Obama 19,605, Romney's zero

[Erroneous]

Pennsylvania election officials say they are not planning to investigate the extraordinary turnout and vote totals that President Obama garnered from parts of Philadelphia last Tuesday.

"In a presidential election year, there are times where you get extremely high turnout," said Ron Ruman, press secretary for Pennsylvania's Department of State, in a telephone interview with Fox News. "We would investigate if we thought there was something shady going on. But at this point, we have no reason to think that."

Ruman's comments came as Philadelphia news outlets and election analysts have flagged the near-unanimity with which the Obama-Biden ticket swept pockets of the City of Brotherly Love. As the Philadelphia Inquirer first reported last week, six of Philadelphia's 66 wards handed the president victory shares of 99 percent or better. In 20 of the wards, the Obama vote totals exceeded 97 percent.

On Monday, the Inquirer reported that in 59 of Philadelphia's "divisions" -- these are subsets of wards, wherein fewer than 1,000 people might be registered to vote -- GOP nominee Mitt Romney failed to win even a single vote. Collectively, the votes for Obama across these divisions added up to 19,605, to Romney's zero.

"I don't find it hard to believe that there are neighborhoods in the United States where President Obama got 97 to 99 percent of the vote -- basically all African-Americans," said Michael Barone, a Fox News contributor who is the longtime editor of The Almanac of American Politics. "There are such neighborhoods, and you can see them in central-city, black ghetto (areas)."

However, Barone noted that turnout rates in these areas was sometimes reported to have exceeded 90 percent, a level of enthusiasm that he said should arouse suspicion. "Philadelphia's been a place that's had some pretty irregular election procedures in the past," he said.

State Rep. Sam Smith, the Republican from the 66th District who serves as speaker of the Pennsylvania House, called the results "questionable." "In some precincts in Philadelphia, I think you're going to see, as they finish the official count, places where there are more people voting in a precinct than actually signed in at the poll book," Smith told Fox News.

Asked what gave him that idea, Smith cited the electoral history of the city and said he thought it would be "predictive" this time around, as well.

Former U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, a Democrat whose congressional district abutted Philadelphia, said he has seen firsthand the "machine" at work in the city's politics, but he did not question the president's vote totals.

"The polling across the nation showed that the African-American community was supporting the president by about 98, 99 percent," Sestak told Fox News. "I think the people voted the way they believe in."

A Fox News analysis found that in some inner-city areas of Illinois, the vote totals for the president more or less matched those seen in Philadelphia.

In 10 of Chicago's 50 wards, for example, the Obama-Biden ticket captured 98 percent of the vote or more. In six of those wards, the figure climbed to 99 percent.

I am not saying this is not 100% true or any racism or anything negative here, but wow, really? I read a story where a guy in the KKK voted for Obama. You mean to tell me not one person in these 59 Philly divisions voted for the Romney? I travel around Philly all the time. The whole city is not black. Not one vote? WOW!

Philly demographics
44.2% Black
39.0% White
5.4% Asian
4.7% from other races
3.2% Mixed Race
0.2% Native American
0.05% Pacific Islander
12.5% of the population were Hispanic and Latino.

[Jon Lyrik]

North Philly's pretty much entirely black. West Philly has parts that are.

[The Heart Collector]

i'm not sure why people find this stuff surprising considering we know that

1) obama's GOTV machine is incredible
2) romney's GOTV machine had serious problems on election day

[jolanar]

Not one person in the entire city voted for Romney? Wow if they were rigging it, they sure did it in an extremely arrogant way.

Doesn't surprise me, voter fraud and voter intimidation has been a lovely part of the American voting process since the very beginning. Seems like business as usual.

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by jolanar

Not one person in the entire city voted for Romney? Wow if they were rigging it, they sure did it in an extremely arrogant way.

Doesn't surprise me, voter fraud and voter intimidation has been a lovely part of the American voting process since the very beginning. Seems like business as usual.

OH NO NO NO NO NO. I read somewhere there are over 1680 voting districts in Philly.
As I read more there are many districts all around the country (ok almost all of them are in urban african american areas) that went 98% or better to one candidate (OK, 99% of those were for Obama). This has little to do with voter fraud. I just think all black areas voted for Obama. There might have been, but I am not saying it or thinking it. Still amazing that there was not on mistake. I guess Philly people are smarter than Floridians.

But I do believe there is a lot of voter fraud going on all over the country. That is why there should be voter ID laws. But that is another topic for another thread and many here do not believe there is much voter fraud. lol

[Jon Lyrik]

Voter fraud has not been proven to be a serious problem. Ballot fraud is different.

[The Postmaster General]

I don't think it's voter fraud, but if it is voter fraud, it would make more sense for the motive to go the other way. On hand hand, you have the Republicans rigging the results so they could have an obvious case in support of voter ID laws. Then on the other side, the Democrats could have rigged it so that it would be obvious and it would help them in an area they were expected to win anyway.

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by Jon Lyrik

Voter fraud has not been proven to be a serious problem. Ballot fraud is different.

What you consider a serious problem? How about the new black panthers standing in front of voting places talking "in a not so nice way" to would be voters? Does that count? It happened in 08 and 12 in Philly. Dead people voting is not a problem? Unions demanding that their members vote one way is not a problem? Same for companies?

[electriclite]

Originally Posted by Erroneous

What you consider a serious problem? How about the new black panthers standing in front of voting places talking "in a not so nice way" to would be voters? Does that count? It happened in 08 and 12 in Philly. Dead people voting is not a problem? Unions demanding that their members vote one way is not a problem? Same for companies?

Except for the dead people, you're describing intimidation, not voter fraud.

And that was ONE New Black Panther filmed; one less than from 2008 and its the same guy from 2008, unarmed, at the same voting site. They had more in attendance at the Trayvon Martin makeshift memorial: a whopping 5

Take Jon Lyrik to heart, we've had a number of reported issues this election cycle with registrations being thrown out and in S. Florida over 130 absentee ballots from seniors were being traded for favors in one district.


Florida officials found throwing out absentee ballots in 2012 elections

Florida Republicans' Ballot Fraud 2012


Department of Justice Investigating Alleged Ballot Fraud At Clackamas County Elections

Va. congressmen seek probe of trashed voter registration forms

and the list goes on...

[Erroneous]

There were also a few photographed in Ohio. Both sides have done things. We have the ability to limit the problems that can come up. We choose not to do them.

[electriclite]

Originally Posted by Erroneous

There were also a few photographed in Ohio. Both sides have done things. We have the ability to limit the problems that can come up. We choose not to do them.

There were 3 NBPP members photographed just across the street from a polling site. I don't know the specific laws of Ohio, but across the street in my area is the maximum closeness you can be to voters waiting in line to vote. Are there any other photos other than the Twitpic that made the rounds of them mingling in the line?

Now what are the options? It seems everywhere someone looked they viewed something as intimidation. And then if they are handled, they're handled in court months after the fact.

Then what? We have police at the polling sites? Guaranteed that gets spun into voter intimidation as well.

Each state has laws as to how far people who are not voting and are "representing" a certain side must be from actual voters. Those laws just need to actually be enforced, and not have someone "call former Navy Seals". They did that in 2008 with those 2 NBPP members. Interestingly enough the one of the guys who showed up again this year in Philadelphia was confirmed as a designated pollwatcher.

The problem is that since the implementation of the Voting Rights Act there have only been only three successful prosecutions since the standards for proof are so high.

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by electriclite

There were 3 NBPP members photographed just across the street from a polling site. I don't know the specific laws of Ohio, but across the street in my area is the maximum closeness you can be to voters waiting in line to vote. Are there any other photos other than the Twitpic that made the rounds of them mingling in the line?

Now what are the options? It seems everywhere someone looked they viewed something as intimidation. And then if they are handled, they're handled in court months after the fact.

Then what? We have police at the polling sites? Guaranteed that gets spun into voter intimidation as well.

Each state has laws as to how far people who are not voting and are "representing" a certain side must be from actual voters. Those laws just need to actually be enforced, and not have someone "call former Navy Seals". They did that in 2008 with those 2 NBPP members. Interestingly enough the one of the guys who showed up again this year in Philadelphia was confirmed as a designated pollwatcher.

The problem is that since the implementation of the Voting Rights Act there have only been only three successful prosecutions since the standards for proof are so high.

A lot of what you said I feel is correct. I am a big fan of enforcing current laws and not just thinking up new ones.

[bourahioro]

http://www.joblo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=147567

[Erroneous]

http://now.msn.com/melowese-richards...bama-six-times

Sometimes you really believe in a candidate so much, you’d do anything to help them win. Anything. Maybe even a little voter fraud. Officials in Ohio are investigating whether an Ohio poll worker voted multiple times for Barack Obama during the 2012 presidential election (Which kind of violates that whole one person, one vote idea behind a representative democracy). Melowese Richardson is apparently such an ardent supporter of Obama that she says she voted for him twice — casting votes via absentee ballot and also at a polling station. Authorities are also looking into whether the Cincinnati woman voted in the place of four other people, including her granddaughter.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013...est=latestnews

She admitted voting twice in the presidential election last November, and now, Obama supporter Melowese Richardson has been indicted for allegedly voting at least six times. She also is charged with illegal voting in 2008 and 2011.

The 58-year-old veteran Cincinnati poll worker, indicted Monday, faces eight counts of voter fraud. Two others, one of whom is a nun, have been charged separately.

Richardson had admitted on camera to a local TV station, "Yes, I voted twice," claiming she was concerned that her vote would not count. She also said there "was no intent on my part to commit any voter fraud."

"I'll fight it for Mr. Obama and Mr. Obama's right to sit as president of the United States," she proclaimed in the interview.

Officials charged that she voted in her own name by absentee ballot and also in person at the polls, but Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Deters said she also is charged with voting in the name of five other people in various elections.

"This is not North Korea," Deters said in a statement announcing the indictments. "Elections are a serious business and the foundation of our democracy. In the scheme of things, individual votes may not seem important, but this could not be further from the truth. Every vote is important and every voter and candidate needs to have faith in our system. The charges today should let people know that we take this seriously."

Richardson made national headlines when the Hamilton County Board of Elections announced that it was investigating whether she voted up to half a dozen times, including on behalf of her granddaughter, India Richardson.

India told Fox News that her grandmother did indeed vote in her name, telling us that "it wasn't a big deal."

But voting twice or in another person's name is illegal.

Prosecutors say the five other people for whom Richardson cast ballots are all relatives.

Sister Marguerite Kloos also faces one count of illegal voting, for allegedly submitting an absentee ballot in the name of a fellow nun, Sister Rose Marie Hewitt, who had died before absentee ballots were sent out. She is accused of opening Sister Hewitt’s ballot, forging her signature and mailing it to the Board of Elections as a vote.

The 54-year-old Kloos has resigned as the dean of the Division of Arts and Humanities at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, where she still serves as an associate professor of religious and pastoral studies.

Kloos was not indicted but faces what is known as an information, because her lawyer contacted prosecutors and she agreed to cooperate and plead guilty.

"As a valued member of the Mount community, our thoughts are with her during this difficult time," the college said in a written statement. "We respect her privacy and will not comment further on this matter at this time."

Russell Glassop, 75, also is charged with illegal voting. He is accused of voting on behalf of his wife, who died before election day.

But it was Richardson's case, and the possibility of repeated votes, that shocked many. She faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted. Efforts to contact her and her lawyer have been unsuccessful.

The Hamilton County Board of Elections recently held hearings on cases of possible double voting and voter fraud, part of a statewide review ordered by Secretary of State John Husted. He called on all 88 counties to review complaints of fraud, as well as voter disenfranchisement.

“Every voter must play by the rules, and if they don’t they will be held accountable,” Husted, a Republican, said in a written statement. “For voters to have confidence in our elections, we must prosecute every case of voter fraud in Ohio.”

Last month, Husted told Fox News that Richardson's case was especially troubling, because "it appears she not only attempted to vote more than once, but was actually successful at it and having those additional votes counted."

"Most attempts are caught by the system. But there are cases that do slip through, as this one does, and we need to make sure that we really send a strong message, that if you do this, you are going to be held accountable,” Husted said. “It might mean fines, it might mean jail time."

Hamilton County prosecutors are investigating three additional cases of possible voter fraud

For those who don't believe this EVER happens. It happens. It happens a lot. It happens to favor democrats. And here is one story of proof. I am sure you will blow this off, but keep in mind the lawmakers might actually know what they are talking about when they try to make a law and it is not always motivated by racism.