The following Post I took from the Pocomoke Tattler owned and operated by Billy & Stephanie Burke. Stephanie is running for City Council and I found the following story more than just fascinating, it's unbelievable!
Everyone who has been reading this blog have heard about the misuse of the Absentee Ballot system hear in Pocomoke City.
Well guess what? Monday evening the Political Machine has broken all previous records!
At 5pm the P.O. Box was opened at the Post Office to officially count the absentee ballots. I have personally attended 4 of these events. Here’s how it works…
The City Clerk is brought to the Post Office by a Pocomoke Police Officer, the Pocomoke Board of Elections Supervisor is handed an envelope containing the key to P.O. Box 223 and the Supervisor opens the box, removes the sealed ballot envelopes and takes them to the table where they read aloud the #’s on the outside of each of the envelopes.
Tonight two other members of the Board of Elections were present to assist, as were both candidates; which is customary.
However, what was unusual was that after the Supervisor opened P.O. Box 29 and took out the handful of envelopes, the City Clerk directed the Supervisor to a ‘Bulk’ mail box on the other side of the Post Office, and was given a key to that as well. The Supervisor opened this box and it was STUFFED FULL of envelopes!
This is unprecedented! The Clerk and Ms. Cottman and her husband were quite smug, the Board of Elections folks were a more than a little surprised.
Not once in the four occasions that I have attended a P.O. Box opening has there ever, ever been a need to use a Bulk Box, and never, ever has there been more envelopes than could fit into a regular P.O. Box!
After all of the envelope numbers were read aloud, the envelopes were placed into three large manila envelopes and taken by Lt. Brumley and are supposed to be placed into the safe at City Hall.
Yet, once the ballots leave the post office the candidates, election officials and the public must trust that the ballots are placed in the safe, and trust that no one will tamper with them. At that point they are in the Fox’s Den, and no one knows what happens.
This year I would venture to say that they will be just fine.
As in the end the Grand Total of all of the Absentee Ballots is… 285!!!
Please keep in mind that there are only 550 registered voters in this District!
Now, I hope that you understand why I have filed a protest to this election. Our system is broken and it must be fixed!
If it is not fixed then we as citizens will never know if we really have a voice in our vote!
I believe that the intent of the Absentee Ballot is to be used for those who are serving in our military, serving on jury duty, those who are scheduled to be out of town, or those who are bedridden.
Yet 285 in District 4 cannot make it to the polls tomorrow, the reason is that the President of the NAACP who has helped Ms Cottman on her campaign and also helped Mayor McDermott on his campaign taught me that the way you win a campaign is by ‘banking’ the absentee ballots. Mr. Lee the local President of the NAACP teaches the candidates and their campaign workers to encourage people to vote using the absentee ballot.
This would certainly explain why Ms. Cottman felt no need to attend a candidate forum to promote herself.
It is imperative that each and every one of you in District 4 get to the polls tomorrow. Our voices must be heard!
Many of these absentee’s will be challenged, that is why even as bad as the situation looks every voter needs to get to the library and cast their vote.
If you or someone you know was approached by a candidate or their campaign and they asked you for your absentee ballot and told you that they would mail it for you, then they commited a crime. If this happened please report this to the Worcester County States Attorney’s office as soon as possible.
This is obscene and we must stand up for what is right!
221 votes total in 2006!
285 absentee the day before the election 2009!
550 Registered Voters!
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Welcome to the Honiss Cane school of Election Thievery ! Good luck on the appeal, Steph.
ReplyDeleteApparently the landfill run off isn't the only thing that stinks on DelMarVa. The next move will be claims of dis-infranchisement(sp?) if they aren't all allowed. Sad the lengths some will go to just to have power, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteAs a resident of another part of Worcester Co., I am unable to vote in the Pocomoke City local elections. I have been keeping up with this election through this site and Ms. Burke's Pocomoke Tattler, both I find interesting, constructive and thought-provoking. The though provoked, however, by Ms. Burke's reference to the unpresedented number of absentee ballots cast in today's election causes me to comment now.
ReplyDeleteThe intent of the absentee ballot is clear. When one signs the ballot they have affirmed under oath they "will be ABSENT OR UNABLE TO VOTE IN PERSON in the election" So 200+ voters out of 500 something fall into this category?
Cottman ought to be ashamed of herself. It's like she's being led around by the nose, answering yes sir, no sir to whomever is doing the leading. Atleast she showed up at the post office yesterday. I was beginning to think she had died, because of the no show at the debate and not answering emails. The residents of this distict haven't a representative. She hasn't any platform, obvious because of her failure to attend the debate.
I am equally discusted with Mr Lee whom, I do not know personally, but have met on occasion. I had thought he was a great spokesperson. Not any more.
As an American though, I am most discusted with the voters who are setting themselves back 100's of years, by not thinking for themselves once again, becoming indentured servants/slaves to someone else.
AND REMEMBER _
ReplyDeleteThe current MAYOR of Pocomoke wants your vote to be a State Legislator - that is funny, no matter who you are!
Can't keep a small town straight, but wants an entire state!
Where is Ms. Cottman's outrage? She SHOULD be as mortified as the rest of us, about this situation. As a woman, I don't know whether to be embarrased about her or for her. Is it that she's a pawn for someone else or is she just stupid and thinks all is okay that 1/2 the voters can't make it to the polls today?
ReplyDeleteOh my, McDermott has visions of being in our State House?
ReplyDeleteDo you mean:
Mr. "Hey you know what-I have a-I gotta plan for you-why don't you move" that Mayor McDermott?
What are you talking about 12:28? Ms. Cottman helped hand out the absentee ballot applications while on the campaign trail!
ReplyDeleteShe was encouraged by Ed Lee to run in the first place.
ReplyDeleteHe ran, and managed her campaign the first time as he has this time.
This is their tactic, and from her smugness yesterday and her husbands laughter. I don't believe she feels any outrage at all.
Funny though, she and her hubby voted in person!
No kiddin', Anon 1:10, I'm sure she did hand out alot of absentee ballots while campaigning.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that over 50% of the voters registered to vote, have already voted absentee, defies statistics and common sense (if any is to be had.)
Candidate Cottman (and all her "advisors") who by not immediately demanding an explanation to this aberration of statistics, are either incompetent, dishonest or just plain old stupid. I take pity on the poor folks who were conned into casting these ballots.
I realize that Pocomoke City Mayor McDermott hasn't any power with the city manager form of gov't they have, but the mayor needs to take a stand one way or another on this. If this had happened in Ocean City when Jim Mathias was mayor, he would have gone balistic. Mathias is a man of integrity and not afraid to take a stand. I'm a registered republican but won't be voting for McDermott if he decides to run, unless he publically addresses this situation.
ReplyDeleteNot suprised one bit......
ReplyDeleteMayor McDermott got so enraged when I asked him "What am I supposed to tell the ladies in the Worcester County Republican Womens Clubs, who you have been courting in supporting your run for a state office"?
ReplyDeleteHe said that "it had nothing to do with anything", and I said "Oh yes it does, all of the people that you are supporting and chumming up to here in Pocomoke are all Democrats that won't help you a bit in seeking a seat in the State House". He turned red as a beet and yelled, "This is a non-partisan race!!!". I replied "Oh really, I'm sure all of your Republican Lady friends would be so proud of you supporting the corrupt Democrat machine that has run Pocomoke for the last 33 years"! He was livid and repeated, "It's non-partisan"!!!!
He's funny when he gets mad, and turns red and screams at you.
How is it that some of the voters who signed an oath that they couldn't make it to the polls to vote and mailed in an absentee ballot, where actually able to make it to the polls and act as writers for the candidate? Check it out. Hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteHe'll be wasting his time seeking a state office position. For us Republicans, voter fraud is a big issue-the fact that 70% (=/-) voters voted in Pocomoke is a ridiculous notion.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of him in the PocTat standing with the local "community organizers" speaks volumns.
I'm from Northern WoCo. and I can see what's going on and for years have heard the Lee/Cane stories, so surely McDermott has heard about the less than honest tactics they use. You are who you align yourself with.
McDermott need not be enraged when asked a legitmate question and McDermott need not be enraged about the obvious voter fraud that went on yesterday (not that he ever was) because politically he might as well hang it up.
If Honiss Cane is truly living in District 2 and not 5 then I challenge him to show his heating bills and electric bills and water usage from the past 5 months ((Nov 08-Mar 09) for the 2 homes. No one cares where he gets his mail, registers his vehicles, or is registered to vote.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Daily Times an investigator from the States Attorney's office will be out verifying the absentee ballots for the next 2 or 3 days. See what Cottman gotta ya'll into. A visit from the law.
ReplyDeleteBetter get rid of any stolen property and illegal drugs laying around.