I can't understand why our second Minnesota senator has not yet been seated! When we, as election judges, after taking two hours training, come to serve on Election Day, we take this oath:
"I, ____________, solemnly swear that I will perform the duties of election judge according to law and the best of my ability and will diligently endeavor to prevent fraud, deceit and abuse in conducting this election. I will perform my duties in a fair and impartial manner and not attempt to create an advantage for my party or candidate."
The Election Judge Guide gives us a sequence of "must do" tasks. The first duty is to verify that the ballot box/voting machine is empty before voting begins. And after polls close you remove all ballots, and all the valid ballots are sealed in a large envelope which is signed by all election judges and all papers go back to the clerk/auditor. Tell me how ballots in another precinct of Minnesota got counted after the polls closed when found in a car trunk?
And why were ballots counted when found in a voting machine days later? Why would election judges just go home on Election Day when you have more ballots than registered voters and not reconcile the error?
Why did some precincts in Minnesota reject no absentee ballots? Very unusual!
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Absentee ballots can't be counted if the signature on the application for a ballot and the signature on the returned ballot doesn't match -- if you come in to vote in person on Election Day or if you aren't registered or have a properly completed voter registration card enclosed with your ballot.
All of Minnesota should follow the same set of rules. Why bother to go to training if you don't plan to carry out your oath and do it according to the law?
If what has been decided so far is correct, the next Election Judge Guide will read, "if ballots are left in the voting machine or if people bring in ballots forgotten in a car trunk after the polls close, no problem, they will be counted, and if the signature doesn't match on an absentee ballot, count it anyhow. More ballots than registered voters? Don't spend time figuring it out, pack up the stuff and go home." Come on, Minnesota! We are better than this.
Give Norm Coleman the chance to go to the Minnesota Supreme Court so they can decide what is right. It's dragged out way too long.
Muriel Juers
Wadena
