people should not be allowed to vote. It is the philosophy that many people vote to steal from them by taxing them. They have shown their contempt for minorities and immigrants for years.

So they have an interest in voter suppression. It's the way they think. Any charge that we are stealing their votes, falls on its face. Since the ideology of the Democratic Party has worked to expand rights to all.

It's a deliberate part of their strategy. Look at what they accuse Democrats of doing - guaranteed that that is what they are doing themselves.

I have actually seen Republicans posting on comments threads complaining that Democrats take the things that they do and then accuse Republicans of doing them, which I think caused a tear in the fabric of reality itself.

doing tit-for-tat

And it's absolutely deliberate.

a fox smells its own hole.

candidate?

County Clerk, Sherry Hall has been involved in petition signature verification wrong-doing to favor a ballot initiative proposed by Tea Party.

Cant find the specific article now, but its in this blog. This guy has been watching Clackamas County elections officials for a while.
http://ouroregon.org/sockeye/blog

and working where the Oregon mail-in ballots are handled by the office. So one question being asked is,

"Who hired this activist to work where ballots are stored and counted?"

Lots of voters vote for the president only, nothing more. Just part of that percentage can sway close races like U.S. Congress, and sway which party controls the state legislative process. In Oregon, Clackamas County happens to be where both those can be accomplished.

"Q. How did this incident occur?

A. A co-worker reported seeing Deanna Swenson, a part-time temporary elections employee and a registered Republican, adding votes to ballots where races were left blank. Swenson allegedly used a pencil she brought in herself, while the original voter had used a pen, said Stephen Madkour, County Counsel. "There is only one individual checked by the initial hand of the voter and the rest were pencil marks," he said. County election officials promptly reported the incident to the Oregon Secretary of State's Office, and Swenson was immediately relieved of her duties."

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2012/11/state_ballot_tampering_investi.html

logistically understand what was going on and I think I know why. In my County they have judges supervising the opening of every absentee ballot. It would be easy to spot someone who was there to count the ballots who just happened to have a pencil in her hand.

Interestingly, given "There is only one individual checked by the initial hand of the voter" per Stephen Madkour, County Counsel, we can assume fraud in a close U.S. Congressional contest and in an OR House race that could tip the balance of the legislature. Do you suppose this is part of a conspiracy? or a coincidence that a place in Oregon where the political balance can be tipped is where this is happening, in an office run by a Tea Partier.

Didn't this woman realize that people would notice the difference between pencil and pen?

Never use a writing implement that can easily be erased.

Never leave a blank choice. If you don't know the candidates or don't want to vote for either, fill in a name in the 'other' choice.

Don't give these bastards an inch.

There needs to be some serious voter education in the future.

X out of Y number of candidates, such as 6 out of 12 names listed on the ballot to serve on a HomeOwners' board.

Sometimes you only know three, leaving three options open.

according to a voter who lives in San Rafael. I was so stunned when I heard that from her. Suggested that she get the Dems there to force a change to pen.

One, San Rafael is in Marin county. I don't know their rules.

Two, I live in Sonoma county, and was handed a pen by the election worker where I voted, as was everyone else I saw.

She lives in San Rafael, but votes absentee in Sonoma County? (I used to live in San Rafael, which is why we got to chatting.) Even stranger, I was calling her off a voter roll from a precinct in Littleton, Arapahoe County, Colorado. She said they had only lived in CO six months and had registered to vote here but then moved back to CA.

The thing about the pencil was a little longer story-she said she actually went in to the county when she saw they had marked their ballots incorrectly with pen and was told by some worker to just go over every mark with pencil! That was what got me curious enough to check with both Marin and Sonoma countys after the election and they both said they have instructions on the ballot to make marks in pen! She's 77 yrs old which may be a factor here.

and she filled in the repug candidate with pencil

Some people voted for only one or two of the candidates. Other choices were left blank. She filled in the blank spaces with Republican votes. It is possible she did this to only two ballots but that doesn't mean she would have left other ballots blank if she had discovered them

be made an example of. Tears -- only because she sorry she got caught. What an idiot for even admitting to reporters that she altered two ballots.

Had a police friend tell me once he could count on one hand the number of drunks he pulled over who didn't answer the "how much you have to drink?" question, "three beers."

It was of course always more, but somehow "three beers" seemed like a reasonable lie.

which I have always thought meant two, but the vagueness and drunkenness of the individual suggests "coupla" has many meanings.

Where have we heard a similar plea?
On most every DUI arrest..."Only two beers, officer."

The full weight of the law must come down on her for this most pernicious and unamerican crime.

and the remaining three suffering through Obama's second term.

25 YEARS FEDERAL PRISON, NO PAROLE, NO GOOD BEHAVIOR TIME OFF - SOLID 25!

Preferable in the Mexican Mafia unit!

and I see these signs saying "Stop Portland Creep." Clackamas Co. as become a reactionary county to the success of its neighbor to the North. It is highly conservative. Which makes this woman's case a little bizarre.

I actually taught for the school district for 5 years and slowly saw them getting grumpier and grumpier. But they are also a county that we could learn a lot from. Their conservative approach to schools prevented them from suffering the worst of the cuts that Portland suffered over the last decade. They have a strong entrepenuerial spirit with a lot of local businesses and small farms. Dark Horse comics makes their home there and they have the largest Waldorf school in Oregon. Even though they are a suburb, they are trying to maintain a small town/main street way of life. Way better then the drone-like consumeristas of Beaverton.

In some ways they also represent the typical situation in suburbs throughout America. Clackamas County was predominantly white a decade a ago. We used to call it Crackerass County. But the demographic has radically changed as poor Latinos, Mong and some African Americans have been gentrified out of Portland. Explains the current anger and confusion amongst the White folk.

I do not think of clackamas as an area to be learned from. Most clackamas residents I know either pretend to themselves they are from multnomah, or are actively bitching about how they wish they could live in a "godly state, like Texas".

It's my general feeling that they financially mooch off of multnomah and Washington counties, demanding the benefits of our services while refusing to pay taxes for anything. I look especially to those with mental health concerns, who are, in my experience often directed to move across the invisible line into multnomah if they want access to any needed services. But your description is not untrue, as far as it goes. Food for thought for me.

and message her. It wasn't a nice message but I didn't swear.

I told her that I lived in Oregon, and that she was a despicable piece of dog shit, but I wasn't all mean - I did tell her to have a wonderful time in prison!

One Oregon reporter told me early, "This is going to be a Big Story." It grows daily as details emerge. Many more questions follow, such as

"How many people are doing this, and where else is it or has it been happening?"

There are some busy public attorneys and officers today, not to mention the journalists.
This may be part of the national talk of the evening, it certainly will be in Oregon.

The integrity of our voting system and the validity of our recent political history has been placed in a heavy fog of uncertainties and unknowns.

It's just plain stupid and lazy. A greater majority in the US Senate and getting rid of Tea Party ignoramuses in Congress is of paramount importance, especially to the President.

for everything. I hadn't really been paying attention to the state level race. Just the presidential. I just voted dem all the way down. The only thing I didn't vote for was anyone that was running unopposed. I figured they didn't need my help.

him/her, what do you do? Leave it blank.

Guess I should "write-in" a candidate but that's such a hassle on these machines.

I live in Mississippi. There's not much choice between a center-right Republican and a full-blown far right Tea Partier. What would you do in that case?

This shit has got to stop.

and now for the rest of the sentence she couldn't get out

"you caught me with."

Yeah, right!

Since you alter one ballot, then another, then another, of course she was caught altering one ballot. D'oh!! not?

What a huge chore this situation creates, going back over all the years of mail-in ballots in Oregon.

Is it at your post office? Do I see stamps? So this is a stamp-and-mail thing? Hope those aren't dumb questions but I haven't seen that particular drop box before. Anyway, I hate this situation with that idiot woman in Clackamas County and hope like crazy it doesn't kick off what you refer to--years of auditing mail-in ballots. What a nightmare that would be!

OBAMA/BIDEN 2012

Not stamps.

Stamps didn't make much sense, since I'm sure they don't give those away. Duh! Thanks for your nice reply. My DU sig line used to be "Tired Old Cynic", so I can relate to your user name. Guess I'm dealing with "Tired Old Eyes", too.

Let us keep the faith!

and in front of elections offices. They may or may not dispense the cool "I voted" stickers.

Who has voted gets recorded, phone calling stops, no one interrupts dinner anymore, the election stops for you in a sense weeks before Ohioans get their reprieve.

Stamps made no sense, but I've not seen those drop boxes anywhere on this side of the mountains, so made me wonder. What a great idea, though--maybe they will show up in these parts some day. Or maybe they have and I've just not seen them--it would appear these old eyes aren't working too well lately.

My ballot was delivered to the county courthouse a couple of weeks ago, verified with SOS website it had been received, and haven't gotten any calls since. In years past, I did phone banking and made those calls, kinda surprised at how many Dems hadn't yet voted so close to Election Day. I love vote by mail, gotta say. Hope that woman in Clackamas County doesn't mess it up. Also hope Kate Brown retains her office. Knute Buehler would like nothing more than to make VBM go away.

Doesn't matter if it is two or two thousand, she had better serve some hard time. Seriously, is there anything worse than taking away someone's vote. That's pretty close to sedition in my book.

Who was the initial source of the information about what the person caught had done?
Did that source have an agenda and/or a slant, a horse in the race?
Officially are keeping a pretty tight lip about the details still. Where from the spin we have?

Are you a R troll or what?

different people, to the best of our current knowledge. I'm asking why the "source" cited in the media, but not identified, was spinning the story that is is not a big story, just two ballots, just down-ticket, just filling empty races. It seems the "source" knows a lot in the person's defense!!

As to your second question, maybe you should start reading at the top, and follow the links back, then edit and retract your question please.

I say make an example of her.

What makes these people think it's Okay to commit these acts?

People have become idealogues who believe it is not only their right but their duty to choose people who think like they do. An honest election just might bring out those people who will elect someone who has a different point of view. Usually it is religion fueling this behavior, because, if God's on your side, you can't be doing anything wrong. Taliban!

If corrupted, the process offers a lot of opportunity for fraud. My Oregon ballot has been sitting in the courthouse for weeks, since I dropped it in an official drop box. Ballots are stored for days and days and days, lots of time to add votes down-ticket if the process has been compromised by partisans.

that ballots are counted as soon as they are received, they don't just sit around, for weeks.

I could be wrong, but I really thought I had read that ballots are counted ASAP after they are received... now I gotta go check.

Florida actually does this with a judge, the counter supervisor or a rep and reps of the major parties and any other interested organization present when the ballots are opened and judged and counted. Its also all recorded anytime there is audio.

I think it would violate voter secrecy to do counts before everyone had voted. At what point the open the secrecy envelope is a good next question. There is an outer envelope that is used to verify the voter. Therein is the secrecy envelope, without identifiers and containing the ballot to count later. Who opens that when goes to opportunity.

That district sure looks to be gerrymandered - it is definitely NOT compact and contiguous!

Of course, in a big watershed these could be cut/manipulated in various ways, too, but not in such a completely subjective, wacky way. And it would help get people together to save their own rivers and river systems to vote by watershed.

/sarcasm

...whether for two ballots OR two hundred ballots? Clearly, she thought she wouldn't get caught, whatever the number.

Finally on Fox, where they seem like apologists in their notable minimizing of the story.
Fox also gets it patently false about "county commissioners reportedly claimed they saw her" instead of the fact, a coworker saw her alter two ballots and we don't know how many noone saw her alter. The news should be reported as the story, not the story being what Fox 12 in Portland thinks.

=============
Oregon elections worker fired after allegations of ballot tampering
November 06, 2012 - http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/oregon-elections-worker-fired-after-allegations-ballot-tampering/#ixzz2BSYADKDj

Fox 12 in Oregon reports that Deanna Swenson, who was working part-time in Clackamas County, allegedly voted for Republican candidates on two ballots where voters had left sections blank. County commissioners reportedly claimed they saw her fill in the blanks on Oct. 31.

This is the already mangled story that was re-mangled by the national story. Fox asserts the falsehood that the number of ballots rigged is known, the opposite of what other media are saying. Note also the emphasis on the one ballot observed. Of course the person who caught her did not sit and wait to watch her do lots and lots of ballots. D'oh!

Fox protesteth too much, me thinks!

================
Oregon elections worker fired over ballot tampering investigation
Clackamas County employee allegedly chose GOP candidates on voter ballots
Kai Porter FOX 12 Oregon 7:03 a.m. PST, November 6, 2012 - http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-officials-plan-emergency-meeting-after-ballot-fraud-allegations-in-oregon-20121105,0,2676440.story

... Swenson was not a county employee, according to a Clackamas County statement. She worked part-time at the elections division when the alleged incident occurred on Oct. 31.

Clackamas County officials said Monday they narrowed the number of tampered ballots to two in their investigation.

Swenson is accused of voting for Republican candidates on sections of two ballots that voters left blank.

County commissioners said the worker was observed filling in blank spaces on a ballot Oct. 31. ...

This is popping in major national newspapers on Election Day 2012:
"... the extent to which ... worker possibly tampered with ballots remains a mystery ..."

From AP wire service, via Google Search:

OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) — With the election heading into its final hours, the extent to which a Clackamas County election worker possibly tampered with ballots remains a mystery, potentially casting doubt on the legitimacy of the outcomes in close races.

The temporary employee, identified Monday as Deanna Swenson, 55, of Oregon City, reportedly filled in Republican ovals on ballots where preferences had been left empty by voters. The misconduct was seen and reported Wednesday afternoon ...
Tim Heider, a county spokesman, said Swenson has worked for the county in prior elections, but he could not say for how many.

A county lawyer, Scot Sideras, said two ballots are highly suspect, and state investigators are looking through other ballots Swenson handled to see if the tampering was more widespread. ...

County Chairwoman Charlotte Lehan ... "It may turn out it was one or two ballots, it may turn out it was more," ...

I would hang her for it. American lives are at stake. She stole lives.

Clackamas County workers overseeing ballot counts must work with fluorescent pens, as opposed to pencils or writing implements with regular ink, as an investigation into election fraud continues.

... The employee “was allegedly observed filling in blank spaces on a ballot” according to the county. ...

... the Clackamas count is taking place under the watch of observers from the Democratic and Republican parties. There’s also a designated space for the public to observe the process.

... Clackamas County Commissioner Ann Lininger said many questions remain.

“We need to see where the election goes and see if this is an isolated incident or something that’s broader and covers a larger duration,” she said. “We won’t know the answer to that until the investigation is concluded. I hope the DOJ will take a very close look at this.”

How utterly shocking!

That is the shocking part, someone made that call.

Well shit lady, I am sorry for you but WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?????

Shall we believe her and Fox news and just move on?

This has got to stop!!! This is the United States of America. What the hell is going on? These people need to be stopped and get thrown in jail. I am so pissed off right now. That bald headed governor in Florida needs to get charged too. I can't believe it. Karl Rove, I would have thrown your Pansy ass in jail along time ago. Rush Limbaugh, you are nothing but a drug addicted piece of hypocritical piece of trash that needs to be hauled off to the nearest toxic waste dump. Rush Limbaugh gives drug addicts a bad name. I am so pissed off right now. Something needs to be done about all of this. It's bullshit! Not only are the founding fathers spinning in their graves, what about all of those people who literally got their heads bashed in fighting for their right to vote? Do we just forget about the blood that they shed on the soil of this great nation simply for the right to vote? Some gave their lives in the struggle for the right to vote. Something needs to get done about this. The day to start was last week. When this election is over, all of the votes have been illegally counted, elections that have been stolen, and all of the signs have been taken down, we shouldn't forget about all of the voter fraud, voter suppression, and all of what has been done to prevent people from voting, we should fight!!! We need to band together, attack those who do this with one voice. Demand that the Department of Justice bring charges against those, such as the Governor of Florida. Lock these Anti-Americans up!!! Damn, I am so pissed!!!

nt

The question is: "Am I surprised?" (Think the game show Jeopardy)

So now we know the accused was lying. BIG SURPRISE!!

"The total number of ballots potentially affected is still under investigation"

with ballots, I doubt that she will ever make it to court. It is a dark prediction, but so is much of the unknown about those who conspire to change election results.

More than one indictment possible in Clackamas ballot-tampering case
Kari Chisholm - http://www.blueoregon.com/2012/11/more-one-indictment-possible-clackamas-ballot-tampering-case/

Ballot fraud allegations in Clackamas County could lead to changes in election procedures
Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian Nov 10, 2012 - http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/11/ballot_fraud_allegations_in_cl.html

OR: Observers keep sharp eye on ballot “enhancement”
By Shelby Sebens / November 9, 2012 / http://watchdog.org/61829/or-observers-keep-sharp-eye-on-ballot-enhancement/