Ohio legislature looks to make vote recounts more expensive

[dzika]

Ohio legislature looks to make vote recounts more expensive

By JIM SIEGEL
Gannett News Service

COLUMBUS - State lawmakers will look at ways next year to make it harder and more expensive to get election recounts.

Link:
http://www.coshoctontribune.com/news/stories/20041224/localnews/1785098.html

(You think it has been difficult to get to the truth this time...)

[bemis12]

1. Well, at least it's not retroactive :-)

Don't most of the other states make you pay the actual cost?

[dzika]

2. Not sure...

I just take the timing as a warning. This recount isn't over and they already want to find ways to make it more difficult.

Considering the problems, you would think they would want to find ways to make recounts and elections more transparent, standardized and fair. Instead, they seem to be more concerned with making this process more difficult in the future.

There are real problems with the election system in Ohio. Why aren't the lawmakers concerned with fixing the entire election system?

[IStriker]

4. If you think Ohio has "real problems with the election system..."

you should look at all the states where the counties are not just run by one party, but owned by them. At least in Ohio if they enact a system to let the taxpayer off the hook, you will still be able to get a recount conducted by both parties. In a lot of states if you belong to the opposite party of the one running the gov't. you will not get the time of day, let alone a recount, unless state law mandates it.

[IStriker]

3. Yes, I believe that the taxpayers in most states do not...

get stuck with the bill. If an election is not within whatever percentage the state statute says will trigger an automatic recount, the bill should belong ONLY to the person who is requesting the recount.

[illflem]

6. In some states, such as Washington

if the recount changes the outcome of the election the loser has to pay for it.

[merwin]

13. Not true. In WA, the state pays for it if it turns the election over n/t

[Alizaryn]

5. Another day...amother tactic. They just do not get it.

The solution is ...get it right from jump street.

[mousie]

7. seems like Cobb

should get a refund of all the money raised for this phoney-baloney recount??!

[Eric J in MN]

8. Yes, we wanted all the votes counted by hand, like

in Washington State, not 3 percent with a "cheat sheet" factor.

[pointsoflight]

9. Even worse, they want e-voting state wide.

This is why it's so essential that our message get out, regardless of the outcome of the 2004 elections. So many are being exposed to the nonsense from the companies, republicans, and election officials that "everything went smoothly." Without an uproar, not only will the situation fail to improve, it'll actually get worse.

[dzika]

10. POL - Well said! n/t

[GetTheRightVote]

11. What a nightmare our election process has become,

Why did they not leave it simple and count by hand.
All this cost for machines that can be hacked and our election stolen from us. We have not had a deceit election in ages. It is just showing more now because the races are getting so close. But the real sad part is that the adminstration thinks we are not smart enough to figure it all out. These are scary times for the citizens of this country.

[mousie]

12. what gets me...

is it just becomes so PAINFULLY obvious after awhile that a lot of monkey business is going on and deepening every day... and yet the repubs just laugh every bit of it off as nonsense and conspiracy theories. Come on... it's too obvious to really not see it anymore. Can they really be in THIS much denial? Why do they not care about our democratic right to legitimate elections... simply because their guy won?! I've only heard ONE lone republican admit they thought bush probably stole the election. Where is that republican "morality" these days? I get the sense they condone the cheating as long as they win, they're sure on a ego/power trip these days.