If I had voted in this Miami Herald poll I would have been one of the 19%. Yes, I know it is extreme, and that I am agreeing with Joe Martinez and his attorney Stephen Cody, but the fraud in not going to stop otherwise. It is too ingrained in the local elections here. Something extreme needs to happen. You have to remember what Former Mayor Julio Robaina's Uncle said:
"Robaina admitted to police he picked up the ballots of seven or eight other people, according to an arrest affidavit, and told police that 'he will continue to do it.'"
I believe the arrogant sonofabitch - it will not stop. These ballot collectors are like cockroaches - you can't eradicate them. We can continue to legislate against the behavior but it will never stop. The expansion of absentee ballots (from people who can't get to polls, to the general public) just does not work. To boot, the people who get them don't need photo ID's - only people going to the polls need a photo ID to vote. How does that work for you? The rules for absentee voting are less stringent.
I agree with this paragraph from Joe Martinez's Complaint, except for the word I crossed out:
Declare, pursuant to Fla. Stat. § 86.011, that the August 14, 2012 Mayoral election was conducted in the presence of fraud and intentional wrongdoing; that there wasOur voting system is upside down and we need the fraud to end. Extreme measures are what it will take, besides all the lobbyists will have to cough up more money to fund their candidates yet again. How sweet is that? Maybe then the lobbyists will call for an end to the fraud, if that comes to pass the seas will part and it will FINALLY happen.substantialnon-compliance with the essential requirements of the absentee voting law; and that the irregularities adversely affected the sanctity of the ballot and the integrity of the election.
14 comments:
Thanks for bringing this to light, as well as the series you did on absentee ballot fraud.
Oy -- I almost always agree with you but in this case, I don't. I do beleve there was fraud and I completely agree that there needs to be both agressive detection and agressive enforcement. But there are legitimate reasons for voting absentee: someone in the service overseas, someone in the hospital, etc. I think we need to make it more difficult to use absentee ballots, enforce laws regarding their collection and improve access to the polls. Why don't we have an election day holiday? Not leave it up to employers to grant an hour or two. Sorry GOD - love ya but don't agree.
That was the way it was suppose to be for those cases not across the board. Will clarify my post...
It's too bad Tallahassee has given the AB the same constitutional standing as going to the polls. That's where there's going to be a huge problem in throwing these ballots out. It was in one of the Herald articles about the AB fraud, but this legislation is not that old.
If you look at the time line of when the elections down here really were won on the AB's, it's right after they overturned the Miami race because of the fraud and then changed the laws to give them standing like going to the polls.
Nothing will get done without the help from the State and they're not going to budge because they need to get re elected (by the AB's).
The witness provision should be brought back and a restriction on their use should be ONLY for those who physically cannot make it to the polls due to injury, illness or the like.
I agree Grayland, return to the witness provision. But also get rid of the three languages on the ballot. I think that is a reason that seniors find the ballot confusing and ask for help from people. The voters do not look over the ballot brokers shoulders as they fill in the bubbles for the voters.
Grayland: I don't think there is much chance of Martinez and Garcia winning their cases - sorry Cody - but I do like that they are suing.
I heard that Paul Crespo has a suit as well.
The judge shouldn't invalidate the absentee ballots, he should call for another election: Do over.
Crespo, Martinez and Garcia were not well funded candidates and as such couldn't finance an AB operation - plain and simple. I'm not saying there isn't fraud - b/c there is. The reality is that more money = better grassroots, more people knocking door to door, more phone bankers - all this materializes into better name ID and higher polling #s. The three aforementioned gentlemen lost - there's a point where all they do is try and keep their name in the news in the hopes they gain legitimacy and hopefully run for another position. Crespo - ran against Rivera and lost; he filed to run for Rep. in Hialeah - w/drew his name and transferred to another House District and lost. Crespo, give it a rest already - you're already a Committeeman for the RepubliCANTS. Joe is a politician - I don't even know why he decided to run for Mayor. Did he really think he had a shot against Gimenez? Garcia...well, I've got nothing - don't really have an issue with Lopez-Cantera.
I don't care abut the politicians...I care about the issue. The more exposure absentee ballot fraud gets in the press and courts, the better it is for the people.
The entire election should be invalidated and repeated. Hold the primary election again on November 6th. Hold the general election in February 12, 2013, Lincoln's Birthday.
Create a task force composed of the local jurisdictions to monitor the street for AB fraud. Watch the post office as well.
Finally, judges must give long, hard time to those proven guilty. Make the guilty ones examples. Others will think twice about committing fraud if they believe the same will happen to them.
Look at the typo in the Herald poll question: "absentees ballots". Typical. Math probably wrong, too.
Love the blog but have to disagree this time. I am serving overseas and had no choice but to vote absentee. What happens in my community is important to me and learning that my vote was discarded because of A useless politicians pointless suit is degrading to me.
I SAID:
The expansion of absentee ballots (from people who can't get to polls, to the general public) just does not work.
If you can't get to the polls, I am not including you....
I am thrilled any time ABs get attention. Therefore, I salute the candidates and genius for shining a light on this. However, no one is talking about the crapola optical scanners. Is it worth it? Let me work it. Get your vote on flip it and reverse it. Does "crapola" have one "P" or two?
Post a Comment