Voter Fraud or Vote Fraud - Hacked or Manipulated

[harmonyguy]

The more I read reports of problems of last weeks election, the more concerned I am that there may be a way to better communicate the issue in a way that people more clearly understand.

There was fraud - the F word - without any doubt, but just because we say there was, there is no reason for Joe/Jane Public to believe us. We need to present our evidence using terminology that people will readily understand, and for which they don't already have some other connotation.

For example, I see a lot of headlines and discussions referring to "Voter Fraud" and would argue that this phrase presents a picture of masses of individuals doing 'stuff' to jimmy-up the results. Remember that 'We the People' are the voters, and that 'Voter Fraud' can easily imply that voters committed the fraud. Perhaps if we call it VOTE FRAUD or ELECTION FRAUD we may paint a clearer picture.

Another example is the use of the word "hacked". Rightly or wrongly, a lot of folks draw their understanding of this term from movies such as 'War Games', where a bright kid uses a phone or network connection to gain access to something that should have been better protected. Now, while that certainly IS possible, we run the risk of immediate blowback from vendors and election officials saying that their machines are NOT connected to the internet, nor to telephone lines, and regardless of whether or not it's true, it gives them an immediate opportunity to cast doubt upon our entire message.

This election was manipulated.
The election results are highly suspect.
The election results were illegally influenced.
The election process was tampered with.

One man's opinion - your mileage may vary....
HG

A computer glitch does not confer anything to anyone.
If a million dollars accidently appears on your bank statement, and you spend it, it's still theft.
The only difference here, is that the story about the million dollar theft would make the news.

[JohnnyCougar]

1. I like your ideas!

[happynewyear]

2. yes

and plenty of voters were disenfranchised once again. There are cases where people went to the polls and were intimidated at the polls. Many couldn't stand in line for 5 or 6 hrs. Many could not vote once again!

The list goes on and on and is very long. I have one here with some examples of what occurred in some different place; this is just a very small piece of it ... :grr:

----------------------------------

* Under an archaic Ohio law, both the Republican and

Democratic Parties, or any slate of five candidates,

may embed official election challengers inside polling

places. The New York Times reported on Oct. 23 that

the Republican Party intends to place thousands of

lawyers and other GOP faithfuls inside the polls to

challenge voters. Republican insiders confide here

that the key goal is to jam lines and frustrate new

voters. The GOP apparently figures many voters in key

Democratic precincts won't wait in line more than 15

minutes to vote. This is certain to be a major tactic

in Cleveland's Cayahoga County and other Democratic

strongholds. The GOP is not planning to challenge

voters in Republican districts.


* Republican party has sent letters challenging

thousands of Franklin County students who are

registered to vote absentee. Franklin County is home

to Columbus, the state's largest city and its capitol.

Though it is also home to Ohio State University,

thousands of local students go to schools outside the

county or state. The GOP apparently does not want

their votes counted. This unprecedented mass challenge

has prompted the Franklin County Board of Elections,

whose director is a conservative Republican, to

reserve the large Veterans Memorial Auditorium

downtown to process the challenges this Thursday, as

John Kerry comes to town with Bruce Springsteen. The

County has told thousands of students that if they

don't appear in Columbus to answer the GOP challenges,

they may lose their right to vote.


* The Franklin County Board of Elections has called or

written an undetermined number of voters who obtained

absentee ballots, challenging their addresses. In at

least one case, after a series of angry phone calls,

the Board admitted there was nothing wrong with the

address in question and re-instated voting rights. The

voter in question was a registered Democrat. His wife,

an independent at the same address, was not

challenged. It is unclear how many others have been

wrongly knocked out.


* Even if they are counted, Franklin County's absentee

ballot forms are rigged in ways strikingly reminiscent

of those in Florida 2000. On many absentee forms,

Kerry is listed third on the list of presidential

candidates. But the actual number you punch for Kerry

is "4." If you punch "3" you've just voted for Bush.

Sound familiar?


:kick:

[PATRICK]

3. Oh sh...!

I looked at my daughter's poster "Voter Fraud" and didn't connect. Great ideas. Damn it.

[goclark]

4. Great idea for Blue thinkers

Bad idea for the Bubbas.

They understand and would think...

God stole the election! Good!

The votes were weird -good!

Results were against the law - Good!

Election process was fixed by God Bush - Good!

The only people that would even entertain your words would be people with at least a USA Today mentality.

But, whatever works. ; )

[info being]

5. I like "manipulated" and "tampered with"

You're right, we have to seperate out all of the different issues...and what we're talking about is a "rigged election."

[checks-n-balances]

6. Are the words CHEATED or STOLEN too strong?

Those are the main ones that I feel in my gut to describe it.

[harmonyguy]

7. Sounds good to me... nt

[RedEagle]

8. Kick! N/M