Ballot box stolen, votes discarded in Oregon county

[CountAllVotes]

Source: Associated Press

BEND, Ore. (AP) - Klamath County officials say someone broke into a ballot box and threw the mail-in ballots into a nearby dumpster.

The Bulletin reports (http://bit.ly/1WBv4pj ) that the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after the 240 ballots were stolen. County Clerk Linda Smith says the state Elections Division says the recovered ballots can still be counted.

Klamath County residents were voting on whether to overturn their county’s ban on marijuana dispensaries and on candidates for a state Senate seat.

Secretary of State spokeswoman Molly Woon says stealing ballots is a felony and something the state takes very seriously.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/may/17/ballot-box-stolen-votes-discarded-in-oregon-county/

---

Yeah, take it seriously would you? Very damn seriously!

[oldandhappy]

1. lovely!!

Discouraging to see the lack of respect for a democratic process. Hope the ballots are counted and hope the perp is caught.

[LiberalArkie]

2. Let's toss this in also

Grant County government phones, internet back
Published May 17, 2016 at 10:27AM / Updated May 17, 2016 at 10:27AM

The Oregon Secretary of State's office reported that as of almost noon Tuesday, the Grant County's government phone lines and internet were running again.

The telephone and internet system for the county government had gone down earlier Tuesday morning, leaving voters without a local contact for questions about the election on the day mail-in ballots are due.

The Oregon Secretary of State’s office said a county employee opened an email that had malware, leading to the shutdown on a critical day as final-day voters try to get their ballots in by the 8 p.m. deadline.

The shutdown came after the county clerk mistakenly sent ballots for the Democratic Party to Independent Party voters, leaving voters with two ballots, one with races the voter isn’t actually allowed to vote for.

Snip

http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/4332688-151/grant-county-government-phones-internet-down-on-election

[Judi Lynn]

3. GOP Official Faces Sentence in Phone-Jamming (From the days of Dubya Bush)

GOP Official Faces Sentence in Phone-Jamming

By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 17, 2006

In October 2002, Charles McGee, executive director of the New Hampshire Republican Party, was mailed a Democratic flier that offered Election Day rides to the polls. The circular listed telephone numbers of party offices in five cities and towns.

"I paused and thought to myself, I might find out -- I might think of an idea of disrupting those operations," McGee later testified. A Marine Corps veteran, McGee approached the situation like a combat operation: "Eventually the idea coalesced into disrupting their phone lines . . . it's military common sense that if you can't communicate, you can't plan and organize."

When voting began Nov. 5, McGee's plan worked like a charm. For two crucial hours, an Idaho telecommunications firm tied up Democratic and union phone lines, bringing their get-out-the-vote plans to a halt. The effort helped John E. Sununu (R) win his Senate seat by 51 to 47 percent, a 19,151-vote margin.

Well before Election Day ended, however, the scheme began to implode -- in ways that still echo nearly four years later.
McGee and two other participants -- Republican National Committee regional political director James Tobin and GOP consultant Allen Raymond-- have been found guilty of criminally violating federal communications law. Tobin will be sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Concord, N.H.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/16/AR2006051601712.html

[cui bono]

31. Well isn't that convenient.

Coincidence?

.

[KPN]

37. Meh. Grant County went big for Bernie ... something like 20-25 points.

Election problems need to be taken seriously though, regardless of who they favor disfavor.

[4now]

4. Washington Times LOL

[jeff47]

5. Whatever you do, skip over that (AP) part.

That way you can pretend it isn't an AP story, that happens to be on the times web site.

[CountAllVotes]

9. I saw the link referenced first

Luckily, I goggled the subject and found the REPUTABLE SOURCE required for posting in Late Breaking News.

Last I heard, the Associated Press is a reputable source but this person seems unaware of this policy it seems.

Glad I'm not the only one that caught this.

I don't like missing votes.

CountAllVotes ...

[MADem]

11. It's not an AP story, actually--it was stolen/lifted from a local paper--The Bulletin.

They admit this in very tiny light print at the bottom of their half-baked article which raises more questions than it answers--and because of this, I did due diligence, and I posted the original story downthread. There's much more detail which makes it clear why the ballots were stolen. And no, it had nothing to do with "The Bern." Or "Clinton."

It had everything to do with local, GOP party politics.

smh.

[jeff47]

15. Actually, it's the AP lifting it from The Bulletin and then put on the WT web site. (nt)

[MADem]

17. Either way, the best bet is to stay away from WT. Why anyone would read that rag is curious.

There are better sources.

[jeff47]

20. And the source here isn't the WT.

Guess what? Plenty of news apps (Google News, etc) don't have a great algorithm for political coverage.

[MADem]

21. Yes, it is--go to the OP and click on the link.

This link didn't appear by magic--it had to be gotten from the WT site.

smh.

[jeff47]

22. We just walked through this chain.

The Bulletin wrote a story that was picked up by AP, and the Washington Times ran the AP story....just like any other wire story.

FFS, the posts are still right there. Go re-read them, since you apparently forgot what you just posted.

[MADem]

26. And the link in the OP is to The MOONIE TIMES. smh! nt

[jeff47]

40. Here, maybe you'll actually read your own post on the subject.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1453821

[merrily]

41. .

[MADem]

45. Doesn't change the link. The Moonie Times is a poor source. nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

39. And this is the house that Jack built! nt

[INdemo]

6. Is Bill Clinton by chance in Oregon?

[billhicks76]

16. Yes Conservatives Are Here

[LanternWaste]

51. I'd imply as much too if my bias depended on it

I'd imply as much too if my bias depended on it. And we know one great thing about implication is that it never requires courage or conviction... merely an empty allegation pretending to be so much more than it really is-- much as many people.

[passiveporcupine]

7. conservatives are just chicken shit

and that included democratic conservatives.

[Kingofalldems]

36. Three more weeks.

[frylock]

44. Until what? Mrs Clinton's interview with Director Comey?

[yurbud]

8. great sig line quote

[CountAllVotes]

14. You'd hope more would notice

these days ...

[Brickbat]

55. It's not a historically accurate quote. It started making the rounds in the early 2010s and I

haven't been able to find a cite for it.

[MADem]

10. Looks like it's GOP shenanigans, from the full report .....

Washington Times is an icky source but it's forgivable in this case since they stole the information wholesale from a local paper=here is the ORIGINAL SOURCE DOC:

http://www.bendbulletin.com/home/4330172-151/klamath-county-ballot-box-broken-into?referrer=bullet4

Klamath County ballot box broken into
Sheriff’s Office finds ballots in nearby dumpster
By Taylor W. Anderson / The Bulletin / @taylorwanderson
May 16, 2016 at 07:45PM


....The office is encouraging anyone concerned about the status of their ballot to call the clerk’s office. Anyone whose ballot may not have been recovered and who doesn’t turn one in before the 8 p.m. deadline today can’t vote in the primary, said Molly Woon, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins.

“As in all circumstances, if the ballot is not received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, it is not counted,” Woon said. “The Secretary of State takes this offense very seriously, which is why this sort of crime is a Class C felony.”

Klamath County voters are deciding whether to overturn their county’s ban on marijuana dispensaries....Voters in Klamath County are also deciding who will replace Sen. Doug Whitsett, R-Klamath Falls, whose Senate District 28 includes all of Crook and Klamath counties and parts of Jackson, Lake and Deschutes counties. Whitsett spoke to Republican Dennis Linthicum about running to take Whitsett’s place, but a group that includes U.S. Rep. Greg Walden and House Republican Leader Mike McLane is pushing a write-in Republican candidate, C.W. Smith, as an alternative.

Whitsett and his wife, Rep. Gail Whitsett, both filed for re-election in October. After Linthicum and Werner Reschke filed to run for the two offices, the Whitsetts backed out of the race the following day.
Critics said the move was deliberate and prevented voters from having a choice in the election. Republican Al Switzer is running as a write-in candidate against Reschke for the House seat.

Smith said she’s never had an instance of a ballot box being tampered with. The incident would have affected any ballot dropped off at the site between Friday night and Monday morning.
Marc Kane, executive director of the senior center, said he hadn’t heard of the incident and that the center doesn’t have surveillance cameras outside.

The secretary of state’s website shows where voters can find the nearest drop box, and they can also confirm whether their ballot was processed here.
Voters whose ballots don’t arrive at the clerk’s office can get a second ballot from the county clerk.

[0rganism]

13. remember this 2012 GOP election fraud gem from Oregon?

http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/151246-former-county-elections-worker-pleads-guilty-to-fraud-charges

[MADem]

18. What an asshole!

Swenson, 55, an Oregon City-area resident, was removed from her position processing county election ballots on Oct. 31 after another election worker saw her marking a partially filled-out ballot for Republican candidates. County officials alerted the secretary of state’s office, which sought an Oregon Department of Justice investigation.

[Mnpaul]

12. There was a bag of ballots stolen in Mn in 2008

at a church. 1 of 5 went missing but we had all the rest. The tape from the machine showed the true tally and that matched the voter rolls so the votes were allowed in the recount.

[geologic]

19. How do they know,

if the ballots retrieved from the dumpster--
are the real ballots...

[CountAllVotes]

23. They likely don't know

They act as if they do know hoping that no one will remember, thats it.

[nonpareil]

25. The envelope

The outer envelope would have an address sticker with the voter's name, address and a bar code, as well as the voter's signature. It would easy enough to confirm the voter's signature. I dropped off my ballot at an outdoor drop box over the weekend. This morning I got a text from Multnomah County elections confirming that my ballot was received and would be counted. This is a fluke. I feel very safe about our vote by mail system.

[Equinox Moon]

24. We have election officials in our State

One of their jobs is to protect the ballots.

Wonder what happened to the election officials?

[L. Coyote]

30. Really excellent ones in Oregon, but no overnight camping next to the drop box.

We have really good banks too, but assholes still rob them.

Why wonder what happened to the election officials when some asshole pulls off a stupid crime?

[colsohlibgal]

27. More American Exceptionalism

Again, our elections are a joke and so very easily manipulated in a number of ways.

The recent Pot vote in Ohio was described by polling as nip and tuck, could go either way. Then it loses by over 2 to 1? Statistically virtually impossible.

Lots of pretty similar anomalies, all in favor of conservatives, like Bush-Kerry 2004.

That there is no real public outcry to change tells us all we need to know about the proliferation of low info citizens.

[merrily]

28. The recovered ballots can still be counted? Because someone who stole them would not tamper with

them?

Was the US always a so-called banana republic and we're only just finding out in 2016?

We need UN observers at our elections. Anyone know how to get them?

Also, I have no idea why states are paying for primaries if political parties are such private organizations that a judge cannot even look at their actions at the ballot box.

I pay taxes in Boston and I had to watch my Mayor walking next to Bill Clinton so Bubba could glad hand people on line to vote inside a polling place in the Massachusetts primary?
Are you kidding me? Anything goes now?

Fuck this.

[cui bono]

34. +1

[ChiciB1]

35. PLUS 1,000!!! Wonder How Many OTHER Countries Are Laughing At Us???? n/t

[KPN]

38. Oregon ballots are mailed/dropped off in a sealed envelope

with the name/address of the voter, a barcode and the voter's signature on the back of the outside envelope. There's also an a second optional secrecy envelope that the voter can seal the ballot in and then seal that in the other envelope.

If the ballots are still sealed in these envelopes, they're probably okay to count. It's a really good system.

[merrily]

42. Good to know. The story doesn't specify, but I hope we can infer they were sealed

from the fact that the state deemed them count-able.

[KPN]

43. Yeah, I'd think they were.

It's a great system. Every State should go to mail in/drop-off. The really nice thing is you get the ballot about 3 weeks ahead of the actual election date so you can do a lot of research on the down ballot candidates/measures. Oregon's voter participation rate increased significantly as well.

[MADem]

46. I think it's one of the things Oregon does really, really well. It's wonderful for older voters,

and voters who work and can't break away to go to the polls. I'd love it if my Commonwealth did this.

[KPN]

47. Massachusetts?

[MADem]

48. Yep! nt

[KPN]

49. Not too many "Commonwealths"

My home State and very proud of it.

[MADem]

50. Yeah, Virginia, Puerto Rico, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and our good old MA!

Rhode Island cracks me up--tiny state, massive name! "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" is a mouthful on a good day-LOL!

[passiveporcupine]

58. If they were stolen from a drop box, and the state considers them countable

They were still sealed. I think that's pretty obvious.

[passiveporcupine]

56. Well, to tamper with them

they would have had to unseal all the signed envelopes that held the secret ballot envelope (also sealed) that contained the ballot...and they would have had to reseal the envelopes, after tampering with the ballots, and then resealed the signed outer envelopes, making it looked like they were never touched.

I doubt they will count votes in any envelopes that look like they've been tampered with...but with the signature and bar code they can contact the voter and let them know they need to resubmit their vote. And if that voter is already marked off as vote received, they will not let them resubmit it.

I'm thankful they found the ballots.

[merrily]

57. Did you happen to notice Reply 42.

[UnitedFront4Sanders]

29. The power structure

and the party establishment. People who have power do what they can to maintain their power which often involves thwarting the will of the people in various ways.

[L. Coyote]

33. You mean the people who have worked longest getting Dems elected?

Or hardest?

[L. Coyote]

32. No conflict here! Misinformation suppresses voting. From the AP story, this:

http://koin.com/2016/05/17/ballot-box-stolen-votes-discarded-in-oregon-county/

..........

Secretary of State spokeswoman Molly Woon says anyone whose ballot was not turned in by Monday evening will not have their vote counted. .....

Last-minute voters heading to drop boxes as deadline nears

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Last-minute Oregon voters are heading to drop boxes around the state to make sure their mail ballots get counted before the 8 p.m. Tuesday deadline.

The presidential race has generated a lot of enthusiasm among Oregonians, with about 160,000 adding their names to the rolls of the two major parties this year – mostly Democrats.

.............

[bvar22]

52. THAT is the Unsolvable Problem with Mail In Voting.

Sure it is easier and convenient, but there is NO verifiable Chain-of-Custody for Mail-In Ballots.

The other problem is that there is NO possibility of vote verification with Exit Polls.
Residents of a Mail-In state just have to wait for their TV Media to tell them who "WON".

To have secure elections:
*Single Day Voting, National Holiday, and large fines for employers who break this law.

*Paper Ballots

*deposited in a transparent ballot box (to prevent pre-vote stuffing)

*The Transparent Ballot Boxes remain in plain view throughout the voting and counting with observers and a live Internet feed.

*Multiple Independent Exit Polls.

*Ballots Hand counted and observed by a impartial team or a balanced mix team of candidates supporters, also with a live internet feed.

*Final Count reported to the precinct, AND posted on the voting station door.

*Ballot Boxes remain in verifiable Chain-of-Custody AT the Polling Station with live Internet feed

*No Ballot Boxes are moved from the polling station until the vote is certified.

[mhatrw]

53. Yes. This is what any country that wanted to ensure a FAIR vote count would do. nt

[bvar22]

54. I even liked the Purple Finger used in Iraq.

While we do NOT have a problem in this country with individual voter fraud, I DO believe a purple finger would motivate (or shame) more citizens to participate in our elections.

[Jitter65]

59. Had to be Bernie supporters. Up to their old tricks and will blame it on Hillary no doubt.