Let's ask him. Oh, wait. Somebody did. As an update to yesterday's post about the four people registered to vote at Joel Connelly's 737 sq. ft weekend cabin on Whidbey Island (photos here!)-- Reader G.S. refers us to Connelly cabin voter David Lawsky's post at the Ygnacio Valley High School Class of 1964 message board:
Re: Where do you live???Funny, no mention of living on Whidbey Island, where he had been registered and voting for nearly a year at the time he posted that entry. Meanwhile, Connelly e-mailed me in David Lawsky's defense:
David Lawsky 09-25-2003 03:59pm
I have lived in Brussels, Belgium, since January, 2001, for the same reason I lived in Washington, D.C., for 18 years (we own a house in DC) -- I'm a reporter and I write about governments from their capitals. Brussels is of course capital of the European Union.
Let me know if you need pictures of David in the Cascades, Olympics and on Whidbey to show his bona fides.Please send them, Joel. I'll post them along with pictures of myself in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Spain, Austria and other places where I've spent a few vacations but have no right to vote there.
Federal law is very clear about voting rights for expatriate citizens: You vote at your last U.S. residence. Everything I've been able to find about the Lawskys would suggest that their last (and current) U.S. residence is Washington, DC. From the federal government's FAQ page of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) --
OVERSEAS CITIZENS If I do not maintain a legal residence in the U.S., what is my "legal state of residence?"Full FAQ here Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at April 11, 2006 11:12 AM | Email ThisYour "legal state of residence" for voting purposes is the state or territory where you last resided immediately prior to your departure from the United States. This right extends to overseas citizens even though they may not have property or other ties in their last state or territory of residence and their intent to return to that state or territory may be uncertain. When completing the FPCA’s Voting Residence section, be sure to enter the entire mailing address of your last residence, including street or rural route and number. The address determines your proper district, ward, precinct or parish for voting purposes. Family members of citizens residing overseas, who are U.S. citizens and who have never resided in the U.S. may claim one of their U.S. citizen parent's legal state or territory of residence as their own if allowed by the state. Check Chapter 3 of the Guide.
"Residence" for the purpose of registering and voting means a person's permanent address where he or she physically resides and maintains his or her abode. However, no person gains residence by reason of his or her presence or loses his or her residence by reason of his or her absence:
(1) While employed in the civil or military service of the state or of the United States;
(2) While engaged in the navigation of the waters of this state or the United States or the high seas;
(3) While a student at any institution of learning;
(4) While confined in any public prison.
Absence from the state on business shall not affect the question of residence of any person unless the right to vote has been claimed or exercised elsewhere.
[2003 c 111 § 126; 1971 ex.s. c 178 § 1; 1965 c 9 § 29.01.140. Prior: 1955 c 181 § 1; prior: (i) Code 1881 § 3051; 1865 p 25 § 2; RRS § 5110. (ii) Code 1881 § 3053; 1866 p 8 § 11; 1865 p 25 § 4; RRS § 5111. Formerly RCW 29.01.140.]
Notes:
Residence, contingencies affecting: State Constitution Art. 6 § 4.
RCW 29A.84.130
Voter violations.
Any person who:
(1) Knowingly provides false information on an application for voter registration under any provision of this title;
(2) Knowingly makes or attests to a false declaration as to his or her qualifications as a voter;
(3) Knowingly causes or permits himself or herself to be registered using the name of another person;
(4) Knowingly causes himself or herself to be registered under two or more different names;
(5) Knowingly causes himself or herself to be registered in two or more counties;
(6) Offers to pay another person to assist in registering voters, where payment is based on a fixed amount of money per voter registration;
(7) Accepts payment for assisting in registering voters, where payment is based on a fixed amount of money per voter registration; or
(8) Knowingly causes any person to be registered or causes any registration to be transferred or canceled except as authorized under this title,
is guilty of a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.
[2003 c 111 § 2107. Prior: 1994 c 57 § 25; 1991 c 81 § 12; 1990 c 143 § 12; 1977 ex.s. c 361 § 110; 1965 c 9 § 29.85.200; prior: 1933 c 1 § 27; RRS § 5114-27; prior: 1893 c 45 § 5; 1889 p 418 § 16; RRS § 5136. Formerly RCW 29.07.410, 29.85.200.]
Notes:
Severability -- Effective date -- 1994 c 57: See notes following RCW 10.64.021.
Effective date -- 1991 c 81: See note following RCW 29A.84.540.
Effective date -- Severability -- 1977 ex.s. c 361: See notes following RCW 29A.16.040.
RCW 29A.84.660
Unqualified persons voting.
Any person who knows that he or she does not possess the legal qualifications of a voter and who votes at any primary or special or general election authorized by law to be held in this state for any office whatever is guilty of a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.
[2003 c 111 § 2133; 1991 c 81 § 17; 1965 c 9 §29.85.240 . Prior: 1911 c 89 § 1, part; Code 1881 § 905; 1873 p 204 § 104; 1865 p 51 § 4; 1854 p 93 § 95; RRS § 5384. Formerly RCW 29.85.240.]
Notes:
Effective date -- 1991 c 81: See note following RCW 29A.84.540.
Lawsky by his own words is in violation of RCW 29A.04.151 and RCW 29A.84.130(1), which is a Class C felony RCW 29A.84.660.
And Connelly is aid and ab*tting a felonious act.
Side note:
Stefen, ab*tting (b*tting) is questionable content????
I wouldn't be too quick to apologize. Your first comment actually seemed to fit this thread pretty well!
Posted by: Misty on April 11, 2006 12:03 PMAnd Connelly says with a straight face that its legit?
I would have an ounce of respect for him if after the fraud of this last vote, he would have straightened up and flown right - but this looks like just basically an elitist liberal journalist thumbing his nose at the rest of the world.
Posted by: thecomputerguy on April 11, 2006 12:04 PMAfter all it's just the law.
Well, I think I'll reconsider all those other trivial laws, like not storing gasoline in my apartment, or stopping at stop signs and red lights while driving.
Hey, I know, how about a National Ignore the Law Day! Yeah, we can all get in on the act...
Posted by: MB on April 11, 2006 12:06 PMOK, suppose someone splits their time between two homes. Suppose for the sake of discussion that they are rich -- they do not have a job -- and funds are deposited by their financial advisor to bank accounts in yet a third location apart from their two homes.
What then? Surely this is a real and practical problem but where there must be fairly clear rules. No?
Posted by: Raw Data on April 11, 2006 12:08 PMI think Connelly views his stature in the world based on his weight. He assumes that he's more important than the rest of us, and has allowed friends to register to vote at his vacation home. It's all part of the birthright entitlement mentality of baby boomer leftists. And most in the left leaning MSM, are more than willing to look the other way rather than to report about what is right and wrong.
Posted by: Jeff B. on April 11, 2006 12:10 PMThen there is the issue of the Lawsky's (anyone else notice the irony in that name?). And this issue looks like a slam dunk case of illegal voting.
Posted by: Palouse on April 11, 2006 12:40 PMDon't forget about the issue of Connelly allowing the Lawlessskys to use his vacation residence as a place to register. That's the most deplorable part to me. He knows full well they've been in DC for 18 years. Randomly coming to Whidbey Island to hike, even often, doesn't count as residence.
Posted by: Jeff B. on April 11, 2006 12:48 PMIf someone like Connelly gets the book thrown at him, maybe it would discourage others from abusing our voting system. It's really pretty damn simple. You get one and only one vote, and it's at the place where you store most of your clothes and sleep most often. Duh.
Posted by: Jeff B. on April 11, 2006 12:52 PMLOL That is the new standard for voter registration now? You just need photos of yourself in an area! What a joke. I have pictures of myself in Paris, I think that makes me the next king of France!
Posted by: James on April 11, 2006 12:53 PMAnd if he knowlingly enabled the Lawskys to vote from his residence, knowing they have no claim to vote there, he is just as guilty as them.
Posted by: Palouse on April 11, 2006 12:57 PMI'm sooooooooooooooo glad this one came up. It shows all the holes and corruption in our voter registration laws as well as the arrogance of the Lefty's like Phat-boy who spends his life puttig others under the microscope.
The hole is now 8 feet deep.\
Joel is sweating like the pig his is...yet he continues to dig.
I'm sooooooooooooooo glad this one came up. It shows all the holes and corruption in our voter registration laws as well as the arrogance of the Lefty's like Phat-boy who spends his life puttig others under the microscope.
The hole is now 8 feet deep.\
Joel is sweating like the pig he is...yet he continues to dig.
I would consider doing it so it got done. I would consider not doing it because of the publicity.
Posted by: swatter on April 11, 2006 01:38 PMWhat's sure plausible about that is that Connelly definitely never planned on a Stefan Sharkansky coming along. Most of the MSM is still reeling and trying to figure out what hit them with the rise of the blogosphere. Think about when these folks registered at Connelly's vacation retreat, 2000. That's prehistoric in Internet time. They figured they'd always be able to get away with this sort of thing, because who's ever gonna know?
Enter Sharkansky and the klieg lights of truth.
Posted by: Jeff B. on April 11, 2006 02:13 PMAnd why do I get this feeling that the Lawskys decided to register in Washington state so that they could vote against Bush in a state where it just might make a difference?
Posted by: Jim Miller on April 11, 2006 02:43 PMI just listened to this on John Carlson's show and was floored. The act by the teacher was bad enough but the defense and pathetic denial by the school spokesman was outrageous. Our tax dollars at work again.
Posted by: swassociates on April 11, 2006 03:51 PMKeep digging. I bet Lawsky never saw the ballot.
Posted by: Maxon on April 11, 2006 09:37 PMLet's not get carried away. I posted his voter registration record in the earlier post. Both the Lawskys' ballots get sent to Brussels
Posted by: Stefan Sharkansky on April 11, 2006 10:02 PM1 Here in Seattle, Greg Nickels and HBO Executive Producer Laurie David have scheduled a Friday Apr-14 showing of the HBO film Too Hot to Not Handle on April 13, 6:00 - 7:30 pm at the Seattle Public Library, Central Library Auditorium, 1000 Fourth Avenue, Seattle. This is the Premiere Seattle screening of the new HBO documentary on Global Warming. Admission is free. Seating is limited and available on a first-come first-serve basis.
2 Normally I would attend the screening, but to a large number of Seattlites this Friday evening conflicts with Islamic and Christian Judea major holidays, and may be perceived by some as in insensitivity on Greg Nickel's part
Everything is pretty much operating the way they want and they are getting the results they desire.
I don't see how we can ever win an election with things the way they are. The feds should spend a year here investigating.
Posted by: Vicki on April 12, 2006 08:38 PM