Enron Mail

From:vince.kaminski@enron.com
To:vkaminski@aol.com
Subject:Florida Ballot info
Cc:
Bcc:
Date:Fri, 17 Nov 2000 08:50:00 -0800 (PST)

---------------------- Forwarded by Vince J Kaminski/HOU/ECT on 11/17/2000
04:57 PM ---------------------------


Shirley_Keeney@eogresources.com on 11/16/2000 01:39:39 PM
To: Paula_Corey@enron.net, vkamins@enron.com, kwalsh@enron.com
cc:
Subject: Florida Ballot info


from my daughter Kris.....

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++

I saw this on one of my webgroups. I thought it was interesting, and
thought you might find it so as well.....


Ordinarily I don't post stuff like this here, but I've been asked to do
so for the benefit of those RenGeeks who get all their news from here.

This information comes from my father, who heard it once (and only once)
from the media. Either from Fox News Channel or from CBS radio. If
someone can post an official source to back this up, I'd love to see
it.

Anyway, that being said, you may find this of interest:

- Regarding those 19,000 double-punched ballots that Florida is not
counting, and that the Gore campaign is using to try and call for
another vote:

These ballots are (mostly) not the result of confused individuals. In
reality, double-punching a ballot is standard procedure for election
workers to invalidate a ballot that were punched in error. If you
punch out the hole for someone, and then change your mind before
putting the card in the box, and you ask an official for another card,
the old card (with your mistake) is deliberately double-punched so
that it shouldn't accidentally be counted.

In other words, Gore's claim that 19,000 of his supporters are having
their votes discarded is completely bogus. Those double-punched cards
correspond to mistakes that have already been corrected.

Also of interest - this isn't unusual. In 1996, Palm Beach had
approximately 15,000 double-punched ballots. For the same reason.
Because people made mistakes and needed new cards.

While I'm sure some of the double-punches were from clueless voters,
it is completely wrong when the media says that this is the case for
all 19,000 of them

(Souce for the 1996 figure:
http://foxnews.com/election_night/after/confusing_ballots.sml)



- Regarding the "illegal" butterfly ballot that the Gore people want
invalidated (to call for a re-vote in Palm Beach), they are
conveniently ignoring some of that law.

The law in Florida is that a ballot, once designed, is presented to
both parties for review. They have 30 days in which to file
complaints. If nobody complains before the election, then it can't be
thrown out afterwards. Neither the Republican nor the Democratic
party filed any complaint with the ballot during the 30 day review
period.


- Regarding the 3400 Buchannan votes that came from Palm Beach. It's
actually not as surprising as the media would have you believe.
During the campaign, Buchannan held a fund-raising dinner in Palm
Beach. He was able to get 1000 attendees. If 1000 people were
willing to pay money and attend his fund raiser, I would consider 3400
votes from that same place to be very surprising.

-- David