Wednesday, September 29. 2004
Nader's off the ballot in Ohio
At least for now, but I don't think this one is in danger.
Note to Nader's Ohio campaign manager: When the people who are helping you come from organizations known to perpetrate fraud to win elections, don't be surprised when the signatures they give you are thrown out.
They turned in almost 15,000 signatures, and only needed 5,000 to get him on the ballot. But out-of-state activists (most, apaprently, NOT progressive left-wingers but instead Republican operatives looking to hurt Kerry) were circulating many of the petitions, and some were getting local people to sign that they had done so.
That's illegal. One woman admitted she signed for her brother, a Californian Republican, not realizing it was illegal. Also, reports came in that Nader petitions were left on bars and other places, contrary to law which says the petition circulators must maintain possession of them at all times.
8,000 signatures were thrown out originally as simply not valid, and Blackwell ordered 3,000 more invalidated last night because of circulator fraud. They missed the 5,000 mark by more than 1,200.
From the Cleveland Pee Dee:
Note to Nader's Ohio campaign manager: When the people who are helping you come from organizations known to perpetrate fraud to win elections, don't be surprised when the signatures they give you are thrown out.
They turned in almost 15,000 signatures, and only needed 5,000 to get him on the ballot. But out-of-state activists (most, apaprently, NOT progressive left-wingers but instead Republican operatives looking to hurt Kerry) were circulating many of the petitions, and some were getting local people to sign that they had done so.
That's illegal. One woman admitted she signed for her brother, a Californian Republican, not realizing it was illegal. Also, reports came in that Nader petitions were left on bars and other places, contrary to law which says the petition circulators must maintain possession of them at all times.
8,000 signatures were thrown out originally as simply not valid, and Blackwell ordered 3,000 more invalidated last night because of circulator fraud. They missed the 5,000 mark by more than 1,200.
From the Cleveland Pee Dee:
In front of hearing examiner Gretchen Quinn, a legal team led by Democratic attorney Don McTigue lined up multiple witnesses who admitted signing off on petitions they had not circulated, as well as lending their addresses and names, as Ohio residents, to the forms. Several said they did not know who Nader was.
So Nader's off the ballot in Ohio (and Oregon, I believe). So...shouldn't every state that DOES have him on their ballot go back to his petitions and make sure there aren't any dirty tricks? Do you think they only used them in Ohio?!
Tracked: Sep 30, 14:36