Page 80 - issue
P. 80
VOTER FRAUD AND THE has made it clear that the decertifica-
DECERTIFICATION tion of the results is not a recount. As
OF THE BALTIMORE CITY Baltimore City Board of Elections elec-
ELECTION RESULTS tion director Armstead B.C. Jones told
WBAL’s Jayne Miller, “It has nothing to
by Brad E. Kauffman she lost to State Sen. Catherine Pugh do with votes.” The purpose of decerti-
by some 2,500 votes, has called for an fying the results is for the Board of
It’s not uncommon for a candidate investigation as to why certain polling Elections to conduct an audit in a
who loses an election to cry foul, stations opened late. quest to match the paperwork with the
claiming fraud or voter intimidation number of voters who cast votes. Once
as a means to reverse the results in Betsy Gardner, who lost to Yitzy all of the paperwork is matched up, the
their favor. Generally speaking, a Schleifer by some 550 votes in the 5th results will be recertified. It is unclear
candidate is in a very weak position District, where most of the readers of what will happen if the missing paper-
if his or her only hope for winning the WWW reside, also will accept the work does not resurface. But the
the election rests on voter fraud. results. But, Gardner told the Baltimore Baltimore City Board of Elections
Most of the time, nothing ever material- Sun that she is disheartened that some appears confident that everything will
izes from such accusations. On occa- voters were given a ballot for the wrong ultimately fall in place, which unfortu-
sion, the losing candidate will file a law- district. According to Gardner, some nately is not a sign of confidence for a
suit seeking court intervention to over- voters were also turned away from a jurisdiction that is notorious for inept
turn the results. These kinds of cases polling station, because an election administration of balloting.
are difficult to prove and are often judge was not provided with correct
unsuccessful. information on which district was sup- What Sheila Dixon and her col-
posed to be voting at that particular leagues are really hoping will arise out
In November 1994, Ellen Sauerbrey, voting station. If true, that is totally of the audit is a complete overhaul of
the Republican candidate for governor, unacceptable. Baltimore City’s election system. As
narrowly lost to Paris N. Glendenning Dixon recently stated, “I also encourage
by a margin of 5,993 votes. Soon there- Emblematic of Baltimore City’s dys- the Board of Elections to rectify the
after, Sauerbrey was in court asserting function in overseeing voting, the issues with judges and training, late
that certain voters, primarily in Board of Elections at first certified the poll openings, and collection of elec-
Baltimore City, listed addresses that results as being final. Then they had tion day data before the November
were connected to abandoned or razed second thoughts and decided to decer- elections, so that the people of
buildings and that the whereabouts of tify the results, heeding the calls of Baltimore have full faith in the admin-
these voters could not be confirmed. In Dixon to conduct an investigation of istration of elections in our city.” There
the end though, Sauerbrey’s lawyers the voting process. Some of our readers may also be another motive behind
could only prove that 3,600 votes of the are now questioning whether decertifi- Dixon’s sensible approach to her losing
entire vote count were fraudulent, cation means that Dixon or Gardner the election. By not pursuing any legal
which was certainly not enough to sway could somehow prevail over Pugh or challenges and leading this so-called
the election in the other direction. Schleifer. movement of election change, Dixon is
hoping that her image will improve just
However, as we see from the Let me take this opportunity to reas- in time for the next election, whenever
Sauerbrey case, Baltimore City has sure our readers. The results will not be that may occur. However, something
been fraught with allegations of voter overturned. Yitzy Schleifer will be the tells me that Dixon’s gift card scandal
irregularities for decades. Thus, it is no 5th District’s next councilman. Even in will continue to plague her for the
surprise that Baltimore City is under the unlikely scenario that Dixon, indefinite future.
scrutiny again for its management of Gardner, and the other candidates
polling places and ballots, among other could prove that some of the votes were Whether or not Dixon chooses to
alleged irregularities. This time around, cast in a fraudulent manner, they would run again, voting problems in
the allegations are coming from the los- have enormous difficulty – much as Baltimore City will likely linger for the
ing candidates in April’s mayoral and Ellen Sauerbrey had back in 1994 – to upcoming elections if history is any
city council races. Former Mayor Sheila substantiate that the entire difference indicator – unless, of course, Yitzy
Dixon, while making clear that she will in votes was tainted by fraud. Schleifer has any input in the matter.◆
not contest the election results, where
Furthermore, the Board of Elections Brad E. Kauffman is a practicing attor-
ney in Towson. His articles have been
published in the Washington Times,
Jerusalem Post, and AMI magazine.
Kauffman can be reached via Twitter
@kauffman126.
76 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
DECERTIFICATION tion of the results is not a recount. As
OF THE BALTIMORE CITY Baltimore City Board of Elections elec-
ELECTION RESULTS tion director Armstead B.C. Jones told
WBAL’s Jayne Miller, “It has nothing to
by Brad E. Kauffman she lost to State Sen. Catherine Pugh do with votes.” The purpose of decerti-
by some 2,500 votes, has called for an fying the results is for the Board of
It’s not uncommon for a candidate investigation as to why certain polling Elections to conduct an audit in a
who loses an election to cry foul, stations opened late. quest to match the paperwork with the
claiming fraud or voter intimidation number of voters who cast votes. Once
as a means to reverse the results in Betsy Gardner, who lost to Yitzy all of the paperwork is matched up, the
their favor. Generally speaking, a Schleifer by some 550 votes in the 5th results will be recertified. It is unclear
candidate is in a very weak position District, where most of the readers of what will happen if the missing paper-
if his or her only hope for winning the WWW reside, also will accept the work does not resurface. But the
the election rests on voter fraud. results. But, Gardner told the Baltimore Baltimore City Board of Elections
Most of the time, nothing ever material- Sun that she is disheartened that some appears confident that everything will
izes from such accusations. On occa- voters were given a ballot for the wrong ultimately fall in place, which unfortu-
sion, the losing candidate will file a law- district. According to Gardner, some nately is not a sign of confidence for a
suit seeking court intervention to over- voters were also turned away from a jurisdiction that is notorious for inept
turn the results. These kinds of cases polling station, because an election administration of balloting.
are difficult to prove and are often judge was not provided with correct
unsuccessful. information on which district was sup- What Sheila Dixon and her col-
posed to be voting at that particular leagues are really hoping will arise out
In November 1994, Ellen Sauerbrey, voting station. If true, that is totally of the audit is a complete overhaul of
the Republican candidate for governor, unacceptable. Baltimore City’s election system. As
narrowly lost to Paris N. Glendenning Dixon recently stated, “I also encourage
by a margin of 5,993 votes. Soon there- Emblematic of Baltimore City’s dys- the Board of Elections to rectify the
after, Sauerbrey was in court asserting function in overseeing voting, the issues with judges and training, late
that certain voters, primarily in Board of Elections at first certified the poll openings, and collection of elec-
Baltimore City, listed addresses that results as being final. Then they had tion day data before the November
were connected to abandoned or razed second thoughts and decided to decer- elections, so that the people of
buildings and that the whereabouts of tify the results, heeding the calls of Baltimore have full faith in the admin-
these voters could not be confirmed. In Dixon to conduct an investigation of istration of elections in our city.” There
the end though, Sauerbrey’s lawyers the voting process. Some of our readers may also be another motive behind
could only prove that 3,600 votes of the are now questioning whether decertifi- Dixon’s sensible approach to her losing
entire vote count were fraudulent, cation means that Dixon or Gardner the election. By not pursuing any legal
which was certainly not enough to sway could somehow prevail over Pugh or challenges and leading this so-called
the election in the other direction. Schleifer. movement of election change, Dixon is
hoping that her image will improve just
However, as we see from the Let me take this opportunity to reas- in time for the next election, whenever
Sauerbrey case, Baltimore City has sure our readers. The results will not be that may occur. However, something
been fraught with allegations of voter overturned. Yitzy Schleifer will be the tells me that Dixon’s gift card scandal
irregularities for decades. Thus, it is no 5th District’s next councilman. Even in will continue to plague her for the
surprise that Baltimore City is under the unlikely scenario that Dixon, indefinite future.
scrutiny again for its management of Gardner, and the other candidates
polling places and ballots, among other could prove that some of the votes were Whether or not Dixon chooses to
alleged irregularities. This time around, cast in a fraudulent manner, they would run again, voting problems in
the allegations are coming from the los- have enormous difficulty – much as Baltimore City will likely linger for the
ing candidates in April’s mayoral and Ellen Sauerbrey had back in 1994 – to upcoming elections if history is any
city council races. Former Mayor Sheila substantiate that the entire difference indicator – unless, of course, Yitzy
Dixon, while making clear that she will in votes was tainted by fraud. Schleifer has any input in the matter.◆
not contest the election results, where
Furthermore, the Board of Elections Brad E. Kauffman is a practicing attor-
ney in Towson. His articles have been
published in the Washington Times,
Jerusalem Post, and AMI magazine.
Kauffman can be reached via Twitter
@kauffman126.
76 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
