I've been getting them regularly sent to my email. So -- read them at your own discretion.


New post on Palmer Report

With Michigan hand recount underway, Jill Stein focuses on “blank” ballots in Detroit
by Bill Palmer
Just twelve hours after a midnight ruling from a federal judge who announced that a statewide recount in Michigan must immediately proceed, the recounting of the votes in th state is officially underway. This is the second 2016 recount which has been successfully trigged by third party candidate Jill Stein. She appeared in front of Trump Tower today, subverting the media's seeming desire to only want to cover his antics instead of the crucial recount effort, and she revealed a number of key details about the Michigan recount while standing on his doorstep.

The first major revelation from Jill Stein today was her confirmation that the votes will be recounted by hand statewide, per the judge's order. Last night's reports hadn't specified whether it would be done by hand or by machine. This process is far more likely to uncover machine errors and irregularly filled out ballots, as well as to expose any potential cheating or rigging within the state. Stein also made clear that her focus is on the unusually large number of "blank" or "undervote" ballots in the state, particularly in the Detroit area.

We reported last week that according to official tallies as many as 87,810 voters in Michigan had ballots which cast a vote for some downticket race but not for president. This number was far higher than in past elections, and stood out as being particularly odd when one considers that 2016 was the rare year in which Michigan had neither a Governor not a Senate race on the ballot – begging the question of why so many people would show up and vote, but leave the presidential ballot blank.

Stein is now focused on these "undervote" ballots as well, which she pointed out during today's press conference (source link: Stein's official Facebook page), came largely from areas like Detroit and Wayne County, which are heavily African-American. It raises the question of whether faulty machines in low income precincts may have simply failed to record the presidential votes on those ballots, or if those votes may have been intentionally scuttled. The now-underway hand recount should expose any such instances. Wayne County went heavily for Hillary Clinton, but not at the level expected, suggesting, some of Clinton's votes may have indeed been scuttled.

New post on Palmer Report


It’s on: federal judge orders Michigan recount to start immediately
by Bill Palmer
After a rare Sunday hearing in federal court to determine whether the Michigan recount should begin immediately or face a waiting period, the judge in question took the entire rest of the day – literally – to make up his mind. But after midnight local time, the federal judge announced that the statewide Michigan recount in the presidential election must immediately begin in the morning.

This comes after the state of Michigan had argued in court that the recount shouldn't begin until Wednesday. It appeared to be an attempt at stalling so that Michigan's Repuican Attorney General would have time to sue to get the recount killed before it began. But the judge apparently saw through that ruse, with local newspaper Detroit Free Press now confirming that the recount must begin on Monday.

Stein argued in part that the severe under vote in the presidential election, which Palmer Report reported a week ago, was evidence that the vote counting machines may have missed presidential votes while recording downticket votes on the same ballot. The lack of a Governor or Senate race in Michigan in 2016 made the unusually high 87,000 undervotes stand out as suspicious. In any case we're about to find out, as the recount is now just hours away from kicking off.

New post on Palmer Report


Wisconsin recount: Waukesha County officials caught illegally hiding ballots from observers
by Bill Palmer
Four days into the Wisconsin statewide recount, one county in particular has emerged as the epicenter of controversy and corruption. Donald Trump won Waukesha County by a total of 66,320 votes, a margin three times as large as he won Wisconsin by overall. The county is refusing to do a hand recount, instead relying on the same machines which produced the original totals. Earlier today we reported that one recount observer had outright accused Waukesha officials of double-counting Trump's votes. And now Jill Stein is expanding on the Waukesha scandal.

Jill Stein, the third party candidate who initiated the recount effort in Wisconsin and two other states, sent out the following message to her recount observers. Palmer Report has obtained a verified copy of the email in question. In it, Stein formally accuses Waukesha County officials of violating the law by purposely hiding ballots from the observers:

While most counties are conducting their recounts in clear and transparent fashion, we have gotten reports of observers not being allowed near the recount tables or not being allowed to view the ballots. For instance, in Waukesha County, officials are entering the ballots in to the machine face down. Remember, we have a legal right to see the ballots.

Wisconsin law reads in part: Each party to a recount must be given an opportunity to object and provide offers of evidence on: the procedures followed, any ballot cast at the election, any other issues presented to the board of canvassers during the recount.

Notably, Waukesha County is just one of twelve Wisconsin counties, out of seventy-two counties overall, which are refusing to a hand recount. The increasing level of fraud and illegal activity on the part of Waukesha recount observers may give Stein sufficient cause to convince the judge in question to order the county to do a hand recount.

New post on Palmer Report


Pennsylvania officials caught price-gouging voters who try to fill out recount affidavits
by Bill Palmer
Even as citizens across the state of Pennsylvania continue to work on the statewide recount effort initiated by third party candidate Jill Stein, state officials have been attempting to stop her at every turn. After being hit with exorbitant cash demands, Stein shifted her legal case from state court to federal court on Saturday. However, based on a first hand report we're now receiving, some local officials in Pennsylvania have been harassing and price-gouging those who have shown up to fill out affidavits in support of the recount.

Beverly DeSignor, a resident of Bushkill, Pennsylvania, shared the following first hand experience with Palmer Report. We've independently confirmed that she is in fact a Pennsylvania resident, and that she is who she says she is. Her experience should be eye opening for those following the recount effort with interest:

I filed for a recount of my precinct, Bushkill Township Center, Northampton County on 11/28/16 providing a signed, notarized affidavit along with two other filers from my precinct. We walked in and were greeted by the election technician who took our affidavit, provided each of us with time/date stamped copies (charged us 25 cents a piece- total $0.75). We asked if there were others who had filed and were told they had received several phone calls and that one other group had filed in the morning. During that time, we questioned if we had to pay a fee and were told no. We asked when and where the recount would be held and we were told wednesday, 11/30/16 at the election board offices there on wolf street, Easton across from the courthouse. We mentioned to the staff more would be coming to file and asked how long they would be open. They stated they would be open until 4:30 pm.

We knew people in the next group who subsequently arrived fifteen minutes after we left. They were treated differently. After time/date stamping their affidavits, they were detained and marched over to the courthouse. They were told they had to file with the court and were expected to pay around $150/person - a total of $450 - in order to file for recount. According to the person in the group, there were others who come to file in the interim - about 9 in total by this point - all told the same. Additionally, people arrived after 4:15. It before 430 and were told they were now too late to file. So protocol changed as more people came in. I have received no further information for the Election Board.

DeSignor tells us that she's already heard from the legal staff from Jill Stein campaign regarding the incident. The sudden change in protocol on the part of county officials, from one group of citizens to the next, appears to represent an escalating attempt on the part of the officials to make it harder for the public to carry out their right to a recount. Prices don't simply change from 25 cents to $150 per person within a span of minutes. If any Pennsylvania residents have encountered similar experiences, in Northampton County or elsewhere, please contact us.

New post on Palmer Report


Tampered seals on Wisconsin vote counting machines now being blamed on “modems”
by Bill Palmer
On Thursday we reportedreported that a recount observer for third party candidate Jill Stein had photographically documented five vote counting machines in St Croix County with tampered seals. In a familiar refrain which is growing all too tiresome, Wisconsin officials are once again blaming it all on "modems."

The primary Green Party observer in St Croix County posted the following today to a Jill Stein recount group on Facebook (direct link here: "I was the primary Green Party observer yesterday in St Croix County, where there has been reports of tampered ballot counting machines. The seals on the machines were broken by the manufacturer when they installed modems. They are working on getting an affidavit but it is the weekend." (photo credit: photograph of St Croix recount posted by observer Rosemary Ann).

The explanation in and of itself sounds plausible, and more information appears to be forthcoming from the county officials. But what stands out is that this is the third separate instance of Wisconsin officials using modems to explain suspicious circumstances. Another recount observer in Kenosha County reports that officials are blaming modems. And last week, Palmer Report was the first to report that a Wisconsin elections official also blamed a "modem" error for incorrectly padding Donald Trump's vote total in Sauk County.

The sheer number of instances in which Wisconsin elections officials are blaming "modems" for everything from tampered seals, to impossible vote totals, stands out as noteworthy in and of itself. While vote counting machines do in fact use modems to remotely pass along their totals, these modems are verging on becoming a too frequently used excuse. As the Wisconsin recount continues, election officials in the state may have some further explaining to do.

Update 1x: Federal district court in recess until 12:30pm when focus will turn to arguments regarding vulnerability of hacking and malicious software that could effect vote count.

During 10:30am hearing, Judge Goldsmith asked Mark Brewer (Stein attorney) whether or not recount could be done by Dec. 13th if recount starts on Wednesday. MB said he believes so… meaning likely judge will let recount begin on Wed as scheduled if he lets it proceed.

And that will be focus for 12:30pm session ...

_____________________

Sunday roundup of recount news from WI, MI and PA … with big news coming late Sunday morning …

-snip-

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/12/4/1607086/-New-Updates-for-WI-MI-PA-Recounts-Fits-Starts

I guess we stay tuned...

http://pac.petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-michigan-attorney?abid=5d2dfe9&abver=79

New post on Palmer Report


Wisconsin recount: observers uncover discrepancies with Milwaukee absentee ballots
by Bill Palmer
Three full days into the Wisconsin statewide recount of the 2016 presidential election race, reports continue to pour in from the designated election observers who have been watching over the shoulders of the officials doing the recounts. There has been significant controversy over the fact that Milwaukee County, the largest in the state, has refused to do a hand recount and is instead merely doing a machine recount. And observers have already uncovered discrepancies with the Milwaukee ballots.

The designated recount observers representing the Jill Stein campaign have been logging their findings on her official campaign website. In various counties it's resulted in evidence that the confusingly worded ballot caused voters to fill it out wrong in a manner which the vote counting machines initially missed. Observers have also flagged five vote counting machines whose security seals have been tampered with. But the report coming from a Milwaukee observer may be the most eyebrow raising.

The designated Jill Stein observer in Milwaukee County observer posted the following on Friday: "Discrepancies noted in absentee ballots which were resolved promptly by Milwaukee County Election Commission. Plan on return to same location on Monday morning at 8:30 am." The good news, in terms of election integrity, is that these votes now have a chance to be correctly counted. The bad news in that regard is that his was only caught because the election observer was there monitoring – and far more such ballots may be being overlooked by officials,

The brief report filed by the observer is evidence that vote counting problems and discrepancies in Milwaukee County do exist, and would seem to help bolster the case for the county performing a hand recount in order to get the most accurate results. Bizarrely, according to the Wisconsin official election website, Milwaukee County is charging Jill Stein more than half a million dollars for a simple machine recount, which is far more than any other Wisconsin county is charging for a far more labor intensive hand recount.

This came into my FB feed via The Hill:

The Green Party is dropping its court case requesting a statewide recount of the election results in Pennsylvania.

The Associated Press reported on Saturday that the party said it could not come up with a $1 million bond payment required by Monday, when a hearing was scheduled.

A court order filed Saturday called the matter "closed" after it said that petitioners had filed to withdraw the case. The Green Party had questioned whether voting machines had been hacked or results manipulated.

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/308650-green-party-drops-pennsylvania-recount-case

I have not seen this on the Jill Stein election recount website, nor anywhere else. I'm trying to verify this and wonder if any of you know if there is any truth to this.

Volunteer observers in Wisconsin have started sending in their initial reports. All counties must complete their recounts by 8 p.m. on December 12; the Elections Commission staff must prepare the official recount canvass certification by 3 p.m. on December 13. Read their initial reports here and donate to #Recount2016 to support the continued effort.

http://www.jill2016.com/wireports?utm_campaign=recount_120216&utm_medium=email&utm_source=jillstein