GAO to investigate election complaints

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Government Accountability Office plans to investigate complaints of several systemic problems with this month's elections, a group of Democratic lawmakers said Tuesday

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/23/election.investigation/index.html


Or will it? The Comptroller General (GAO chief) says

"many of the issues relating to the
recent election are primarily the responsibility of state and local jurisdictions, since
they involve the implementation of state law and regulation. As a result, general
questions concerning these issues, as well as specific allegations of voting
irregularities, should be addressed to state and local officials, such as the Secretary of
State or the State Attorney General."

http://www.gao.gov/electionresults.pdf

...The U.S. Justice Department has authority to enforce federal voting rights laws and election fraud, the statement added.

Questions have been raised about voting irregularities in many states, especially in Ohio and Florida crucial states carried by President Bush.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=279456


(The last paragraph is a nice nibble.)

The GAO has the visibility and the credibility to accomplish a lot. They've been pretty tough and direct in the past, from what I've seen. It doesn't matter that enforcement would have to be handed over to the Justice Department (Bush's poodle). If GAO uncovers serious stuff, the scandal will widen and deepen, and become too big to suppress.

before electoral college meets/inauguration day. i fear that we are going to hear from that they plan on taking a lot of time on the investigation. which ok in the end thats good but its not what i'm looking for personally. it needs to start NOW.

As long as we keep the pressure on, and keep the various things going (Bev Harris, GAO, Ohio Dems, Kerry/Edwards undercover work), we'll get the job done. It doesn't matter if it takes a year or two. Remember that it took almost 2 years after Nixon's election shenanigans, before he was toppled. In the end, massive public anger cannot be resisted.

By the time this investigation is complete and we find out that John Kerry should have been President Kerry, there will be 6 months left for the Real President to serve! Of course that's assuming that we EVER find out the truth! More likely the resolution of the election will finally occur in the year 2010 and of course the Repubs will be "Sorry for the Mistake". Well "Thanks for the Memories" guys!

WASHINGTON Nov 24, 2004 — The Government Accountability Office, responding to a request from Democratic lawmakers, will investigate the way votes were counted in the Nov. 2 election.

The investigation will study the accuracy of the count and the methods used to count the vote. Investigators will look at the way officials counted provisional ballots, provided to voters whose names did not appear on voting lists but who contended they are eligible to cast ballots.

Congress' investigative agency cautioned that it is not authorized to take action if irregularities are found.

"Under the nation's legal framework, elections are a matter largely reserved to, and regulated by, the states," a GAO statement said. "As a result, general questions concerning these issues, as well as specific allegations of voting irregularities, should be addressed to state and local officials, such as the secretary of state or the state attorney general."


Questions have been raised about voting irregularities in many states, especially in Ohio and Florida crucial states carried by President Bush

I just went home for my lunch break, and saw Colin Powell on the news saying the U.S. would not accept the results of the recent election in the Ukraine. He cited evidence of fraud and "abuse" as the reason the pro-western candidate lost the closely contended election. He then went on to state there will be "consequences" if the election results are upheld.
Hmmm.....go figure
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/11/24/powell.ukraine/

The word "irony" does spring to mind.

Irony is correct. They promote the fraud and abuse in the U.S., but will try to hold Ukraine accountable? Pitiful!

received this afternoon:

THEY'RE COPPED OUT FROM WHAT I CAN TELL.

http://www.gao.gov/electionresults.pdf
United States Government Accountability Office
Washington, DC 20548
Comptroller General
of the United States
Statement of the Comptroller General on Election-Related Matters
November 23, 2004
GAO has received a number of comments pertaining to the recent national election
processes. In the past, GAO has conducted a range of federal elections-related work,
including broad-based systemic reviews primarily focusing on issues relating to
federal election requirements and technologies. We also have ongoing and planned
work relating to systemic election issues, involving reviews of voter registration
processes, provisional voting, and voting technologies. In addition, GAO has
reviewed federal entities charged with overseeing various aspects of election-related
activities. For example, we recently issued a report on actions taken by the
Department of Justice to investigate and pursue violations of federal laws related to
voting irregularities emanating from prior national elections.1 You may obtain copies
of our published election-related reports on this web site.
While GAO has and will continue to do certain elections-related work, we are not
authorized to engage in enforcement efforts relating to specific allegations of voting
irregularities. Under the nation’s legal framework, elections are a matter largely
reserved to, and regulated by, the states.2 Thus, many of the issues relating to the
recent election are primarily the responsibility of state and local jurisdictions, since
they involve the implementation of state law and regulation. As a result, general
questions concerning these issues, as well as specific allegations of voting
irregularities, should be addressed to state and local officials, such as the Secretary of
State or the State Attorney General.
Congress has, however, asserted its prerogatives under the Elections Clause of the
Constitution (Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1) to impose certain procedural
requirements on federal elections through such federal statutes as the Help America
Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act, both of which are enforced by the
Department of Justice. In this regard, questions or allegations regarding federal
voting irregularities generally are addressed by one of three federal entities. The
name, areas of responsibility, and contact point for these entities are:
• The Civil Rights Division, Voting Section, at the Department of Justice:
responsible for enforcing federal voting rights statutes. Information about how to
1 GAO, Department of Justice’s Activities to Address Past Election-Related Voting Irregularities, GAO-
04-1041R (Washington D.C.: September 14, 2004).
2 For example, as outlined in Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 of the Constitution (known as the Elections
Clause), the legislature in each state is required to prescribe the “Times, Places and Manner” of holding
elections for United States Senators and Representatives. The clause goes on to state that “...Congress
may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulation...”
Page 2
file a complaint through the mail or by telephone can be found at
www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/misc/contact.htm.
• The Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section, at the Department of Justice:
responsible for enforcing federal criminal laws applicable to federal election fraud
offenses, among other things, in conjunction with the 93 U.S. Attorneys.
Information about how to contact the Criminal Division can be found at
www.usdoj.gov/criminal.
• The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC): serves as a national
clearinghouse and resource for information on the administration of federal
elections. Information about the EAC can be found at www.eac.gov.
Specific allegations of voting irregularities should be addressed to the appropriate
authority as described in the above framework. I assure you that GAO will continue
to do its part in connection with important elections issues consistent with our scope
of responsibility and authority.

Proves that our country is headed down the tubes. The GAO speaks as though they have no authority to even pass voter/election fraud investigations on to the US DOJ or EAC? Yep, COP OUT - COVERUP!

GAO always is sensitive to who controls its appropriations. Face it, they're working for a Republican Congress and they are an investigative arm of that Congress. They are not about to go out on a limb on anything that would risk offending Republican lawmakers.

About the best that can be hoped for is that GAO will make recommendations that might call for the regulation of voting machines and the standardization of other elections practices. While, in itself, that would be a step in the right direction, it still would be up to a Republican Congress to get serious about election reform (unlikely) or the Federal Election Commission to decide that it had the authority and will to attempt to regulate some of these things (also unlikely).

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However bush will be going down the tubes and will make a mess of the war, economy, and the religious right will try to screw him if they don't get their own way. They are mean, bad people. I will stat that if bush is inaugurated there will not be a republican president elected for many years. The republicans in congress will be all in trouble. Everyone will end up hating k. rove, g. bush, cheney, and the rest of the pnac. It won't take long. Maybe Kerry is better off not being president with the mess georgie made.

:kick: