Sunday, October 19, 2008

McCain Campaign Chair: Vote Early, I'll Use My Powers As D.A. to Investigate You

Deters subpoenas voter records | Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati.Com
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, who serves as John McCain’s Southwest Ohio campaign chairman, has requested personal information for some individuals who registered and immediately cast a ballot during a weeklong period that ended earlier this month.


Deters issued a subpoena on Friday for complete registration records for roughly 40 percent of the 671 voters who registered and cast a ballot between Sept. 30, when early voting began, and Oct. 6, the deadline for voter registration.

The subpoena, obtained by The Associated Press, is part of a grand jury investigation initiated by Deters in the county.

“We’ve had widespread complaints of fraud but we do not discuss investigations at all,” Deters said. He said the complaints came from “a variety of sources.”


It was unclear why the subpoena – which also calls upon the county’s election director and deputy director to testify before the grand jury – doesn’t ask for records of all voters from the weeklong window.

Gee, I don't know. Maybe because new voters are reputed to be overwhelmingly for Obama? Does the term "conflict of interest" mean nothing to these people? How many people are likely to be intimidated out of registering and then voting, knowing their personal information will then be immediately delivered to the D.A.?

None dare call it fascism....




4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I grew up in the greater Cincinutty area (on the KY side of the Ohio), and the Hamilton County Rs always seemed to have a thing for making it hard to register, as though they didn't really want people to vote. (FWIW, Ken Blackwell got his start in Censornati politics.)

While I don't specifically recall an incident such as this one, it wouldn't surprise me - even if the Rs weren't acting as though "Republican" should be pronounced "fascist".

Caveat said...

These people are shameless. Surely this is a conflict of interest matter.

The 'voter fraud' canard is so old it's pathetic.

There seems to be a bit of a disconnect between all the platitudes about democracy and freedom spouted primarily by the GOP and the incredible obstacles put in the way of people who want to exercise their right to vote.

I'm surprised there isn't more public outrage over this. Maybe it's time to review the whole voter registration thing, which I don't understand because I'm a foreigner. I especially don't understand registering for a party or as independent.

It can be so much easier and impersonal than this. In Canada, we tick a box on our income tax return giving permission to be put on the voters' list. If you don't file a tax return (most people do because low income people get money for things if they file), you can show ID and a rent receipt, property tax bill, or anything with your name and address on it and be added at the time of voting.

We use paper ballots, found to be the most accurate and least tamper-proof method of counting votes.

Anonymous said...

Caveat, we don't so much register "for" a party as state a preference, with Independent being one way of saying "no preference".

Party preference relates to our system of primary elections, though exactly what it means and how it's handled varies from state to state. Some states have some form of same-day registration, and one (North Dakota) doesn't have voter registration at all.

Caveat said...

Ah, so it's not a federal but a state matter.

That explains why it's so complicated (or seems so from my perspective).