I've been very critical of most of the
This Election Was Stolen! hysteria. I think we lost nationally by 3.5 million votes, and I don't think there was substantial irregular fraud. Yesterday I put together a diary entitled
Election Fraud Validity Scorecard that attempted to show what is already debunked. It also talked about the ongoing election problems that are used by the Republicans to quasi-legally steal close elections, as well as the threat of no-paper-trail elections in the future.
So most of the wild-eyed claims and theories about massive fraud this year are complete bunk.
But...
There's a small chance that we might be able to put John Kerry in the White House in January.
And the way we might be able to do this is by coming together in the next couple days to Recount Ohio!
We lost Ohio by 135,000 votes on election night. There are approximately 155,000 provisional ballots to be counted in 2 or 3 days. Even with the most optimistic assumptions, there aren't going to be enough net votes among the provisional ballots to even get us really close.
But...
There are also a number of spoiled punch-card ballots that registered no Presidential vote when they were run through the machines.
Now, here's where it gets interesting, but also gets a bit fuzzy. I've done some research, and the following are my best guesses based on what I've been running across, although I wouldn't vouch for any of it as authoritative:
- I've read some accounts that claim around 100,000 spoiled punch-card ballots, as well as other accounts that say the state has not reported how many there are.
- Any candidate on the ballot can trigger an Ohio recount if they are willing to pay for it.
- I've read accounts that a statewide recount will cost between $110,000 and $200,000. The recount needs to be requested around 2 - 3 days from now when the provisional ballots are collected.
- I've read that Ohio election law has a clear statewide standard for how to count punch-card chad, which would avoid the Florida 2000 chaos.
- I've read that most spoiled punch-card ballots, just like most provisional ballots, come from Democratic precincts.
So if those best guesses are all true, (a big if...), then there might be enough net Kerry votes between the provisional ballots and the spoiled punch-card ballots that if a statewide recount were paid for, Kerry would win Ohio and thus take the White House in January.
Now, I'm sure that there will be many of you out there that think the Kerry campaign or the Democratic Party should call for the recount. But the political calculus of why Kerry and the Party shouldn't be involved with this seems absolutely overwhelming to me. And I don't want to argue about it here - write your own diary. What I am interested in is folks independent of the campaign or national party who come together to put up the $200,000 to Recount Ohio!
Not only does a statewide Ohio recount hold an outside chance of removing Bush from office, but it will also force a spotlight on any other irregularites in the Ohio electoral process, and perhaps bring attention to other endemic problems in the electoral system. If Ohio really has good and clear election laws, this is the best way to shine light into the darkness.
David Cobb, the Green Party Presidential candidate, today announced his intention to file for an Ohio recount. And since his name was on the Ohio ballot, he appears to be on completely solid legal ground for filing for a recount.
If you're interested in helping to Recount Ohio!, then you ought to consider kicking them a few bucks.
http://web.greens.org/c/cobb/supporters.cgi?function=donate
And given the calendar, we need to do it today or tomorrow.
You just take your credit card out of your wallet, and kick in $10 or $20 or $50, or whatever. We don't have to raise all that much, but we do have to do it soon.
Don't get your hopes up too high about any of this, but it seems to me like a skirmish worth having.
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Finally, there's a website that has gone up recently by a group named Help America Recount that also seeks to recount Ohio. I've been advocating that folks consider donating to them. But I've read an account I take seriously that these folks are misreading Ohio election law and will not have the standing to file for a recount. Humble apologies for any confusion. Go with Cobb instead.