Here is the scoop from Jimmie Williams. Big supporters of Jimmy Williams, running in seat 4, said volunteers came into their home and filled out their 4 ballots. The homeowners told the volunteers they wanted Jeff Porter and Jimmie Williams. The volunteers took 3 of the ballots with them, the voter (niece?) wouldn't give them her ballot. The one they left behind was marked with Mark Bell and Norman Hodge. That voter did not want Mark Bell or Norman Hodge.
Note from Elections Supervisor Penny Townsley:
I have confirmed that the State Attorney's Office is aware of the accusations.
Absentee Ballot Voting is, and continues to be, a convenient and safe way to vote. The Department has policies and procedures to properly handle absentee ballots, including a thorough authentication of the voter’s signature on the envelope. Our voters can further protect their right to vote by:
Keeping their absentee ballot between the voter and the Elections DepartmentIt has never been easier to return a completed absentee ballot directly to the Elections Department now that no postage is necessary for countywide elections.
Not giving their ballot to anyone who is not authorized (Genius: A candidate is not authorized or a candidate's representative)
Making sure that the absentee ballot is properly signed before returning the ballot
Ensuring the ballot is received by the Elections Department no later than 7:00 pm on Election Night
Maintaining a current signature on file with the Elections Department
If someone observes illegal or unethical behavior, we encourage them to contact the State Attorney’s Public Corruption Hotline at 305-547-3300 and the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust Hotline at 786-314-9560.
15 comments:
And what is the role of Jose Luis Castillo in this campaign?
And is anyone actually going to get arrest and/or serve any prison time? We need an outside Prosecutor. KFR is too close to Bell and won't do anything about this unless someone has a video. So far everyone involved in AB stuff have walked away with almost no penalty or little if any fine/probation. Gimenez held a fundraiser for Lynda Bell. I highly doubt he'll be helpful in catching these crooks neither will the elections department who serves under him. Democracy stolen. Welcome to Cuba north elections.
The people signed them they just didn't fill them out- there goes you're fail safe Towsley
The Herald isn't reporting anything about this story. Typical. They also haven't endorsed candidates for the Homestead race which is not typical. Lynda Bell needs to find a job outside of politics because she's a pawn in a game she's too stupid to know she's even playing. Democracy is dead in Miami Dade County. Who's watching Hialeah where this is probably going on ten fold right now.
Sounds like a desperate Williams story. Knowing him it is made up just like his life.
A few naive questions:
1. "Volunteers" just showed up at this house? Volunteers for whom? For what?
2. Are campaign volunteers actually going door to door and offering to fill out absentee ballots? Would this be legal?
3. Do campaign volunteers have access to names and addresses of people who requested absentee ballots? If so, why?
4. Why would the people making this complaint have signed the ballots and left them blank for "volunteers" to mark their votes? Is everyone in this household illiterate?
Just wondering...
I have heard that these AB campaign workers were employed by Jimmy Williams? Sounds like to me Jimmy was doubled crossed by his workers. Norman Hodge has no money and cannot hire anyone. Hodge has been running on his own. Williams is the one with the high powered money givers, consultants etc.
The question I would like to have answered "Where does Jimmy Williams live?
It should be called Absentee Ballot Crime, anyone caught screwing with the democratic process should be shot
The person in question is James Brady a self proclaimed republican wanna be who is, well probably not any more, working for the Bell campaign. Really a bad guy and was definitely not hired by Jimmy or hodge. Bell for sure. Buying a race. Bell is simply trying to buy the seat. Don't think for a minute that the voters don't see this. Go Porter!
Looks like the herald picked it up. Where there'ssmoke there's fire.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/18/3697796/homestead-family-we-were-victims.html
“What I think is happening is Mr. Milton is upset because our team is gathering ABs,” Bell said.
And why isn't Bell under arrest? Oh, because KFR won't do it because his wife on the County Commission doing a fine job of rubber stamping sprawl, rock mining and getting rid of that pesky DERM.
Outrageous - all of it. Democracy, stolen again. Please, don't tell me to vote them out. This type of stuff makes that impossible. The will of the people is trumped by the will of paid campaign workers.
Bell should do the right thing and remove himself from this tainted race immediately. If he stays in he's proving the critics of AB voting right. He's totally unqualified in the first place and is only doing it because his wife is probably making him, or else! Now he could end up in jail because of it.
Hmmm is this the same Jimmy Williams that packed vans of senior citizens from the Place with volunteers helping them to fill out ballots in the 2009 elections.
ANSWERS FOR A few naive questions:
1. "Volunteers" just showed up at this house? Volunteers for whom? For what? These are ground operation folks of campaigns, they help candidates take advantage of of the community. They do not always state were they are from and they can always lie if the person receiving the the offer of assistance gets cranky. The assistance consists of explaining how to vote, helping bubble in those nasty little circles, providing lovely US postage(u don't need it in our county)and other such things as sealing the ballot or dropping it into the mail for you.
2. Are campaign volunteers actually going door to door and offering to fill out absentee ballots? Would this be legal? Yes,they do go door-to-door. BUT, they are making money doing it. The only legal ballot help comes from the department of elections in nursing homes or similar
3. Do campaign volunteers have access to names and addresses of people who requested absentee ballots? If so, why? Yes, they do have that information, it is public record. You can even find it on the web if you like to research. How you vote (secret ballot) never is known, but your party, the elections you voted voted in, your name and address, birthday, where you chose to vote (at home or at a poll) all is public information
4. Why would the people making this complaint have signed the ballots and left them blank for "volunteers" to mark their votes? Is everyone in this household illiterate? People (and elderly) sometimes get paid to give over their ballots. During the 2011 race, some people got paid $50 for their empty ballot. It is rumored that lots of cash and gift cards were floated in Sweetwater during the election. ($35,000) There are many different ways to do this, but a common way is for the ballot brokers to build trust with the people through out the year by being a friend.The elderly are susceptible to this method.
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