Here are a couple of Halloween horror stories, both having to do with elections in Florida. Remember Florida, in 2000? The same party is still in control and nothing much has changed.
1. A court has ruled that election officials may provide written notice telling voters that a vote cast for a withdrawn candidate [Mark Foley (R)], whose name still appears on the ballot, will be counted as a vote for a replacement candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot [Foley resigned one month ago]. The Florida Secretary of State [Katherine Harris' old job, a position now occupied by Sue Cobb (R)] proposed to give a notice to voters addressing only the former and current Republican candidates. The court said that the notice failed to meet the impartiality requirement. Instead, they will use a notice at polling places that was provided by the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections [who are locally elected county officers]. The court found that notice to be a neutral, evenhanded, plain and concise statement of facts.
It would be to the Republicans' advantage to explain why a vote for Foley is not really a vote for Foley, but the Secretary of State cannot put together a proper notice.
2. Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, the local elections supervisor has been giving voting machine manufacturers unholy hell. He has demonstrated that voting machines made by the three manufacturers certified to do business in Florida can all be "hacked," altering the vote count. Did he get a thank-you note from Sue Cobb (R), the Florida Secretary of State? No. She has threatened to sue him and remove him from office for"undermining voter confidence." You can read about it here: http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/31/State/Activist_inside_and_a.shtml
I'm going to do something on November 7 I thought I'd never do. I'm voting straight party ticket. I may have second thoughts if I have to vote for certain incumbents, but it will be a lesser-of-two-evils analysis. I'm taking a clothes pin with me in case I have to hold my nose while voting.
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