Hoffman gains on Owen.. 10K absentee ballots now to be counted

[formerlurker]

Conservative Doug Hoffman conceded the race in the 23rd Congressional District last week after receiving two pieces of grim news for his campaign: He was down 5,335 votes with 93 percent of the vote counted on election night, and he had barely won his stronghold in Oswego County.

As it turns out, neither was true.

But Hoffman’s concession -- based on snafus in Oswego County and elsewhere that left his vote undercounted -- set off a chain of events that echoed all the way to Washington, D.C., and helped secure passage of a historic health care reform bill.

Democratic Rep. Bill Owens was quickly sworn into office on Friday, a day before the rare weekend vote in the House of Representatives. His support sealed his party’s narrow victory on the health care legislation.

Now a recanvassing in the 11-county district shows that Owens’ lead has narrowed to 3,026 votes over Hoffman, 66,698 to 63,672, according to the latest unofficial results from the state Board of Elections.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/its_not_over_recanvassing_shows_ny23_race.html


My my my -- we may have to redo the house vote on health care kids........  

[franksolich]

Oh my.

This could get interesting.

Hey folks, the whole article at the link is well worth reading; don't just rely on what we're saying here.

This could be very interesting.

Thanks, lurks.

[Alpha Mare]

Oswego County elections officials blame the mistakes on "chaos" in their call-in center that included a phone system foul-up and inspectors who read numbers incorrectly when phoning in results.

Jerry Eaton, the Republican elections commissioner for Jefferson County, said inspectors found a problem in four districts where Hoffman’s vote total was mistakenly entered as zero.

Convenient mistakes, eh?

[JohnnyReb]

Convenient mistakes, eh?

ACORN strikes again.

[zeitgeist]

From World Power to Banana Republic in less than ten months. 

For "Barrio" Obama the legacy builds day by day.

[Carl]

Might explain why the polling seemed to be off compared to the results.
If it doesn`t change anything in the end then so be it but is interesting how once again voting irregularities when actual always benefit the dem.

[cottondress]

My my my -- we may have to redo the house vote on health care kids........ 

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/its_not_over_recanvassing_shows_ny23_race.html

Is it a real possibility that they would have to redo the health bill count again if Hoffman pulls this out?

[littlelamb]

That would be nice if the wholething could be thrown out and redone but it wont happen only wishful thinking

[formerlurker]

No idea what the house rules on this is -- no time to research it until later.   The state has not certified the election yet due to the discrepancies in this county's reporting.    

Hoffman gain on Owens now triggers the 10K absentee ballots, which this article states will favor Hoffman.    The state will then certify Hoffman as the winner, which is a hurdle that Pelosi can't overcome and try to circumvent (as Congress attempted accomplished in 1984 -- the state did certify erroneous results at that time).  

There was an unqualified member on the floor of the House for the vote on healthcare -- if anything the vote can be challenged causing major delays in passage if it gets approved in the Senate.    

Definite popcorn moment.  

[TheSarge]

Well that explains the rush to swear Owens in.

[franksolich]

I sent the link to Drudge, as that's the only way the primitives on Skins's island will know about it.

Maybe Drudge will use it.  It's worth a try.

[cottondress]

  before breakfast...a first...lol

[thundley4]

"We sent a letter to the clerk laying out the totals," Conklin said. "The key is that Hoffman conceded, which means the race is not contested. However, all ballots will be counted, and if the result changes, Owens will have to be removed."

I think the Dimrats will try to say that Hoffman's concession was the same as withdrawing from the race, and that the vote tally really doesn't matter.  

Under a new law in New York that extended deadlines, military and overseas ballots received by this coming Monday (and postmarked by Nov. 2) will be counted.

Still, it seems like Hoffman might get the push he needs to win the ballot contest, if not the seat itself.

[Happy Fun Ball]

Oh sure, now we get the absentee ballots counted, after the damage has been done (health care bill). This absentee ballot thing seems to be the cause of more headaches and controversy... How about we just do away with them and instead make elections last for about a week or so instead of just one day?

[NHSparky]

Still down by 3K.  Not sure if that makes enough of a difference.

[franksolich]

Whoa ho.

It made Drudge, the exact same link I sent them (although I am claiming no credit).

Now maybe it'll discombobulate the primitives.

[DumbAss Tanker]

It wouldn't change the HCR vote outcome.  On top of that, even with the three changed votes it would theoretically take to change the outcome in the House, only some of the Dems who voted against it are actually hard on their votes, the rest are soft and using 'Indulgences' passed out by the Speaker and to let them take a bye on it.  If she didn't have enough votes to pass it, she would have reeled in a couple more of them "For the good of the Party." 
My own pet rock is RTKBA, and this is exactly why I have a very difficult time ever supporting a Dem even when the NRA rates them highly, because I do not trust them to remember and then pick their principles and constituents over their Party loyalty (and Party campaign support) once they get to DC. 

[jinxmchue]

ACORN strikes again.

And the left-stream media.

[jinxmchue]

With Owens already sworn in (holy crap, that was fast!), you can bet your life that he and the Democrats will fight tooth and nail to keep the seat if Hoffman comes out ahead in the final vote tally.  They will, of course, argue "Hoffman conceded!" and "Owens has already been sworn in!" while hypocritically ignoring the votes they supposedly are so concerned with.

Honestly, though, I have to say that Hoffman's quick concession betrays his lack of election experience, which is unfortunate.  He should've waited and this news shows why.  The Democrats pulls so much crap both at the polls and in the media that nothing can be trusted until the very end.

[TheSarge]

Ok I'm curious here...has the election even been certified by the NY SecState or board of elections or whom ever says "this election is official"?

If so...why the recanvass of votes after the fact.

If it hasn't recieved the official stamp of approval why was Owens even sworn in?

[Splashdown]

I can't wait to hear the "Bush Stole Election" rhetoric over there in comparison to this story. I guarantee that's where their arguments will go.

 

[franksolich]

Ok I'm curious here...has the election even been certified by the NY SecState or board of elections or whom ever says "this election is official"?

No, it's not certified yet.

As for your next question, I dunno.

[TheSarge]

No, it's not certified yet.

As for your next question, I dunno.

Sounds to me then like he isn't "officially" sworn in and that Stretch Pelosi...knowing this...hustled him up there so she could have one more vote on Obamacare...rules be dammed.

[littlelamb]

I can't wait to hear the "Bush Stole Election" rhetoric over there in comparison to this story. I guarantee that's where their arguments will go.

 

But isn't it all Bush's fault?

[crockspot]

The best we can hope fore is that they would invalidate Owens' vote on the HCR bill, which would still give them the bill. Cao in Louisiana went ahead and voted for it when he saw they had the 218 they needed.

But still, Owens broke four of his campaign promises in his first hour in office, so I would still get satisfaction seeing him ridden out of Congress on a rail.

Hoffman should demand a formal recount right now, so that Owens cannot vote on any more crap until he is actually certified the winner.