It is a primal scream of a BradCast today, following what happened — once again — on Election Day yesterday. We see, again, the nightmare scenario I’ve warned about for so many years: a U.S. election where all of the pre-election polls suggest Candidate X is set to win, but Candidate Y ends up winning by a huge margin instead and nobody even bothers to verify that the computer tabulated results accurately reflect the intent of the voters. (Audio link to today’s full show is below.)
That’s exactly what happened in Kentucky on Tuesday, where Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway was leading by a fair margin (about 3 to 5 points) in almost every pre-election poll in his race for Governor, but then ended up being announced as the loser to ‘Tea Party’ Republican candidate Matt Bevin by a landslide (almost 9 points) — according to the state’s 100% unverified computer tabulation systems.
As detailed on today’s program with my guest Karoli Kuns of Crooks And Liars, there are a number of reasons to question the reported results. Among them, as Kuns points out today at C&L, the Democrats running in the down ballot races — for Secretary of State, Attorney General (Conway’s current job) and even state Auditor — each reportedly received tens of thousands more votes than Conway did at the top of the ticket!
Bev Harris, of BlackBoxVoting.org, who I spoke with earlier today, described the higher vote totals in the down ballot races as a “significant anomaly”. She tells me that, at least until more records are requested and examined, the KY-Gov’s race “has to be looked at as a questionable outcome, particularly because of the discrepancies in the down ballot races. More votes in those races and not at the top…that just doesn’t happen.”
(Here is a link to a helpful Public Records Request toolkit [PDF] from Black Box Voting for those of you who may be interested in helping to try and obtain some transparency in this race, as we also discussed on today’s program.)
There are many other reasons for supporters to question the reported results in the KY-Gov’s race, as I detail during the show. Of course, the reported results could also be completely accurate. But, without public, human examination of the hand-marked paper ballots (which, thankfully, now actually exist across most of the state!) and other related records, we have yet another unverified, 100% faith-based election to leave supporters wondering if they really won or lost.
We’ve seen this before, of course. Too many times. We’ve seen malfunctioning paper ballot op-scan systems report losers as “winners” until a hand-count corrects the record. We’ve seen how easy it is for hackers to game election equipment. We’ve seen election insiders, even as recently as last week, breaking in to computerized central tabulators. And we’ve even seen high-ranking election officials in Kentucky (including County Clerks, Circuit Court Judges and School Superintendents!) convicted for decades of insider election fraud, including the manipulation of electronic voting systems.
We’ve seen both Democrats and Republicans alike fall victim to similarly anomalous and unverified results. And, while none of it bodes well for 2016 and beyond, neither does it bode well for those immediately and directly impacted by Tuesday’s elections — such as the 400,000 Kentuckyians who stand to lose health care under a new Republican Governor who has vowed to shut down the state’s expansion of coverage under ObamaCare by the very popular if term-limited and outgoing Democratic Governor.
Also today: More election results from races around the country, from the attempt to legalize marijuana in Ohio, to campaign finance reform in Maine, to the recall of Koch Brothers-funded school board officials in Colorado…
Download MP3 or listen to complete show online below…
[audio:http://bradblog.com/audio/BradCast_BradFriedman_2015KYGovAnomalies_KaroliKuns_110415.mp3]
(Snail mail support to “Brad Friedman, 7095 Hollywood Blvd., #594 Los Angeles, CA 90028” always welcome too!)
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Last night, in yet another demonstration of the failures of the self-styled mainstream press, commentators on MSNBC professed to be baffled by the “results” in Kentucky. Yet the United States, and even NGOs, dispute “elections” that fall outside the range of regular polls and exit polls. So how can one be mystified by the obvious? Again, that cartoon, where all the Republican officials were faced with changing their policies or cheating, chose the latter.
Oh, i dunno, maybe THIS is why so many goatfucking Republican candidates at EVERY governmental level feel oh so free (and comfortable!) saying and doing the most outrageously whackballs stuff, because THEY KNOW IT DOESN’T FUCKING MATTER!!!….like Josef once said, it makes no difference who votes, but who COUNTS the votes….like a crooked cop or Wall Street exec who don’t give a flying goddamn about NOTHIN’ because he goes to sleep KNOWING the system’s rigged to support him against all legitimate pushback….get ready for a Republican President 2016, if the black boxes are darker and dirtier than even Brad suspects….who’s ready to march on Washington for real if there’s another stolen presidential election???….or should we just leave the country??….don’t cry, you wouldn’t actually be leaving the USA….the USA would no longer exist at that point….kapish, amigos?…
This country has been in control by the 1% since the beginning, but since Rather reported on the bad paper stock that was delivered purposely to Miami obviously democracy is dead.
I agree with your blog on Ohio votes unchecked by hand.
I remember Ohio votes driving Karl Rove insane out TV. His hack of the Ohio Votes was unhacked by someone else, and he couldn’t believe it on live TV. The hack of the hack just was not done this election.
Wish they had done it again.
I wrote a comment about this election yesterday. Many of the posters were complaining that Davis lost because liberals didn’t get out and vote. My comment was NEVER to take the results at face value if a computer was involved in the vote count, and lo and behold ANOTHER anomalous, unverifiable election result, just like Ohio in 2004. The assumption here should be that the vote was hacked. Period. I’ve drawn the same conclusion for the midterm results that put the GOP firmly in control of the House.
If anyone believes that the baggers and fundies are above ballot box shenanigans you better think again. These people will stop at NOTHING including sedition and/or treason if they think it will give them a leg up.
We’ll have to keep a very close eye on the Presidential elections no matter how far ahead the Democratic candidate appears to be before election day.
Mark701:
You assume a lot, like Hillary can beat any Republican. Enough people (including leftists like me) hate the Clintons enough that we will NEVER vote for her, no matter what else happens. If Bernie is not the Dem. nominee, I’m back to the Greens, and so are millions of other Bernie backers. Probably enough to cause her to lose. Bernie on the other hand could beat Trump, Carson, et.al. like a rented mule.
I can absolutely guarantee that the 2016 presidential election WILL be stolen without ANY doubt whatsoever.
The one and the ONLY chance democrats have in 2016 is that Bernie win the primary and then wins the general by such a Yooge margin that it would difficult for them to steal so many states after watching line after line after line of 2-10 hour long lines with 75% of everyone wearing a Bernie T shirt then try to make the claim that Trump won.
Ok, let’s see here, so far we got 1, 2, 3…7 of us ready to rumble and kick some ass if this Republican vote-rigging bullshit gets wings….know what’s fucked about the whole HRC / DWS / DNC / DLC happy meal everyone’s trying to stuff down our throats?….THEY’RE TOTALLY IN ON THE MOTHERFUCKING GAME, enjoying vichyssoise for dinner with Dimon and Murdoch, playing golf with the Bush family, sitting on Walmart’s board of directors….motherfucking WALMART!!, the Antichrist!!!!….THAT’S why populism keeps getting shafted, because happy smiling people called Hillary and Bill and Rahm despise us for outting them as closetted conservatives pretending to be Bernie Sanders….guess who Bernie has dinner with….his lovely wife….no envelopes of cash changing hands….PERIOD….i’m sick to death of the past seven years of stalemate in Washington, playing footsie with jagoffs deserving of jail time half of them….i can’t take another 8 years of sham D/RNC governance reeking of vomit….
Go to Bernie’s website and buy his book, he’s crowd-sourcing, pay whatever you feel like….read, learn, enjoy and then give to a friend….we can do this, HE CAN WIN….i’m not a pessimist, believe it or not….i’m just a super pissed off optimist with eyes that see…
ChicagoMel – be the one.
Out of one, many…
Out of many, one…
Let’s roll.
Republicans cheat and we have the science to prove it too.
http://www.kansas.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article32685087.html
Beth Clarkson @ Professor of Math and Stats @ Wichita State
I read comments on some websites about a handful of voting locations in Democratic districts that have had construction last month mysteriously run into November. This construction blocked the main entrances to voting locations at some schools on voting day when for the past month it never was during a week day. This is all unverified and according to one poster who said he contacted a tv station they were not interested in pursuing it further.
Am I allowed to post links? Here is one of the voting locations.
link to covington school website
At a school, their website states “Holmes Campus will be undergoing construction repair on our steps and sidewalks beginning on Monday, September 14 through the end of October.”
But the construction mysteriously ran over into November and only to voting day, blocked off the front entrance and had poor signage to direct people to the back entrances, and there was no close parking you had to park on streets and walk a long distance. This occurred at more areas around the state. This type of voter suppression must have been a combination of other actions by the dirty corrupt politicians in the state. Shameful, please investigate this more! Thank you!
Good interview today, Brad, on this very subject with Thom Hartmann….i could see the sheer frustration on both of your faces, and it was radio!….the stumblebum responses of so many “losing” candidates to the highly suspect “victories” of their opponents (as far as legal challenges regarding vote fraud are concerned) lead me to infer that dirty money has eviscerated BOTH PARTIES of their basic moral character….gutless zOmBiEs! running for office, with their zombie smiles and handshakes, but paralyzed with inertia at the prospect of a real fight….how are WE supposed to battle election rigging, Brad, when the candidates THEMSELVES and their parties seemingly won’t???!!….fuck it, i believe you said to Thom, it’ll have to be us voters in every district to scrutinize the ballot process locally and yell bloody murder at the first whiff of ‘irregularities’….We the People!!….i like the sound of that…
I sent an email request to my county clerk’s office asking about verifying paper votes with scanner machines, and got a long response about state law regarding recount procedures and costs. They obviously tried to scare me off.
Instead, I replied asking for public records, as shown on this site. I’ll let you know what response I get.
Bravissimo!!
And take this to heart….my great grandmother, when i was just a little boy, growing up during the late Pleistocene, would sit me down and give me an ice cream bar and share her wisdom….”Melvin,” i can hear her saying to me as if it were yesterday, “always remember….you can’t fuck with a fucker.”…
She’s gone now, rest her soul, but to this day i really truly strive to fuck with fuckers every chance i get….and there’s a bumper crop of ’em nowadays it seems….
BradBLog: My Kentucky friends ate telling me they voted on touch screen. Does that mean no paper trail?
Cynthia, you are correct.
I have voted in the same precinct in Pike County Kentucky for over 10 years. Last week was the first time I was not able to use a paper ballot. The volunteers told me that they had received 200 ballots for over 1,800 registered voters. She also told me that they had requested more ballots well before noon as they knew they did not have enough but none were available. I have the small voter stub with a time stamp given to me before I was lead to the machine. I wonder if there is a way to follow that to my votes to see if they stayed as I selected them?
Even though there was a bit of a line in front of me and a long line after me- more than 20, that is rural Kentucky for long lines- we all cleared quickly using only one machine. I stayed in the area visiting with a neighbor. You see I suspect many voters highlight only one box. Straight Democrat or straight Republican. It would be interesting to compare that data-how many vote straight ticket- year by year and this year. It is odd that the winners of the various offices were so mixed. Maybe my neighbors really want wages to stay the same, want workers protections to be eliminated, want social services to be cut or terminated, want us to do without early education for our children, want to further degrade our beautiful hills and creeks, want us to dismantle one of the better ACA systems in the country. It is just odd that they only voted for a couple leaders to take us there.
Given that I’ve read some of your other reader’s comments above — regarding the election in Kentucky this past week — I figured I should copy and paste my response on FB to your allegation. You were quoted in addicting info . org and I read listened to your comments, there. JR
This is embarrassing.
1. Medicaid is out of control — as per the ACA — in Kentucky. The current governor (Gov. Steve Beshear – D) imposed it upon the Commonwealth without discussing the issue with the legislature – which is currently being adjudicated in court. The Gov essentially spent money on his own — by growing Medicaid to 25% of Kentuckians. So – by your own calculation – Conway would have lost by 75-25 if Medicaid were the ONLY issue in this election, right? But of course, it isn’t…
2. I listened to Brad-Blog pontificate and he is factually incorrect on any number of issues regarding elections in Kentucky. But, that isn’t all that important — the facts. I can understand your interest in pursuing the truth – irrespective of facts. But, do you mind if the rest of us consider the facts?
– Kentucky has a rich history of “ticket splitting.” That means many voters actually support candidates from each party – not exclusively of one party or another. Brad-blog seems oblivious to this historical fact.
– In Kentucky, County Clerks oversee a county election commission and 120 of those report to the Secretary of State – who chairs a statewide election commission. Still with me?
– The two elected officials in each County most responsible for fair & honest elections are the County Clerk & County Sheriff. In KY, those two posts are overwhelmingly held by registered Dems. Notice, please, I use the word “overwhelmingly.” I cannot quote you the exact partisan breakdown of those numbers without making phone calls (it’s Sunday night!) because it’s truly considered poor form for even the WEBSITES of county clerks/sheriffs to mention partisan associations.
That is correct – sports fans: When Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis stood up against that SCOTUS ruling earlier this year, it sort of squished out of some corners that she was a registered Dem. Was is the operative verb. She has since switched to being a Repub. But, that is the case with the vast majority of counties throughout the Commonwealth — they’re run by Dems, locally. By way of comparison, my home county elected — FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY JUST LAST WEEK — a Repub for County Clerk. And that would never have happened except that the clerk elected in Nov 2014 (D) was disqualified from being eligible (long story) and this Repub was appointed in her place. Upon her appointment – when asked why she has switched, she explained that 20 years ago – when she hired on as a deputy clerk – registered Repubs were not allowed to work in the courthouse. It simply wasn’t done. And she considered herself a Repub. So, she switched. And then she was picked to succeed the retiring Dem…
– Constitutionally, the officer who runs elections in Kentucky is called our Secretary of State. Our current SoS is named Allison Lundergan Grimes (D) — and she won reelection. Perhaps if I were a mindless partisan I should ask HOW she could have won in an otherwise landslide Repub year. But, I’m not prone to saying stupid shit or doing stupid shit. It’s not only bad form — it makes life more difficult and I tend to avoid difficulties, Valerie. Unlike you & addicinginfo . org & Brad-blog, etc.
3. The Bluegrass Poll (those are the two C-J polls mentioned in realclearpolitcs link listed within the addicting info piece) — ran three different times showing the same result each time: Conway by five. Mind you, they’re also the same fellows who showed the 2014 US Senate race between Allison Lundergan Grimes and Mitch McConnell as a dead heat the weekend prior to election — and McConnell won by 15%. Bevin won by roughly 9%. Do the math, please — when polling is consistently skewed in such a manner, one of two things is wrong: either the pollsters are partisan and trying to use their polling to push one outcome over another or their competence performing their craft should be considered. I leave that to you & Brad-blog, Valerie.
4. Since we’re far into this and this IS the FB Page of Record, let’s finish this discussion right now. There is so much more to consider:
a. Kentucky has NEVER elected a liberal from Louisville as its governor. Never. In fact, the numbers of elected governors from Louisville could fit on one hand. Being from Louisville has always been a problem to overcome in Kentucky government. This year was very strange in that BOTH hailed from Louisville.
b. Conway (D) had refused to perform his sworn duty a couple of years ago when the state’s constitution was sued over its definition of marriage. We lost (See Obergefell v. Hodges). His tearful refusal left not only interested observers in wonderment; but, his own party was in the lurch. The party bigwigs had already cleared the field for him — to run for governor. They were also in “tight spot”…
c. Which brings us to November 2014 and the state’s brightest star being destroyed by McConnell in the US Senate race – an extremely expensive race to lose, by the way. Allison was widely understood to be tired of her SoS duties — and she wanted to run for governor. After all, she would almost surely win any primary and she would be the party’s best representative — if polling were to be respected. But, she was told to wait her turn — that she couldn’t even run for AG (a spot reserved for the Governor’s son — who ALSO won last week — after spending millions raised by his father…) a slot she wanted as a consolation for sitting out the governor’s race. On the last day to file for office, Allison was stuck filing for reelection. And everyone knew she didn’t even want that stinking job…
d. But – she won. And so did Andy Beshear (narrowly) for AG. And your chumps at addicting info .org and Brad-blog insist that this is evidence that Repubs cheated? Really… How do they explain the Treasurer’s race, then? Allison Ball (R) won that race 60-40. In other words, she won considerably more votes than did Bevin. I know. Let that sink in a moment. But, “how could that be,” you and Brad ask? Well – I’m glad you asked! Even though 30K more people voted for governor than did voted for Treasurer — the Repub for Treasurer (Allison Ball) received 60K more votes than did Bevin for governor. While you ponder that — ensure you keep in mind that two Dems (AG & SoS) did win their elections, though both were close.
The ideation that voter fraud caused a — how did addicting info pukes put it — “full blown right-wing nut-job” to win the governor’s race in Kentucky is madness. It does not deserve the time I have invested in writing this response. However, the FB Page of Record takes seriously the allegation that Kentucky Democrats would throw an election in favor of a Kentucky Republican. That would be a universe within which I don’t think I could subsist.
I agree that there’s really only one answer to all of these intimations of malfeasance and dishonesty in our political system….
GO !!!
BERNIE !!!!!!
GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joe Redmon said @ 18:
Don’t be embarrassed, Joe. Everyone makes mistakes. I know you didn’t mean it. 😉
That said, thanks for the long note. I’ll try to reply to only the most egregious parts… (Please forgive the parts I snip out from your response for brevity.)…
In truth, the federal government is currently paying 100% of the Medicaid expansion in Kentucky (and all of the other states). But moving beyond your misunderstanding of the program, you are perfectly willing to oppose the Governor for helping to make sure that some 400,000 of your fellow citizens now have access to health care. But to suggest that only those who receive that expansion of care are the only ones to support that expansion of care, would suggest you are either extraordinarily ignorant or extraordinary selfish.
Just by way of one example: I don’t receive Medicaid. But I’d be delighted to support a candidate who extended it to those who needed it. I’m quite sure there are hundreds of thousands not as misinformed as you in Kentucky who likely agree.
Actually, it’s quite important and I was looking forward to you correcting me on whatever you feel I was “factually incorrect” about. I read your entire note, and it doesn’t seem you quite around to offering that information, however. 🙁
Please proceed, Governor.
Nope. Discussed that on several occasions since last week’s election.
Yup. Still waiting for your to cite what I offered that was “factually incorrect”…
“Dems” like Kim Davis who support Republican causes? Okay. Nonetheless, I don’t believe I accused any County Clerk or Sheriff or, actually, anybody, of having stolen the Gubernatorial election. So, not sure why the point your raise is either important or sent to me.
Um…okay. Still waiting for you to cite which “stupid shit” I have said or written. (Seems I may be waiting a while…)
Okay. I’ll “do the math”. In both cases, the pre-election poll to unverified final results swing was about 15%. If the same person was to hack a central tabulator to make that happen, they wouldn’t even have to change much code. That said, I have no idea if any tabulator was hacked (as can fairly easily be done) or simply failed (as has happened in many previous elections.)
I don’t know who Valerie is. But, for my part, where is your evidence that the polling is “skewed”? All of the several different pre-election polls found essentially the same thing, using completely different and transparent methodology. Only the election results, as reported, were different. And only the election results are unverified by any human being.
You lack of imagination in explain what “is wrong”, is somewhat surprising. Though, given some of your other assertions here, I shouldn’t be all that surprised, I guess.
We are far into this. But you’ve yet to identify a single point on which I was “factually incorrect”, as you promised with much fanfare at this comment’s open!
Okay. Did I assert otherwise? Perhaps I missed me saying that part? Oh, and what does that have to do with whether elections results are correct and/or verified???
You don’t like Conway. I get that. I’m no particular fan myself. But what does that have to do with anything we’ve been discussing here?
I never said who cheated, or even if they did. Is the fact that the Dems lower down on the ticket received more votes than the popular Dem at the top of the ticket an indication that the reported results could be inaccurate? Of course. Some experts call it a “significant anomaly”.
Yes, it has happened before. But I’ve yet to see a circumstance in which it happened before with a popular candidate who was leading in the polls and who was following a popular Democratic governor.
In any event. Still waiting for the “factually incorrect” part. Have a feeling it will never come.
Nope. Never asked that at all.
So, you can’t find anything that I said to dispute, so now you are creating a strawman to knock down?! Cool!
I didn’t.
Also an assertion I never made. I have seen no evidence whatsoever of “voter fraud”.
Don’t even know what that means. But, by now, I’m just dejected because you failed to offer a single point upon which I was “factually incorrect”…even while offering all manner of such points in your assertions.
Thanks, in any case, for wasting my time and everyone else’s here. And have a great day! And, don’t worry. We’ll fight to protect your democracy, even if you won’t.
My favorite part is “In truth, the federal government is currently paying 100% of the Medicaid expansion in Kentucky (and all of the other states). But moving beyond your misunderstanding of the program, you are perfectly willing to oppose the Governor for helping to make sure that some 400,000 of your fellow citizens now have access to health care. But to suggest that only those who receive that expansion of care are the only ones to support that expansion of care, would suggest you are either extraordinarily ignorant or extraordinary selfish.”
Come on Brad, you know it’s an “and”, not an “either/or”!
Ouch! Joe Redmon just got a BradRash.
Another $20 goes into the Brad coffer.