November Elections Won't Be Delayed, Official Says

[shraby]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will not cancel or suspend the presidential election this November in the event of a terror attack or other catastrophic event, the government's top elections official said on Tuesday.

Individual states may suspend or reschedule elections if disaster strikes, but that would not change voting in other states, said DeForest Soaries, chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

"I can't conceive of any circumstances under which a presidential election could be postponed or canceled," Soaries told reporters after a commission hearing.

Newsweek reported on Sunday that Bush administration officials were looking at what legal steps would be needed to delay the election in case of an attack.

(more)

<http://news1.iwon.com/top/article/id/414823|top|07-13-2004::18:07|reuters.html>

Looks like they may have heard from We the People.

[blm]

1. Or they decided to release a bomb in the Democratic area of a swing state.

Then they can point blame towards all those on the left who insisted that the election must go on.

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. I don't believe them

They will do SOMETHING to thwart the election. Especially if the chimp looks like he's going to lose. SOMETHING will go down.

[mongo]

3. We the sheeple have played into their hands

So now what happens if a terrorist attack makes it impossible to hold the elections in Ca, OR, and WA? Their votes just don't count. We can't let them hold an election 1 week later, knowing the results in the other states.

Sorry ah-nold suspended the elections folks. Say hi to 4 more years of Bush.

[ibegurpard]

5. In that case, one way of FACILITATING elections in an emergency

would be to prevent the release of all elections returns until the affected areas have had their chance to vote.

[mongo]

7. But what is to stop them?

We have no laws covering these scenarios. Congress needs to address this now!

I would be so much happier with an orderly election with all states participating on Dec 2nd. than an election where some states don't get their votes counted at all, or allowing some states to postpone and not others.

[ibegurpard]

11. These scenarios?

Like the Civil War? We had elections.

[mongo]

12. Do you want a worst case scenario on that?

During the Civil war, voting could still take place.

How about an attack on critical electrical infrastructure?

No electricity in Ca, WA, and OR. Throw in an attack on nuclear facilities and a radioactive cloud. The elections are suspended in these states.

They then hold their elections two weeks later, but since they already know the results in the other states, the matter goes to the supreme court which decides that it is not fair to let them vote knowing the outcome in the other states, and makes the votes null and void.

Sorry about your luck California, you don't get to vote this time.

[JHB]

4. "I can't conceive of any circumstances..."

_I_ can.

[Individualist]

6. "I have no war plans on my desk"

Remember that one?

[madinmaryland]

8. I don't believe the Federal Gov't

can legally cancel the election. The states, I think, at there perogative, could cancel/postpone their elections if needed, as NYC did in 2001.

Anyone else have comments on this?

[apnu]

9. Link is busted or moved, here is the Reuters article

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=5660674

[patdem]

10. They could even use a 'severe thunder storm'...seems way too scary!!!

'in the event of a terror attack or other catastrophic event'

Like a flood or severe thunderstorms or even a light rain??? WTF?? :wtf:

[Cat Atomic]

13. He didn't deny anything.

He just said "the states might do it".

Battleground states, I assume. He suggests a softer, blurrier brand of totalitarianism. Or a more targetted version of cancelled elections.

[yellowcanine]

14. Well that lead trial balloon didn't even last a week. Carl Rove just

demolished another carton of Twinkies.

[geniph]

15. Yet another reason to insist on paper ballots,

and to use absentee ballots. Absentee ballots can be mailed in anytime before the election, and a paper ballot isn't affected by electrical outages.

[TexasSissy]

16. Sure. And we believe this Bush appointee, right? They have such

a great record of credibility.