Some military ballots being thrown out?

Longshot · November 17, 2000, 06:31 PM

I just heard on the radio that military ballots with missing or "illegible" postmarks are being thrown out. Anybody else heard this?

Ding · November 17, 2000, 07:47 PM

That's the way it works.

BTW, it doesn't apply to military ballots, but absentee ballots in general.

John Marshall · November 18, 2000, 12:04 AM

The part of the process of checking absentee ballots that bothers me the most is verifying the signature on the envelope. They are comparing this actual signature with a computer registry of signatures that appear on the monitor screen about the size of the next smaller font than this post. How can a reasonable comparison be made that way?

kjm · November 18, 2000, 03:00 AM

So let me get this straight: absentee ballots of the military will be thrown out if they aren't perfect, and they must have everything just right, but those folks down in Palm Beach who can't read, can't write, and sound stupid as hell on TV get to vote twice? They even have whole battalions of workers (psychics) using DNC ouigi boards to determine if someone "intended" to vote for Al Gore, but didn't punch his name. This is disgusting. Why don't the networks harp on this double standard instead of defending miscreants?

KenPaul · November 18, 2000, 03:33 AM

Ding,

I hope you are right, because the news is reporting that many military absentee ballots are being rejected because they are not postmarked...

Ken

walangkatapat · November 18, 2000, 04:01 AM

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/2000...verseas_5.html

Oatka · November 18, 2000, 09:32 AM

Don't they have (or shouldn't there be) a setup where all incoming absentee ballots are date/time stamped on arrival?

It seems to me then, that any ballot received within x amount of days after the election would still be viable.

Depending upon postmarks from mail coming in from all sorts of off-the-wall countries and places (courier pouches, etc.) would seem to me to call for an alternate way of authentication.

Usual demo hypocrisy that's not mentioned (surprise!) is that the same crowd who said techicalities should not interefere with "every person's right to vote" and now tossing off absentee ballots left and right on
"technicalities".

I have a BAD feeling this election will be stolen in broad daylight and the media will just nod approvingly and high-five each other.

BOY, I hope I'm wrong.

Libertarian · November 18, 2000, 11:13 AM

I'm surprised by any lack of postmarks. All of the APOs I've used have been very contientious about postmarking every piece of mail as it came in. I wonder if these are the "lost" ballots recently found onboard ships at sea? In the rush to get them here they may have not been postmarked. Or a Cintonite Ship's Captain may have rushed the bags off ship before the postal clerks had the chance to cancel them properly. That bears some looking into.

Ding · November 18, 2000, 11:39 AM

Quote:

So let me get this straight: absentee ballots of the military will be thrown out if they aren't perfect, and they must have everything just right, but those folks down in Palm Beach who can't read, can't write, and sound stupid as hell on TV get to vote twice? They even have whole battalions of workers (psychics) using DNC ouigi boards to determine if someone "intended" to vote for Al Gore, but didn't punch his name. This is disgusting. Why don't the networks harp on this double standard instead of defending miscreants?

They're not going to vote twice.

George Hill · November 18, 2000, 12:10 PM

Ding, it seems to me that some have voted 2 or three times already.

Be Good Boys and Girls... ALGORE IS WATCHING YOU!

There is an interesting story about it on FOX NEWS:
http://foxnews.com/election_night/11...t_overseas.sml

Quote:

Ed Gillespie, a Republican strategist working for Bush in Florida, said 110 of 113 write-in ballots, mostly from military forces, were invalidated by officials in Miami-Dade County. He said more than half were thrown out because they had no witness or witness address listed but "the form doesn't indicate that a witness is necessary."

I feel rather vexed at the moment.

Hard Ball · November 18, 2000, 01:54 PM

In Broward county, a democratic stronghold. 83% of the absentee ballots have been thrown out. The Secretary of State put out instructions that if a ballot does not have a dated postmark the envelope is to be opened and if it is signed and dated it is to be counted. THe democrats are saying they will not follow her instructions. Why, because staewide the absentee ballots are going 2 to 1 for Bush.

November 18, 2000, 12:04 AM	#3
John Marshall Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2000 Posts: 434	The part of the process of checking absentee ballots that bothers me the most is verifying the signature on the envelope. They are comparing this actual signature with a computer registry of signatures that appear on the monitor screen about the size of the next smaller font than this post. How can a reasonable comparison be made that way? __________________ If you're not a little upset with the way the world is going, you're not paying attention.

November 18, 2000, 03:33 AM	#5
KenPaul Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2000 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 204	Ding, I hope you are right, because the news is reporting that many military absentee ballots are being rejected because they are not postmarked... Ken __________________ God so values liberty that He gave us all the free will to look Him in the eye and tell Him to take a hike. If liberty is that important to God, it should be that important to us all.

November 18, 2000, 04:01 AM	#6
walangkatapat Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 1999 Posts: 300	http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/2000...verseas_5.html __________________ "Gun Control is Only to Protect Those in Power"

November 17, 2000, 06:31 PM	#1
Longshot Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2000 Location: Oregon Posts: 717	I just heard on the radio that military ballots with missing or "illegible" postmarks are being thrown out. Anybody else heard this?

November 17, 2000, 07:47 PM	#2
Ding Senior Member Join Date: May 5, 2000 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 166	That's the way it works. BTW, it doesn't apply to military ballots, but absentee ballots in general.

November 18, 2000, 03:00 AM	#4
kjm Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1999 Location: College Station, Texas Posts: 1,871	So let me get this straight: absentee ballots of the military will be thrown out if they aren't perfect, and they must have everything just right, but those folks down in Palm Beach who can't read, can't write, and sound stupid as hell on TV get to vote twice? They even have whole battalions of workers (psychics) using DNC ouigi boards to determine if someone "intended" to vote for Al Gore, but didn't punch his name. This is disgusting. Why don't the networks harp on this double standard instead of defending miscreants?

November 18, 2000, 09:32 AM	#7
Oatka Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 1999 Location: Nevada Posts: 3,076	Don't they have (or shouldn't there be) a setup where all incoming absentee ballots are date/time stamped on arrival? It seems to me then, that any ballot received within x amount of days after the election would still be viable. Depending upon postmarks from mail coming in from all sorts of off-the-wall countries and places (courier pouches, etc.) would seem to me to call for an alternate way of authentication. Usual demo hypocrisy that's not mentioned (surprise!) is that the same crowd who said techicalities should not interefere with "every person's right to vote" and now tossing off absentee ballots left and right on "technicalities". I have a BAD feeling this election will be stolen in broad daylight and the media will just nod approvingly and high-five each other. BOY, I hope I'm wrong.

November 18, 2000, 11:13 AM	#8
Libertarian Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 1999 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 2,117	I'm surprised by any lack of postmarks. All of the APOs I've used have been very contientious about postmarking every piece of mail as it came in. I wonder if these are the "lost" ballots recently found onboard ships at sea? In the rush to get them here they may have not been postmarked. Or a Cintonite Ship's Captain may have rushed the bags off ship before the postal clerks had the chance to cancel them properly. That bears some looking into.

November 18, 2000, 01:54 PM	#11
Hard Ball Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 1999 Location: California Posts: 3,925	In Broward county, a democratic stronghold. 83% of the absentee ballots have been thrown out. The Secretary of State put out instructions that if a ballot does not have a dated postmark the envelope is to be opened and if it is signed and dated it is to be counted. THe democrats are saying they will not follow her instructions. Why, because staewide the absentee ballots are going 2 to 1 for Bush.