Can they certify electors while an investigation is going on?

[skjpm]

Don't they have to make sure the votes are valid before they certify electors? What kind of investigation would effectively stop the electors from being certified, and thus stop them from voting?

[Gman]

1. None

maybe a court order would do it, but that road leads to the SCOTUS and guess what would happen there.

[skjpm]

3. How can they certify a potentially fraudulent vote?

Let's say it was more obvious--let's say that only Democratic votes were counted for a total of 100%. Could they still certify the vote while the total was being investigated? Surely there must be some way to ensure an election is legal before the electors can be seated.

[Eloriel]

2. Repugs seem to be able to do anything they want

and get away with it without so much as a murmer or even a whimper from "the loyal opposition" -- so why not?

[Copperred]

4. :)

SOMEONE SOMEWHERE IN THIS REPUBLIC KNOWS HOW TO STOP THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE FROM VOTING....


DEAR LORD JESUS WHERE IS HE?

[GingerSnaps]

11. Senator Byrd

Would be our best bet.

[Jersey Devil]

5. How electors are certified may vary from state to state

The US Constution, Art II, Sec. 1 provides "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors..."

So the appointment of electors is up to the law of each particular state. Maybe we should start compiling a reference to the laws of the states we are going to do battle in.

[skjpm]

6. Wouldn't someone in Ohio know this?

Isn't the law for certifying electors written down somewhere? Why doesn't anyone seem to know it?

And if none of this wins us the election, couldn't some of these discrepencies bring us within the .25% needed to have an automatic recount?

[Jersey Devil]

7. Sure, most likely an Ohio lawyer

I am sure that information can be easily obtained.

[shraby]

8. This is a federal election conducted by the states

If fraud is discovered, it should be incumbent upon the federal government to recount to preserve the integrity of the election.
If Bush is installed before all the investigation is finished, I would think his win would be called null and void because it was won fraudulently and Kerry having the majority of votes would take office.

[Horse with no Name]

9. Injunctions?

This might be a stupid question but I wonder if you could bypass the US Supreme Court and file injunctions in the states that had the voting irregularities until the discrepancies were investigated since the vote may (?) have affected state and local elections as well? If this (injunction) was done before the election was validated--then it might buy enough time?
Advise if its a stupid idea and I'll go sit in my corner and shut up.

[Yupster]

10. There doesn't even have to be a vote

Constitutionally, the state legislature can assign electors by whatever means it chooses.

Remember in 2000? If the courts went against the Republicans, the Florida legislature said they would just assign Bush electors anyway.

[bones_7672]

12. In Ohio you have a Repub, governor, a Repub Senate, a

Repub House, and a Repub Secretary of State. And you have absolutely no democrats at the county or state level that are in any way saying that the voting was rigged. What do you think are the chances that an investigation will delay the certification of the election by next week, when the provisional ballots will be decided?