Friday, August 06, 2010

OK, Just STOP this now, will you?

Oh brother.  Here comes ANOTHER useless press release from the SCDP, asking that the SCEC throw out the election.  I have it on good authority from someone I trust that this only affected roughly 230 voters.  PERIOD.  Even if all those votes went to Democrats, we would not win.

Now, I would love it if the state EC would throw out the Diebold machines and institute optical scanners with paper receipts, but if it didn't happen when WE were in control, it sure as hell won't happen now.

Read on:


PRESS RELEASE
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO ALL MEDIA OUTLETS
 
Date:   August 6, 2010                       Time:  4:30 p.m.
 
 
THE REPUBLICANS HAVE GONE TO FAR THIS TIME
 
            According to our estimates, the Shelby County Election Commission’s “gross negligence” or “intentional” malfeasance as Congressman Cohen referred to it, could have affected as many as 30,000 voters yesterday.  I understand the tactics of Bill Giannini and the Election Commission.  They are attempting to control the message and downplay what happened.  Naturally, it is in their best interest to do so until the votes are certified next Tuesday.  The issues that we are dealing with are massive.  I contend that we should explore whether the whole election should be thrown-out.  
 
            What we are experiencing today is just the reason why the Diebold machines need to be retired.  Bill Giannini indicated that the problem was resolved at a central location.  This is also worth questioning.  The fact that they could remotely control the voter lists from one location is alarming.  One would think that the entire operation should have been suspended or shut-down to make sure that the problem was resolved.  This did not occur yesterday.  I ask that the Shelby County Election Commission and the Republican Party of Shelby County to stand with me in asking the Tennessee General Assembly to repeal the Diebold voting machines or implement optical scanners, as the law requires, for the November election and all forthcoming elections in Shelby County.  We have the ability to change what we are doing and to finally rid the election process of all these “glitches” and authorized uplinks.  However, as long as Republicans keep doing what they are doing, I doubt they will have the integrity to do what’s right, what’s fair, and what’s transparent.
For More Information, Please Contact:
Van Turner, Chair
Shelby County Democratic Party
Post Office Box 40864
Memphis, TN 38174-0864
Phone:  901-283-5017 

4 comments:

dell said...

How would they know that it only affected 230 people? Think about it...If people got turned away, because they told them they had already early voted, who would have tracked that number? Maybe your source is talking about the number of affidavits collected, but not the number who ran into the problem of being told they had early voted. They were using the wrong information at different precincts into the early evening. Unless your good source had cameras at every precinct to track how many people were affected, I wouldn't put much stock in their assertion.

unknown said...

I PERSONALLY know three people who were turned away. What are the odds of that with only 230 people impacted? I'm no statistician, but that seems like a really, really remote and low probability by chance...less than 0.0001% I'd guess...maybe even less.

If ONE voter was denied the right to vote, not to mention accused of trying to commit voter fraud and threatened with a felony charge...that is one voter too many.

People fought and died for the right to vote. This is a travesty, and I'm proud of Van and the SCDP for NOT letting it be swept under the rug as a "glitch."

Ann Sandberg

Vvixen said...

"The Republicans have gone to far this time" Wouldn't it be nice to have SCDP press releases written by someone who knows elementary grammar? I'm just sayin'...

Brad Watkins said...

LWC,

Now of course i agree that any voter cheated out of their right to participate in any election is a problem that needs to be aggressively addressed....

....Let's take a moment to be a little cynical. Right now you have racial tensions running a little high and you got some finger pointing and bloodletting about to occur. Some of it well deserved some of it..not so much.
The best way to maintain unity is to focus attention on a common foe and a common problem, and hope that gives you enough time to smooth out internal pressures...
I have no source or "Mr X", just what it looks like to me as an interested outsider.