Blackfive's Vote Is Disenfranchised

Posted By Blackfive

Here in Chicago (at 521 N. McClurg Court) where I had to vote today, I noticed two things:

1. The line was huge. In the past, I have never had to wait. There has never been a line. Now, the wait was a least forty five minutes.

2. The two books containing voter registration and voter signatures were considerably smaller than before. In the past, the voter books were about five inches thick, and now they were about 1/4 of their usual size.

I was not in the books. I've voted in every election in my district since moving there in 2000. I recently moved but hadn't changed my voter registration (as advised by the County election board) since the move was outside of the timeframe to change voting districts.

I have two forms of ID - a driver's license and a Firearm Owner ID. I also have a faculty ID for the UofC and a corporate ID from where I work. I had my Voter Registration Card. I also had a paycheck with my address on it.

There were many people who were also not in the voter books. The guy next to me was screaming about "Fraud!". There were four ladies who were crying. Another guy was yelling about his rights. The election judges were freaking out.

The election judges (certainly inept and under-prepared for the onslaught) didn't have any provisional ballots.

They turned everyone (that was not in the books) away.

As I left on my way to the County Election Commission to file a complaint, I asked ten different people who were also denied a vote because they weren't in the book, "Are you Republicans?"

All ten replied, "Yes."

"Did you vote in the primary?"

Nine, "Yes."

It's impossible to know if the Republicans were removed from the book. But this is Chicago...where the dead count more than the living.

I'll let you know what happens in a few hours. I'm calling my friend who's an editor for the Tribune and another who's an Assistant State's Attorney.

Update 3:30PM CST: Visited the Cook County Board of Elections. There were about fifty people complaining about the same thing. I received the following information:

1. There were hundreds of complaints from the 42nd Ward (my ward), but more from all over the county. Think about that - how many people do you think that were not allowed to vote that did not complain about disenfranchisement.
2. Provisional Ballots were sent to all precincts. More were recently sent to the 42nd Ward locations.
3. I was instructed to go back to my precinct and vote by provisional ballot.
4. After I asked about ten times (all the while sympathizing with the person about how hard her job must be today), I was told that there was a foul up in the County and there could be thousands and thousands of problems in Cook County Precincts.

So, I schlepped back to my precinct, waited another hour in line, had to talk to the same Mensa Candidates about my voter registration (I had my voter card, for pete's sake!) - the best part was when the judge asked me if anyone in the voting area could vouch for my residency and about twenty people shouted at him that they knew me and to give me a damn ballot. FINALLY, after about three and a half hours since first attempting to vote, I was able to vote by provisional ballot.

There were about ten people around me that also had to endure the same crap to vote by provisional ballot - all claimed to be registered voters and residents. One was the Condo Association President of the very building that we were in, yet the judge wanted more proof.

Here's my receipt for voting on a Cook County/Chicago ballot.

In case you were wondering, it was worth it.

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/2819/1357612

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Blackfive's Vote Is Disenfranchised:

» Blackfive's Vote Is Disenfranchised from Uptown Girl
I just read this over at Blackfive: Here in Chicago (at 521 N. McClurg Court) where I had to vote today, I noticed two things: 1. The line was huge. In the past, I never had to wait. There has never been a line. Now, the wait was a least fort... [Read More]

Comments

[elfiii]

Hammer their ass Blackfive! Airborne!

[Jai]

Hey - where are Moore's cameras when you NEED 'em.

:P

In all seriousness, I hope this MESS gets straightened out FAST!

[Nick]

IIRC, under the HAVA (Help Americans Voting Act) passed by congress in the 2000 aftermath, every voter who requests a provisional ballot MUST be given one.

Good luck.

[Mark L]

That is one reason I *always* early-vote, and on the first day of early voting. Just In Case.

They should NOT be able to turn you away from voting -- by law. Especially if you have a voter's registration card. If you present a current voter's registration card, that is legal identification that you are registered to vote. Go back and insist on a provisional ballot. You really *should* be allowed to vote a regular ballot just on the strength of the registration card, though.

I have worked as an election judge -- in Texas, but rules don't change that much from state to state.

[Rick T.]

On the other hand, the guy in front of me at the Willow St. polling place was not in the book, had a NY state driver's license and no proof of residency. He claimed he had registered. I am pretty sure he got to vote (in a different precinct line) as he left as I was leaving.

[Barb]

I can't believe that didn't have any provisional ballots! Does that mean they started out with none, or this has happened SO OFTEN that they had run out?

Give 'em hell!

[rachel]

Shiesty bastards.

[Laughing Wolf]

Something is rotten, and stinks to high heaven. Call in the world on them!

[Mikenchi]

Are you registered were you used to vote? Can you vote there?

[Mikenchi]

Everything was easy in the 19th ward. Sounds like the Daley triplets were busy little beavers.

[jason]

wow. outrageous. i'm afraid this is happening all over the place.

[The Sanity Inspector]

Check back at that polling place and see if they've gotten in some more provisional ballots. If not, ask the chief poll officer to have some sent over from another polling place. If the elections dep't runs things like they do here in the topside Atlanta 'burbs, they ought to have poll workers whose only job is to run errands from precinct to precinct. They have a problem, yes. We'll help you cry foul if they don't take steps necessary to fix the problem. Good luck!

[tcobb]

This is just another example of the prejudice that is constantly shown in areas controlled by Democrats against the living. If you were dead Blackfive, I have no doubt that you would have been allowed to vote with no problem whatsoever.

[Retread]

I had no trouble but maybe that's because Maryland is so traditionaly Democratic that they feel no need to steal votes.

Hope you can get this sorted out in time.

[josh]

For what it's worth, I didn't have any trouble at my location (400 N. McClurg Ct., just a block south), and I believe they did have a stock of provisional ballots.

[E. Nough]

Some comments from a friend on this:

You can check the status of your voting registration at ChicagoElections.com (that's the official site for Chicago voters). Click the Services link on the left.

The page will tell you if your registration is current or not, and give you a number to call if you have problems. You still have plenty of time to resolve this.

[BacksightForethought]

Wrath of God time...

-BF

[lindenen]

Were there no Republican watchers there?

All of you disenfranchised people should have exchanged phone numbers to find out more.

[RKV]

Blackfive, I just posted this at Freerepublic. Expect some traffic. Hang tough. RKV

[Kevin Murphy]

It's on Instapundit, too. Drudge shouldn't be far behind.

[Josh]

I voted absentee in-person at the Cook County Clerk's Office on Saturday -- 69 W Washington St. I work out-of-state during the week, so I sent in an absentee ballot application over a month ago. I never received it (BTW, I did vote in the Republican primary), so I called the Cook County Board of Elections to see if there were any way for me to vote. I talked to a woman who spoke in broken English (Hispanic accent), and told me that in-person absentee voting would be offered over the weekdn from 9am to 1pm downtown.

So I showed up and voted, no problem. Well, no problem at the actual booth, but the supposedly-lost-in-the-mail ballot and the elections official speaking in broken English raised my eyebrows a little bit. Oh, and also the election judges I met when I mistakenly went to City Hall instead of the Cook County location, who were just as lost as I was. Not sure if they were supposed to be presiding or voting that day.

My mom is an election judge in the South Suburbs today -- her first time. She received little documentation regarding her role, and what she did get (from the Illinois Republican Party, IIRC) was in bad shape -- copy of a copy of a fax kinda problems, from what my dad has told me. The IRP is in dire straits. My Congressional District, 2nd IL, has no Republican running against the incumbent Jesse Jackson Jr. Even the Libertarians were able to field somebody!

Sorry for all the rambling. I'm really concerned about Illinois politics right now, and I'm weighing my chances for a run at the 2nd Congressional District in '08, when I'll be old enough to hold the office.

The phone number I called on Friday to reach the Board of Elections Office is 312-603-0944, BTW.

[cremes]

I voted at 2701 N Sheffield (Lincoln Park) early this morning. Everything was in order. I was quite surprised about how well organized they were; it was gratifying to see.

The line was also pretty long for the two precincts handled out of that location. I got into line about 6:20 AM and finished voting about 6:55 AM.

Good luck getting this mess straightened out.

[Randy K]

Posted in fark, don't know if it'll get green lighted to the main page, but look out if it does, should be interesting.

[Rob]

E. Nough is right...
You can check the status of your voting registration at ChicagoElections.com (that's the
official site for Chicago voters). Click the Services link on the left.

The page will tell you if your registration is current or not, and give you a number to call if you have problems. You still have plenty of time to resolve this.

[GORDON]

Anti-liberal stories rarely get greenlighted on FARK. Just FYI.

[Randy K]

I know... shocking, red lighted all ready..

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1196750

Thread for it if you have total fark.

[Bunnie]

I had a similar experience in DC (which doesn't matter since we're going about 80% Kerry).

I had registered to vote over a year ago. So did two Republicans I chatted with whose names were also not on the rolls.

The Poll worker told me that this had been happening all day to Republicans who had registered at the DMV.

To add further insult, one of the Republicans was a new American citizen voting for the first time. A lady at the registration table (voter, not judge) asked him who he was voting for. He said Bush.

For several minutes she harangued him about this and about how he shouldn't have the right to vote if he was such a stupid immigrant.

Just IMAGINE if that was the opposite way.

Further an election judge AGREED with the woman as she went on her tirade instead of kicking her out or otherwise calming her down.

[Digger]

This is horse hockey!!

[David]

I also sent in my application for an absentee ballot, but never received a ballot. Every time I called the Absentee Ballot line at the Chicago Board of Elections there was no answer.

[Glenmore]

MUCH smaller registration books? Sounds like they may have recently split the precinct into two. You may be in a new district. And/or they may have mailed you a new registration card telling you so - but very recently and to your old address. These cards cannot be forwarded, and when they are returned to the registrar they are used to remove you from the registration rolls.
I am not sure of your local rules, but it is also quite possible that your county election board told you wrong - once you have moved you may (?) become ineligible to vote at your old location, but not yet be eligible in your new location. He may have given you the information and immediately stricken your name from the rolls if he considered you from the 'wrong' party.

[Kathleen A]

I am sorry B5 that you were turned away. This is not right. You have the right to vote. This is not the only case as I've read a few more of these on National Review. I hope you get this resolved for your sake. Your right to vote should not be compromised. If your districting changed, shouldn't someone have let you know?

[RKV]

Glad to hear it worked out. Something STILL smells fishy however. Why a shortage of provisional ballots and why were you removed in the first place (and by whom)?

[Strider]

Here's a voter complaint line:
1-866-MYVOTE1

Interesting to hear about the DMV thing. I moved earlier this year (about six months ago) and chenged my voter registration when I changed my Driver's License. I did not receive a new voter registration card until about a month ago when I called the City and complained.

I voted this morning in the Chicago 'burbs. No problems and no crowd.

[Josh]

I used to live in Chicago. I would not put it past some of the locals to pull republicans off the rolls, but I think it would be low level people- why bother, since they take every position upstate from dog catcher to senator.

[JS]

Someone called Rush Limbaugh & reported that the same thing happened to her & her husband. Rush told her that these provisional ballots aren't usually counted, unless the election is very close.

[T.Will]

Anecdotally, it's happening all over the country:
http://www.nationalreview.com/battleground/battleground.asp

[Herb]

Let me corroborate your story here, Blackfive. I have had a similar experience very near to you, but I caught the problem in time to re-register normally.

I read an article about New Jersey's electronic registration confirmation system on the day before the final day to register to vote. Being a curious I.T. guy, I decided to see if Illinois also had such a system. I found ours, and typed my information in -- and no registration was found. I was shocked!

I managed to call David Orr's office in time to find out that I had been "unregistered" in 2001, but the reason for this was not made clear to me at the time. I figured that it must have something to do with the fact that my driver's license didn't have my apartment number in its address, or some other minor clerical error. (I don't believe in perfect performance from any government office with such a large constituency.) Naturally, I printed up my registration form and mailed it in post-haste. I had no problems when I went to vote today. (8:20AM, and less than 70 voters had preceded me!)

I am in the 93rd Precinct of Cook County, IL, so we are both in the hands of David Orr's office. I voted in the same precinct, with the same address, in 2000. I am registered only as an independent, and not officially affiliated with either party, and thus have not voted in any primaries. There is no way, unless they have heard me personally speaking about politics, to know that I was going to vote for Bush this year.

So, I don't know what all of this means. It is possible that there was just some colossal mess-up at Mr. Orr's office at one or more points in time. It is also possible that there is some deliberate disenfranchisement going on here. Either way, it's disgusting that anyone should go through this shocking experience.

Thank you for bringing this story to light!

[Chris]

I may be wrong, but doesn't a provisional ballot get checked against voter rolls anyway, and discarded if the person casting it is found to not be registered? My understanding is that a provisional ballot only serves for someone who is registered, but for some reason didn't make it into the local records sent to the polling place.

In any case, I wouldn't let it rest. Follow up; demand answers; get that ballot COUNTED.

[MachiasPrivateer]

I had problems too. My registration card put me in precinct 3. It turns out that I had been re-districted and am now in precinct 5. The card I received from the County Clerk directed me to the Precinct 5 location, but did not advise me of the change. Since my registration card said pct3, they directed me to another location. I wnet there and wasn't in the pct 3 book, so I looked at the map. I decided I was now in pct 5 and returned to the original location. I was in the pct 5 book and got to vote. There obviously was a dereliction of duty by Cook County Clerk David Orr to send corrected voter registration cards! While at the polling place there was a couple with the husband and wife registered in different pcts. What a mess. But what do you expect from Cook County Democrats? They're experienced in stealing elections.

[3IDVET]

Way to go Blackfive, that will teach those thugs to Mess with a Marne Dog. I had No problems what so ever voting, it took about 10min. Got all my imediate family and friends to vote Republican, their all southern Dems so it wasn't very hard. Louisiana WILL be a solid Red state...

[Dave]

call 1-888-610-8170

this is the number to call and report voter fraud. if enough people call in reporting the same situation, i believe more will be done about it.

[jtb-n-texas]

B5, I'm glad you could vote. It's in God's hands now.

Guam went for Bush in a big way, roughly 2:1, 64% to 32%. Same with one of the two places in NH that reported early.

Thanks for your service, your blog, and your vote!!

[Robert]

This is nothing new -- essentially the same thing happened to me in 1998. My wife and I moved from one adderss to another in the same ZIP code in Chicago, in April 1998, and we both send in our address changes well in advance of the November election. I was a Republican, she was a Democrat (at the time). When we got to the polls, guess what -- she was in the book and I wasn't.

[Teresa]

Makes me really glad I'm out in the sedate burbs! Lots of people voting out here and I had no problem at all. But then again Lake County is pretty much the biggest Republican stronghold in the state. I hope you can get some answers!

[Robert]

P.S. Did I mention I had received my voter registration card at my new address ... and I STILL wasn't in the book?

[James Jennings]

I moved to East Dallas from downtown last year, and, of course, the Geniuses-in-Charge at the Dallas County Registrar screwed up my address change. Not to worry, though. Unlike in Florida and (apparently) the rest of the country, the election officials all came from the neighborhood, asked my how I liked living in the old William's place (such a nice lady! how is she? oh, fine, she's in Austin with her daughters now. blah, blah, blah), and used their state sworn powers to validate my right to vote. Took five minutes. Move south, folks! It's cold, harsh and mean up there in Yankeeland!

[Macker]

My ex-wife lives in Chicago. She can fuckin' HAVE it because of shit like this.

[Subsunk]

Oh Great BlackFive,

How did I know a US paratrooper (of love) wouldn't let a little thing like being told "no" by incompetent judges stop him from reaching the objective.

Subsunk

[Bob in Lakeview]

Mr. Five,

Be aware that the County of Cook (David Orr's office) has nothing to do with running elections in the City of Chicago, which are run by the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. So if they told you it was a "county problem" that was blather.

Of course it is not stunning that an identifiable Republican voter disappeared from the rolls. Election laws and procedures in Illinois are about as far from reform as alot of other things in Illinois. When (never) we get the citizen initiative maybe some stuff will get fixed.

I voted in the Republican primary but still got an absentee ballot via the mail for the general election! Either I got missed or it was flagged for the shredder upon receipt.

[sistersophist]

I'm glad you stuck it out and dedicated your day to voting. Many would have given up. Hopefully, you've inspired others to tough it out as well.

[Blackfive]

Thanks Bob. That makes more sense than what I witnessed today.

[Liberal Larry]

You think that's bad? The ballot design here was so confusing that I accidentally wrote in Pat Buchanan.

[Steve White]

The 42nd Ward is the old 1st Ward, renumbered after the appropriate number of scandels. This sort of thing has been happening for the past hundred years, Blackfive, so don't take it personal. The old 1st (new 42nd) ward has been crooked and mobbed-up forever. It's the old D'Arco ward. Long-time Chicagoans knows wat I means by dat.

I voted in Oak Park today (Cook County, 1st suburb west of Chicago for those of you who don't know the area), and it couldn't have been smoother. The line was long but the poll workers and judges were efficient. I was voter #104 in my precinct at 7:30 am, to give you a sense of how things were going. People were calm and cheerful about voting. People whom I know are Kerry supporters greeted me warmly and we traded the gentle, stable jokes everyone has on election day. It was very pleasant and felt like a real community.

Of coure, this is Oak Park :-)

[Kye]

This isn't just happening to Republicans, this is happening EVERYWHERE and to EVERYONE.

It happened to three of my friends earlier today, two of which were registered Dems and one Grn. Not in the voter rolls, no provisional ballots, same bullshit.

[jm]

This IS happening everywhere to everyone. My husband didn't show up as registered and he is a straight ticket DEMOCRAT in Chicago. We did move. I had reapplied for a new voter registration card at a different time because I changed my name and I received it. I have voted both sides of the aisle consistently.

So, don't put your tin foil hats on yet. I think this has more to do with voter registration overload than a "big conspiracy." Man, would you kill the conspiracy rush to judgement already? It is always associated with Repub's and it is embarrassing me when I step up for one.

[jerry]

What kind of egotistical butthole puts the trackbacks ahead of the comments?

[Jay Cee]

I am glad you pushed the issue, but don't get complacent...your 'provisional ballot' is basically meaningless. Provisional ballots will probably never be counted, and if they are, the vast majority will be thrown out. You were disenfranchised. And you need to make as big a stink as you can about it.

[D Hardin]

Blackfive,
Proud of you giving them hell!
Voted today here in Texas-W's backyard. No Democrats and no line. In and out of my polling place in 5 minutes.
We'd welcome you to down here anytime. Sorry you and others had to go through that crap.
If Bush wins, I'm gloating for the next for state in every battleground state and blue state I pass through
Go Army,
D Hardin

[Lornkanaga]

I passed your post onto a friend who lives in Chicago. Her response was "It happens." She also mentioned that, so far, only one dead body has been found at the polls. She seemed to think that was amazing. Do people often die at the polls? Or is that just a Chicago thing? ;^)

[Blackfive]

jerry - while it's true that I've haven't been accused of being humble very often, I use typepad which has standardized places for trackbacks and comments. I don't get to choose having losers like you post instead of seeing trackbacks.

Evidently, you can't stand a little scrolling to in order to call someone names. Poor, poor jerry, is soooo tired from scrolling down the comments that he can't even capitalize the first letter of his own name or even leave a valid email address. Rest up, pal. It'll be okay. Really.

Here's a question for you:

What kind of "courageous" name-caller leaves a fake email address?

[Edward Lee]

I know Chicago is solidly Democratic, but something is fishy when Kerry is picking up 70% of the vote in Illinois, as the networks proclaim. Unless they're ridiculously oversampling Cook County or something.

[Allan]

Hey, look at the bright side. Cook County remains Daley Country and as stable as ever.

[Joe Oliver]

FIGHTBACK!!

Call the RNC in DC tomorow ( if they don't know about it already. ) I sent an email to their 20 this eve.. Even when "W" wins, it is a problem that needs to be addressed I feel.

Good Luck..

--
Joe

-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Picture Kerry doesn't want you to see ...
http://www.stolenhonor.com

Mini FLASHed version: FREE
http://www.soft-vision.com/hanoi/larson

Turn OFF the Left_Mouth_O_Matic's
http://www.soft-vision.com/fightback

"A lie can travel halfway around the world while truth is putting
on its shoes. -- Mark Twain
The TRUTH - STOLEN HONOR: Wounds that never heal!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.soft-vision.com/bush2004
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit Col. Ted Guy's Hanoi Hilton and Surrounding Villa's
http://www.soft-vision.com/hanoi/
There is no word for good-bye in Mi'kmaq.
There is a term that informally translated is,
"Be seeing you again". Ne'multes.
There is no death, Only a change of worlds
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Col. Gordon "Swede" Larson
http://www.soft-vision.com/hanoi/larson
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once"
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Col. Lou Makowski
http://www.soft-vision.com/hanoi/makowski
"Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened"
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Agent Orange Victims, Families and Friends, =IN=TOUCH=
http://www.soft-vision.com/ao_vets/
"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as
outraged as those who are." -- Benjamin Franklin
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Life, Liberty, Happiness and Pursuit of all who threaten it.
God Blessed America
-------------------------------------------------------------------
We must reserve the right not to tolerate the intolerant tollerant.
Joe Oliver, Houston, TX USA
------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who
have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-
profit research and educational purposes only.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
------------------------------------------------------------------

[Beth]

Obviously nothing has changed a bit since the days of Mayor Daley, when I lived up there as a child!
If you haven't contacted the GOP HQ in your part o'town, DO IT tomorrow (Wednesday). Even though IL is heavy for the Jackasses, the bullshit the Jackasses pull needs to be exposed (beyond the blogosphere)!
About incompetent election officials: I was going to work as a poll watcher for the local GOP, but ended up working as a greeter today. When I went to the poll-watcher "training," I was appalled at the stories told about the stupidity and ignorance of other watchers and the inspectors in previous elections. Basically, the inspectors are just Joe Schmoes who sign up with the probate court to volunteer--it can be any drooling Homer, no election law background required. Same thing for the poll watchers!
Just more asshats fucking up our votes. Business as usual.

[Matt]

Given the insane amount of documentation it takes to get an IL drivers license, that alone ought to be enough to establish residency.

For the record, I experienced no problems at all when I went to vote this morning...although the guy in front of me did get the last donut. :) (I'm a registered Libertarian, though...not a Republican.)

[Dave Warner]

Please, please don't stop with the end of the vote. Raise hell with your elections board and keep after them!
I was part of the team that ran our local polling place here in rural Northern Arizona. We worked our butts off to get it right - we had 81% turnout of registered voters (1057, of which 39 were provisionals). I believe that everyone who ran a polling place yesterday experienced a 2 - 3 fold increase in numbers. We knew it was coming, were warned it was coming, and still were shocked and had to adjust quickly. Don't get on the volunteers that were there at the polling place - but DO get on your elections board.

A previous poster is right - if someone asks for a provisional ballot they should be given one - there was no excuse for not having them at the polling place. BUT, it was our responsibility to make sure that the person was at the right polling place - if I gave someone a provisional, doubting that they were in the right place, I would have abetted in the disenfranchisement that person. Having said that, given the information you provided to the poll workers, I would have given you the provisional.

BTW, if you have problems with the 'Mensa Candidates' manning the polling places - volunteer for it next time. You may have to take a day off work, but it is definitely worth it.

[John]

B5, move to North Dakota. I moved here two years ago, never bothered to change my registration from Washington (in fact, they sent an absentee ballot to my old address there) but had no problems voting. Walked in, waited 2 hours, handed them by drivers license (also still washington) and my utility bill. They wrote me in (954th person they had written in that day) and gave me a ballot.
Ok, so the two hour wait sucked, but I could have gotten there at 7:00 when the polls opened and only waited an hour.
Further, even if you don't have proof of current address, you sign an affidavit, they notarize it and put you in the book, just like everyone else. There are no provisional ballots or anything like that. As long as you show up at the right precinct you get to vote(and they walked along the line many times to make sure everyone was at the right place).
So here is my question. How is in the hicks in ND can get it right, but the city slickers in Chicago can't?

[El Bandito]

B5 - Better late than never - on several levels here!

I linked to this post almost as soon as it happened - sent an email to a couple of acquaintances, one of them linked to it, the other sent my email to the RNC. Glad you got to vote finally (or so I am reading). Hope this mess gets sorted out.

V/R
El Bandito

[dick]

John,

Because the hicks don't need to act as if they are bright when they are. They alredy know they are smart and don't need to prove it. The city slicker needs to prove that he is bigger and smarter and every other -er than the hicks.

Sometime check the average SAT scores in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Utah against those of the city slicker states. It will really open your eyes. I think, if I remember right, that South Dakota has average SAT scores of about 1200 on a statewide basis with over 70% of the kids taking the test. Then check the scores of Chicago or New York or Boston or LA or San Francisco. It will make you wonder.

[Joe Green]

This is the kind of propaganda that the Nazis would fabricate in Goebbels spin factories. It's not funny at all, something like having the Nazis claim that Jews did not let them vote for Hitler. With the newly morphed American fascist movement that no w controls the White House , the Senate and the congress, this has become a totalitarian state, and one of themost dangerous states on earth.
Joe Green, Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA

[Licorice]

Joe Green,

You're a fucking idiot.

[Blackfive]

Um, yeah! (agreeing with the Hamster) That's probably the most ridiculuous thing I've heard in a long time.

For some reason, I have multiple crazy comments (MCCs) from different Canadian IP addresses.

[65i]

fyj