I don't see anything sinister here, but public confidence isn't inspired when the county clerk for the state's largest county tells us weeks after the election that she has just discovered 446 absentee ballots which were received prior to the election but got misplaced. According to Marion County Clerk Beth White's office, the ballots were placed on a shelf in a storage closet out of sight and not noticed until today. Because there weren't really any close races in Marion County, it is unlikely the ballots would change any results. But it still represents as many votes as are cast in an entire precinct.
The Republicans were quick to respond to today's discovery. "Today's news that hundreds of ballots had been haphazardly misplaced by Beth White and her staff is yet another disturbing example of how poorly elections are administered in Marion County, " Marion Co. GOP Chairman Tom John said. "These are people's votes we're talking about. The fact that Beth White had no idea that these ballots were missing shows the lack of tracking and accountability in how votes are handled by her office. These shenanigans do not happen in other major cities, and the people of Marion County deserve better." The Republican press release notes that White's office received the absentee ballots on October 26, more than a week prior to the election.
11 comments:
If Beth White had not misplaced the ballots, they probably would have either never been sent to a precinct by the time polls closed or would have been sent to the incorrect precinct.
If White were a Republican, the left would be livid, the ACLU and Jesse Jackson would be here, Dailykos would have flipped out...
Beth White should resign.
The ACLU of Indiana has behaved as a tool of the Democratic Party when it comes to election law matters in this state. They devoted so much time and energy to Voter ID, and they pounced all over an Obama supporter out in Plainfield being told to take down an Obama sign. But when it comes to Beth White, they turn the other way. The best example of this was their utter failure to take action on behalf of the thousands of Marion Co. primary voters who were deprived the right to vote because White's office failed to open several precincts on election day. There has been no worse case of voter disenfranchisement than that example in recent Indiana history. Yet, the ACLU did nothing. It says a lot.
"Yet, the ACLU did nothing."
What could they have done?
The ACLU could have petitioned a court to order a new election for the voters in those precincts which never got the opportunity to vote. Isn't supposed voter disenfranchisement the whole purpose for their opposition to Voter ID?
The CCC will be voting on a proposal allowing White to transfer funds to pay for the processing of the absentee ballots. I know that expenses need to be paid but I would like to see the funds with held until White publicly explains why the ballots were so casually controlled.
These were found in a closet. A bag of AB's were found at the airport. City wide AB envelopes were opened and processed before signatures were checked against the poll books. The total disregard for the Absentee procedures is unlawful and disrespectful. White has some explaining to do.
This makes me wonder if a few of the closely contested municipal elections of 2007 may have been swung in another candidates favor, if this type of careless vote handling is business as usual for Beth White.
I thought all of you hated the ACLU...what gives???
WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU PEOPLE!!!!!!!
Don't you know that NONE of this matters as long as democrats win the elections?
I voted AB since I was working at a different precinct on "voting day". I consider my vote precious and hope my ballot was not ignored and left on the shelf. Beth White needs to step aside and someone more efficient put in the job - someone less partisan. Incidentally, the time period for early voting needs to be revisited, too long. There are too many opportunities for dishonesty.
THE VOTES WERE COUNTED!!! The fact that the Clerk called the foul on herself in this case should be applauded.
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