Saturday, November 27, 2004
What's Up In Ohio
You would think that this qualifies as news, but a search on Yahoo News only brings up three newspaper references (two in Ohio). And what do you know, type in Ukraine and fraud in Yahoo News and you get 6,220. I guess exit poll/election result discrepancies only matter here if they don't happen here.
"We need to investigate, coordinate, litigate, recount and recuse. You don't have an owner of a team be the umpire of the seventh game of the World Series, " said Jackson. The Cobb-LaMarche campaign is now in the process of recruiting volunteers and raising funds for monitoring the actual recount process which is expected to take place in early December (after the votes have been certified or a higher court rules otherwise). Volunteers and donors should visit the campaign website, http://www.votecobb.org for more information.
A press release sent by the Cobb campaign (and forwarded to me by the fine folks at www.Nov3.US) also included this Ohio Recount Timeline of past and future actions (NOTE - I edited it for space and added the last two dates):
- 11/10: Green Party Presidential candidate David Cobb announces on KPFK radio that he and Michael Badnarik of the Libertarian Party are considering filing for a recount in Ohio.
- 11/11 The Cobb/LaMarche campaign confirms their intention to file for a recount in a public statement and press release, and requests donations to pay for the effort.
- 11/15 Common Cause, the National Voting Rights Institute, Demos, the Fannie Lou Hamer Project and People for the American Way Foundation issue a joint statement in support of the Cobb-Badnarik demand for an Ohio recount.
- 11/15 The Cobb/LaMarche campaign meets initial fundraising goal of $150,000 (including the $113,600 recount fee needed to file).
- 11/18 Congressman Dennis Kucinich publicly endorses recount efforts.
- 11/19 Cobb-Badnarik representatives deliver bond to guarantee $113,600 recount fee to each of the 88 Ohio county election directors.
- 11/20 Two Cobb/LaMarche campaign staff relocate to Columbus, Ohio to work with volunteers on the ground.
- 11/21 Cobb/LaMarche team meets second fundraising goal, reaching $250,000 in eleven days.
- 11/21 Cobb-Badnarik lawyers file a request for an expedited recount in federal district court in Toledo, Ohio, so that a "meaningful recount" can take place prior to the December 7th "safe harbor" certification and December 13th meeting of Ohio presidential electors.
- 11/22 The Delaware County, Ohio Board of Elections seeks a temporary restraining order to block Green and Libertarian presidential candidates from forcing a recount of the Nov. 2 election results prior to December 1st. Their request is granted by the judge.
- 11/22 Federal district court judge denies Cobb-Badnarik request to expedite recount, saying that Cobb and Badnarik do not face "irreparable harm" if the recount doesn't take place until after the December 7 date to certify presidential electors, since they will not have any electors anyway.
- 12/01 Date by which most Ohio counties will have certified their initial vote totals.
- 12/06 Date that Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell currently (as of 11/25) says he will finally certify the vote. Then, as detailed in Ohio Election law procedures, Cobb and Badnarik will formally request a recount and Secretary Blackwell will notify other candidates of their right to have observers at the recount. Under law, other candidates must have 5 days of notice before the recount can start.
- 12/07 The "safe harbor" date by which presidential electors in all 50 states must be conclusively determined.
- 12/11 Earliest possible start date for the Ohio recount, based on recent judicial ruling and Blackwell's current timeline for certification of the state vote.
- 12/13 Date by which, pursuant to Constitutional mandates, Electoral College electors must meet to cast their votes. This applies to Ohio and all other states.
- 1/6/04 Date that the electoral votes are opened by Congress and are susceptible to possible challenges. But since the votes for each state can only be rejected by majority rule, there is little chance of anything changing.
- 1/20/04 Inaugural Day. Homeland Security National Special Security Event Day. Million Protest March Day.
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