Dr. Kitty Muffins
Member
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - An apparent surge in the number of Lincoln County absentee ballots prompted two Democratic candidates to petition West Virginia's Supreme Court on Friday.
State Sen. Ron Stollings, D-Boone, and Phoebe Harless, a candidate for county commissioner, asked the justices to order county election officials to challenge all such ballots cast for Tuesday's primary.
Stolling's district includes Lincoln County. Both Stollings and Harless cite reports that 825 absentee ballots already have been received in the county, compared to 265 absentee ballots cast in 2008.
Each also has fielded "numerous complaints of irregular activity concerning the absentee balloting process," their petition said.
Stollings alleges he was given an audiotape anonymously that purports to be of someone being offered money to sign an absentee ballot.
Harless, a former school board member, has been approached by people alleging they've been mailed ballots without requesting them, have been asked to vote absentee when they didn't have to, and have had others fill out or apply for ballots in their names, the petition said. She's also heard vote-buying allegations, it said.
Lincoln County officials were not immediately available for comment late Friday.
The U.S. Attorney's office in Charleston has said it's investigating the complaints. Federal prosecutors have secured election fraud-related convictions against several Lincoln County residents, including its circuit clerk and assessor, within the last decade.
A spokesman for Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, West Virginia's chief elections officer, noted Tuesday that the office cannot confirm or deny the existence of any complaints or investigations.
"While State or Federal prosecutions might punish anyone involved in election fraud, it could not undo the results of that fraud," Friday's petition argues.
http://wvgazette.com/ap/ApTopStories/201005070649
It seems like everytime you turn around, someone is stuffing the ballot boxes somewhere in america.
State Sen. Ron Stollings, D-Boone, and Phoebe Harless, a candidate for county commissioner, asked the justices to order county election officials to challenge all such ballots cast for Tuesday's primary.
Stolling's district includes Lincoln County. Both Stollings and Harless cite reports that 825 absentee ballots already have been received in the county, compared to 265 absentee ballots cast in 2008.
Each also has fielded "numerous complaints of irregular activity concerning the absentee balloting process," their petition said.
Stollings alleges he was given an audiotape anonymously that purports to be of someone being offered money to sign an absentee ballot.
Harless, a former school board member, has been approached by people alleging they've been mailed ballots without requesting them, have been asked to vote absentee when they didn't have to, and have had others fill out or apply for ballots in their names, the petition said. She's also heard vote-buying allegations, it said.
Lincoln County officials were not immediately available for comment late Friday.
The U.S. Attorney's office in Charleston has said it's investigating the complaints. Federal prosecutors have secured election fraud-related convictions against several Lincoln County residents, including its circuit clerk and assessor, within the last decade.
A spokesman for Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, West Virginia's chief elections officer, noted Tuesday that the office cannot confirm or deny the existence of any complaints or investigations.
"While State or Federal prosecutions might punish anyone involved in election fraud, it could not undo the results of that fraud," Friday's petition argues.
http://wvgazette.com/ap/ApTopStories/201005070649
It seems like everytime you turn around, someone is stuffing the ballot boxes somewhere in america.