Reports are coming out that NYS Governor Eliot Spitzer has signed off on the final legislation, effectively moving the date of the 2008 New York presidential primary to Tuesday, February 5th.
Many other states are considering, or have enacted, similar legislation and New York could eventually be one of nearly two dozen states holding primaries on the new day. The move could help presidential hopefuls from New York, namely Clinton and Giuliani, and other pols who are able to head into early contests with large cash reserves. Read more on the issue here -
Showing posts with label elections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elections. Show all posts
Monday, April 9, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Poll Sitters Sentenced
Ohio Election Workers Rigged Recount
Sadly, this is probably more common than anyone realizes. From an AP story -
A judge suspicious of more corruption pressed two former election board workers to tell what they know and then sentenced them Tuesday to the maximum 18 months in prison for rigging the 2004 presidential election recount to make their job easier.
"I can't help but feel there's more to this story," said Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Peter Corrigan, who allowed the women to remain free on bond pending appeal.
-snip-
The judge repeatedly asked Jacqueline Maiden, 60, an election coordinator who was the Cuyahoga County board's third-highest ranking employee, and ballot manager Kathleen Dreamer, 40, if higher-ups in the board had directed the recount rigging. "It seems unlikely your supervisors wouldn't know," the judge prodded.
The women, standing side by side, said they had cooperated with a state investigation of the elections board in Ohio's most populous county. The board has been a lightning rod for critics wary since Ohio gave the 2004 election to President Bush.
-snip-
Erie County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter, appointed as an outside investigator to look into the election board in Cleveland, told that judge that the women had been uncooperative in the investigation and appealed for prison time for both.
"The defendants have never come clean," he said.
Prosecutors said the employees broke the law when they worked behind closed doors three days before the Dec. 16, 2004, recount to pick ballots they knew would not cause discrepancies when checked by hand so they could avoid a lengthier, more expensive hand recount of all votes.
Baxter criticized the outspoken support for the women from Robert Bennett, the election board chairman and head of the Republican Party in Ohio. Endorsing such criminal behavior is "amazing, it's astounding," according to Baxter, who didn't indicate if the investigation might lead to more charges.
-snip-
Each defendant was convicted of a felony count of negligent misconduct of an elections employee.
Maiden and Dreamer also were convicted of one misdemeanor count each of failure of elections employees to perform their duty. Both were acquitted of five other charges and a co-defendant who was an assistant manager of the ballot department was acquitted of all seven counts.
Ohio gave Bush the electoral votes he needed to defeat Democratic Sen. John Kerry in the election and hold on to the White House in 2004. Kerry beat Bush in Democratic Cuyahoga County 448,486 to 221,606.
The prosecutor did not claim the rigged recount affected the outcome of the election - Kerry gained 17 votes and Bush lost six in the county recount.
Sadly, this is probably more common than anyone realizes. From an AP story -
A judge suspicious of more corruption pressed two former election board workers to tell what they know and then sentenced them Tuesday to the maximum 18 months in prison for rigging the 2004 presidential election recount to make their job easier.
"I can't help but feel there's more to this story," said Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Peter Corrigan, who allowed the women to remain free on bond pending appeal.
-snip-
The judge repeatedly asked Jacqueline Maiden, 60, an election coordinator who was the Cuyahoga County board's third-highest ranking employee, and ballot manager Kathleen Dreamer, 40, if higher-ups in the board had directed the recount rigging. "It seems unlikely your supervisors wouldn't know," the judge prodded.
The women, standing side by side, said they had cooperated with a state investigation of the elections board in Ohio's most populous county. The board has been a lightning rod for critics wary since Ohio gave the 2004 election to President Bush.
-snip-
Erie County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter, appointed as an outside investigator to look into the election board in Cleveland, told that judge that the women had been uncooperative in the investigation and appealed for prison time for both.
"The defendants have never come clean," he said.
Prosecutors said the employees broke the law when they worked behind closed doors three days before the Dec. 16, 2004, recount to pick ballots they knew would not cause discrepancies when checked by hand so they could avoid a lengthier, more expensive hand recount of all votes.
Baxter criticized the outspoken support for the women from Robert Bennett, the election board chairman and head of the Republican Party in Ohio. Endorsing such criminal behavior is "amazing, it's astounding," according to Baxter, who didn't indicate if the investigation might lead to more charges.
-snip-
Each defendant was convicted of a felony count of negligent misconduct of an elections employee.
Maiden and Dreamer also were convicted of one misdemeanor count each of failure of elections employees to perform their duty. Both were acquitted of five other charges and a co-defendant who was an assistant manager of the ballot department was acquitted of all seven counts.
Ohio gave Bush the electoral votes he needed to defeat Democratic Sen. John Kerry in the election and hold on to the White House in 2004. Kerry beat Bush in Democratic Cuyahoga County 448,486 to 221,606.
The prosecutor did not claim the rigged recount affected the outcome of the election - Kerry gained 17 votes and Bush lost six in the county recount.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
McCain Tosses Hat
Senator John McCain last night on the Late Show with David Letterman -
No big surprise. Now, if he has any hope of being elected, he must explain his stance on the Iraq war to the public.
"I am announcing that I will be a candidate for president of the United States"
No big surprise. Now, if he has any hope of being elected, he must explain his stance on the Iraq war to the public.
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