The Count's got serious skills for predicting future events.
Republicans, via the all-knowing Associated Press, say they will seek a recount in the race. They plan to file papers by Wednesday, which is the deadline.
“There’s a lot on the line,” said Al Bowman, the GOP spokesman.
The vote-short Republican, Shannon Royer, wanted to proceed with a recount “because he felt that he owed it to the voters to make sure that every vote that should be counted, was counted,” Bowman added.
About Me
- Carrie Budoff
- Carrie Budoff is the Pennsylvania political reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She is blogging about the 156th legislative race until the outcome - and the balance of power in the state House of Representatives - is determined.
6 comments:
Shannon Royer, wanted to proceed with a recount “because he felt that he owed it to the voters to make sure that every vote that should be counted, was counted"
Maybe Mr. Royer would like to call up Natividad Beltran of West Chester and explain to him how he is protecting his right to vote. It was Mr. Beltran who inadvertently left his date of birth off his green envelope.
Mr. Royer should be prepared to explain to Mr. Beltran how, although Republican lawyers challenged Mr. Beltran's ballot and had it invalidated, his right to vote has been protected.
There were at least a half dozen other voters in similar circumstances, whose votes were invalidated on technicalities brought up by Republican lawyers and upheld by two Republican County Commissioners.
I believe Mr. Royer has the names, addresses and phone numbers of these voters. Give them a call.
Jim, you are the King of the old Cut and Paste! Good job with that! Glad you had a good time at the party. How were the crab puffs?
How do we know that Mr. Beltran is who he says he is? How many Beltrans are registered in Chester County? I guess that is why you are supposed to list your name, address, birthday, and fully sign the provisional ballot outside envelope. So that you can prove that you are a LEGAL voter. Once the ballot is certified, the secrecy ballot is then removed from the outside envelope, and the smaller secrecy envelope is then mixed in with all the other absentee votes, thus fully protecting your identity, and fully counted. Wow, legal voter, there is a concept that you seem to have a hard time dealing with.
But I am not surprised since democrat lawyers last week illegally obtained people’s driving records from PENNDOT and tried to use them in a court hearing. You were there Jim, did you see the lady from PENNDOT squirm when asked why those records were illegally released? Remember how she stuttered when she said that PENNDOT did no know why the Department of State gave them to you?
Stop treating Chester County like you were a democrat ward leader in Philadelphia.
Mr. Royer may have the names, addresses, and phone numbers of some voters, but you guys have illegally obtained information on their driving records. Way to go Johnnie Cochran.
Just follow the laws and rules Jim (you should cut and paste that!)
God Speed!
A recount should be done, even Ms. Smith basically agrees. There is a lot on the line, Jim, haven't you read the newspapers? Look at the top priorities of the Speaker wannabe:
Expanded Gambling and raising taxes! Then, if we add that tax and spend governor to the mix, we'll also get expanded welfare and socialized medicine.
The Democrats are the ones who, beginning Election Day, were "Lawyering up" in this race. There are reasons for requirements.
If Shannon loses, we'll all be paying more money for less service, but more Rendell PR.
Hey guys, I'm all for the recount. I happen to think it will come out in Barb's favor, but it's needed to make sure this whole thing was done right.
As for dealing with illegal votes and technicalities, I don't really think some Republicans in Chester County would want to go into that too much. For instance, we uncovered evidence in my precinct that a number of absentee ballot applications were filed without the knowledge or signed consent of the voters. In other words, they were forged.
This sort of stuff has gone on regularly here. In Chester County, it has been the Republican party which has become bloated and arrogant with power. Controlling everything, their leaders and workers feel they can set all the rules and can bend or break those they don't like.
I know it must be upsetting to some to see this political way of life endangered by the Dinniman and Smith wins and earlier by the rise of a strong Democratic party in West Chester. Most of us, however, as proven by the votes, see it otherwise.
As for what will happen in Harrisburg if Smith or Royer is the ultimate victor in this election, I think the outcome is obvious. If Royer wins, we get more of what we've had for the last 12 years. If Smith remains the winner, we get some sorely needed changes.
By the way, Mr. Beltran is the only Natividad Beltran in Chester County. He is legally registered and he lives in the district. It was the fault of Voter Services that he had to file a provisional ballot, not his. His vote SHOULD have counted. It didn't only because two Republican Commissioners said it didn't.
As a lefty, I fully support Shannon Royer's call for a recount. The most important thing is for EVERY VOTE to be counted, and counted correctly.
The underlying issue, to state the obvious, is voter confidence. Fortunately, in the 156th district, very few voted by touchscreen ballot, which has no recountable paper trail. We are fortunate in Chester County that our votes, except for the few touchscreen voters, can actually be recounted.
As Jim mentions, there are some underlying issues, which include in my view:
1) If Voter Services makes a mistake by leaving someone off the voters list, isn't there a special burden to help the aggrieved voter? Remember Florida in 2000, when thousands of minority voters were methodically excluded from the voter lists and had no recourse. As Jim says, the voter in question is the only registered voter in the County with that name. His vote should not be excluded on a technicality. When the stakes are this high, the system should be open, not exclusionary.
2) It seems a conflict of interest for the County Commissioners, who represent political parties, to comprise the Election Board and adjudicate disputed ballots. I'm not proposing this go to the courts either, especially not the US Supreme Court. An independent body, not a political majority, should determine whose votes count.
3) I have seen absentee ballot requests with "Dementia" listed as the justification. Administrators of retirement and nursing facilities have a duty not to allow slanted political activity designed to encourage residents who may or not know what is going on to vote for a certain party's candidates. Administrators should set up a procedure for representatives of all parties to have equal chances to reach residents who so wish, without any mass distribution of absentee ballots or private bedside arm-twisting by political operatives.
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