In the 2004 election New Mexico was one of the three states investigated by the BBC for voting fraud.
We have always rather excelled at the graveyard vote but this was different. We had those computerized voting machines with no paper trail and evidently a large number of those voting somehow missed voting for President. And then it was shown that with a cell phone votes could be changed from the parking lot.
New Mexico, under the leadership of Governor Bill Richardson changed over to paper ballots in the 2006 election. We were one of the first. Ohio still hasn't fully transferred back to polling with a paper trail. Nor has Florida I understand.
But irregularities at the polling places was not the only irregularity. Here in New Mexico a Republican organization in 2004 made a major drive to register voters. Seems they only registered Republican voters. And when those that thought they had registered Democrat showed up at the polls there was no record of their registration. They were allowed to cast provisional ballots but when no verification of their registration showed up the ballots were not counted.
So a couple months back someone professing to be from the Democratic Party called to ask if I wanted a mail in ballot. They would have one sent to me if I did. They said I could still take the mail in ballot to the polling place on the actual election day if I chose to do that.
My friends choosing to mail in their ballots have all received them. Once said the deadline for returning them was November 4th. I started to wonder about the information I had received over the phone so I called the Secretary of State Office. And she said that no way would I be allowed to vote on the day of the election if I was sent a mail in ballot. She referred me to the Colfax County Clerk who was very helpful. She checked the computer records and no request for a mail in ballot was made in my name. And I would have had to sign the form.
So my choices now are early voting an hour and a half from here or wait to the actual day. But there is something strange about that too. In the dozen years I have lived here we have always voted at the Community Center. They have changed it to the Angel Fire Courthouse - Clerk's office which is considerably smaller and which would require we all stand outside to wait to vote. This in November and with a far heavier than turnout expected.
So next week I am taking a day and driving to the County Clerk's office in Raton to vote. I really do not trust the process after GW cheated his way into office twice. So I am willing to go the extra miles and take the extra time to avoid being excluded from the process.
Paranoid? Maybe.
Paranoid? Not at all, considering we've all been "burned" before. Brilliant of you to double-check with the county clerk as well.
ReplyDeleteWith this election being so critical, we can't afford to be complacent. I certainly learned my lesson, the hardest way, over the past eight years! (...yikes...)
I'm trying to decide whether or not to early vote. At least they give me a paper ballot and a pencil!
I think it is nice to know I am not the only one that is paranoid. But what does that say about our society if we are all sure we are going to be cheated out of our right?
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine voting by mail chose that way so he could make a xerox copy of his ballot. The clerk said I could still request one but once I do then I cannot vote early or on voting day. And what if it gets lost in the mail either direction.
If I choose to vote here on voting day I will be up early and at the polling place with coffee in hand by 6:30 a.m. A half hour before the polls open. And we do have paper ballots counted electronically here. So they can be recounted. And not have hanging chads.
Rminds me of the saying which used to be applied to elections in Northern Ireland: "Vote early. Vote often."
ReplyDeleteI think there are well-grounded fears regarding the fairness of voting in some areas in the up-coming election. Hopefully Obama will have too big a lead for jerrymandering to make any difference, but the danger is certainly there.
In the 2004 Presidential election the United Nations offered poll watchers to monitor our voting process. GW refused them of course. And even said he was insulted.
ReplyDeleteBut after 2000 I think it was definitely warranted. If in a third world country a candidate won by the narrowest of margins and that in a precinct controlled by his brother the UN would be all over it like flies on shit.
And from what I have been investigating it would seem that the decision to turn it over to our Supreme Court was definitely wrong. It should have been handled by the House of Representatives that certifies our elections.
It is a sad state of affairs in a country whose President says they want to spread democracy. So he can control the outcomes?
I think you;re wise to be paranoid. Vote anyway! :-)
ReplyDeleteoh, I plan to vote - early and often.
ReplyDeleteBTW the Ohio Supreme court seems to have backed up my paranoia. Evidently a lot of Democrats were getting disenfranchised in that state.
And on a trip to the hardware store today one of the employees who is for Obama (not a lot of them) and I were whispering in the back store room while looking for right and left hurricane straps. We have a hard time imagining anyone so stupid as to vote for McCain/Palin given all that has come out about both of them.