NBC: Bag of Uncounted Ballots Found in Bridgeport

[GhostofSparta]

Bag of Uncounted Ballots Found in Bridgeport

BY Bob Connors

In what has become one of the stranger twists in an already bizarre Governor's race, a bag of uncounted ballots was found in Bridgeport Thursday night.

Republican officials were approached by Democratic operatives and told about the surprise ballot bag, according to Bridgeport GOP Chairman Marc Delmonico.

Delmonico said Democrats asked to have several people deputized to count the uncounted ballots, but Republicans objected, claiming that wasn't proper procedure in the vote-counting process. Instead the GOP asked police to take custody of the bag of ballots until the matter could be sorted out.

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/elections/2010/races/race-2/Bag-of-Uncounted-Ballots-Found-in-Bridgeport-106727208.html

So I don't want to be the one that speculates too much there, God knows there will be enough of that by others, but I just have 1 question: Which is the more "acceptable" explanation in this case- that these are fraudulent ballots or that the election officials in charge of the ballots are completely incompetent?

[Woodhead]

Bag of Uncounted Ballots Found in Bridgeport

BY Bob Connors

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/elections/2010/races/race-2/Bag-of-Uncounted-Ballots-Found-in-Bridgeport-106727208.html

So I don't want to be the one that speculates too much there, God knows there will be enough of that by others, but I just have 1 question: Which is the more "acceptable" explanation in this case- that these are fraudulent ballots or that the election officials in charge of the ballots are completely incompetent?

I would venture a guess at incompetence, this actually happens a lot. In 2000, there were a LOT of votes found when they redid the count. The election was called for the Dem because the only existing town was Bridgeport, and they elect democrats at a 2+/1 margin because it is a urban industrial area.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004//pages/results/states/CT/P/00/county.000.html

[The Brave Little Toaster Oven]

God damn those cheating Democrats! (haha kidding)

[Woodhead]

God damn those cheating Democrats! (haha kidding)

You're being facetious right?

[aREDSKIN]

You're being facetious right?

Are you being serious??The Dems have a substantial, long and documented history of vote fraud in all parts of the country. Call it what it is, unfortunately, our elections system(s) are very easily manipulated.

[twa]

By default I'll vote for incompetence....but I'm certainly open for corrupt.

[thebluefood]

To quote Patrick Henry: "I smell a rat."

[Zguy28]

By default I'll vote for incompetence....but I'm certainly open for corrupt.

Nothing surprises.

[Devastate]

Every vote counts.......except these

[Thiebear]

This appears to be the opportunity to scape goat some low level op..

that will dissapear in the Justice system over the next year.

(This is why i had to add a chinstrap to the tinfoil hat, to hold it on nice and tight)

[TimmySmith]

This particular election is an absolute mess. It cracks me up these days when supposedly bright people, our leaders, continually try to declare a winner and move one as if no one is paying attention.

[Homercles82]

Everything thinks that voter fraud is bad now despite being in the spotlight needs to think how bad it used to be. Tammany Hall comes to mind. Edgar Allen Poe was even guilty of voter fraud. We can read a lot about voter fraud in the past but how much we don't know about can be scary.

[Duncan]

Every election cycle some mysterious bag of uncounted votes appear from districts that pushes the Dem over the top. It can't be a coincidence every time.

[Homercles82]

Every election cycle some mysterious bag of uncounted votes appear from districts that pushes the Dem over the top. It can't be a coincidence every time.

I loved the Al Franken race where everytime they did a recount it magically swung in his favor. They did a recount until he was ahead a few hundred votes then it stopped. I know it has happened with Republicans but Franken's race is the last one I could think of.

[AsburySkinsFan]

So many allegations of fraud by the Democrats and not a single link to support...surprise surprise...what gets me is that in all of these allegations of voter fraud none of those and the Right doesn't even mention Florida. If it wasn't so typical it would be really sad...actually that's probably what makes it so sad.

[fwo40]

Living up here it's no surprise this problem is in Bridgeport. That place is scumbag central....but it's also incompetence central. So it could be fraud...or it could be plain idiocy.

[Seabee1973]

So many allegations of fraud by the Democrats and not a single link to support...surprise surprise...what gets me is that in all of these allegations of voter fraud none of those and the Right doesn't even mention Florida. If it wasn't so typical it would be really sad...actually that's probably what makes it so sad.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5578458/al_franken_may_have_been_elected_to.html?cat=9

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2004/08/22/2004-08-22_exposed__scandal_of_double_v.html

If you want more i have plenty of them

[Duncan]

So many allegations of fraud by the Democrats and not a single link to support...surprise surprise...what gets me is that in all of these allegations of voter fraud none of those and the Right doesn't even mention Florida. If it wasn't so typical it would be really sad...actually that's probably what makes it so sad.

Here are a few Democrats talking about voter fraud...

http://wewillnotbesilenced2008.com/video/index.htm

[panel]

So many allegations of fraud by the Democrats and not a single link to support...surprise surprise...what gets me is that in all of these allegations of voter fraud none of those and the Right doesn't even mention Florida. If it wasn't so typical it would be really sad...actually that's probably what makes it so sad.

Some would argue that the fraud in Florida was calling the state for Gore, while the polls were open, in hopes to discourage voters.

[Duckus]

Fraud is a boogie man. Does it ever happen? Yes. It happens by both GOP and DEMs. But it happens on such a small scale (usually stupid individuals, not a scheme).

People have this image of thousands or millions of voters being bought, stolen, manufactured, manipulated. But sadly, for the tin hat crew, it doesn't happen on that level. Yes, sometimes people vote who should not vote. Yes, sometimes machines malfunction. Hell, I got 500+ reports that the machine was flipping straight D tickets to R tickets in parts of Houston this year. But 99.9% of the time it is not malicious but incompetence. Every study I have ever seen on it (and that is a lot, since I work with voter fraud problems from time to time) has shown that it, though popular for people to talk about, does not change elections or happen on a statistically significant

I know people want to find reasons they lost. It is everyone reaction who works on a campaign. "Well, something went wrong. We did not lose!" But in reality, you just lost. Elections work in America. Bush did not steal any election. Al Franken did not steal an election. Illegals and Acorn did not get Obama elected.

Just in the last 2 years, our AG in Texas (you can imagine a far right wing Republican) decided to finally tackle this issue. He spent 1.4 million dollar investigating it. Turning over every rock he could find. He PROMISED to expose the ramped voter fraud in Texas.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/051808dnpolvotefraud.3c75dcb.html

AUSTIN – More than two years ago, Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott pledged to root out what he called an epidemic of voter fraud in Texas.

He established a special unit in his office, tapped a $1.4 million federal crime-fighting grant and dispatched investigators.

Since then, Mr. Abbott has prosecuted 26 cases

Epidemic. 1.4 million dollars. A special unit for just election fraud/voter fraud.. 26 arrests (no jail time) out of 5+ million voters.

You can sleep at night. Democracy works.

[aREDSKIN]

So many allegations of fraud by the Democrats and not a single link to support...surprise surprise...what gets me is that in all of these allegations of voter fraud none of those and the Right doesn't even mention Florida. If it wasn't so typical it would be really sad...actually that's probably what makes it so sad.

IMO I just thought it was common knowledge of the DEM side in the corrupt side of vote fraud. Unions etc have a long and sordid history of behavior like this. It's not hard to verify this. Go back to Cook county, IL and the Kennedys. Start there. My pointing out the Dems does not absolve the Repubs but I'll let others make that case. like I said they SYSTEM as structure allows for this type of behavior. To imply that the Dems are innocence of this type of shenanigans is just ignorant IMO.

[GhostofSparta]

Local news video on the incident: http://www.wfsb.com/local-video/index.html?grabnetworks_video_id=4405211

After watching this, I'm definately in the "Incompetent/lazy" camp. Still sad that in an election this close that this is going to become a huge sticking point by both sides. Does anybody know if there's any type of screening process for poll workers that should be able to weed out the lazy ones or the ones who have no idea what they're doing? Because if not, that could be extremely helpful, and if so perhaps they need to review this process because it's not working here.

[Duckus]

. like I said they SYSTEM as structure allows for this type of behavior..

No, no it doesn't. It annoys me when people talk like they have knowledge of something. Voter fraud is not a ramped epidemic in this country today. It is a boogie man used by both sides to account for losing.

[JimboDaMan]

Some would argue that the fraud in Florida was calling the state for Gore, while the polls were open, in hopes to discourage voters.

Others might ask whether Republicans who were already at or on their way to the polls (which would have to be the case) were stupid enough to go back home because the radio told them to, Or point out that of all the myiad allegations on both sides that election, this was one of the weakest.

[JimboDaMan]

IMO I just thought it was common knowledge of the DEM side in the corrupt side of vote fraud. Unions etc have a long and sordid history of behavior like this. It's not hard to verify this. Go back to Cook county, IL and the Kennedys. Start there. My pointing out the Dems does not absolve the Repubs but I'll let others make that case. like I said they SYSTEM as structure allows for this type of behavior. To imply that the Dems are innocence of this type of shenanigans is just ignorant IMO.

Really? Why would Democrats attempt to hide a bag of votes in left-leaning Bridgeport?