Obama Campaign: Count Every Vote

Republicans have been raising a huge stink about voter fraud in recent days, but the much bigger question on Election Day is whether every vote (or at least most of them) will actually be counted.

The New York Times published a shocking story last week, reporting that "tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law."

The article continued: "Although much attention this year has been focused on the millions of new voters being added to the rolls by the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama, there has been far less notice given to the number of voters being dropped from those same rolls." The paper looked at six swing states: Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and North Carolina. "Michigan and Colorado are removing voters from the rolls within 90 days of a federal election, which is not allowed except when voters die, notify the authorities that they have moved out of state, or have been declared unfit to vote. Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio seem to be improperly using Social Security data to verify registration applications for new voters."

The net effect: in Michigan 33,000 voters were removed from the rolls in August and in Colorado 37,000 voters were purged in three weeks since mid-July. Imagine this scenario--on Election Day thousands of voters will show up to the polls, only to be told they're not registered, leading to chaos and confusion, perhaps in large enough numbers to swing the results in crucial swing states.

It's a scary thought--and one the Obama campaign says they're preparing for. On a conference call today, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe and legal counsel Bob Bauer laid out their plans to ensure that every vote is counted.

"This has been an election of enormous interest to the American people and we think that's something that should be celebrated," Plouffe said. "Our opponents seem to have a different view."

The Obama campaign's massive voter turnout and voter registration efforts should give them a major advantage on November 4. In the last six months, for example, Democrats have out-registered Republicans by a margin of four to one. Republicans won't be able to make up this deficit, so they've taken to raising questions about the legitimacy of who will vote. "We can't allow leftist groups like ACORN to steal the election," Sarah Palin wrote in a fundraising letter on Monday.

Plouffe joked that "Fox News Channel is turning themselves into the 24-hour ACORN channel." He labeled these attacks as nothing but a "smoke-screen." "We have no doubt that their efforts at suppression and intimidation will be unprecedented."

Obama counsel Bob Bauer pointed to examples in Montana, where Republicans have used change-of-address forms to improperly challenge new Democratic registrants (a federal judge called the GOP's tactics "political chicanery"); in Ohio, where Republicans challenged same-day registration and absentee voting (the 6th circuit court said the claim rested on "shaky ground"); in Michigan, where Republicans tried to use foreclosure lists to purge voters; and in Wisconsin, where the Republican Attorney General is suing the state's board of elections. (And just today, a GOP operative was indicted for lying to the FBI about charges that he jammed the phones of the New Hampshire Democratic Party on Election Day 2002.)

Bauer promised a "ferocious response" to these challenges. "The only fraud that has occurred is on the other side," Bauer said.

"The Republican voter protection attack is frankly symptomatic of the way the entire campaign is operating," he continued. "That is, attack without facts. In 2004 they had a 72-hour get-out-the-vote program. In 2008 they have an every 24-hour press call about vote fraud."

At the end of the call, I asked Bauer to respond to the New York Times article of last week. He said: "We are very confident that election officials are working to solve these problems. They have a great amount of work to do, there's a huge number of new registrations that have been received. From everything we hear, the work is hard, but it will be successfully done. So to the extent the article left people with the impression that somehow there's a meltdown and voters will find when they arrive at the polls that they're not on the rolls and they're told they cannot vote, I think that would be the wrong belief to take from that article."

Bauer sounded confident that by the time November 4 rolls around, every vote will be counted. Let's hope he's right.

Comments (39)

1. >>>in Michigan, where Republicans tried to use foreclosure lists to purge voters;<<<

   This is SHAMEFUL!

   Posted by Metteyya at 10/14/2008 @ 3:42pm

2. Apparently Rush and Sean and their followers here (like Palin and violating ethics)...

   seem to just "forget" about MCCAIN attending an ACORN event in 2006!

   And no...he WASN'T held there against his will!....heheh

   Posted by Maskdelta at 10/14/2008 @ 4:15pm

3. I have long hoped that when a jerk is called a jerk because of his actions and words he might understand he is being called a jerk BECAUSE HE IS ONE and not because he is tall or short, fat or skinny, blond or bald, or white or brown or black.

   Today we see so much "political correctness" what's being said is 'pap'.

   Posted by tucanofulano at 10/14/2008 @ 4:28pm

4. Posted by RedRiver_. at 10/14/2008 @ 4:20pm

   Hey RED/RIO....remember when you said a Democratic victory in November would lead to Christians and conservatives being rounded up into concentration camps?

   "Obama "Can" Govern as a Progressive" No arguement with that statement as the his policies should resemble those of the "third reich" and "totalitarian communism" which are embrace by the highly selective authoritative minority rule so favored by "regressives"!

   The only questions any voter should have is "Who gets to play the part of the Jews and other society undesirables this time around?" Maybe conservatives and christians?"-----Posted by RIO BRAVO 02/28/2008 @ 4:20pm

   Have you packed yet?.....LOL

   Posted by Maskdelta at 10/14/2008 @ 4:37pm

5. It always tickles me when Chicago politicians gripe about voter iregularities.

   Posted by john lowell at 10/14/2008 @ 4:41pm

6. Red River,

   "SUBSTANTUATING" isn't a word in the English language - even when it's not typed in ALL CAPS.

   Posted by Be Good at 10/14/2008 @ 4:50pm

7. P.S. Although, looking at my keyboard, the odds of a substantiating/substantuating typo are much better than "accidentally" typing Barack Osama, as occurred on those New York ballots.

   Posted by Be Good at 10/14/2008 @ 5:06pm

8. To RedRiver: Check into the lawful practice of voter registration before believing everything you hear. When ACORN or anyone else gets voter registration cards back, they have to verify them. If they contain false information, they cannot, by law, just trash them. They have to attach a form to them and submit them to the proper regulatory group. They then destroy them. The problem in Nevada was that the "proper authorities" received the applications that were deemed improper and then did nothing with them. Also, it is NOT voter fraud unless someone who filled out the card improperly actually appears at the polling place and tries to vote. And, there are federal laws that designate what is to be used LAWFULLY as a means to purge voters from the rolls. Social security numbers are supposed to be used as a last resort................there are local and state records that lawfully are to be used before social security numbers. If people would hear something and then check it out for themselves on numerous websites rather than just on their party's newsstation or website, they might just be more informed and not have a tendency to buy into the propaganda of their party.

   Posted by marie2880 at 10/14/2008 @ 5:36pm

9. "Obama "Can" Govern as a Progressive" No arguement with that statement as the his policies should resemble those of the "third reich" and "totalitarian communism" which are embrace by the highly selective authoritative minority rule so favored by "regressives"!

   The only questions any voter should have is "Who gets to play the part of the Jews and other society undesirables this time around?" Maybe conservatives and christians?"-----Posted by RIO BRAVO 02/28/2008 @ 4:20pm

   Red/Rio - what the hell kind of hallucinogens were you doing when you posted that drivel? OK, basic lesson here, so listen up and pay attention. The third reich and totalitarian communism are not the same thing. In fact, the third reich invaded the home of totalitarian communism, as Hitler rather hated the aforementioned communists. Prescott Bush, grandpa of your Dear Leader, in fact helped bankroll the third reich, and the fascist apple apparently has landed very close to the tree, if you can understand what I'm saying here, Rio. And the "regressives", Rio, are people like you, the ones who have a soft spot in their hearts (and in their heads) for the way things were back in the 19th century, when government served a wealthy few and screwed the not-so-wealthy many. You know, Rio, we all know that you frighten easily, that the idea of any sort of discomfort sends you into paroxysms of self-inflicted pain and rage, ultimately scurrying to check under your bed for commies/terrorists/liberals/blacks/latinos/women/anyone with more than half a functioning brain/whatever boogeyman is causing you the literal or metaphorical urinary and fecal incontinence with which you're dealing at the moment. How else, after all, to explain your refusal to do the right thing and volunteer to fight your Dear Leader's war.

   Posted by jmusolino at 10/14/2008 @ 5:55pm

10. How do we know that the phoney voter registrations were actually completed and turned in by ACORN staff? Let's not forget who created the fake National Guard attendance records.

    Posted by dude77007 at 10/14/2008 @ 6:09pm

11. "Now that is funny! Not only is there proof positive of ACORN's VOTER FRAUD nationwide, but now large numbers of "whistle blowers" usually praised for their patriotism by the left continue to come forward SUBSTANTUATING the claims! Also there is PROOF that they are breaking federal election and campaign laws! But then the leftist and Obamanations camp see NO problem with that!"

    Just what is the "proof positive"? The proof that actually exists is that ACORN has followed the law to the hilt. They have three possibilities with the registrations they gather: they are outright frauds; they may be frauds; they are real. All are turned in as such--that is the law. Not surprisingly, so-called conservatives are attacking ACORN because...tah dah!--they followed the law! Of course, the Hannity types and his sheep are claiming that because they turned these in, they are breaking the law.

    By the way, just what "campaign laws" are they breaking? I wasn't aware ACORN was campaigning for office. Or is this just another pipe dream from the mindless followers of a party headed to the dustbin of history?

    Posted by onthehelm at 10/14/2008 @ 8:57pm

12. McCain Was Keynote Speaker at ACORN Event in 2006

    "A video of the event including McCain's address clearly demonstrates McCain's support for ACORN's objectives"

    Posted by winyahn at 10/14/2008 @ 10:38pm

13. Resident neoconartists seem to have slowed a bit on the constant singing of their #1 favorite melody...

    the 2006, 2007, 2008, 24 / 7 chartpopping diddy that more or less goes like this:

    "a vote against palin/cheney/mcsame/limbaugh = socialist socialist russia socialism socialist cuba socialist socialism socialist castro socialism socialist

    as sung by "The Cravens" 2HAPPY barry25 Daddude fukUlibruls HelenDAO Iraq_Vet librulfreaks libzRfreaks libzsuck libzsuk lrjones4 lvliberty1 mihnea RedRiver_. Rio Bravo SooHAPPY and votenic

    Posted by winyahn at 10/14/2008 @ 10:55pm

14. All you Obama supporters calm down....

    Take a deep breath....

    Now,

    For every vote the "GOP" purges, there will be an Obama supporter who gets to vote TWICE, maybe even THREE times.

    And just for a little icing, how about this. There are also Obama supporters that will get to vote in more than one swing state.

    Nnnnoooowwww, see nothing to worry about.

    Ooops,

    One thing,

    It would not look good if Obama gets more votes in a precinct than aforementioned precinct has registed voters.

    Posted by bleedingheart at 10/15/2008 @ 12:05am

15. It would not look good if Obama gets more votes in a precinct than aforementioned precinct has registed voters.

    Posted by bleedingheart at 10/15/2008 @ 12:05am

    You mean like Bush in Ohio in 2004? Here's what, bleed. Those of us on the left know exactly what your rightwingers are up to at any time - it's the stuff they accuse the left of doing. Republicans talking about voter fraud - what a laugh.

    Posted by jmusolino at 10/15/2008 @ 12:14am

16. naderbleeder, you have surprisingly little to actually add to these discussions, IMHO. Seriously, can you tell us why you prefer McCain to Barr? Or Hannity to OReilly or something about your own so-called thinking?

    Posted by winyahn at 10/15/2008 @ 12:28am

17. Posted by jmusolino at 10/15/2008 @ 12:14am

    Posted by winyahn at 10/15/2008 @ 12:28am

    jmus, winy...again....bleeding is a Republican POSING as a Naderite.

    He'll be gone by November 5th.

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/15/2008 @ 09:07am

18. its quite obviously simple.

    republicans consistantly try to keep people from voting, whether by infiltrating the election boards or by legalist smoke and mirrors, or intimidation, therefore...

    they are agaisnt democracy! since democracy is as american as apple pie and mom...

    they are unamerican! since being unamerican is tantamout to treason and being a traitor...

    they are UNAMERICAN TREASONOUS TRAITORS!!!!!!!

    and since unamerican treasonous traitors obviously hate america...

    REPUBLICANS ARE UNAMERICAN TREASONOUS TRAITOROUS AMERICA HATERS!!!!!

    wow! the logic is inexorably inarguable!!!!

    Posted by dexter666 at 10/15/2008 @ 09:35am

19. Posted by Maskdelta at 10/15/2008 @ 09:07am | ignore this person | warn this person

    hey mask! how ya like my argument above? sounds inarguable to me!!!

    LMAO

    Posted by dexter666 at 10/15/2008 @ 09:38am

20. Wow, McCain is doing almost as well as Bush according to the latest poll.

    Posted by onthehelm at 10/15/2008 @ 10:00am

21. To bleedingheart: I don't know where you vote, but I have lived in two states and in both, when I go to the polling place and vote, my name is crossed off or marked in some way to show I've voted. That should happen at all polling places (where by law have both republican and democrats as poll watchers). So if the polls are run correctly, how could Obama get more votes than people registered in the precincts? And what about the illegal purging of so many voters in mostly the swing states? Doesn't that sound just a little suspicious?

    Posted by marie2880 at 10/15/2008 @ 10:08am

22. Posted by dexter666 at 10/15/2008 @ 09:38am

    Parallel Universe RIO/REDRIVER, huh?

    LOL

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/15/2008 @ 10:12am

23. Rio Loco

    Has it escaped your narrow view, that the reason that ACORN is in the news at all is that THEY CAME FORWARD TO REPORT THESE IRREGULARITIES

    All the dimwits in the world cannot seem to tell the difference between registration fraud (which was done by folks working for ACORN) for their own profit versus the Repugnuts circumventing laws to disallow voters from voting which IS election fraud of the most effective and egregious kind.

    For the full story try the BBC

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7658182.stm

    Posted by leftofcenter at 10/15/2008 @ 10:42am

24. The basis of this article is wrong. The charge is NOT voter fraud. The charge is "voter registration fraud". There is a huge difference.

    No one named Mickey Mouse is going to show up to vote. The Dallas Cowboys' offensive line isn't going to Ohio to vote. The few bad apples in ACORN who submitted phony registration names have no impact on the election. None. So please, get the charges correct, because you are buying into and giving credence to the phony RNC charges.

    Posted by irsslex at 10/15/2008 @ 12:06pm

25. Posted by lvliberty1 at 10/15/2008 @ 11:43am

    See? LVLIB already building his excuse for an Obama victory....

    "They stolt it!!!!!"

    He's become the "whiney liberal" he and others complained about in 2000 and 2004!

    Oh...the irony!...........LOL

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/15/2008 @ 12:30pm

26. Posted by winyahn at 10/14/2008 @ 10:38pm

    Just because McCain supported ACORN's efforts in '06 doesn't mean he supports what's happening with them in '08. Has he been a keynote speaker since then? Has he actively supported them during this campaign? The answer to both is no. I'm not saying that Obama knew any fraud was going on either, but he HAS been involved with them in '08. The issue is with the inaccuracies themselves and those who knew they were going on.

    Posted by jayneslilsis at 10/15/2008 @ 1:28pm

27. Posted by lvliberty1 at 10/15/2008 @ 11:43am

    Oh God. Please. Take your crap elsewhere. You have evidence of Republican operatives scrubbing polls in swing states and yet you try to turn around and build a case with 0 evidence. Literally 0 evidence. You can't even begin to show any evidence of corruption from the Obama campaign in trying to swing polls his way. You are such a misguided person LVL it's hilarious. You are so incredibly biased that you are unwilling to accept even that America can vote for a Democrat and are already trying to build some smoke screen argument that Obama is going to steal the election. Have you seen the polls lately? He doesn't need to steal the election. McCain is losing, badly. On top of that the polls are even more biased toward Republicans than is what is being stated because of multiple factors including a lack of cell phone polling so they are missing a large portion of youth and minority votes. So I think the gap is even bigger than you think. Yet you are saying Obama is trying to "steal" the election. He doesn't need to steal the election. McCain campaigning like a moron and Bush's first rate job of governing this country gave him the election.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 10/15/2008 @ 1:45pm

28. New research indicates that Obama actually is 2-3 % higher in all the polls per cell phone only families lean heavily 20%+ more towards Obama than McPalin.

    So that high of 14% could really be a 17% lead...

    Posted by hsuBfools at 10/15/2008 @ 1:53pm

29. Well that's rich. You want all of the votes to be counted. Where were you in 2000 when Gore and the Democrats did not want all of the votes to be counted? Remember, they only requested hand recounts in four counties that were predominantly Democrat, rather than requesting hand recounts statewide. Gore didn't want all of the votes to be counted, he just wanted the Democrat votes to be counted. Gore and his camp also attempted at one point to have the oversea military (i.e., predominantly Republican) absentee votes not counted because they did not have postmarks. That's great, Gore wanted to be Commander-in-Chief but did not want certain military votes to count.

    Posted by GBGB at 10/15/2008 @ 2:15pm

30. Posted by jayneslilsis at 10/15/2008 @ 1:28pm

    So jayne, McCain "actually supported ACORN before he opposed it"????

    LOL

    Posted by Maskdelta at 10/15/2008 @ 2:16pm

31. report on role purges:

    http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2008/10/09-5

    Posted by leftofcenter at 10/15/2008 @ 2:21pm

32. marie2880,

    OK, here's how you do it:

    -1st time: Find one of those people walking down the sidewalk with a clipboard that says "REGISTER TO VOTE HERE". Just look for someone wearing an Obama t-shirt. Answer all of her questions honestly.

    -2nd time: Go to another side of town find another "REGISTER TO VOTE HERE" clipboard lady with a different Obama t-shirt. But this time answer all questions correctly but give a different address. A friend or relative's address that lives in a different precinct. (Gotta do your homework here.)

    -3rd time: Go to a different state. Tell them you're a student, just moved, something. But you haven't changed your address yet. If you know someone who lives in another state, well you've got it made.

    -4th time: Register online!

    On election day. Cast your legimate vote first, get that out of the way. At the other precincts you should be able to vote as well. If not, uhoh!!

    Get mad and use phrases like this:

    -"My right to vote is granted by the constitution!!" -"Oh no you ain't disfranchising me up in here!!" -"I'll have a team of lawyers here so fast it'll make your head spin!!"

    If you can find a TV camera this will go over even better.

    You'll get to vote at least twice using this method.

    Posted by bleedingheart at 10/15/2008 @ 3:11pm

33. Ah, lvliberty, the irony of your screen name. "As to using Social Security information to validate registrations, that seems like a reasonable approach." Yes, breaking the law is ok as long as it "seems like a reasonable approach". That in a nutshell is the real Bush doctrine.

    Posted by aljstl at 10/15/2008 @ 4:30pm

34. Let the voters reflect on the Presidential Legacy of George W. Bush.

    • George W. Bush's unprecedented fiscal irresponsibility has led to record deficits and a record national debt. When President Bush took office in January, 2001 he inherited President Clinton's budget surpluses. Those surpluses and a shrinking national debt are now but faded memories. George W. Bush ran on a platform of fiscal conservatism.

    • His administration has been dogged by numerous influence peddling scandals. The Jack Abramoff scandal is but one example. Bush's entire presidency has been controlled by lobbyists.

    • Mr.Bush has waged an expensive (in both American lives and treasure) and needless war against Iraq, a country that had nothing to do with the attacks of September 11th, 2001. Instead of focusing on the capture of Osama Bin Laden, Mr.Bush chose to invade a sovereign country and impose democracy on a people incapable and unwilling to accept that form of government. Once the United States no longer has a military presence in Iraq, Mr.Bush will have succeeded in transforming a secular government into a theocracy.

    • The "anything goes" cowboy mentality of George W. Bush's administration has led to wanton deregulation of the financial sector of the economy. Coupled with his administration's lack of enforcement of the remaining regulations has led to the collapse of this country's and the world's credit and banking systems. The effect of the collapse has yet to be felt on Main Street.

    • The paranoia exhibited by members of his administration has led to the Patriot Act, an unprecedented usurpation of the Bill of Rights. His unauthorized and illegal electronic eavesdropping on the communications between innocent Americans should have led to his impeachment and removal from offi

    Posted by rcapppgh at 10/15/2008 @ 9:07pm

35. • His administration proposed and Congress passed a nearly trillion dollar bailout of the failing financial institutions. The cost of this unprecedented giveaway will inflict an increased tax burden on future generations of Americans. This bailout emanated from the "leaders" of the political party that purports to be in favor of a position of less government intervention into the private sector.

    • The inaction of the Bush administration to prepare for and react to the tragedy that was hurricane Katrina will forever be remembered as one of our government's biggest domestic failures. The President was too busy clearing brush on his ranch to take a leadership position in the rescue and recovery efforts. The picture of him staring out of a window of Air Force 1 flying over the devastation in New Orleans will be a lasting testament to his detachment concerning domestic issues.

    • George W. Bush will be remembered as the president who was appointed by the conservative leaning Supreme Court in 2000 before the electoral process had run its proper course, and the allegations of voter intimidation and improper purging of the voter registration rolls in Florida had been duly investigated.

    • The presidency of George W. Bush will be treated by historians as a total failure on economic, domestic, and foreign issues. The one bright spot in his presidency is that it ends in January, 2009. Pennsylvania's James Buchanan may no longer be considered as the most inept and ineffective President of the United States.

    Posted by rcapppgh at 10/15/2008 @ 9:09pm

36. Posted by Maskdelta at 10/15/2008 @ 2:16pm

    When an organization is run by people, it's subject to change at any time. Their policies and way of business change with those in charge. I know many people who have at one time supported an organization or charity and then when evidence surfaced of their corruption or mishandling in someway, they withdrew that support. That doesn't make a flip-flop, if that's what you're implying.

    There's no evidence that ACORN was corrupt in any way before this election year. Once Obama knew about even the possiblity of corruption, he should have backed away and washed his hands of the organization. Instead, he's the one who donated money from his campaign, not McCain.

    LOL, myself.

    So mask, actually McCain supported ACORN before it's possible corruption came to light. Unlike Obama, his campaign hasn't worked with them this election year.

    Posted by jayneslilsis at 10/16/2008 @ 12:45pm

37. Once Obama knew about even the possiblity of corruption, he should have backed away and washed his hands of the organization.

    Posted by jayneslilsis at 10/16/2008

    Chronology? Logic?

    When were these bogus registrations, brought to light by ACORN themselves, as required by law?

    When were donatins given? Or does your partisanship overide your thought processes?

    Somehow I don't think you care if your allegations are true or not.

    Posted by Malcontent at 10/16/2008 @ 7:08pm

38. Posted by Malcontent at 10/16/2008 @ 7:08pm

    The following is from a group that calls themselves Purple People. That is, they are neither red nor blue, but a blend of the two. They claim to be "Realist/Libertarian light".

    "The Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports in their article 'Obama to Amend Report on $800,000 in Spending' that Obama tried to cover up his $800,000+ payment to ACORN by giving it to an ACORN front organization. In fact the reported group Citizens Services Inc shares an address and has the same political director as ACORN. The question still has not been asked or answered by the Obama campaign; why would a political campaign donate close to a million dollars to a "community service" organization in the middle of a campaign? And why would a campaign donate to a group that has members who were convicted on voter fraud in Washington and Missouri, and is under investigation in several other states?"

    And this is from the cited Pittsburg news article: "A Trib analysis of campaign finance reports showed Obama paid CSI for services that stood out as unusual. For example, CSI received payments of $63,000 and $75,000 for advance work. Excluding the large payments to CSI, the average amount the Obama campaign spent with other organizations was $558.82 per check on more than 1,200 entries classified as advance work. Citizens Services Inc. is headquartered at the same address as ACORN's national headquarters in New Orleans."

    It would seem that Obama didn't want to give money to ACORN directly and went through a front organization to appear at a glance that he had no direct ties to them. Seems sketchy to me. Of course, YMMV and it probably does.

    Posted by jayneslilsis at 10/17/2008 @ 11:30am

39. My point was, that your characterization of this incident implied he should have considered the registration issue, before he donated money. This is chronologically impossible.

    Secondly, you imply that previous to this incident, there was no cause for concern, regarding being affiliated with ACORN. So wheres the logic? And if you did not imply that, then McCain's relationship to ACORN becomes an issue too.

    Posted by Malcontent at 10/17/2008 @ 6:48pm