Sound Politics: Stray Mark Strut (All you need is ten).

December 23, 2004

Stray Mark Strut (All you need is ten).

The proverb goes: "Those that sow in tears shall reap in joy." Now that frequently lachrymose Paul Berendt wallows in rapture over the (perhaps temporary) success of his machinations, let the rest of us remember that election workers "enhancing the vote" turned the tide in this election.

The image below is of a so-called "vote" that was recorded for Gregoire. Note that none of the bubbles on this ballot were filled in. (Thanks to Mac at Pull on Superman's Cape, who provided the image, observing that a worker carrying an uncapped felt pen atop a blank ballot could easily create this "vote.")

Posted by Brian Crouch at December 23, 2004 09:31 AM | Email This

Comments

1. I'm sorry, but what am I seeing here? Are the black marks to the left of the names the bubbles? What is the significance of the extra large black mark to the left of Gregoire's name?

Thanks for any future elaboration.

Grey

Posted by: Grey on December 23, 2004 10:04 AM

2. No, the bubbles are barely visible just to the left of the names and have no marks in them. The black marks down the left side already exist on the absentee ballot. I'm guessing that they are used to help line up the ballot in the reading machine. The extra black mark next to the pre-printed black marks is just a stray probably created by a slip of the hand when holding a pen. Absolutely RIDICULOUS to call that a vote!

Posted by: Mark on December 23, 2004 10:13 AM

3. The black series of marks are edge borders, guides for the machines. If you look closely you can see ovals beside the candidate names. None are darkened. This was not a real vote. Some worker, I suspect, added the stray mark to the edge of the ballot. If they didn't, if a voter actually made that mark, there's no fair way to determine intent, and the ballot should be discarded. It's too odd that there are no marked ovals anywhere on the page, and wouldn't someone so confused as to what to do end up circling the name? Further, should someone so confused be considered capable of voting?

(Now I've done it, I've implied that mental fitness--knowing how to fill in an oval for example--should be a polling test.)

Posted by: Bleeding heart conservative on December 23, 2004 10:15 AM

4. That's a shame. If that image turns out to honestly be of a counted vote, I'll be disappointed.

As for applying a standard of mental fitness, you're the one who brings it up. It sounds like you want something like that, Bleeding Heart?

Posted by: Heath Hunnicutt on December 23, 2004 10:30 AM

5. I would question if all votes by that voter were made in that same fashion?

Posted by: DustinJames on December 23, 2004 10:30 AM

6. These ballots are not legitmate ballots. This is Palm Beach County 2000 all over again.

Rules must be followed for a vote to count. This is beyond inconsistent.

The San Diego's Mayor's race is hanging on a similar set of rules. The challedger waging a write in race is 2000 votes behind the current mayor. On absentee ballots when one votes you must fill in a bubble. When you write a candidate in one must write it in and fill in a bubble. There are 3000 or so absentees with write ins, but no bubbles. Those votes do not count. Thats the law.

Posted by: Ralph on December 23, 2004 10:37 AM

7. Ralph,

How the hell did anyone vote before we had optical scan machines?

Sheesh, those votes are more than logical in the San Diego race...

Posted by: DustinJames on December 23, 2004 10:50 AM

8. Well, geez, we know why this vote went to Gregoire. After all, apparently any voter that lacks enough intelligence to mark a ballot correctly must have meant to vote for Gregoire. So simple. Ok, carry on with the counting.

Posted by: Ferrous on December 23, 2004 10:58 AM

9. Thanks, Brian, for putting this up. I've been complaining about this very ballot for weeks now. It has been kept very hush-hush by most of the media. This is an obvious example of the very kind of corruption we've been complaining about. And no, Robert mak did not say that the voter had voted this way on all of the categories.

Posted by: Michele on December 23, 2004 11:33 AM

10. Florida, Ohio, Washington... Sort of makes you
yearn for nationwide election standards...

Posted by: Skip Montanaro on December 23, 2004 12:07 PM

11. Michele,

What did Robert Mak say about this ballot? Did he say the voter didn't vote this way on the other contests?

Posted by: DustinJames on December 23, 2004 12:22 PM

12. This photo has been doctored.

The ovals on the ballots were same wieght of line as the text. If this photo were not doctored,the allegedly empty ovals would be clearly viable, looking pretty much like a 0 on it's side. Since none of them are visible at all, the only logical conclusion is that your "evidence" consists of a photo-shopped picture. How impressive.

Posted by: john on December 23, 2004 01:06 PM

13. john, you twerp,
1. that's straight from the King 5 news video.
2. the ovals are visible
3. go soak your head

Posted by: Bleeding heart conservative on December 23, 2004 01:26 PM

14. Crap like this will get Gregoire recalled soon. I never know some Gregoire voters who know that Governor-Elect Rossi is the true, elected Governor of this state.

Posted by: Kyle on December 23, 2004 02:40 PM

15. bleeding heart,

1.http://pullonsupermanscape.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/every_vote_counts_0002_0001.jpg is the location of the image. NOT King 5, it is a vid capture, which CAN be photoshopped.
2. Some of the ovals are partially visible. The one by Gregoire's name, is NOT at all visible in this poorly doctored photo.
3.Your childish insults and name calling really do nothing to further the conversation. You should really look into growing up.

Posted by: John on December 23, 2004 03:25 PM

16. I can see the oval by Gregoire's name.

Posted by: RLW on December 23, 2004 04:42 PM

17. I guess you just have to want to believe in it badly enough.

Posted by: John on December 23, 2004 04:52 PM

18. No offense... but I'm bothered that I can't seem to find that image on the King5 site to view it for myself.

My glance at that ballot doesn't see ANY ovals filled in. I find it hard to believe that the three-member canvassing board and the two party observers watching this would all think a blank ballot with one stray mark was a vote for Gregoire. I think we need to see a better image of this ballot before we go jumping to conclusions.

As for "enhacing" the votes... I'm troubled by the room for errors and partisanship in such actions, too.

However, don't ignore the fact that Republican's in Rossi counties could just as easily make biased rulings in their favor.

Keep in mind that the number of ballots we're dealing with in King County are 1/10 of 1 percent of the total. This is hardly widespread fraud -- intentional or not.

Posted by: Michael on December 23, 2004 05:23 PM

19. Why do people keep saying "a" stray mark. You can see clearly that someone has scribbled back and forth in the margin at least 6 strokes of the pen. In addition to the main stroke above the slot, there are three marks to the right of the prited black area and two to the right. As a result, the black area next to Gregoire's name is twice the size as that of others on the page. That can only come from someone deliberately marking the ballot in that area.

Posted by: DCL on December 23, 2004 09:05 PM

20. Please, could somebody help us, explaining this image?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1307767/posts

Posted by: alessandro on December 24, 2004 04:47 AM

21. Please, could somebody help us, explaining this image?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1307767/posts

Posted by: alessandro on December 24, 2004 04:48 AM

22. Michael: Go here. In the right sidebar, under "What to expect next," scroll down to "Video Clips" and click on "Robert Mak reports on ballot enhancements."

John: Go watch the video before you embarrass yourself further. Other ballots shown on the video look the same way: the blank ovals just don't show up very well on the video for some reason.

I've observed the recount process in Spokane County, and I can tell you that it is possible for the enhancement process to be fair (even with a Democratic auditor).

What we see here, however, is a example of out-and-out cheating.

Posted by: ScottM on December 24, 2004 06:27 AM

23. I see a clear machine mark (Meaning made by a voting machine) next to Governor Gregoire's name.

What is your point???

Get over it. You lost we won. time to move on.

Posted by: Magnum Serpentine on December 24, 2004 06:40 AM

24. DCL: I agree, bringing up the possibility of a worker accidentally marking the ballot was silly; the mark was clearly made deliberately. But it is not by any stretch of the imagination possible to consider that a clear vote for Gregoire. I think that's the point we need to focus on.

DustinJames: They can't be. The tracking marks only run down the left side of the ballot.

Posted by: ScottM on December 24, 2004 06:43 AM

25. Magnum Serpentine:

"I see a clear machine mark (Meaning made by a voting machine) next to Governor Gregoire's name."

Neat trick, since King County uses optical scan ballots--ballots are marked with pens, MS, not "voting machines."

The only mark in that picture was scribbled on one of the tracking marks outside the governor's race area.

I'm not sure what "machine mark" you have convinced yourself you're looking at.

Posted by: ScottM on December 24, 2004 06:50 AM

26. The one next to the Governors name.

Posted by: Magnum Serpentine on December 24, 2004 10:46 AM

27. Idiot.

Posted by: ScottM on December 24, 2004 01:53 PM

28. ScottM, thanks... I kept looking around for it and missed that one.

I still can't believe that five people -- at least one a red-blooded Republican -- would have let that one slip by if there isn't more to it, though.

I'm less concerned about the OTHER ballot shown, for example. I understand the argument of many on this blog that it should be an illegal ballot. But it's clear that this other voter circled all of their choices. I, personally, would rather recognize the clear intent of the voter and let that count. (Notice it's a Rossi vote.)

Posted by: Michael on December 24, 2004 04:41 PM

29. Oh, and btw, Brian, I love the title of this post. In fact, I love a great many of the titles you contributors create for your entries. Very clever and creative.

Posted by: Michele on December 24, 2004 09:19 PM

30. Thanks all.

Ans here's a follow-up from Mac, raising an excellent point:

"It should be obvious to everyone that the picture is simply a frame from the Robert Mak video (right side of page under Video Clips sidebar: ... The fact that a considerable amount of attention in Brian's post was focused on the fact that people couldn't see the ovals well speaks for itself - there's no mark in any oval for Governor.

"The point I want to make is that from trolls to the most partisan Democrats to thoughtful independents - no one can face up to this work of fraud - fraud at least by the King County Canvassing Board.

"Let's be clear. No one that looks at the picture of this ballot contends that it is a valid vote - except for 2 members of the King County Canvassing Board. And, to be clear again, those two members are in violation of RCW 29A.84.720 because they are "knowingly or fraudulently violat[ing] any of the provisions of law relating to such duty" and should be tried and convicted of the class C felony provisioned in this statute.

"If they did believe that it was an actual vote for Gregoire, trolls and partisans wouldn't need to invent a Photoshop story to explain its existence. It doesn't even pass their sense of scruples.

"Every ballot that went to the King County Canvassing Board - and there are hundreds of them - should be examined - by a forensics lab if necessary."
http://pullonsupermanscape.typepad.com/pull_on_supermans_cape/2004/12/wa_governors_ra_26.html

Right on, Mac.

Posted by: Bleeding heart conservative on December 26, 2004 01:26 PM