IMPORTANT: The Effects of PURGES in Franklin Co., Ohio:

[mod mom]

On March 21, 2005 the House Administration Committee held a hearing entitled “2004-Election and the Implementation of HAVA” at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, OH. Giving testimony that day was William Anthony, who served in the dual role of Chairman of the Franklin County BOE and Chair of the Franklin County Democratic Party. Mr Anthony gave the following testimony:


“Finally on Voter Registration Mr. Chairman, as the Committee is well aware, there were innumerable political parties and 537’s spending tens of millions of dollars on voter registration drives. In Franklin County alone, we processed more than a quarter of a million voter registration forms between January 1, 2004 and the close of registration in early October. This was twice the registration activity as compared to the same period in 2000.”

Bill Anthony testimony on March 21 2005
http://cha.house.gov/hearings/Testimony.aspx?TID=477

Mr Anthony’s testimony stated that in Franklin County alone, more than a quarter million voter registrations forms were processed between Jan. 1 2004 and the close of registration in early October. Yet when the registered voter numbers are compared from 2003 to 2004, we see a change of 120,869.

google: Ohio voter registration historical data
http://elections.ssrc.org/data/voterreg/

Ohio Election Data - Registered Voters before Certification
The Feminist Majority Foundation
Detailed chart of annual changes in Ohio voter registration numbers from 2000 to 2004. The data demonstrates a large voter roll purging in 2002 and relatively high numbers of new registrants from 2002-2004.
voters in 2004 = 845,720
voters in 2003 = 724,851
# Changed
from 03-04 = 120,869

http://www.feminist.org/pdfs/OH_election_precert.pdf

WHY WAS THERE ONLY AN INCREASE OF 120, 869 IN THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS? The answer is PURGES.
These purges at the hands of SOS Kenneth Blackwell targeted high democratic counties. Look at the effects at this site:

http://www.feminist.org/pdfs/OH_election_precert.pdf

THIS WAS A SUCCESSFUL TOOL FOR THE GOP TO SUPPRESS DEM VOTES. THE GOOD NEWS IS WE CAN FIGHT BACK!
WE NEED TO ORGANIZE REGISTRATION CHECKS, ESPECIALLY IN LOW INCOME HIGH DEM AREAS(who have less access to computers to check on registration status) JUST PRIOR REGISTRATION CUT-OFFS. THIS WILL SERVE TWO PURPOSES:

1. It will show these voters, who have been disenfranchised in the past that we are taking proactive measures to make sure their votes will count in the future, thus making it more likely they will get out to vote. and

2. We can make sure voters are aware of changes in precinct locations. They will be informed of exactly where to vote.

I believe copies of their status should be made so that if purges do occur, the documentation can be used in court to prove the suppression technique.

I have been pushing this idea to the Ohio Dems, warning of the effects of purging, but my warnings have fallen on deaf ears. I don't get it, one would think they would want protect their base. If the Dems won't do this, I hope that election reform groups will attempt to look into creating a program in areas near them.

comments please.

ps I'll be back with some data on another High Dem county: Lucas Co OH.

[mod mom]

1. Some data from Lucas Co.Ohio:

-October 4, 2004 was filing deadline for new voter registrations. At that point there were approximately 20,000 unprocessed voter registration applications with less than a month before the election. One mail tray containing 4,500-7,000 (estimates vary) unprocessed “Project Voter” registrations were discovered on or about October 18,2004.
SOURCE: SOS Investigation pg 10
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/elections/lucas.htm


***Of interest here is information obtained from the SOS website entitled ElectionsVoter/results 2003 and 2004 which show the # of registered voters number change from ‘03-’04 was 11,947 in Lucas County: reg voters 2003 in Lucas=288,190 ; registered voter in 2004=300,137.

AGAIN, ONE CAN SEE THE EFFECTS OF THE PURGES.

Published on Sunday, January 9, 2005 by The Toledo Blade (Ohio)
Purging of Rolls, Confusion Anger Voters
41% of Nov. 2 provisional ballots axed in Lucas County
by Fritz Wenzel

Ralph and Barbara George are lifelong Democrats who first registered to vote for John F. Kennedy in 1960 and have lived in the same East Toledo house for 44 years.

They called the Lucas County Board of Elections early last year to make sure they still were registered to vote.

Informed that they were, they went on with life, including helping their son, just home from military service, to purchase a new home. Then, last fall, they applied for absentee ballots.

It was then that they were surprised to discover - too late to do anything about it - that they were somehow no longer registered and wouldn't be allowed to vote in the general election.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0109-08.htm

[Wilms]

2. Kick and Recommend n/t

[Time for change]

3. Wow -- I wasn't aware that this problem was so big in Franklin County

I knew of evidence for it in Cuyahoga County, but not in Franklin County.

So in Franklin County they hit us with a double whammy: They not only apparently used voter registration fraud, but they also cost Kerry about 17,000 votes by shorting us on machines.

I wonder too if some of the problem with the huge lines in Franklin County was due to the time it took to deal with voters who came to vote and then found that they were purged?

Anyhow, I'm so glad about the plan to use voter registration checks. Had this been used in 2004 I have little doubt that President Kerry and Vice President Edwards would have our country on a much different track than it is on now.

:toast:

[upi402]

5. vote absentee

I don't know, but if I were there I would not count on polling booths. I hope there are election volunteers demanding a spot in Ohio and Florida.

[Time for change]

6. There was a lot of hanky panky with the absentee vote in Ohio as well

Many people sent away for absentee ballots, never received them, and then when they wanted to vote on election day they were prohibited from doing so because they had requested absentee ballots.

[upi402]

7. I guess we need to storm the bastille eh?

I was thinking that you could copy you completed ballot, maybe send it confirmed or fedex

[Time for change]

8. That wouldn't make any difference to Blackwell if you were a Democrat

[nicknameless]

4. The magnitude of fraud in Ohio is breath-taking.

So sorry I hadn't seen this earlier. I would have helped kick it to Greatest.