012) Coeur d'Alene Press at:

http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_96ada867-935c-5526-8321-fc741789d9fc.html
 
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Some errors on election night
Some polling station errors were discovered during Kootenai County's primary election canvassing, including one case that resulted in apparent voter fraud.
But most poll workers performed professionally on election day, said Clerk Cliff Hayes, with no mistakes egregious enough to affect the winners of each race.
"We always seem to have a few that make errors at the polls," Hayes said on Tuesday. "We'll continue to work on those."
The county commissioners voted unanimously at their weekly business meeting on Tuesday to adopt the canvass results for last week's primary elections, which include state, county, precinct committeeman and U.S. representative races.
According to the several-paged canvass results issued by the Clerk's Office, total ballot stubs received from poll workers were in 100 percent agreement with voter signatures in each poll book.
"There have been no surprises," Hayes said of the election outcomes.
Some slight discrepancies were found between the number of poll workers' ballot stubs and totals by optical scan counting machines, which were off by one or two in five precincts.
According to the canvass results document, "some voters may have left the precincts with their ballots in hand, or discarded their ballots."
Although there was also a slight discrepancy with absentee totals - vote-counting machines tallied 3,959 ballots, two less than manual counts - the elections staff has no further action to resolve the variance, the document states.
Several poll worker mistakes were noted in the canvassing document.
One incident of voter fraud appears to have occurred at precinct 39, where a poll worker accidentally allowed a voter to vote a second time on election day, after already casting an absentee ballot.
"The precinct's poll worker did not notice the 'absentee issued, absentee received' notation in the poll book, and issued a second ballot to this voter,'" the canvass document states.
The situation is being looked into, the document states, and the voter's name "may be referred to the Prosecuting Attorney's Office for legal action."
Commissioner Dan Green said he wants to consult with the Elections Office further on the incident.
"It's always something to be concerned about," Green said of voter fraud. "I think it should be explored, and get all the facts."
Commissioner Todd Tondee said it's good the clerk is at least aware voter fraud might have occurred.
"If it was quite a few (voter fraud incidents), it could be a lot of concern," Tondee said. "(Hayes) understands. He'll have to do different training or pick different people."
Other minor errors were reported in the canvassing results.
Poll workers at 11 precincts did not catch omissions of voter information on 12 election day registration cards, but still issued those voters ballots.
Information omitted included residential address, date of birth and driver's license.
One precinct committeeman ballot was also discovered in a supply box during canvass research on May 21. The vote pushed the winning candidate's total votes up one to 175.
The canvassing document states that "too many poll workers did not follow the instructions they received in training."
Elections staff is considering testing training comprehension in future poll worker education sessions, the document reads, to prevent these kinds of errors.
Tondee said that addressing polling station mistakes is ongoing.
"I'm sure the clerk will do a good job," Tondee said. "I have the upmost confidence in Hayes. He's a stickler for this stuff."
The canvassing document also notes that 48 eligible Republican voters weren't given the precinct committeeman ballot in precinct 52 due to the precinct judge's error, though the uncontested candidate still exceeded the five-vote minimum.
Also, 27 newly registered or re-registered voters cast a ballot in the wrong precincts. All but one received the right legislative district ballot.
The canvassing document also includes four pages of voided absentee ballots, most because voters somehow ruined their absentee ballots and ended up voting in person.
Hayes said the elections staff will continue to crack down on mistakes in each election cycle.
"We have 325 poll workers who are excellent, and don't get the credit they deserve," Hayes said. "(The election) went very smooth, except for these mistakes."

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Might I suggest that DNA samples (maybe a saliva swab) be taken from registered Republicans.

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"If not us, who?
If not now, when?"

- Unknown


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