If this person filling out a provisional ballot truly is not a Mass voter, her ballot will be thrown out; if she is one, it will be included in the totals – once that is proven. This is part of the provisions put into place after the disastrous 2004 election where people were turned away at the polls, the legislation called HAHA or Help America Vote Act.
The only weird thing is that the witness here claims that the poll worker asked the would-be voter if she were Democrat or Republican, which sounds strange except that poll workers in primaries always have to ask this question, and it could be just a habit that the worker mistakenly said it here. There’s no evidence at all that any particular answer to the question would have caused a different reaction in the poll worker. That is if this witness is remembering correctly (this is all allegedly after all).
This idiotic claim of “proven” voter fraud in Lawrence is all over the conservasphere, particularly being drummed up by the likes of Michelle Malkin. It is being used as exactly the sort of outrage generator I mentioned in my last post. Hey, if at first you can’t succeed, whine, I suppose – but if you’re going to complain, at least complain about something real, not made up whole cloth. Good lord.
Update: and here is the other outrage generator.
This shows a woman with copies of the ballot – copies, not absentee, as this post seems to suggest. Anyone been to the polls today? They hang copies of the ballot right up at the front, usually, to show you what the ballot looks like before you head in. Now, so long as this woman is not violating the rules of how to conduct yourself outside a polling station (like distance rules), she has every right to a paper copy of the ballot (you can see line markings on the ballot, it really is just a nonusable copy) and to talk to voters as they go into the polls for her chosen candidate.
And finally…here’s the last news (for now) that they’re screaming about. Note how
Two voters, one in Cambridge and one in Brighton, reported receiving ballots that were already filled out.
In each case, the ballots were voided and voters were issued new ballots.
Right, so…what’s the problem? The ballots were not used, and someone is looking into it to be sure that’s the extent of it.
Update II: From commenter Kim on my blog:
“Lawrence City Clerk William Maloney said he spoke with the woman in the video, who he identified as Isabel Melendez. Melendez is a well-known figure in Lawrence and program director at the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc. and hosts a local radio program.
Maloney said Melendez told him the video was shot yesterday and the ballots she is seen holding are actually samples. Maloney added he verified the ballots in the video were marked as samples. He said Melendez is a Coakley supporter.
Maloney also said as a precaution the city issued an alert to law enforcement at polling stations to look out for copies of sample ballots, which cannot be brought within 150 feet of a precinct.”
Worldwide corporate fascism of the Clockwork Orange variety is at stake here. You think people are going to get in the way of that?
Ya, Mr Peace Prize adding Yemen, Iran, Pakistan and maybe some countries in south America and Africa to the war list.
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p>A militarized central police force goostepping to Cass Sunstein’s vision of domestic terrorists. Ya, you may just get your wish.