Harvey Wasserman and Bob Fitrakis write, "The strategy reflects much of what was done by the Republicans in 2000 and 2004 to steal those presidential elections for George W. Bush."
Electronic voting machines are vulnerable to security breaches. (photo: Alex Halderman/EQN)
Four Ways the Ohio GOP Is Already Stealing the 2012 Election
05 September 12
he Ohio Republican Party has moved four ways to steal America's 2012 election. The Buckeye State is almost certain to emerge as a decider in this year's presidential election, and the GOP is moving fast to ensure victory, no matter what it takes.
The strategy reflects much of what was done by the Republicans in 2000 and 2004 to steal those presidential elections for George W. Bush, as we report in the newly published "Will the GOP Steal America's 2012 Election?"
If they get away with it, the Ohio GOP could make it virtually impossible for Barack Obama to carry Ohio this November. In the years since Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004, the Democratic Party has made little headway in reforming our electoral system to make such thefts impossible:
- Since 2009, the Ohio GOP has purged roughly a million citizens from the state's voter rolls. This accounts for some 15% of the roughly 5.2 million votes counted for president in the state in 2008. The purge focuses on counties that are predominantly urban and Democratic.
- Electronic voting machines have been installed throughout the state which are owned, operated, programmed and maintained - and will be tallied - by Republican-connected firms.
- The GOP controls both houses of the Ohio Legislature, the governorship, the secretary of state's office, and the state Supreme Court. Soon after the 2008 election, it imposed a draconian photo ID law designed to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of suspected Democrats, as is being done throughout the US. But Ohio is a referendum state. A statewide grassroots movement recently crushed a GOP-pushed anti-labor law, and many Republicans feared the photo ID law would also go down. Then GOP stalwart Jon Husted (now the secretary of state) was ruled ineligible to hold office over a residency conflict. Ohio's Supreme Court re-instated his eligibility, but he was prompted to oppose the photo ID law. Today a prospective Ohio voter can use 17 different kinds of ID, but in recent elections some poll workers have demanded photo ID anyway. Without a grassroots army of independent election monitors to protect them, many more Ohioans are likely to be disenfranchised.
- In 2004, 10.6% of the votes cast in Ohio were so-called "early votes" via absentee ballots. A voter had to be absent from the county to vote absentee. In-person Election Day voters at the 42 predominantly black inner-city precincts in Columbus waited between 3-7 hours to vote.
In 2005, Ohio election law was modified so absentees could vote without actually being absent from their home county. When Ohio went for Barack Obama with 52% of the vote, early voting nearly tripled to 29.7%. This included voters able to vote in person at locations all over the state for 35 days prior to Election Day, including on weekends.
This summer the Ohio GOP attempted to allow Republican counties to use weekend voting, while denying the right to counties that are predominantly Democratic. By banning all voting the weekend before the election, Husted took credit for "leveling the playing field." But African-American State Representative Charleta Tavares immediately charged that the exclusion of weekend voting represented a deliberate attempt to suppress Democratic voters, and particularly black voters who voted 95% for Obama in 2008.
On Friday, August 17, while some 500 Ohioans protested outside his office, Husted suspended Democratic Montgomery County (Dayton) Board of Election members Dennis Lieberman and Tom Ritchie, Sr. because they introduced and supported - and then refused to rescind - a motion for weekend voting.
Lieberman told the Dayton Daily News that, "I believe that this is so critical to our freedom in America ... that I'm doing what I think is right, and I cannot vote to rescind this motion." Lieberman also argued that the directive did not specifically prohibit weekend hours.
The Ohio Association of Election Officials, overwhelmingly dominated by Republicans from Ohio's rural counties, endorsed the idea of cutting the final three early voting days. They argued that they needed the extra time over the weekend to prepare for Election Day, although some of the counties have very small voting populations compared to the nine urban counties that support keeping the three final early voting days. Doug Priesse, Chair of the Franklin County (Columbus) GOP, sparked a firestorm when he explained that "I guess I really actually feel we shouldn't contort the voting process to accommodate the urban - read African-American - voter turnout machine."
The Obama campaign has sued, arguing that weekend voting be restored for all Ohioans, as it has been for members of the military. The GOP has charged Obama with trying to deny those in the military their right to vote, which would be impossible for him to do. Husted and GOP Attorney General Mike DeWine responded with a suit saying: "There is no fundamental right to in-person early voting."
Under intense pressure, Husted has since reinstated the two Dayton Election Board members. But by purging registration lists, limiting voting times, messing with voter ID requirements and controlling electronic voting machines, the GOP has a huge leg up on winning what has often been America's key swing state.
Clearly the Ohio GOP is once again geared up to deny the vote - and vote count - to as many Democrats as it can. If it succeeds, as it did in 2004, Barack Obama stands little chance of being re-elected.
Harvey Wasserman's Solartopia Green Power & Wellness Show is at www.progressiveradionetwork.com, and he edits www.nukefree.org. Harvey Wasserman's "History of the US" and "Solartopia! Our Green-Powered Earth" are at www.harveywasserman.com along with Passions of the PotSmoking Patriots by "Thomas Paine." He and Bob Fitrakis have co-authored four books on election protection, including "How the GOP Stole America's 2004 Election," at www.freepress.org.
Bob Fitrakis is a Political Science Professor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences department at Columbus State Community College. He and Harvey Wasserman have co-authored four books on election protection, including "Did George W. Bush Steal America's 2004 Election?," "As Goes Ohio: Election Theft Since 2004," "How the GOP Stole America's 2004 Election & Is Rigging 2008," and "What Happened in Ohio?"
Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
|
THE NEW STREAMLINED RSN LOGIN PROCESS: Register once, then login and you are ready to comment. All you need is a Username and a Password of your choosing and you are free to comment whenever you like! Welcome to the Reader Supported News community. |
 15 May 2013
|
 15 May 2013
|
 16 May 2013
|
 16 May 2013
|
 15 May 2013
|
 17 May 2013
|
 16 May 2013
|
 17 May 2013
|
 18 May 2013
|
Comments
We are concerned about a recent drift towards vitriol in the RSN Reader comments section. There is a fine line between moderation and censorship. No one likes a harsh or confrontational forum atmosphere. At the same time everyone wants to be able to express themselves freely. We'll start by encouraging good judgment. If that doesn't work we'll have to ramp up the moderation.
General guidelines: Avoid personal attacks on other forum members; Avoid remarks that are ethnically derogatory; Do not advocate violence, or any illegal activity.
Remember that making the world better begins with responsible action.
- The RSN Team
Recall a third party candidate, a national forest creator, who got elected about a century ago? Of course, with the 1%ers Death by Diebold machines, electing any third party candidate would indicate a major miracle (or, one more scam non-election).
Revolution or implosion - which do you think it'll be?
Controllable computerized voting,what a joke . And for a nation that claims the right to call itself fair and democratic.
If this transpires it's because Democrats are chicken poop chickens and deserve to LOSE!!
When our votes are decided for us remotely by people who use our systems to serve themselves at our expense, WE ARE NOT FREE.
they shouldn't be treated any better than any other Criminal! Ira D. York
#2 - I agree, hate them.
#3 - Draconian Photo ID? You mean like the Photo IDs like those required to get into the Democratic Convention?
#4 - You mean the same Columbus that has had a Democrat as Mayor since 2000? Maybe the local Board of Elections (with SIX Democrats to Four Republicans) needs to get off their masses and fix the problem affecting their Democratic constituents. In other words, Democrats run the county.
Make sure you have enough cheese to go with your wine.
News flash: getting into the convention isn't the same as voting.
And, oh, yes: just let the Democrats try to fix voting propblems in Ohio. Republicans would tie them up in court till the 2020s--or until it got to a SCOTUS willing to vote their way.
For poor people though getting your documents is not as easy as you think.
Why hide behind boogey man to pass a POLL TAX under a disguise?
Nothing about this makes sense. Voting machines "owned, operated, programmed and maintained - and will be tallied - by Republican-conn ected firms." WTF? Are you serious?
atrocities against minority voters in jail.
To be honest, I believe that they should be. Ira D. York
Also, the Republican controlled Ohio legislature's attempt to rule the Libertarian Party of Ohio and our alternate party competitors was overruled by an honest federal court.
If Romney and the other fascist Republothugs are willing to take such vicious underhanded measures now, what will they do when they are in office?
Vote Libertarian. Lets have a free country
The Regressionist party is a party of thieves, murderers, liars, and cowards. And they have all the money right now. But nothing lasts forever.
Two hacks write a piece for RSN & off we go. If everyone is so certain there is evil in the air how come no one contacts Holder? Makes too much sense I guess. Hey, Eric's gun-running days are either over or on hold until after the election. He's got time on his hands & there's always the chance he'll do something to earn his money. Send him this "article". Also, based on these posts you folks are up to your eyeballs in proof of dirty doings. Send him the proof. Brian Williams can have an orgasm on national TV over how the liberals posting on RSN saved Divine Barry's ass.
Let me explain my post.
1. If you all are so aware of the evils of the election process why don't you tell someone who can do something about it? Holder may be a joke but he's all we've got at the moment. These postings sure sound like there is a ton of proof among the people posting.
2. Every four years the liberals go off on election fixing & whatever. Seriously, wouldn't it make sense to do something BETWEEN elections to PREVENT these supposed abuses from happening rather than waiting until there is only two months to go?
Yes, there are people here who criticize Obama. With so few words to work with I have to address the overall tenor of the board which is supportive of the article.
Was I too flippant? Perhaps.
Don't concern yourself about going over my head or that of anyone else. Judging from your posts you would be severely challenged to go over the head of an amoeba.
I think their state elections have been rigged for years (and so have a number of other states) - so where is Mr. DOJ?
If a state government CAN rig elections (as is obvious in Ohio's history:2000 + 2004) - then it is time for Ohio-ians to revolt.
So, if you live in OHIO and your district has been through any kind of voter suppression - I suggest you ask the nation to join you in your public demand for your "right to vote" and to have the same rules apply to your district as apply to other (GOP/TP) districts.
Maybe CNN will find a newsperson to film your demonstration - requesting your constitutional rights for equality in all respects - and the right to vote is one of the TOP 10 rights a US Citizen has.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-july-24-2012/back-in-black---campaign-fibs
I was at a hearing several years back in Sacramento sponsored by then Secretary of State (for California) Bruce McPherson, appointed by Republican Gov. Schwartzenegger , on certifying the Diebold machines for use in California. I and dozens of other citizens, including some experts in the field, testified that we didn't want them. The hearing went on for about 6 hours and only two or three speakers favored their use against dozens opposed. My recollection is that the commission found in their favor. Fortunately, in the subsequent election McPherson was defeated by anti-voting machine Democrat Debra Bowen. I've never seen an electronic voting machine at the polls without wanting to take a crowbar and smash the cursed thing.
A slight correction from Shawn M. O'Donnell, Drucilla Badurina in their book, Rebuilding the Democratic Party from the Grassroots: The Ultimate Guidebook ...
Quote:
“Diebold is the second largest. Its CEO, Wally O’Dell, a major Bush campaign organizer and donor, is best known for writing a letter to Ohio Republican promising to “deliver the vote” for George W. Bush. Did he “deliver” Ohio? Election 2004 vote tabulations give him the right to claim that he did, possibly with the help of Ohio Republican Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, the Katherine Harris of 2004. (Harris was Florida’s Republican Secretary of State in 2000, and like Blackwell in Ohio, head of Bush’s state campaign in Florida).
“ES&S and Diebold control almost 80 percent of the electronic voting machine tabulation “market.”
“Triad Governmental Systems, Inc. Wrote the program that tabulated the punch card ballots in 41 counties in the disputed Ohio vote count. The founder of this family run company is a generous supporter of the Republican Party and the Bush campaign. UNQUOTE
Computerized voting and election tampering have stolen our democracy. And with nary a peep from the voters.
Voting machine companies (instead of government employees!) now count our votes on computerized and thus hackable equipment!
Google "Chuck Hagel and election fraud" and learn about the Senator from Nebraska who is suspected as having stolen two elections! He was affiliated with a voting machine company (ES&S) that sold their voting machines to most of Nebraska. The next election, the “virtually unknown” Chuck Hagel (voting machine exec) won a "stunning upset." Then won re-election next election. He was the first Republican to win that seat in Nebraska in 24 years! Check it out.
Worse than that, he is now very chummy with Barack Obama, who was said at one time to be considering him for his cabinet.
Somehow we have to break through the media wall that keeps ignoring this vital issue.
Educate yourselves! Go to blackboxvoting. org and read!
RSS feed for comments to this post