Rossi Wins Recount (WA Governor race); Lead Drops To 42 Votes

http://www.komotv.com/stories/34102.htm


There will be at least a partial hand recount, according to the State Democratic Chair, Paul Berendt

On Edit--this is not yet confirmed as official. Kitsap County is still haggling over ONE vote--the canvassing board will make a decision soon. Secretary of State Sam Reid has called a press conference for 3 PM Pacific Time--It'll be close to official by then.

(The SecState officially certifies on Dec 2, I believe)

2nd Edit: The State Website is now listing Kitsap's count--here's what will get certified:

Christine Gregoire Democrat 1,372,442 votes 48.8702% +1289
Dino Rossi Republican 1,372,484 votes 48.8717% +1070
Ruth Bennett Libertarian 63,416 votes 2.2581% +70

Gregoire's campaign began positioning for a hand recount as soon as the manual recount was ordered by the Secretary of State.

If she requests a partial recount (even down to the precinct level), she must provide a deposit of 25 cents per vote. BUT, if the partial she requests actually reverses the outcome (she picks up 42+ votes), then a recount is ordered for the entire state, at state expense. She gets her money back, and we have something to taalk about besides football on New Year's Day.

I think she can pick up 40-50 votes in almost any county with a vote total of 70,000 or more, but she might well pick up as many in one of the dinky counties---like say Adams, which had a huge error rate between the counts (nearly 1%!).

It will be interesting to see which areas she picks for recount....

A difference of about 0.0015%

Supposedly necessary on equal protection grounds.

Please don't let the Democrats request less than that.

one of the major proofs that this was an unconstitutional, illegal decision

years later? That isn't going to happen.

Here's the tally from this morning that was posted in the Seattle Times:



Almost every county has had to adjust their totals. This should not happen in any county, no less almost all of them that are using electronic voting systems. We were told that these systems were totally reliable. That they were certified and tested and that they worked better than anything we've used before. Obviously that is not true.

It is time for a HAND RECOUNT in WA and every place else in the country that used these systems. Anything less is unacceptable.

In Adams County, one out of every 124 votes was ignored on the first machine count. In Walla Walla County, one out of every 224, and in Skagit (my county), one out of every 310. Statewide (w/o Kitsap's report yet) the number was one out of every 1025. This kind of error rate would have turned the Presidential in Iowa and New Mexico, and probably Ohio.

Damned straight we need to recount--lets get with it.

I'm calling the differences an "error rate" although that is not perfectly accurate. I took the absolute value of vote changes in each county to get these percentages--if a county added 5 for one candidate and took 5 from another, that's an absolute error total of ten-- In any event, some of these numbers are pretty astonishing.

County Error-Rate One-error-per:
Adams 0.805% 124
Asotin 0.023% 4311
Benton 0.006% 16460
Chelan 0.014% 7259
Clallam 0.006% 17989
Clark 0.006% 16282
Columbia 0.048% 2078
Cowlitz 0.169% 591
Douglas 0.053% 1892
Ferry 0.152% 659
Franklin 0.019% 5271
Garfield 0.155% 647
Grant 0.275% 363
Grays Harbor 0.040% 2522
Island 0.013% 7540
Jefferson 0.033% 3066
King 0.111% 902
Kitsap 0.035% 2852
Kittitas 0.294% 340
Klickitat 0.011% 8951
Lewis 0.019% 5307
Lincoln 0.018% 5636
Mason 0.016% 6244
Okanogan 0.012% 8008
Pacific 0.010% 10235
Pend Oreille 0.131% 764
Pierce 0.166% 603
San Juan 0.020% 4927
Skagit 0.323% 310
Skamania 0.000% XXXXXXXX
Snohomish 0.093% 1076
Spokane 0.130% 766
Stevens 0.000% XXXXXXXX
Thurston 0.005% 18490
Wahkiakum 0.046% 2154
Walla Walla 0.446% 224
Whatcom 0.003% 29404
Whitman 0.080% 1253
Yakima 0.000% XXXXXXXX
Totals 0.095% 1053

I think King County is still counting -- it can't be right that there's no change at all in the largest county in the state??

were the ones that hadn't finished their recounts yet. Unfortunately, the chart is misleading in that respect.

other places used optical scanners, but Diebold-type concerns aren't much of an issue out here. Of course, it also explains why Yakima has no changes in the recount - there is nothing to recount!

to be electronic voting systems. Both systems are easily hackable and problems are cropping up everywhere.

The most telling will be the optical scanner, if and when they ever actually do a hand count. At least with scanners there still is a paper ballot. However, the Repugs will jump through ever hoop in the book to prevent that from happening.

I mean, if the Hand count becomes mandatory statewide (very possible), how will Yakima County do it? Seems like a violation of state law not to have an avenue to do such counts.

Will this head to the courts as well? Or does Yakima Co provide paper receipts (as if those are any easier to trust...)?

that will could set of the constitutional crisis we are heading toward. You can't hand count a touch screen.

They had a change because they "found" a box of uncounted absentee ballots somewhere.

http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/votingsystems.aspx

here's the list of what counties use what systems

.. they just can't win fair and square, really. I find it very interesting that Washington went well for Kerry, but you actually had Democrats supposedly voting for Rossi?? Rossi? The guy with that creepy, plastic, DeLay hairdo, and his anti-evolution - creepy rightwing Christian thing? Rossi? Who is a scummy developer with scummy ties? That guy?? Democrats supposedly voted for him?? We won't fucking recognize our STate when he gets thru with it.

In King County, the largest on in the state where Seattle is, Patty Murray got 65% of the vote. Gregoire got 58%, that's represents losing a lot of Democrats to third party candidates.

Nethercutt was just unacceptable to our moderate Republicans. Geez, I wish there were a few like them in Ohio and Florida....

Third party totals for both Murray and Gregoire were 19,000, rounded to nearest 000.

Kerry's margin in King County was the same as Murray, 65%.

But, my point is still valid, it was voters who were inclined to vote for Democrats, but didn't.

Another factor, the Federal offices recieved 888,000 votes in King, but the race for Guv received only 874,000. Just getting 58% of those that were so disgusted with their choice that they didn't vote at all would easily swing this race.

Run candidates that people want to vote for, least worst is the worst strategy.

Or recount them by partial hand count in this case. Never give up a race when you know the votes are out there to win. Nothing is going to happen with the state government if the race is not decided till Dec. Big deal. You either have the current governor hold over or have the next in line temporarily take over until it's decided.

Hand in there Christine Gregoire. Keep the faith.

Sonia

:)

George CArlon was on TV a week before the elections pimping his latest book and explaining why he doesn't vote, and why peoples votes don't count.

I wonder how many people in Washington Followed his lead?

George Carlon == You're Not Funny Anymore.

Funny how is website has no 'contact George' link.

http://www.georgecarlin.com/home/home.html

The Guys a Jerk Off in on My November Calender.

:-)

It's one thing about Bush's reelection and republican domination in DC, but holy shite, Rossi winning in my Washington?! He is a bible-thumper, with a shady past no less!
He is going to wreak havoc here.
(One little tidbit: In a situation I cannot mention, I was within earshot of a conversation of our republican AG-elect. He said that if he and Rossi won, there would be would be a major push for tort reform.)
This makes me want to :puke: !!!

...so any tort reform is going to have to be cleared by the Dems.