Intellectual freedom is the only guarantee of a
scientific - democratic approach to politics, economic development, and
culture.
-Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov-
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
-Benjamin Franklin-
Mark Adams is [in no particular order] a Lawyer, Restauranteur, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Landlord, Singer, Guitarist, Political Scientist, Amateur Historian and Rhetorician with no sense of reverence for anything except the freedom to speak one's mind. To visit Mark's Family Law Website
A
federal judge has ordered the Franklin and Knox County boards of
elections to provide paper ballots or other forms of voting to help
process the people remaining in long lines.
Lawyers from the
Franklin Board and Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell
vehemently objected and vowed an immediate appeal, saying any votes not
cast on the regular electronic machines would be illegal.
And it was not
immediately clear just what the Franklin County elections board would
do to comply with the judge's order.
U.S. District Judge
Algenon L. Marbley held an emergency hearing at the request of the Ohio
Democratic Party and issued his order just as the polls were closing.
Ohio law requires
that everyone in line when the polls close be allowed to vote, no
matter how long it takes. A poll worker stands at the end of the line
if necessary to mark where voting will end.
But Democrats argued
with lines snaking out the door of many polling places and waits of
several hours, voters are getting discouraged and leaving before
casting their votes.
"Participation in
this Democracy should not be as onerous as it is being made today,"
Marbley said before issuing his order.
Why does Ken Blackwell hate counting your vote? Let me guess,
this was one of the blue neighborhoods. Devious Dunces?
Moore said his crews had found no evidence of wrongdoing in Ohio.
``What I've seen here so far isn't official abuse, it's neglect,'' he said, referring to the insufficient number of voting booths in many precincts.
The footage, he said, would be made available to reporters and turned over to federal authorities.
``I'm not making a movie,'' he said. ``I'm here as a citizen to stand up for the right to vote.''
Blackwell simply has failed in his most important assignment, protecting your vote (and not just handing an election to Bush).
On The Brighter Side
Huzzah! for the First Amendment. (You know, they make it first for a reason, didn't you?)
Scattered reports of problems in Lucas County, Ohio (Toledo):
Voting machines locked in a closet at one station, voting started late causing some voters to leave.
Three machines at one station (optical scanners), one never worked and the other two jammed. No voting until a technician came out to fix it. (why isn't someone trained at each polling center to at least clear a friggin' paper jam? Geez.)
Long lines . . . real long lines, and early "commotion," over the confusion about challengers.
