Guardian UK: Hawaii officials to count Obama grandmother's absentee ballot

[marmar]

Hawaii officials to count Obama grandmother's absentee ballot
Lee Glendinning
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday November 05 2008 02.05 GMT



Barack Obama with his grandparents Stanley Armour and Madelyn Dunham in the 1980s. Dunham died on the eve of election day. Photograph: Courtesy of Obama for America

An absentee ballot filled out by Barack Obama's grandmother, who died on the eve of the US election, is to be counted in Hawaii, according to election officials.

Madelyn Dunham, who was 86 when she died of cancer on Sunday, had sent an absentee ballot because of her declining health.

It arrived at the elections office on October 27, and went on to be processed like any other absentee vote.

Although the law would normally require that an absentee ballot cast by someone who dies before election day to be discarded, Kevin Cronin, the Hawaii elections chief, confirmed that it would still be counted, as the elections office did not receive a list of deceased residents - which included Dunham's name - from the state department of health before Tuesday.

Dunham, who raised Obama after his mother died, had been a devoted follower of his campaign. When her health began to deteriorate two weeks ago, he stopped campaigning to make what would prove to be a final visit. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/05/uselections2008-barackobama2

[C_U_L8R]

1. I hope they count Toot's vote last.

I want her vote to be the vote that makes Obama our President.