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The Republican Voter Fraud Conspiracy: One of Two Things Happened

by: elwood

Thu Jan 12, 2012 at 06:58:40 AM EST


On Tuesday, when James O'Keefe took on the local volunteers who run our elections, one of two things happened:
  1. The thugs impersonated other people who were on the checklists in order to get ballots; or
  2. The thugs just asked whether a particular person was on the checklist.

If the first thing happened, the gang committed voter fraud, whether they took ballots or not:
RSA 659:34, I(c):

659:34 Wrongful Voting; Penalties for Voter Fraud. -
  I. A person is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 if such person:
   ...(c) Applies for a ballot in a name other than his or her own;

The fact that they were caught - not by accident, but by the deliberate process of staffing local precincts with neighbors - demonstrates that our current checks and balances can work. (Showing that they DO work requires throwing the book at these scum.)

If the second thing happened - they just innocently asked if a name was on the checklist - then they still showed that the checks and balances work.  State law (properly) makes checklists a matter of public record: you are entitled to know who is registered to vote. Their defense lawyers may claim that is all they were doing - it would be up to the judge and/or jury to decide whether standing in a voting line, rather than going to City Hall, to pose the question suggests something more sinister.

As part of the handing out ballots process, the poll worker must read the putative voter's name and address out loudly, so that other people nearby (maybe including campaign volunteers) can hear it. (That doesn't happen if the person in line asks, "When do polls close?" or "I'm not Fred, but is he registered?") That's where another four or five people provide an additional check: "He's not Fred Johnson - Fred is my uncle!" If the thugs aborted their impersonation before that step, they didn't demonstrate anything at all. If they go to that step, that's stronger evidence of fraud.

elwood :: The Republican Voter Fraud Conspiracy: One of Two Things Happened
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Good Summary. It's Fraud. (4.00 / 3)
At least it's attemted fraud.  And the penalties are what prevents the problem.  Someone can murder someone else -- it happens.  But when they're caught, the penalties are there.  We don't have police officers at every "stop" sign, but if you're caught, the penalties are there.

The other point is that having "Voter ID" required also does nothing to stop someone either.  Teenagers know where to get fake IDs.  These same videomakers could go up with a fake ID to any poll worker in a state requiring IDs and probably get a ballot.  Does that prove anything?  Do they then want fingerprinting of voters, with instant verification required?  

Fraud is fraud and there are penalties for that.  I trust the offices of our Secretary of State and our Attorney General.  

[I'm a former has-been House member and State Senator, but I keep "Rep." on my ID name for easy reference of previous posts.]


Enforce the laws we have (4.00 / 5)
the laws we have on the backs - both state and federal - act as an effective deterrent against voter fraud. These out of staters who are trying to make a mockery of our elections are saying they were careful not to say they were the deceased, just asked if the deceased were on  the checklist. I don't know if that is entirely accurate, but it is obvious they were afraid of being prosecuted. The system worked.

And BTW, O'Brien's trying to play the primary card in the UL was pathetic, saying that this could put our primary at risk. Not it won't. What puts our primary at risk is crazy Republicans who want to turn NH into a legislative oligarchy with a system of government at odds with the American system of checks and balances.    



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    


It's illegal (4.00 / 3)
To film @polling places w/out permission. Other backlash @nashuapatch

 "The future is not something to be predicted, it's something to be achieved,"  unattributed aphorism




The only law I see in that link (0.00 / 0)
or that I've been able to locate is a general "no wiretapping" law that covers surreptitious audio recording.

I haven't found any special prohibition against recording at polling places. That could make sense - secret ballots and all - but I haven't seen such a NH law.


[ Parent ]
Better question (4.00 / 1)
Elwood, I think the better question is whether there is an exception to the no wiretapping law that would permit someone to secretly videotape/record a pollworker. I don't know if there is or isn't, Ihaven't looked.



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    


[ Parent ]
How much could we bet O'Brien was somehow in on this scheme? n/t (4.00 / 3)


"We start working to beat these guys right now." -Jed Bartlet

$10,000. n/t (4.00 / 1)


"We now know that government by organized money is just as dangerous as government by organized mob." - FDR

[ Parent ]
State vs. Federal Prosecution (4.00 / 1)
In searching for details on state versus Federal prosecution of voter fraud, I located this essay/excerpt:
http://soundpolitics.com/The%2...
Written by Craig C. Donsanto, who wrote a book called "Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses," and is/was apparently connected with the US Dept of Justice:
http://books.google.com/books/...

The jist of it is, the States are required to conduct elections and ensure they are performed without fraud, therefore, most cases are initated by the State. The Feds take over in certain instances, such as organized and widespread fraudulent activity, cases of disenfranchising ethnic groups, gross incompetence or inability of the States the adequately prosecute, or, and in this case is key:

"Where the objective of the conduct is to corrupt the outcome of a federal elective contest, or where the consequential effect of the corrupt conduct impacts upon the vote count for federal office."

Sounds like a Federal case is at hand my friends.

Running for State Rep 2012 in Hillsborough District 2
Aaron Gill, Deering: nhgill.com Twitter: Gill4NHStateRep


I'm outraged (4.00 / 1)
All the statements I have seen from the Republicans in the press have only talked about the need for photo id laws. No one is asking for O'Keefe and his pals to be investigated, and no one is expressing one word of empathy for the families of those whose recentely deceased loved ones were targeted.  




"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    


correction (4.00 / 1)
The mayor of Manchester has said they should be arrested and prosecuted to the fulest extent of the law.



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    


[ Parent ]
New Hampshire League of Women Voters Statement (4.00 / 4)
The NH League of Women Voters issued the following statement today in response to O'Keefe & Co.'s voter fraud.
The out-of-state con artists depicted in a recent video committed serious fraud, and the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire urges the Attorney General to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. The League of Women Voters supports the integrity of elections and trusts in the competence of our local election officials. The fraud shown on the video was carefully manufactured to make it appear that New Hampshire doesn't have a system of checks and balances in place to protect our votes.  That is not the case. The only thing this video shows is that those with time, resources and criminal intent and with no respect for the fundamental laws of our nation can sometimes deceive our neighbors who work as election officials. There is no reason to believe that New Hampshire citizens engage in such un-American behavior. The League extends its sympathy to the families of the recently deceased whose names were used so callously.


where do i sign? (4.00 / 1)
It would be nice to have a place for ordinary citizens to register our outrage and demand that those who break our laws be prosecuted.

Fibitas (4.00 / 3)
In this video, about 12 minutes in, one of O'Keefe's people affirmatively engages in impersonation of a deceased voter. And this is on the video the inappropriately named Veritas is posting. I hope the AG asks them to produce every piece of film. And charges anyone who actively impersonated a deceased voter.




"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    


Standing in a voting line, getting to the front, and saying "John Doe" (4.00 / 4)
is actively impersonating John Doe.

That is exactly the process for getting John Doe's ballot.

Claiming that you didn't say the magic words, "My name is John Doe" is bogus. If you get to the deli counter and say, "A pound of salami" you are ordering a pound of salami; if you get to the ballot inspector and say, "John Doe" you are impersonating John Doe.


[ Parent ]
And includes a seperate charge for every voter they impersonated (4.00 / 3)


little camera girl

Zandra Rice Hawkins (Granite State Progress)


[ Parent ]
Here's a Paul supporter alleging vote fraud in Wolfeboro (0.00 / 0)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Follow the money. (4.00 / 2)
If only.

TPM reports the O'Keefe operation was funded by an anonymous $50k contribution.

The Globe has a report today about how Romney [and/or others?] funded Republican candidates throughout the state in the 2010 election, and bought us the O'Brien legislature.

When will local media start tracking and covering, in depth, the money going through this state's elections?

NHPR? Concord Monitor? Nashua Telegraph? The Lobby?

WMUR?  oh, oops, can't bite the hand...

JillSH


Follow the money indeed. (0.00 / 0)
Koch op AFP paid for O'Keefe to speak at AFP event (and Nashua GOP one) here in September.

http://politicalscoop.wmur.com...

Social Media Director for Jackie Cilley for Governor. Follow her on Twitter & Facebook!


[ Parent ]
From People for the American Way (4.00 / 1)
http://site.pfaw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=investigate_okeefe&autologin=true

Investigate James O'Keefe, Right-Wing Fraud

James O'Keefe

Right-wing hit man James O'Keefe has deceptively attacked NPR, Planned Parenthood, ACORN, and more. Now he and his accomplices have violated the law.

His fate is now in the hands of New Hampshire Attorney General Michael Delaney and U.S. Attorney John Kacavas. Call on them to thoroughly investigate O'Keefe and his accomplices.

Sign the petition:




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