An Electoral Mess in MD-04

by: Matt Stoller

Tue Feb 12, 2008 at 21:34

Also, Prince Georges County 13-13 which went 60% to 38% in favor of Wynn last time, was 415 (Edwards) to 432 (Wynn) this time.

So, way early. But two precincts in with favorable results.

Update (Chris): 0504 Montgomery 371-161. In 2006 it went 280-161 for Edwards last time. Monto 1313: 2006 Edwards got 348-122. This time, 654-148. Mont Co 13-15: 489-94 in 2006. 694-92. Looking excellent.

Update (Tim): 6% in -- 55 to 41 Edwards.

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Ok, this is a developping situation.  Polling places are intermittedly open and closed in Montgomery County, and election judges are refusing to follow the direction of the board of elections.  They are not willing to come in to a centralized location with their voting machine memory cards, because the roads are icy and they are tired and underpaid.  I don't know about Prince George's.

This is a messed up situation considering the serious problems in 2006.  Returns that we know of in Montgomery, which are Donna's base, are simply hugely advantageous for Donna.  The campaign is furious and negotiations are happening.  Last cycle there were substantial irregularities in Donna's base precincts, due to, you guessed it, undertrained and underpaid polling workers.  It's horrible out and people are very cold and tired.  Normally in a situation like this police would get the ballots and bring them to the board, but there aren't enough police because of the bad weather.

Lawyers are fighting.  This is a problem in 'only a handful of precincts', but the board of elections won't tell us which ones.  I don't mean to overdramatize this, it doesn't look as bad as it was last cycle considering that there really is a good reason for the problems (weather).  

I'm guessing that Donna has probably won the race but we don't know right now and we may not know until tomorrow morning.

... The board of elections has alerted a judge about the possibility of a need for court intervention so that sheriffs would be ordered to go to the judges and secure the materials, both the machines and the memory cards.  Intuitively, the board is hoping that the threat of this action will get them to cease and desist their 'rebellion'.

It's just silly.