Hoffman: Owens wins
Conservative Doug Hoffman conceded this afternoon that a re-canvass of the votes in the 23rd CD shows Democrat Bill Owens, is, in fact, the winner:
Statement by Doug Hoffman:
"Yesterday, the remaining ballots were counted in the 23rd Congressional District special election. The results re-affirm the fact that Bill Owens won.
Since, the morning of November 4th, many of my supporters have asked me to challenge the outcome of this race. Their concerns centered on the veracity of the new voting machines used, for the first time, in the majority of the eleven counties that make up the Congressional District. Over the past three weeks, we nearly cut Bill Owens' lead in half. Sadly, that is not enough.
The shift in support since election night highlights one fact; the Boards of Elections, both state and county, need to work closely to ensure the seamless use of these machines in the 2010 statewide and midterm elections.
I would like to thank my supporters for everything they did over the past four months. They proved that average Americans can stand up and make their voices heard, all the way from Watertown to Washington. They proved that the voters are sick and tired of wasteful government spending, high taxes and an ever growing deficit. And most importantly, that when it comes to politics: principles do matter.
While we may have lost the election, this race proved that Americans are sick and tired of the status quo in both Albany and Washington.
Thursday, America celebrates Thanksgiving. It's a time to reflect on the bounty and the beauty of this nation and all we have to be grateful for. High on my list will be all those that supported me in this race.
I would also like to extend holiday wishes to all the residents of the 23rd Congressional District, to Congressman Owens and his family, and to all the media who tirelessly covered this race.
I plan to stay active in politics and in the weeks and months ahead hope to be able to personally thank all those who made this race so close and exciting."
posted by Martha Foley @ 11/24/2009 04:35:00 PM
10 Comments
10 Comments:
....To the delight of NCPR listeners and the publisher of the Watertown Dede Times.
We knew that three weeks ago.
"Over the past three weeks, we nearly cut Bill Owens' lead in half."
Huh? He lost ground in the recount over those three week. What is this guy (supposedly an accountant) smoking?
This communication from Mr. Hoffman, is by far, the most gracious to come out of his campaign.
And that's an understatement.
IMO the only part of his letter that matters, is Mr. Hoffman's admission that "The results re-affirm the fact that Bill Owens won."
Did that thought ever occur to him before his fraud-filled fundraising letter went out?
And how much money did he raise?
fjthies...
IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS how much Doug raised in his effort to challenge the rise of Marxist and Fascist influences in our government's corridors of power and in "our" White House.
Would you like to donate to Doug Hoffman's campaign for Congress in 2010?
Ann Coulter says that she will join with us.
For a small fee.
May I suggest a minimum donation of $10,000.
Dick Armey, Chairman
Citizens for Platitudes
To frank gaffney's eyebrow - go pluck yourself.
To Dick Armey - my ingratitude for your platitudes.
"don't want to be an American Idiot" Greenday
JDM says...
Mr. Hoffman's courageous run will result in the emboldenment of conservatives nationwide in 2010 to not bow to pressure from the Republican Party's leadership to take the party to the left.
Oh yes, Mr. Hoffman, or a conservative candidate like him, will be the Republican candidate for NY23 in 2010.
Would the eyebrow or some other great intellect care to comment on this?
CANTON, NY – The election results certified by the St. Lawrence County Board of Elections for New York’s 23rd Congressional District contain some numbers that are mathematically impossible. These numbers were requested in person and transmitted by e-mail just hours before certification on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009.
For six election districts in St. Lawrence County (the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 7th districts in Canton, the 14th district in Massena, and the 2nd district in Oswegatchie) negative numbers appear in the column for “blank” ballots, known in other states as “undervotes.”
Blank vote counts are ballots in which the voter did not choose any candidate in a given election and are determined by subtracting the total number of votes cast for the candidates from the number of voters who completed ballots. The remaining number would be those voters who didn't cast a vote for that election.
In Canton's 7th district, the certified results show a total of 148 ballots cast. The results of those votes were counted as 88 votes for Owens, 11 votes for Scozzafava, and 80 votes for Hoffman. The problem is that these numbers add up to 179 votes counted for the candidates, and there were only 148 ballots cast; St. Lawrence County certified these numbers to the state as accurate with the number of 'blank' ballots reported as -31.
The Board of Elections stated repeatedly that their numbers add up, and strictly speaking, they do. But negative numbers should not be required to make this happen.
Election analysts refer to this phenomenon as “phantom voters,” because they are apparitions. They do not actually exist. There can never be more votes counted for any office than the number of actual voters who cast ballots. There could be one or two, if on occasion an actual voter forgot to sign the poll book, but never 31.
These numbers are minimums. As 'blank' votes do often occur when a voter does not choose a candidate, the number of blank ballots are commonly a positive number. According to the certiified results there were 757 "blank" ballots countywide, or 3.0% of the total ballots cast. Thus, along with the -31 "phantom votes" in Canton's 2nd district, there were likely four or five people who actually cast a 'blank' ballot, meaning that the number of phantom votes is more like 35 or 36 for that district.
An audit of the poll books revealed that there were 537 actual voters at the polls in Canton's 7th and 8th district, which voted at the same polling place, and there were 25 absentee ballots, for a total of 562. According to the certified results, there were 179 votes counted for Congress in Canton's 7th and 375 in Canton's 8th, making 554 altogether, but only 529 voters cast ballots.
Similarly, there were 435 actual voters at the polls in Canton 2, 4 and 6, which voted at the same polling place, and there were 26 absentee ballots, for a total of 461. According to the certified results, there were 449 votes counted for Congress, but only 411 ballots cast.
In Massena's 14th district, a single-precinct polling place, there were 365 actual voters at the polls, and there were 14 absentee ballots, for a total of 379. According to the certified results, there were 363 votes counted for Congress, but only 341 ballots cast.
In Oswegatchie 2nd and 4th districts, which voted at the same polling place, there were 412 actual voters at the polls, and there were 35 absentee ballots, for a total of 447. According to the certified results, there were 436 votes counted for Congress, and 442 ballots cast.
In the certified election results from the above districts, where the voting machines appeared to be working properly, the computer-generated vote counts cannot possibly be accurate as they are showing more votes counted than voters.
Yes.
Did you, like myself, find this in the Gouverneur Times?
Nate Barker, intrepid Con. journalist of the Times, was quick to report this information.
It appears to me as if FOX News and I have been "right" all along. ACORN (or its militant spin-off HAZEL-NUTS), tampered with this election!
And yet, D.H. nevertheless admits that B.O. won the 23rd.
D.H. - "While we may have lost the election, this race proved that Americans are sick and tired of the status quo in both Albany and Washington."
What a Statesman!
But as Bret4207 says, D.H. was the lessor of two evils. Evil full strength vs. Evil Lite.
So you'd be satisfied if Hoffman had won and the numbers were a bit whacky Frank? Wow! You are a true patriot I guess, I just don;t have that kind of faith.
BTW- I got that off of one of the right wing whacko survivalist sights I frequent. This is NATIONAL NEWS man!
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