NOT THAT THERE’S MUCH DIFFERENCE, BUT …
By FITSNEWS || If you’ve never watched CBS’ The Good Wife, you’re missing out. It’s one of the only shows worth watching on network television. Set in Cook County, Illinois – a.k.a. “Chicagoland” – the show frequently portrays the rampant political corruption in the Land of Lincoln (which has seen two of its last three governors indicted on federal corruption charges).
And which, of course, is the adopted home of Barack Obama.
In fact several episodes revolve around the lack of ballot integrity in Cook County … which makes this story an example of life imitating art.
According to Illinois State House candidate Jim Moynihan – who went to his polling station at Schaumburg Public Library on Monday to cast an early ballot – voting machines in Cook County are turning GOP votes into Democratic ones.
Literally …
“I tried to cast a vote for myself and instead it cast the vote for my opponent,” Moynihan said. “You could imagine my surprise as the same thing happened with a number of races when I tried to vote for a Republican and the machine registered a vote for a Democrat.”
According to Paul Miller of Watchdog.org, local officials claimed the machine in question experienced a “calibration error.”
“This was a calibration error of the touch-screen on the machine,” a local election official told Miller. “When Mr. Moynihan used the touch-screen, it improperly assigned his votes due to improper calibration.”
Mmmm-hmmm …
We don’t cover Illinois politics so we have no way of knowing whether Moynihan is a pro-free market, pro-liberty candidate or a typical establishment “Republican” (a.k.a. no different than a Democrat). But that doesn’t matter in this case … voters who cast their ballots for Moynihan (and other candidates) should have those ballots counted.
And not for somebody else …
Oh, and before you think stories like this are exclusive to “Chicagoland,” let’s not forget the election fraud that took place in Richland County, S.C. in 2012 … which remains un-investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice.
42 comments
But wait didn’t you just say that voter ID was “…a ridiculous… GOP’s…self-serving voter identification…” issue implying that voter fraud wasn’t an issue?
I fail to see how having an ID would stop a poorly-calibrated touch screen from selecting the wrong candidate.
Whoever thought touch screens were a great idea for ballot machines should be dragged out into the street and shot.
I’m just poking the whole “…there is no voting fraud…” issue.
Chicago (Illinois in general) has a long, well established history of voter fraud. That history includes fake voters, fake votes and manipulated results.
If you had been paying attention, you would know that no one has said election fraud does not exists. What those critical of voter identification laws have said is that they are a sham. They are not designed to prevent election fraud, they are designed to reduce minority voting. If there is election fraud going on in any location, it will occur through hacking machines that do not print paper ballots to confirm the selection. It will not come from people voting two are three time. That simply is not an effective way to steal an election, and in the modern world you could never get enough people involved to make a difference and keep it a secret.
I have no reason to believe Republicans are not rigging the machines in SC as we speak. Otherwise why would you waste time on Voter ID laws, where there absolutely no evidence an election has been stolen, vrs this situation where we have been told over an over by experts that this can happen. Its simple, because you do not want to fix the real problem. You want to reduce minority participation while preserving your ability to rig the machines. Chicago is not the only place where those in power have a history of corruption. SC is as corrupt as it gets.
Just trolling – I still find it odd that almost every transaction a modern American conducts requires some form of ID except the single most important thing we do – voting. I don’t buy the “I cain’t get no ID” argument, I simply refuse to believe it and in fact there is little evidence that it’s true or that it’s caused any significant number of people from exercising their right to vote.
The argument that it is somehow “Un-Constitutional” to require ID holds no water:
14th Amendment: Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article
15th Amendment: Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation
19th Amendment: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
24th Amendment: Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax. Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. (South Carolina avoids be “Un-Constitutional” by offering free State IDs)
26th Amendment: Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
You still do not get it. Just because someone can with great effort do something; does not mean they should be required to do it, when it accomplishes nothing, beneficial. You seem to have no problem with not requiring gun owners to do something as simple as register a gun, or get a gun permit, or go through a background check, or ask to see an ID before they sell a gun to someone. Somehow that is too much an effort for gun owners.
But ask an elderly shut in or someone who cannot drive to find someone to take them down to the DMV and wait in line with them for hours to get an ID so they can vote, when they already have a voter registration card, and suddenly, oh thats easy. Also, we know that certain groups are suspicious of government and do not want to go
The fact that it can be done is irrelevant to the motive behind the law. Yes with effort people can get the ID. Some, particularly elderly people and disabled people will not make the effort. That does not change the motive behind the legislation. To make it more difficult to vote. Why? Because minorities, the elderly, and college students are less likely to vote if you make it more difficult.
And voter ID is not the end of the effort. Republicans want to shut down early voting, and church organized voter registration, school organized voter registration, allowing students to vote where they go to school, and anything else that makes it easier to vote or encourages minorities, college students, and the elderly to vote. The motive is clear and I don’t believe for one minute you or anybody else believes otherwise.
None of this is going to change the mind of Republicans. They know what they are doing and why they are doing it. They can lie all they want. Usually the let it slip out as some point. I just those of us who think this is wrong make sure those affected understand what is really happening so they will make the additional effort to get out, get their IDs and vote against those people who are doing everything they can to take them back to the days of Jim Crow. The theory , perhaps wrong, is that People are more likely to ,make the effort to vote when they realize what is being done to them.
No problem with our current gun laws.
You had to have proof of who you were to even register so why’s it a problem to provide proof of who you are to vote?
Who do we see go after churches? It sure isn’t Republicans, in fact if you call down to Houston, you’ll find its a very liberal Democrat mayor going after the churches.
The problem with early voting is that it tends to discourage voters, not encourage them. That said, I will vote tomorrow as I’ve suddenly been called to go protect Wisconsin from Canada. Allowing students to vote where they go to school is foolish. Why would I want 3,000 New Jersyites voting in Columbia for city council or governor? There’s about 3,000 of them at USC. We have an established absentee voter system.
Who do we see go after churches?
http://www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/blogpost/9737378/
The problem with early voting is that it tends to discourage voters, not encourage them.”
That is nonsense. Why would giving people more opportunity to vote discourage voting? That is just a made up argument..
Why would I want 3,000 New Jersyites voting in Columbia for city council or governor?
Because the election effects them. Why do we let people who move here for a temporary work assignment vote? Why do we let people who are planning to move in the next couple of years vote?
They’re already predicting winners based on early voting. The net effect will be to discourage voting – embargo the ballots until election night and I might support it.
College students have no skin in the game they should vote where they really live.
My next door neighbour who may move in two years has skin in the game. For the record, I’d be in favour of moving the voting age to 21 but I know you won’t like that either…
I noticed Tom didn’t bring up guns again.
I had time to read his article, it’s about Sunday voting- we already have Sunday voting, it’s called an absentee ballot. Really, I don’t favour blue laws, I love going to Wal-Mart on Sunday if just for the wildlife spotting, but can’t we freaking have a day “off”?
“…but can’t we freaking have a day “off”?”…once you retire.
Not hardly, I have 24 years of “honey dos” stacked up now… Besides that, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to afford to retire.
Those “honey dos”, the ones that I would do in eight hours might take me a whole week to do now. Remember once you retire, what you don’t do today you can put off till next week.
I’ll have to remember that!
Most states don’t allow absentee ballots unless you are truly not going to be around on election day. Its only one day a year, but it is a day that saw a lot of minorities vote, because they would go to the polls together after church. That is why Republicans all over the country are trying to eliminate that option.
No need to. Its the same thing but people are going to pretend its not.
It’s the same thing but people are going to pretend there is no voter fraud.
So what you are saying is it discourages the wrong people from voting. Minority voting goes up when you have early voting, not down.
Of course all of this makes my point. Its about voter turn out, not the integrity of elections. Republicans believe voter id laws, eliminating early voting, eliminating Sunday voting, etc, etc, will result in lower turnout by people less likely to vote for them. That is why they pass these laws and nothing more. The should just designate the Vote Suppression Act of 20xx. Which was my point in the beginning.
Tom, if it’s important enough, people will find a way to vote regardless of the impediment thrown in front of them. I’ve literally voted from a sandbagged bunker.
So much rubbish. If you are so concerned about your elderly neighbor not getting down to the DMV, then volunteer to drive them down there and wait in line with them. The last time I went to the DMV it took 15 minutes. Plus, if ‘the elderly’ made it to such a ripe old age, why is it they never got an ID when they were hale and hearty? Voting changes laws and policy for ALL. The least you can do is make a little effort and be prepared to prove that you are who you say you are. If you can’t physically get down to the DMV, call your party headquarters. If they want your vote, they’ll get you down there.
Tom you are a democrat lunatic. there is no minority vote suppression
democrats love voter fraud. they feel justified too because of all the lies in their heads
This is not an ID problem, Colonel. It is a machine technology problem.
South Carolina currently uses iVotronic touch-screen machines that were bought used from smarter states that dumped them. They have no means of verification for recounts.
In 2010 the votes cast on the majority of machines in some Democratic North Charleston precincts were unable to be counted. Over 2000 votes were lost in the House District 108 race, resulting in Republican Kevin Ryan being declared the winner over Democratic incumbent Vida Miller by less than 500 votes.
Ryan, the youngest member of the House for that session, decided before he was half-way through his freshman term that he didn’t care for the job. When the Democrat who filed for the 2012 primary was kicked off the ballot (along with about 180 other faulty filers) Stephen Goldfinch walked into the post without opposition (another Republican withdrew before the primary in a deal for chairmanship of the Georgetown County Republicans).
Paper ballots counted in public in the precinct remains the Gold Standard if integrity of the vote is your concern. Speedy results is a poor trade-off for validity.
I think I agree with you – paper ballots counted in public, as arcane and silly as that is, seems to be the right way to go. You could scan them to get a preliminary result and then manually count them – if the numbers match you’re done, if not, get out your abacus, cause we’re doing it again.
Wouldn’t you have to reply on people being able to read and write?
Florida didn’t…
South Carolina currently uses iVotronic touch-screen machines that were bought used from smarter states
That is fucking hilarious!
So, now we know what happened to the rest of the Richland County voting machines after the fraudulent 2012 election…
Yeah, I didn’t talk to a single person dat voted yes’m to the penny increase but my machine say dey did.
What would be real news in Chicago…if the touch screen changed a vote for a democrat to a republican.
That would be a real ‘man bites dog’ story.
What would be real news is Republicans producing legislation that addresses real election fraud, instead of sham legislation designed to benefit them at the polls. If Republicans would get on board with requiring all voting machines to require a paper ballot be printed, then they will be accomplishing something. But there is no evidence they are even remotely concerned about election fraud. They simply want to reduce minority voting.
They simply want more minority to be able to tour the White House.
Well if you lived in Colorado you might have a better grasp of how these things are done. Everyone is mailed a ballot. If you happen upon some “discarded” ballots feel free to vote those too….
http://m.nationalreview.com/article/390893/james-okeefe-strikes-again-john-fund
Who knew voter fraud is akin to treason and if convicted carries a stiff penalty?
Protect the value and the right to vote so it fails to become a partisan issue!
democrats attempt to commit fraud! showing id is a non-issue. democrat liar
Want to see something more rare than a Bigfoot film? Or maybe not.
http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/video-left-wing-activist-caught-stuffing-ballot-box-arizona
Probably not. Smells like a “false flag” operation.
Nothing to see here, Arizona…move along…just another La Raza operative stuffing the ballot box for Democrats…
I’ve read as many stories as I can find about this “calibration,” issue. My take is, technology gets it wrong sometimes, it happens. What I find strange however is that it happens to such a high profile person and no one else. It smells of grandstanding political stunt. If there is a link to other folks I haven’t seen it.
democrats commit fraud!
It’s really irrelevant until there is a third party. Vote from whom ever, the result is the same.