SD Tribune - Re-election of Murphy will stand, judge rules... (Donna Frye)

[cascadiance]

... Quick decision turns aside challenges in mayoral race

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20050203-9999-1n3ballot.html

It looks like once again we're being told that voter intent doesn't count if it means a Dem gets elected. Rules (no matter how arcane) are what count. Unless of course a person gets their vote for a Republican by using a voter guide as their "ballot" instead of the official ballot and votes for the Republican by checking it there (which Woocher had earlier shown to be the case for some absentee "ballots" that were counted).

Sounds like it will be appealed, but kudos to Donna Frye for not seeing "the need to concede", when she quite correctly points out that more people voted for her, even if they aren't being counted.

[davidinalameda]

1. is it so hard to follow directions when voting

if it says to color in the bubble, then color the freaking bubble in

if it says to connect the lines, connect the lines

you should have learned that in kindergarten

[DemoTex]

2. Determination of voter intent ...

The case centered on 5,551 write-in ballots for Frye. They were not included in her count because voters failed to shade in a small oval bubble next to the write-in slot. State law – Elections Code Section 15342(a) – requires that the bubble be shaded in for a write-in vote to count.

They wrote Donna Frye's NAME on the frigging ballots. This is crazy. Who the hell is this "visiting" judge, Michael Brenner, anyway? He is a supervising Superior Court judge of super-right wing Orange County, California. WTF was he doing hearing a case in San Diego? I don't know if Judge Brenner is a Democrat or Republican, but I sure have my suspicions. This stinks.

[cascadiance]

3. They moved it to Orange County out of concern of local bias...

with the court system in San Diego, which probably would have been a problem. However, Orange County wasn't exactly a move that would make it less biased against Frye.

Why were the rules not applied universally?

1. Why was an oval that was "circled" (and NOT "filled in") counted for Murphy? That vote counted.

2. Why was an absentee "voter guide" submitted as a ballot counted? If they are going to be "strict" on following rules, they *conveniently* weren't in that case.

This "oval filled" requirement was never a requirement in the past. What new "requirements" will they invent for next election to make it confusing unless those in churches hear about them in advance to help escalate the right wing vote again when others that aren't informed are confused again? This sort of vote "rigging" is just a new way of doing the same thing that was abhorred in the south towards blacks after the Civil War.

The bottom line is that if you are below a certain level of intelligence or aren't as informed, you don't have representation in our society.

[w4rma]

4. Obviously if you make mistakes in voting for a Repug you are "represented"

It's only when you make mistakes when voting for a Dem that you aren't.

[Senior citizen]

5. Donna got the most votes.

So did Gore.

So did Kerry.

I think it would be really interesting if everyone who voted for any of the above candidates boycotts the next election and just stays home. We know our candidates can't win, no matter how many votes they get, so why bother? Let the turnout decrease by OVER 50% and let them declare their mandate with a 100% vote for the corrupt pukes--100% of a tiny minority of the people, as most don't vote anyway, and about half waste their votes on Democrats. This is getting to be so much of a farce that it is unpatriotic to take part in it.

[w4rma]

6. That would be the worst tactic ever. (nt)

[Senior citizen]

7. Well, voting doesn't work.

And the courts don't work either.

In fact, in the preface to "Votescam" by the Collier Brothers, they cited an old gypsy curse, "May you have a court case where you know you're right."

So if getting the most votes won't get you elected, and appealing to the courts doesn't help, exactly what, apart from boycotting elections and short of bloody revolution, do you fucking suggest?