For those two people who haven't heard, there are several hundred absentee ballots that Washington state Republicans and Democrats are fighting over. These ballots were not counted in the original vote count due to a combination of human and system errors, but have since been determined to be legitimate votes.
A judge recently stated that she could not find a legal reason to allow the votes to be included in the recount.
Maybe I'm missing something here. Isn't our fundamental right to vote, and have our vote counted, the legal justification?
I think most sane people would agree that it is. However, this isn't about making sure every vote counts. It is about winning elections. So, because the ballots are King County ballots and therefore likely to favor Gregoire, the Republicans are fighting to keep them from being counted.
And while I'd like to believe the Democrats would take the high ground on this, the realist in me believes that if the situation were reversed, the Democrats would be disputing them as well.
So here's what I would like for Dino and the state Republicans who are fighting the inclusion of these votes to do. Go around to each of the voters you are trying to block, and say the following to them personally:
"Currently, over a thousand Americans have died in Iraq attempting to bring Democracy to that country and allow the Iraqis to vote. And for the last half of 2004, you have been bombarded by messages that voting is an honor, a privilege, a duty, and that you should absolutely exercise that right.
"It is our understanding that, unlike many Americans, you actually engaged in the election process and did indeed vote.
"However, due to technical difficulties beyond our control, your vote was not counted in the original election count. We have since discovered the error, and now have a chance to count your vote.
"However, we have found a technicality in the recount rules that will allow us to throw your vote in the trash bin since it was not included in the original vote count. As a result, we are spending a lot of money and taking this case to the state Supreme Court to ensure your vote does not count.
"Thanks anyway, and remember to vote Republican in the next election."
Respond to Randy
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