NC voter fraud update, Voting machine errors, NC GOP lawsuit status, Voter registration issues
Multiple times before the 2008 elections, I contacted the NC Secretary of State office and NC Board of Elections office to inform them that there were clear concerns about Obama’s eligibility to run for president. The reception that I got, though courteous, was less than impressive. The fix was in. The end justified the means. We are watching the elections today with eagle eyes. Already many reports of voter fraud and improper voting machine activity has sprung up. We are watching you NC. If I hear of rampant, non resolved voter fraud in my home state of NC, there will be hell to pay.
From Citizen News, October 25, 2010.
“A Craven County voter says he had a near miss at the polls on Thursday when an electronic voting machine completed his straight-party ticket for the opposite of what he intended.
Sam Laughinghouse of New Bern said he pushed the button to vote Republican in all races, but the voting machine screen displayed a ballot with all Democrats checked. He cleared the screen and tried again with the same result, he said. Then he asked for and received help from election staff.”
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From Citizen News November 2, 2010.
“On Saturday evening, after a two-day hearing, a Federal Judge ordered in the NCGOP’s favor, requiring the SBOE to take the following steps on Election Day:
1) Provide written and oral notice to every voter using touch screen machines that problems exist, and to carefully review their ballots before confirming them.
2) Preserve all Personal Electronic programs, ballots, metadata, source codes, and any programs or data that reflects machine calibration.
3) Issue an order that poll workers in all precincts be required to keep a record of all complaints by voters regarding the touch screen voting machines.”
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From WITN November 1, 2010.
“Chairman of the Craven County Republican Party, Chuck Tyson, says this is a win for voters but hopes something will be done in future to prevent this from happening again. “At this late stage in the election, I think it’s the only thing that can be done. So I think moving forward the state board and the local board need to look into the reliability of these touch-screen voting machines.”
Thirty-five counties use the machines for one-stop voting and 23 use them on election day.”
Read more:
http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Craven_County_GOP_Applauds_Judges_Ruling_106490003.html
From Carolina Journal October 26, 2010.
“Gaps in Voter Registration Process Raise Concerns of Fraud
Affadavit seen as insufficient safeguard to keep non-citizens from polls”
“Anyone possessing a North Carolina driver’s license, a Social Security card, a utility bill — and a willingness to lie on a voter registration form — can establish enough “proof” of citizenship allowing him to register to vote in North Carolina.
Moreover, the state’s system of allowing voter registration by mail and same-day registration at early voting sites operates essentially on the honor system. The registration form requires each applicant to sign an affidavit confirming that the applicant is a U.S. citizen.
The penalty for “knowingly” providing a false statement on the form is a felony. But critics say the process for checking citizenship status is lax, so anyone with phony documents and no qualms about choosing untruthfully the “yes” box under “Are you a U.S. citizen?” has a good chance of beating the system.
The state’s efforts at verifying the accuracy of voter rolls have concentrated largely on making sure the lists have been purged of people who die, move, are convicted of felonies, do not vote over several election cycles, or change their legal names.
As for citizenship status?
“It’s tough to get anybody to admit that they have committed voter fraud,” former state Auditor Les Merritt told Carolina Journal. “It’s tough to ever prove, but there are certainly opportunities for people who are not here legally to vote.”
In 2007, Merritt’s office uncovered 24,821 invalid driver’s license numbers and 700 invalid Social Security numbers in the voter registration database; 380 people who appeared to have voted after their deaths; and a handful of votes cast by 17-year-olds in previous election cycles.”
Read more:
http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=7012
The following controversy in NC received brief national attention in 2008.
From the Alamance County Sheriff’s Ofice, Alamance County Health Department Investigation, 2008.
(Alamance County is just east of Greensboro)
“On Monday June 23rd, 2008 the SBI initiated an
investigation into allegations that employees of the
Alamance County Health Department specifically Dr.
Kathleen Shapley-Quinn and Nurse Karen Saxer were
knowingly and willingly falsifying patient medical
records.”
“At the request of some patients, Alamance
County Health Department provided work
notes and prescriptions in alias names.
Providing these services would assist illegal
aliens with maintaining assumed or stolen
identities, which may be a violation of state, or
federal law. (Identity Theft, Fraud, etc.)”
“The staff was divided with some believing the practice of writing
work notes (utilizing aliases) to suspected illegal aliens was wrong
and therefore they refused to do so. Subsequently they reported
feeling pressured or feared repercussions.
Others, particularly Shapely-Quinn and Saxer believed the
guidance they had sought and received was vague at best, but
believed their actions did not violate the law and they were
providing care for their patients. Furthermore, according to
them, an illegal alien can not be refused medical care.”
“On more than one occasion Nurse Karen Saxer at the
direction of Dr. Shapley-Quinn prepared or made
health related employer work notes for patients under
alias names, knowing that the names on the documents
were in fact not the birth name or legal name of the
patient.”
“Veronica Arias, of Texas, reported on May 2nd, 2008 to
the ACSO that someone in Swepsonville, NC had
stolen her identity and was using same to be employed.
Maria Sanchez was arrested on May 6, 2008 by
investigators of the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office
for stealing and using the identity of Veronica Arias.
Sanchez used the name, SSN, DOB, of Veronica Arias
who is a living resident of Texas.”
Read more:
Citizen WElls 