Why recounts are a vital part of election process = By Joanne Kloppenburg

[L. Coyote]

May 16, 2011 - http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/121958509.html


The Journal Sentinel Editorial Board is entitled to its own opinions but it is not entitled to its own facts. The board's speculation about my motives regarding the recount of the vote in the Supreme Court election is inaccurate. I appreciate this opportunity to set the record straight.

The recount process in Wisconsin is unfolding as prescribed by Wisconsin law. Votes are recounted in all 72 counties, and an official record is made of that process. When the Editorial Board says the recount is a "mere preamble to the court challenge," it is wrong on the facts and wrong to prejudge my intentions.

Wisconsin law specifically anticipates that there may be court challenges to the recount, but those challenges can only happen after the recount is done. The recount is not "merely" a preamble to anything: It is a process that proceeds in prescribed ways when an election is this close.

As I and my campaign have said repeatedly and consistently, I have not made the decision about .....

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NEWS on the Election Integrity front:

Analysis of Milwaukee City, with 8.6% of the Wisconsin vote, has a 6.3% red shift,
compared to a 5.3% blue shift (stdev = -1.58) for the rest of the state.
Why is Milwaukee City 11.6% different than the rest of Wisconsin?
Why is Milwaukee City shifting red so significantly compared to 64 of 72 jurisdictions shifting blue?
Why did Milwaukee City shift only 3% red in November 2010 compared to 2008, then 10.0 % in 2011?

[murielm99]

1. K&R

[Fly by night]

2. Why do Republicans defend unverifiable voting systems (and incomplete audit processes) ad nauseum?

Because they know where their only real "mandate" resides -- in those systems and processes.

It's time to do away with ALL electronic voting systems and allow high school Honor Society members to count our paper ballots. For the cost of pizzas and cold drinks, we could restore our democracy overnight.

[L. Coyote]

3. Time to call them out for being undemocratic!

In politics, ridicule, humor, and name calling are important tools to properly tag those who deserve it.

[OnTheOtherHand]

4. nice statement by Kloppenburg; as for Milwaukee

Democratic judicial candidates seem routinely to underperform in the city of Milwaukee. I would guess that if you answered the question for 2007 or 2009, the answer for 2011 wouldn't be much different (despite the higher turnout around the state).

[Omaha Steve]

5. K&R!