Looks like they're trying to steal the vote again

[Guest INXS]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3960679.stm

 

Tens of thousands of postal ballots have gone missing in the US state of Florida, sparking fresh concern over irregularities in the poll campaign.

Some 60,000 absentee ballots were despatched by authorities in Broward County, north of Miami, this month.

 

However, only 2,000 of them have been delivered.

 

Florida was the centre of controversies which delayed the result in 2000, with George W Bush eventually declared the winner in the state by 537 votes.

 

Electoral officials have been overwhelmed by calls from anxious would-be voters who are not going to be able to get to the polls next Tuesday and fear that their votes have been stolen.

 

The missing ballots have fuelled an atmosphere of intense suspicion in Florida, with Democrats already backing nine separate law suits in the state, says the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington.

 

If the outcome is close and decides the result in the presidential race - and both of those eventualities are perfectly possible - it seems virtually certain that protracted legal battles will follow, our correspondent says.

 

'Beyond our control'

 

A police investigation into the missing ballots has not uncovered any indication of criminal wrongdoing.

 

Meanwhile, the US postal service inspectorate said it was highly unlikely that 58,000 pieces of mail had just disappeared.

 

A spokesman said inspectors were trying to establish whether the ballots were ever delivered to the postal service.

 

Broward County election official Gisela Salas said the situation was "something beyond our control".

 

"We really have no idea what's going on," she told the Associated Press news agency.

 

Lawsuits

 

Campaigners are working to ensure that no one loses their vote because of the missing ballots.

 

Democratic Party legislators have called on the electoral authorities to publish newspaper ads telling people of other options for voting.

 

They also accused the Republican-dominated state government of dirty tricks.

 

In 2000, Broward gave Al Gore his biggest margin among Florida counties. He won 67% of the vote there, while losing the state to George W Bush.

 

"It looks like they're trying to steal the vote again," said Diane Glasser, vice-chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party.

 

Both the Democrats and Republicans have already begun filing lawsuits in states across the US, challenging different aspects of the election process.

 

I can't say i'm totally surprised....

[teke184 0]

Notice how they don't say that Democrats control the county election boards who were supposed to mail these ballots...

 

I'm obviously not the most unbiased person but I'm far more likely to believe the local election board fucked up than the US Postal Service supposedly losing 58,000 pieces of mail.

[2GOLD 0]

They didn't steal it last time. People just have way too much free time on their hands if they still believe that.

 

Also, how would you have a sudden fear your ballot was stolen? Do people in Florida have a DEAD ZONE where they touch their coffee cup and go, "gasp! My vote is missing! I better alert someone!"

[IllustriousOne 0]

I find myself hating the election more and more.

[1234-5678 0]

They didn't steal it last time. People just have way too much free time on their hands if they still believe that.

But, but.............Michael Moore said so! Surely you're not suggesting he was lying?

[Guest BDC]

They didn't steal it last time. People just have way too much free time on their hands if they still believe that.

But, but.............Michael Moore said so! Surely you're not suggesting he was lying?

Oh NO. Oh SHIT NO we can't say that!

 

Dammit, stealing the election?

 

Please...

 

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

We need to build a ring of death, throw INXS, Great One and C-Bacon into it and then have them fight till one of them is left alive.

 

At least then the retard factor would be greatly reduced.

[Guest PlatinumBoy]

I could see C-Bacon winning a brawl big time. 2nd place would be Great One. INXS might win if the object of the event was breaking into a loved one's safe.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

INXS would win because he'll get his better half to fight for him...

[Slayer 0]

But she'll be weak from all the STDs he's given her

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Wasn't that cynicalprofit with the dick critters?

 

GreatOne got banned because he's terrible, anyway.

[Slayer 0]

Wasn't that cynicalprofit with the dick critters?

Not the only one

[Guest Cerebus]

Wasn't that cynicalprofit with the dick critters?

Not the only one

Guess that explains a lot of things.

[MrRant 0]

Wasn't that cynicalprofit with the dick critters?

 

GreatOne got banned because he's terrible, anyway.

When/why?

[Styles 0]

WGreatOne got banned because he's terrible, anyway.

OOOH...what thread did this happen in? Long time coming...

[bob_barron 0]

He got banned just for being GreatOne. It wasn't a specific incident.

 

But John Kerry D-Ma really DOES say it all

[Styles 0]

He got banned just for being GreatOne. It wasn't a specific incident.

 

But John Kerry D-Ma really DOES say it all

I'd imagine his response would be something like:

"Me getting banned is like Pat Patterson standing up against the establishment and being forced to resign by HHH.

Like I care what your opinion is. KERRY SUX0000RZ!~1111!!!!!!

=Great One

 

That's a shame he couldn't go out in a blaze of stupidity like most banned CE idiots. This just feels so anticlimatical.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

You mods better not bitch about Ashcroft being power-hungry. Jesus...

[Guest MikeSC]

Can't we at least get a link to the good-bye?

-=Mike

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Yeah, what exactly happened? I really had no opinion of him, but then again I really didn't bother reading most of the stuff he posted, too...

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I'm glad he's gone for his crap in here and his constant baiting of Dama in the sports folder. Not that Dama doesn't whine about OU enough on his own.

[IllustriousOne 0]

There was no real "goodbye"... It was kind of an all agreed upon banning.

 

Looks like he won't be terribly missed, either.