more on Polling Place Violation of Law

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Gene Gaines <gene.gaines () gainesgroup com>
Date: October 26, 2004 3:09:38 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: "Meeks, Brock (MSNBCi)" <Brock.Meeks () MSNBC COM>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Polling Place Violation of Law

Brock,

I do not think we are squabbling over portraits.

I am not "in a snit."

I am fighting.  You will get this response from me today,
tomorrow, and next week.

The issue is fairness in elections.  Not "just nonsense" Brock.

Are you aware what other intimidation has gone on in this county
leading up to this election?  Did you bother to ask anyone about
the background to this issue?

Thanks to Mr. Griffin's complaint, the placement of the
portraits and the voting booths has been judged to be
prejudicial.

And the two election polling booths have been moved.

Gene Gaines
gene.gaines () gainesgroup com
Sterling, Virginia

On Tuesday, October 26, 2004, 2:52:14 PM, David wrote:



> Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Meeks, Brock (MSNBCi)" <Brock.Meeks () MSNBC COM>
> Date: October 26, 2004 1:34:53 PM EDT
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: RE: [IP] more on Polling Place Violation of Law

> I read the exchange below and just want to hang my head, but NOT over
> the admission of this no-account election official in this backwater
> Virginia county.

> (Actually, it's a prime piece of the Old Dominion, movie stars are
> known to populate the horse ranches and such... and oh, my
> mother-in-law lives there as well... in federally subsidized
> housing...)

> If this exchange becomes the tenor of this election we all--Republican,
> Democrat, Independent, Green Party, Socialist, Peace & Freedom
> Party--lose. 

>   Honestly, the petty niggling over a few portraits strategically 
> placed
> over voting booths.  Oh the horror!! 

>   Our country is being deeply divided this election season on a most
> visceral level, using almost any excuse to beat up on "the other guy." 
> What a great day for our democratic process.  We have people exercising
> their rights to complain... about how pictures are being hung.  I'm so
> proud of my fellow Americans.

> I would argue--sober even--that anyone marching into a polling place
> that hasn't yet made up his or her mind should STAY AWAY until he or
> she is clear about their choices.  Further, just how WEAK does one have
> to be that seeing a portrait of the President hanging above a voting
> booth is going to unduly influence their choice?!

> Yeah, I see you nodding your head. You're right, it's just nonsense.

> We have serious problems in this country; this election is shaping up
> to be another debacle.  More than 10,000 lawyers have been put on
> retainers, by both the Republican and the Democrats, and stand ready to
> file a flurry of paperwork that would embarrass the Microsoft antitrust
> legal team.   Private jets have been chartered for election night and
> are going to be on standby, ready to whisk party gun slingers to
> "battleground states." 

>   And we're squabbling about portraits?

> Law enforcement agencies across the land aren't getting any sleep, even
> a week before the election.  The "angst level is at an all time high" a
> senior administration official told a group of reporters recently,
> speaking during a "background" briefing regarding intelligence on
> possibly pre-election terrorist attacks.  (And no, that's no White
> House slight of hand, threat IS real.)

> And we're in a snit about the hanging of pictures?

> I'm starting to long for the days when all we had to worry about were
> party machine bosses extolling the faithful to "vote early... and
> often."

> Meeks out...




> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ip () v2 listbox com
> [mailto:owner-ip () v2 listbox com] On
> Behalf Of David Farber
> Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 1:07 PM
> To: Ip
> Subject: [IP] more on Polling Place Violation of Law




> Begin forwarded message:

> From: Jim Griffin <griffin () onehouse com>
> Date: October 26, 2004 12:37:16 PM EDT
> To: Gene Gaines <gene.gaines () gainesgroup com>, David Farber
> <dave () farber net>
> Subject: Re: [IP] Polling Place Violation of Law

> Gene:

> Thanks for making the call. I am considering revisiting the polling
> place
> with a state trooper and citing the relevant law and the facts:
> Influencing
> the vote in ANY manner is illegal, and this placement was deliberate.

> What Mr. Ables did not tell you: The pictures of the other elected 
> state
> officials -- and he did not include them all, by the way -- are below
> the
> tops of the voting booths and so are not visible. The color photographs
> of
> the Republican candidates on the ballot are visible as they are on top,
> centered directly above the voting booths.

> Neither was his decision neutral: The pictures do not merely hang in 
> the
> office. He chose to center them above the voting booth.

> I leave this to the Democratic Party for the time being, but this is 
> the
> registrar's office, not some gymnasium, and it is outrageous that he 
> now
> confesses he chose the placement deliberately.

> Jim



> On 10/26/04 11:16 AM, "Gene Gaines"
> <gene.gaines () gainesgroup com> wrote:

> > David,
> >
> > I just spoke with Mr. Ables, Voting Registrar of Fauquier
> > County, Virginia, telephone 540-347-6972.
> >
> > He confirmed to me that he chose the placements of the
> > two voting booths in his office so that the color portraits
> > of the president and vice president are prominently
> > displayed over the booths.
> >
> > He informed me that he is justified in taking this action
> > because he also has placed on the wall photographs of all
> > elected state officials.  Mr. Ables then stated that he
> > was outraged that I would question him, and hung up on me.
> >
> > LESSON FOR EVERYONE:  Any questionable election activity,
> > phone the nonpartisan "Lawyers Committee for Election
> > Protection" 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) or 202-347-1835.
> >
> > Gene Gaines
> > gene.gaines () gainesgroup com
> > Loudoun County, Virginia
> >
> >
> > On Monday, October 25, 2004, 7:22:51 PM, David wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > > Begin forwarded message:
> >
> > > From: "David A. Ulevitch" <davidu () everydns net>
> > > Date: October 25, 2004 6:37:39 PM EDT
> > > To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
> > > Subject: Fwd: [SL] FW: Polling Place Violation of Law
> >
> > >   From the Strangelove.cc list.
> >
> > > Thanks,
> > > David A. Ulevitch
> >
> >
> > > Begin forwarded message:
> >
> > > > From: Jim Griffin <griffin () 62chevy com>
> > > > Date: October 25, 2004 3:25:16 PM PDT
> > > > To: <talk () strangelove cc>
> > > > Subject: [SL] FW: Polling Place Violation of Law
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ------ Forwarded Message
> > > > From: Jim Griffin <griffin () onehouse com>
> > > > Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 17:36:51 -0400
> > > > To: <registrar () fauquiercounty gov>
> > > > Subject: Polling Place Violation of Law
> > > >
> > > > Alex Ables
> > > > 32 Waterloo Street #207
> > > > Warrenton, Virginia 20186-3219
> > > >
> > > > Dear Mr. Ables:
> > > >
> > > > I voted today (I will be out of the country on business on election
> > > > day) at
> > > > 32 Waterloo Street in a voting booth with a few color pictures
> > > > directly
> > > > above it, the top ree of them pictures of candidates on my ballot,
> > > > one
> > > > of
> > > > them bearing the words, "Thanks, Dick Cheney". The two voting booths
> > > > in the
> > > > room were located directly underneath these photographs, the
> > > > photographs
> > > > literally inches above the voting booths, centered between them.
> > > >
> > > > I note that under Virginia law "It is unlawful for any (person to)
> > > > ...
> > > > In
> > > > any manner attempt to influence any person in casting his vote."
> > > >
> > > > In my opinion, viewing a color photograph of a candidate on the
> > > > ballot
> > > > is in
> > > > a manner part of an attempt to influence a person casting his vote,
> > > > and it
> > > > is illegal to do so in ANY manner.
> > > >
> > > > If you doubt that my opinion is shared by your office or the judges
> > > > of
> > > > this
> > > > state, what might be your opinion should a voter wear a button with
> > > > the
> > > > picture of the other candidates into the polls? May a poll worker
> > > > wear
> > > > such
> > > > a button with pictures including the words, "Thank you, John Kerry"?
> > > > May
> > > > there be handed out at the polls such photographs? If not, why
> permit
> > > > this
> > > > one directly above the voting booth?
> > > >
> > > > James H. Griffin
> > > > 7493 Enon Church Road
> > > > The Plains, Virginia 20198
> > > >
> > > > ------ End of Forwarded Message
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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> > > >
> > > >
> > > > !DSPAM:417d7e6d281507962412083!
> >
> > > -------------------------------------
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