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Ohio Meltdowns in Warren, Cuyahoga, and Hocking Counties
Columbus, OH — NOTE: This report is filed as part of the "Five Candidate Election Observers Project 2006" by Paddy Shaffer, Campaign Manager for the Fitrakis for Governor campaign.
Three employees of the Cuyahoga Board of Elections have just been fired. Our sources tell us they were competent, good workers. It seems they are being thinned out. |
Five Ohio statewide candidates have come together across party lines to monitor the 11,000 precincts in 88 counties so that there will be no repeat of the fiasco that occurred in November 2004. The five candidates are: Dr. Robert Fitrakis, Dr. William Peirce, Dr. James Lundeen, Timothy Kettler, and Dr. John Eastman. For more details, contact,
Warren County
Just reported from Cincinnati. A husband and wife in Warren County were filling out their absentee ballots. The second pages of these were different. At 1:00 p.m., the Warren County Board of Elections was meeting to decide what to do. It is reported to the Five Candidate Election Observers Project 2006, from a poll worker, that they do not know how many of these forms are different, and who they went to. The meeting started at 1:00 p.m., it is now 3:00 p.m. and they are still in the Board Meeting. Paddy Shaffer has requested the Minutes of the Meeting via fax and in audio format (if they do that; Ohio law requires it, but the BOE's don't seem to follow it).
Cuyahoga County
It has been reported that the memory cards for the voting machines have been put into the laptop computers at the Board of Elections. These laptop computers are able to be taken home by employees.
Three employees of the Cuyahoga Board of Elections have just been fired. Our sources tell us they were competent, good workers. It seems they are being thinned out. One was regarded by poll workers being trained on the computers to be the best trainer they have.
Hocking County
Mack Bailey went to vote absentee at the Board of Elections. The absentee ballot form that he was given to fill out was printed so light that he couldn't read what he needed to fill in. This form would record your name, address, ID, and such information. Mack had to ask for help to know what it even said. When Mack went to sign it, he listed his name differently than his registration form. The middle name is David, sometimes he writes it out, sometimes he just puts "D". Remember the only time you see it before you sign it is if you vote at the polls. They told Mack they wouldn't count his vote because he signed it wrong. He argued it, and it was finally put in with ballots that should be counted. Will it be? We don't know.
Paddy Shaffer called the Hocking County Prosecutor, Larry Beal about this. Larry was sent to the BOE to check out the forms with the light ink. He asked that they darken them. Paddy also asked Larry to address our concern that if there are any voters denied a vote because they didn't fill out one of these light copied forms correctly, that they be contacted and given the opportunity to come and correct it. Larry said they agreed to do it. I let him know that we will be thoroughly going through all these records, and to make sure the BOE retains everything.
