My Father's vote was just stolen in Ohio...

[Splinter Cell]

Last edited Sun Oct 28, 2012, 11:21 AM - Edit history (2)

My father had a stroke a few years ago, and he has trouble reading. He votes absentee, so my mother can help him with the ballot. Well, he sent in his ballot a couple weeks ago, and he did EVERYTHING as instructed. Everything was signed, documented, etc. Proper postage and everything.

Yesterday, he got a letter from the Butler County board of elections saying something was not up to snuff with his ballot, and he had to provide one of the following blah blah blah. One of the choices is his drivers license number, which he already included on the absentee ballot. It says he has to deliver it by hand to their office and his deadline is November 16th.

So basically they're only gonna count it as a provisional ballot. What really happened is they opened his ballot, and saw that he voted for Obama, and now they're not going to count it. I don't know who to contact. I'm so pissed I can't see straight.

[Samjm]

1. Don't take it lying down

Contact your local Dem office, and find out if there is a voter rights group in your state and contact them.

Also, I would at least TRY to speak to someone at the Board of Elections explaining your situation, and seeing if you can find some way that they will accept his vote.

But DEFINITELY go speak to the local Obama people. They are ALL over this kind of thing.

[flpoljunkie]

2. First thing to do is obvious--call them and ask them to explain the letter.

[Tigress DEM]

105. DOJ Ph# listed further down 202-514-1412

Election fraud or intimidation complaints may also be directed to the Public Integrity Section ( 202-514-1412). Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations. I'd also contact the local arm of the Dem party.

[abelenkpe]

3. Please report this to the press

And local democratic offices and your representatives. Take photos showing you had the drivers license number on there already.

[LisaL]

4. Unless he took the photo before he mailed it in, how could he possibly take the photo now?

I would call that board of election first thing and ask them to explain why they need driver's license when it was already included.

[The Doctor.]

64. The board cannot destroy the ballot.... yet.

He can ask for it, and prove that it is filled out properly.

[Honeycombe8]

96. The press is the only option since the GOP owns the OH govt. This is shocking.

This is horrible. We cannot let things like this stand.

It's not the DL # they wanted....it's that they wanted it delivered BY HAND, so they could prove his identity. That is against the law in OH, isn't it?

[AtomicKitten]

5. The Republicans are stealing the election, one vote at a time.

I agree with the above posters. Raise holy hell. Phone the local media.

They will toss your father's provisional ballot in the trash alongside the thousands of Democratic voter registration forms across Ohio (a 3rd incident has been identified).

Do not surrender.

[octoberlib]

6. From the DOJ website

Election fraud or intimidation complaints may also be directed to the Public Integrity Section ( 202-514-1412). Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations. I'd also contact the local arm of the Dem party.

[Cha]

58. THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^, TOO!

[Baitball Blogger]

7. Raise hell and keep us posted.

[MrMickeysMom]

47. If proper hell is raised, the OP will not have time to keep us posted.

County Board of Elections in person, with video camera in someone else's hand. Go to the local press...

[elehhhhna]

48. Ask your local news to go with you

[MrMickeysMom]

89. Go with me?

[elehhhhna]

103. lol no, directed at the op oops

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

8. Do NOT let them get away with it.

Go to the press, the Obama campaign and them directly....

I've had enough of these goddamn Republicans....I want them all to lose their jobs and off themselves.

[Ilsa]

9. Damn. That is so wrong.

I hope you and your family can get it rectified so that his vote counts. And maybe Alot of you should accompany him to the office, if possible.
Perhaps there are others you can share this story with locally to prevent it from happening to them.

[bkkyosemite]

10. I suspect they are doing this to the elderly who they think will do nothing about it.

Call the elections office and speak to the manager. Tell them that your father has voted for years and ask what is the problem? Make them tell you exactly why they did this. Tell them that your father had a stroke and it is not easy for him to come down to the facility but that he is more than capable of voting as he did. He wants his vote to count. He gave his licesne number to them. What is the problem ask again. If they do not have a reasonable answer then ask if this is the voter suppression or voter intimidation you have been hearing about and your father is being taken advantage of because he is elderly. If so you will be calling the local FBI?

Okay I would probably say the last sentence myself but I'm not going to tell you to do that. But if they have no answers I would sure make them think you are taking it to the authorities because there is too much in the news about this sort of thing and you will not allow this to happen to your family....well there I go again. It's best you say what you wish Best wishes.

[bkkyosemite]

11. I think I'm just as mad as you..no I am just as mad as you.

[hrmjustin]

12. Yes keep raising hell, and keep us posted.

[NMDemDist2]

13. i betting what's happened is his signature doesn't match the one they have on file

since his stroke I'm sure his signature has changed.

one of the ways to insure absentee ballots are real is to compare the signatures from the ballot envelope to the one from the file.

relax and call them and ask if that's the problem and what you need to do to fix it

[LisaL]

16. They told him how to fix it. Father has to show up in person with a drivers' license.

Which is not easy to do for an elderly person who had a stroke.

[JustAnotherGen]

17. See the post below by

abelenkpe


I dont tweet - but I would do that to. Either be mad - or be active.

You need to start making calls, sending emails, and writing letters right this minute. It ain't over until you've done everything you can to get that election worker fired.

[NMDemDist2]

21. ask them if a notarized letter with his new signature will suffice

you should be able to get a notary to come to him

[Travis_0004]

110. I agree that this could be the easiest option, if they will accept it.

If the board of elections will accept a notary, I'll come and do it free of charge.

I'm a notary, and I live in Hamilton county (probably less than 10 miles from the OP)

The first thing that needs to be done is to find out what the problem is to find out to address it.

[NMDemDist2]

112. +1

[progressivebydesign]

55. But notice the date November 16th aka vote doesn't count. nt

[rexcat]

67. Not true...

At this time his ballot is considered provisional. The provisional ballots can be contested up to 10 days post election or counted up to 10 days after the election in the State of Ohio. I am a polling judge in Ohio and when someone votes provisionally in the precinct I am working we tell them they should contact the BOE within 10 days to confirm their ballot will be counted.

[abelenkpe]

14. From another thread here:

David Shuster ?@DavidShuster
elect problems - long lines - misinformation - voter intimidation etc, photograph/tweet and use hashtag #EP with state abbreviation ie #EPVA

[skeewee08]

15. Fight!!!!!!

[TalkingDog]

18. A good place for this piece of info:

David Shuster @DavidShuster
elect problems - long lines - misinformation - voter intimidation etc, photograph/tweet and use hashtag #EP with state abbreviation ie #EPVA

Please spread this to your friends. If you have any problems voting or your friends do, have them tweet the problem with the hashtag #EP for "Election Problems". So if you are voting in Virginia and have an issue your hashtag would be #EPVA and then describe the problem in the remaining characters. SPREAD THE HASHTAG!


______________________________________________________________

If you don't have a twitter account, I'll post it for you. Let me know.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

19. Do you live close enough

to your dad to help him out with this mess?

[Ninga]

20. Call an Obama election attorney, Chris Redferns office might be able to help n/t

[SleeplessinSoCal]

37. Do this!

[Dj13Francis]

22. First of many.

We are being set up. Remember Katherine Harris? Remember Ken Blackwell? While the personnel have changed since, the idealogues of the inconcievably corrupt are still in power in both of these states. Voter purges and the media's inevitable narrative about low turnout are smokescreens to distract from the fact that votes are counted by machines whose source code are legally-protected propriatary information of companies owned and operated by the corporate arm of the Republican party, and whose results are guaranteed to declare exactly the winner They desire.

[outsideworld]

23. Dont take this lying down please

[Mr.Bill]

24. Is it possible that since his stroke,

his doctor has notified the DMV and his license has been revoked for medical reasons? That can happen here in California. Hope you get this worked out. Lots of good advice in this thread.

[LisaL]

25. Then why do they want him to show up in person with his drivers license?

[alfredo]

71. If he is able to show up with his license, they can say he shouldn't

Have asked for an absentee.

[LisaL]

73. No, that's absolutely false.

In OH, you don't need to give a reason to vote absentee.

[alfredo]

87. Good.

[Ms. Toad]

79. The "in person" is a new directive from SOS Husted as of 10/3

If there is an error -for example the wrong drivers license number (there are 2 on each Ohio license & people get it wrong all the time) or a a digit which is illegible or miscopied - the new directive requires it to be corrected in person. The exception is for individuals with a disability or who are overseas military.

This sounds evil - and it is - but the BOE is following the new directive from Husted.

[mzmolly]

27. That doesn't change his identity

though.

[Mr.Bill]

30. Of course it doesn't.

But his driver's license number could be showing up as not valid. All just conjecture on my part, of course.

[mzmolly]

33. Ah, gotcha.

Thanks for clarifying.

[JackN415]

26. Fight them and enlist the help of local Obama office if possible. Write to liberal newspaper

Make them cite the names of those officials involve in rejecting the vote.

[tonybgood]

28. What most of you don't realize...

is that Butler County is HEAVILY Republican and very corrupt. It doesn't surprise me one iota that they would challenge any absentee ballot. It is also the home district to one John Boehner so going to your representative is a complete waste of time!!! The only way to fix this is to get the story out nationwide and get the press to hound the Butler County Board of Elections. I'm curious as to how many other absentee ballots have been challenged like this and whether the challenges are only to Democratic ballots.

[No Vested Interest]

56. Go to Boehner's Office anyway

I realize that Butler Co. is heavily Republican and is Boehner's home territory, (I live in neighboring Hamilton Co. OH) but this should be reported -In Writing- to Boehner's office anyway. Copies of the letter to local papers - Hamilton, Middletown, Cincinnati, Dayton.

This will put Boehner's office on notice and on the spot. They will have to respond.

Likely they'll say it is a county or state matter, which it is.
Notify Husted's office (OH Sec. of State) and your local state reps. Even though they're also Reps, they'll have to respond as well.

The good news is that this occurred 2 1/2 weeks before the election - enough time to publicize and correct.

Good luck.

[Tigress DEM]

107. DOCUMENT with MEDIA when Boehner tries to NOT help - NELSON PIERCE JR. | OHIO Community Journalist

CONTACT INFO for:

Voting Rights Watch advised by BKW Post #43.

Although he may be a bit "busy" today, he should be available Monday.


NELSON PIERCE JR. | OHIO
Nelson Pierce Jr. is the pastor of Beloved Community Church, and the lead organizer with The AMOS Project. He is also a doctoral candidate in the Micah program at New York Theological Seminary. Nelson is passionate about exploring the deep connections between faith and public life.

BELOVED COMMUNITY CHURCH INFO:
Office and Mailing Address:

Beloved Community Church
6566 Montgomery Road Suite #214
Cincinnati, OH 45213

Phone Number:
513-413-7208

Email Address:

[email protected]

Twitter:

@beloved_ch

[islandbobbi]

60. Anyplace that is HEAVILY republican

Excellent point re: John Boehner's district... it certainly would never get resolved if it were up to him. I am voting via absentee ballot this year and holy hell will be raised if it happens to me. Thanks for your post.

[mahina]

78. Welcome to DU, aloha.

[Hutzpa]

29. So this is how they plan to steal it

and then tell us that elderlies did not turn out for Obama. So basically it is not about outsiders taking over the electorate, but criminals passing as corporation doing the bidding.

[Maineman]

31. If your circumstances permit, publicize it with...

After exploring simple options and documenting your efforts, arrange to have him transported to the elections board office on a gurney, make sure the media are there with cameras rolling. Many people would prefer not to do something like this, but in case you and he are willing and able, it would help highlight the problems.

[99th_Monkey]

46. Great idea, provided his dad feels up to it physically. nt

[wildeyed]

32. Does he personally have to deliver it?

I mean the whole point of an elderly person voting absentee is that they are too fragile to go out much. This is total bullshit. I would call the BOE and make a stink. I would also call the Obama campaign and/or local Dem party HQ and ask if they can get involved. They would not be pleased that one of their votes is being jerked away for total bullshit.

[sevenseas]

51. Brilliant thought, wildeyed.

Maybe what they are thinking is because he is elderly and saying he has to bring the license in person think that he will not be able to, therefore they can disqualify another Democrat's vote!

Is there any way this can be checked as to how one-sided this is?

This is making me so mad- if the shoe was on their stinky foot, they would be screaming bloody murder!

[geckosfeet]

34. Bastards. Lot's of good advice in the replies.

I always vote in person on e-day - so I can't help with the process.

Best of luck. Hope he gets his vote back.

[Faryn Balyncd]

35. Raise hell, and keep raising hell..........

[SleeplessinSoCal]

36. Get yourself to one the Obama campaign's offices and ask to see a lawyer.

[PsychGrad]

38. Take it to Reddit...

And make it go viral. Reddit can reach a LOT of people, some pretty important people, and if you can get it recognized, they WILL make it go viral. Post it in the Politics forum - it's a pretty pro Obama site and I've seen them do some amazing things over there (finding criminals and such), and I bet they would be ALL over this issue. Good luck - and I hope it gets sorted and your Dad's vote (which he has earned and has every right to!) gets counted!

[Duppers]

84. THIS. ^^^

Nt

[Hosnon]

120. ******THIS******

If Reddit sinks its teeth into something, you WILL see results.

[asjr]

39. This is how they win!

[sevenseas]

53. YES...They cheat....

....and steal....and then have the nerve to look straight into our eyes and talk about humble and honest and Christian they are.

[Norbert]

40. Butler County has a bunch of idiots.

It is a haven for Republican politicians. One GOP "lawmaker" named Michael Fox (no relation to Michael J thank God) was bold enough to name a divided highway after himself. The highway is no longer named after him and Fox himself is in jail for corruption.

Fight it with everything you have.

[Sancho]

41. This is typical in Florida too...

no one is talking about it, but they reject a bunch of mail in ballots. I'm sure they know who is a Democrat.

[Botany]

42. Please do the following things:

Get a lawyer and have him send a registered letter to the Butler County BOE
and tell them it it is a legal ballot and it must be counted as such ...... your Dad
is legally registered to vote in the county and as such his vote must be counted.


Get in touch w/ the Ohio Dem party.
Have questions about voting?
Check out our Election Center
or contact the Voter Protection Team at
[email protected]
OR 855-VOTE-199
(855-868-3199)

Tell the Butler County BOE that you will take the letter they sent your dad to the
media and they will have to answer to the press about voter suppression ....
make multiple copies of the letter too.

if that does not help please contact me via p.m..

[Tigress DEM]

106. NELSON PIERCE JR. | OHIO Community Journalist CONTACT INFO:

Although he may be a bit "busy" today, he should be available Monday.


NELSON PIERCE JR. | OHIO
Nelson Pierce Jr. is the pastor of Beloved Community Church, and the lead organizer with The AMOS Project. He is also a doctoral candidate in the Micah program at New York Theological Seminary. Nelson is passionate about exploring the deep connections between faith and public life.

BELOVED COMMUNITY CHURCH INFO:
Office and Mailing Address:

Beloved Community Church
6566 Montgomery Road Suite #214
Cincinnati, OH 45213

Phone Number:
513-413-7208

Email Address:

[email protected]

Twitter:

@beloved_ch

[GETPLANING]

44. Take it to the local Fox affiliate

Really. Fox local is nothing like Fox News Channel. They will run with it.

[inamatteroftime]

45. GO to this site, Election Protection for Ohio....

http://www.866ourvote.org/

[itssimplestupid]

49. Republicans Can't Win Without Voter Suppression

If they made it easy for everyone to vote, even poor people, there would be no Republicans and they know it.

http://www.RepublicansAreADisease.com

Republicans Are A Disease

[itssimplestupid]

52. And I Forgot

Vote Stealing. Just like 2004.

Why was Blackwell never prosecuted anyway?

[alfredo]

72. They destroyed the evidence. All data was to be kept for two years

years and they destroyed them early.

The code in the voting machines is a trade secret, so gathering evidence would be difficult.

[Coyotl]

50. Contact the County District attorney first

and work your way up the food chain.

[Democratopia]

54. Look at it this way...

Your father might have lost his vote, but if you get the local media involved, it could make people that weren't going to vote pissed enough to make the effort to vote. You could lose one vote, but gain a hundred.

[RomneyLies]

57. Contact OFA

I bet they'd move heaven and earth to insure he has his vote counted.

[Ms. Toad]

68. They are aware of this problem

(A change in how absentee ballot ID errors must be corrected.)

[Diclotican]

59. Splinter Cell

Splinter Cell

It is sad for your dad - it should not be like that - but then again Republicans can not win fair and square anymore.. They know it - we know not.. everyone know it.

But the big difference from 2000 ot today, is that in 2000 "we" doesn't had any places to look for information - or in many cases to went the anger many had after the voting in 2000... (Even I who is not even an american was kind of What the H*** about it... ) Today "we" have a place to get information, to get advices and get knowledge about how to fight it.. And that give at least me, some hope that the sanity of US will prevail - even after the nut jobs of GWB, and the tea party-Grand Old Party...

Diclotican

[McCamy Taylor]

61. Contact the local AARP. They care if their members get to vote.

[julian09]

62. ONE of the choices was drivers license number

what were the others?

[rexcat]

70. In Ohio...

you can put your last four numbers of you SS number on the absentee envelope that the ballot goes in. The person will need to go to the BOE with his drivers license and I would recommend a letter from the utility company or some other form of ID that is considered valid in Ohio for voting.

[Ms. Toad]

77. This is the form that needs to be completed

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/directives/2012/Dir2012-48.pdf

It has to be delivered in person (with the exception of overseas military or individuals who are disabled).

[Pachamama]

99. And to think I was always taught that a SS # could only be tied to your Social Security....

Nope, its tied with you to all your financial, taxes, your mortgages, bank loans, school education.....how you vote and party affiliation??

Wow....they managed to turn it into what it never was supposed to be and they truly have ALL data on you....

[antiquie]

102. Wow, indeed, National identification Card.

From Rock the Vote faq:

3. Why is my Social Security number or state ID required?

Under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), federal law now requires registrants to provide an identification number. The requirements for this information vary from state to state. Detailed state instructions for the ID field are provided during the online voter registration application process. If you have any questions about your state's requirements, please contact your Secretary of State.

[Hubert Flottz]

63. K&R

People who tamper with our votes belong in prison.

[Gladys P]

65. My Father's vote was just stolen in Ohio...

I agree it should be a felony to steal, intercept or change someone's vote in any way. I believe they are counting on people giving up or not bothering with their vote if it has been tampered with or stolen. Also there isn't a lot of time but we must in good faith help those with vote problems to be heard! Romney has been accused of being underhanded in business what bigger business is there than the USA?

[Ms. Toad]

66. This is a new (relatively) directive from Husted

issued 10/3.

If there is an error on the voter identification ballot, it will not be counted not even provisionally unless the voter comes in, in person, to correct the error (or falls into the exception below). There are two different numbers on your drivers license - it is extremely easy to get one wrong.

If you are voting absentee by paper ballot, be absolutely certain that you have everything correct on your ballot

The exceptions are military currently overseas, or individuals are disabled. First - if he can get to the board of elections ahead of the election, have him go there to correct it. If he does that before the election, his ballot will be counted as a regular absentee ballot. (if you do that and it they tell you it will still only be counted provisionally, please PM me and I will use my observer connections to make a report - also if they have opened the ID envelope please PM me so I can make a report). If your father qualifies as disabled, the county must send someone to him to correct it.

Voters with Disabilities – Regardless of whether the voter requested assistance in casting the absentee ballot, if a voter requests assistance to supplement the voter’s identification envelope, the board of elections must send board employees, not of the same political party, to the voter to provide assistance.

Organizing for America is tracking "error" rates on ballots returned, and will be investigating places with higher than average (and perhaps higher than last year - I don't know how much information they have about last year, when corrections were permitted by paper - but they are aware of this new problem in Ohio)

As long as I'm on a roll - please make sure that if you are in Ohio and returned the form that Husted sent you that you vote using the ballot you will receive. Any other vote will be provisional. Many people did not realize the form was for an absentee ballot, and sent it in because they thought it was a form of caging. Once you request an absentee ballot (accidental or not), that is the ONLY non-provisional way to vote.

[LisaL]

69. Who qualifies as a voter with disability?

His father had a stroke-does the father qualify? Or does he need to be officially disabled? Demanding they send someone over to help seems like a good option to me.
Since its sounds like the father is bedridden he is not likely to be able to get there in person.

[Ms. Toad]

74. Here is what the text of the directive says:

Voters with Disabilities – Regardless of whether the voter requested assistance in casting the absentee ballot, if a voter requests assistance to supplement the voter’s identification envelope, the board of elections must send board employees, not of the same political party, to the voter to provide assistance.

Any qualified elector, who, on account of the elector’s own personal illness, physical disability, or infirmity, or on account of the elector’s confinement in a jail or workhouse under sentence for a misdemeanor or awaiting trial on a felony or misdemeanor, will be unable to travel from the elector’s home or place of confinement to the voting booth in the elector’s precinct on the day of any general, special, or primary election may make application in writing for an absent voter’s ballot to the director of the board of elections of the elector’s county. The application shall include all of the information required under section 3509.03 of the Revised Code and shall state the nature of the elector’s illness, physical disability, or infirmity, or the fact that the elector is confined in a jail or workhouse and the elector’s resultant inability to travel to the election booth in the elector’s precinct on election day.

If I was that voter, I would make them come to me - and when they get there, check to make sure they sent two of different parties.

[LisaL]

75. Sounds good to me!

Call the board of elections on Monday and demand they send people over to help with the correcting whatever it is they say is wrong!

[JamesL2012]

76. They need to be stopped

Those pukes are so bad and a bunch of liars.
Make sure you fight this to the end get those people fired.

[barbtries]

80. Call the board of elections.

i was just poll monitoring today in NC for Common Cause. i think the number is the same for all over the country:
888 OUR VOTE

if it isn't, they'll probably be able to point you in the right direction. or contact the country democrats.

don't just be pissed, do something. your father's vote does not have to stay stolen. please keep us updated, thanks.

[Me_Bushwacker]

81. Reporting Voting Suppression Issues or Fraud

Report Voting Suppression activity for OH @ 1-866-OUR-VOTE, NC is 855-868-3171 Immediately, get details & contact info

[DebbieInOhio]

82. Fight this all the way

I would go to the news outlets, the Ohio Secretary of State and Ohio Attorney General, and the US Department of Justice. I would also go to my Senator and Congressman, local newspapers and Rev. Al Sharpton. We are NOT going to take this voter suppression lying down. Fight it. Contact everyone you can think of.

[Ms. Toad]

85. The Ohio SOS issued the directive which required the local BOE to take the steps they did.

See here, with the solution farther down thread. (I have also DUmailed the info directly to the OP).

[LisaL]

92. SOS Husted is the one doing all these things (ordering that a voter has to appear in person)

so there is not going to be help there.

[jimlup]

83. Hopefully your local democratic party can help you with this

I'm assuming you've contacted them.

[malaise]

86. Contact Rev Al

righ tfuggin' now!

[kickysnana]

88. FYI I overheard someone in Roseville MN Eye Doctor's office

telling his mother that she was going to have to go appear in person in order to be able to vote this year. She was in a wheelchair and on oxygen. I think he had just called someone about mail she had received.

[LisaL]

93. Probably the same thing-some imaginary error on the absentee ballot.

[freshwest]

90. UPDATE, election official resigned, staffer let go, posting on another thread to refer back to this.

I believe it is because of the work of DUers... See the DU link in the story:

Miami County, Ohio Election Official Resigns Under Weird Circumstances

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/miami-county-ohio-election-official-resigns

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014274111

[FXBGr]

91. Turn The Tables

Contact the Brennan Center at [email protected]. They litigate voting rights cases, and your father's case may be one they could help with. Information: http://www.brennancenter.org/content/election2012 and http://www.brennancenter.org/content/section/category/voting_rights_elections/.

I am not sure if the Alliance For Justice does litigation or just studies and reports http://www.afj.org/.

The ACLU is another important resource. http://www.aclu.org/voting-rights You should contact your local ACLU affiliate: http://www.aclu.org/affiliates

[DFW]

94. Swear out a complaint, send it certified with copies to MSNBC and the NYT

at least to: the US Department of Justice, Washington, DC and the Federal Election Commission. To Obama's campaign HQ and the White House directly as well. A few blogs, too (HuffPo, TPM).

Let DoJ and the FEC know you have sent copies to the press as well.

[RBInMaine]

95. Please cool down, call that board of elections, and ask what to do. I am sure this can be solved.

[Ohio Highlander]

97. Dunno

I hate to say it, but Husted or whatever his name is, got early voting materials to everyone in our neck of the woods...it's gonna be hard to make anything stick this cycle, the ohio gop is got a great pr machine...it also might be hard to argue for someone who's had a stroke...people hear that word, and that someone can't read too well, and they think, "another idiot dem"...that's what's gonna happen

[j3161usa]

98. Call You Congressional Office and the local ACLU

DO NOT CALL "TRUE THE VOTE". Do this NOW----Take your father down to the proper office and "GIVE" them your father's ballot. THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN GET MITT ROMNEY ELECTED IS BY CHEATING!!!!!! ONCE ELECTED, THEY WILL PRETEND HE WON LEGITIMATELY! They will call US sore losers!!

[Fla Dem]

100. They saw he voted for Obama?

I did not think they opened "mail in ballots" until election day, after the polls closed? Is this the way all states handle mail in ballots...opening them and recording them as they are received? If so I will never do a mail in ballot. There is so much opportunity for fraud. If they had not notified your father, he/you would never had known there was a problem. How many mail in ballots are just destroyed? Finally, it would seem as if you give up you right to a secret ballot if you use the mail in ballot.

[riqster]

114. Ohio opens them early, so they can cut down the workload on Election Day.

And yes, Absentee ballots clearly show who you're voting for. In a Red county, this scenario is not implausible.

[midnight]

101. This is a serious threat to our voting system and need to be fully investigated-not silenced..

[slackmaster]

104. The "something was not up to snuff" and "blah blah blah" parts kind of lost me

Other than that, CSB.

[Don C. Nuttin]

108. Do something constructive.

Taking a day or so to talk to folks about this and explore the idea of asking a federal court to require that your father's vote be counted would be a better choice that having a stroke and dying yourself. This is an outrage. I voted a couple of days ago at a county election office in Kansas, an office directly administered by Kris Kobach. I produced my current, valid driver's license. The clerk behind the counter squinted at it and muttered something about my having shaved the close-cropped beard I wore when the photo was taken. I filled out my address (including my apartment number) in the poll book. The clerk slyly asked what my apartment number was. Two Young Republican brown-shirts stood menacingly behind the clerk with nothing to do, except look menacing. I almost said to the Clerk "take this one more step, and I will go right straight to the United States Courthouse, where I practice regularly." But the Clerk did not take it one more step, and I voted. My wife is totally and permanently disabled. I had her in tow, and she voted too. If a Clerk had given her touble I would not have been measured enough to go to the Courthouse. I would have found myself in jail. I hope I do not hear from Mr. Kobach that we need to return to the Election Office. Like -- I suspect-- you, the most constructive thing I could do is some ministerial, time-wasting make-work thing to get our votes counted, the next most constructive thing would be to go to federal court and try to get a federal judge to enjoin this onerous bullshit, or I could stroke out and die or go all Second Amendment on them. I can't think of any more choices. I pray that you try to find something constructive to do.

[EC]

109. 866-our-vote

Voter protection line.

http://www.866ourvote.org/

Do it now, they are on full alert, especially in Ohio and Florida.

[MrsBrady]

111. call your local democratic party...county chair or state chair...

they will help you.

keep us updated.

[riqster]

113. You have options!

If you have a Power of Attorney for him, you can go in on his behalf.

[Splinter Cell]

115. *UPDATE*

UPDATE: I took my dad to the Butler County board of elections and raised hell. The issue was that his signature was slightly different from his last one (he has trouble writing), but we managed to prove it was him and they accepted the explanation. HIS BALLOT HAS BEEN CAST AND WILL BE COUNTED! Thanks to everyone for the support and advise! GOBAMA

[writes3000]

116. Great to hear! Thanks for updating us.

[LisaL]

117. Good.

That's why I don't even want to vote absentee.
His signature was different? Are they for real?
I am glad it was counted, but the whole point of voting absentee is that you don't have to do it in person.
And yet they made your father to come in, in person.

[Tennessee Gal]

119. That's terrific!

[spiderpig]

118. This brings to mind my first voting experience in Ohio in the 70s

Paper ballot. Put it in the privacy envelope. Brought it out to the staff's table, where an old guy took the ballot out and LOOKED AT IT! (Hey, I'm a product of the 60s and didn't trust anyone). I yelled "THAT MAN'S LOOKING AT MY BALLOT!!!" I was ballistic. This idiot said "I just wanted to make sure you voted."

They are so damned corrupt and always have been.

[bigregg4838]

121. My Ass!

Hand deliver it to their office by November 16th... My ass! That has got to be the most outrageous thing I have heard. For those who think that your ONE vote means nothing, look to what degree THEY are willing to go to sabotage One vote. Not up to snuff MY big, fat, liberal ASS!! Count that man's vote, OHIO. #Quitplayin

Check out this fuuuuuny parody of Eminem's The Real Slim Shady (The Real Mitt Romney). It is only 3 days new, and factually accurate. Highly entertaining.