We *still* do not know who will be Governor of Washington state!

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Rossi Pulls Ahead As Gov's Count Continues


Associated Press, via KIRO-TV Channel 7
November 10, 2004

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Republican Dino Rossi has pulled ahead of his Democratic rival for governor, Christine Gregoire, and announced a transition team to prepare for his possible ascent to power.

A full week after the election, Rossi closed the gap and then passed Gregoire on Tuesday. As of Wednesday evening, Rossi was ahead 1,322,075 to 1,318,939 for Gregoire.

Despite his bold talk of a transition team, Rossi conceded that no one will know the winner for days.

Gregoire, 57, the three-term attorney general, also has a transition effort under way, but said it's premature to talk about it before all the votes are counted. State Democratic Chairman Paul Berendt called Rossi's announcement presumptuous and inappropriate.

The election ended in a virtual dead heat last on Election Day and neither candidate has pulled away as hundreds of thousands of mail ballots have been tallied.

Tuesday was a good day for Rossi, since it included new tallies from 15 counties that he carried election night and no new updates from the counties Gregoire is carrying, including populous King County.

As the day wore on, Gregoire's lead of about 8,700 evaporated. By 5 p.m., Rossi drew within 203 votes, and on the next count, went ahead by 1,718.

The results surprised neither campaign. Both sides have said the race probably will go on until the final rush of provisional ballots are counted next Wednesday. A recount is automatic if the gap is less than 2,000 votes.

Rossi, 45, the former state Senate budget chairman and a real estate investor, was the first to publicly talk about putting together a transition team. But he insisted that he's just getting ready, not presuming victory or sending any aggressive signals.

"It's prudent, that's all," he said in an interview. "One thing you can't get back is time. We've already lost a week and it could be Thanksgiving or longer until we know for sure, and they won't be moving the inauguration date.

"I have no idea if I will win or my opponent will. I'm reasonably optimistic, and hopefully there is something to prepare for. I assume she's doing the same thing."

He appointed an 18-member transition team of business and government allies, including Spokane Mayor Jim West, former Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman, campaign backers and corporate leaders.

He picked a close adviser, former state Rep. J. Vander Stoep, a Chehalis attorney, to head the transition. Former Senate Majority Leader Dan McDonald, a former Senate budget chairman, would head Rossi's budget team.

Rossi's campaign director, Afton Swift, and adviser John Giese would work on administration personnel. Jim Troyer, chief of staff for Senate Republicans, would be legislative director, and Mary Lane would be communications chief.

"During the campaign, I promised to bring change to Olympia and I promised to be governor for the entire state of Washington," he said at a news conference in Bellevue. "If I become governor, that's exactly what I will do."

Gregoire continued to watch returns out of the public eye, but said she's working on transition plans, too.

"I have been quietly working on my transition plans since election day," she said in a statement released by her campaign. "I am avoiding any public discussion of them until the ballots are certified, because I don't want to overshadow the ongoing vote count.

"Right now, we're focused on making sure every vote is counted."

Berendt was more pointed.

"He can posture all he wants, but it won't change a single vote. ... Chris Gregoire is going to be Washington's next governor. Dino can work on his transition plans, as Chris has, but there's no need to hold a press conference and talk about it. It's nothing but game-playing."

Rossi gained from votes in Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Douglas, Grant, Island, Kitsap, Kittitas, Lincoln, Pierce, Skagit, Stevens, Walla Walla and Yakima counties.

Gregoire is carrying eight of the state's 39 counties: Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Pacific, San Juan, Thurston and Whatcom.

An estimated 150,000 votes remain to be counted, about 46,000 of them in King County, a Gregoire stronghold. The counties must certify their results by Nov. 17. A recount is possible.

Including the votes cast for Libertarian nominee Ruth Bennett, over 2.6 million ballots have been counted.

Both Gregoire's and Rossi's campaigns said they remain optimistic, but can only wait for the numbers of come in.

The race probably will hinge on about 80,000 or 90,000 provisional ballots, which included challenged registrations and ballots cast away from the voter's home precinct, said state elections official John Pearson.

The remaining absentee votes should tend to favor Rossi, but the provisional ballots are unpredictably, though historically breaking Democratic, he said.

"I think this goes down to the wire," he said.
 

expose'

The Pulse......
I've been checking the count every day on the Sec of State website! I think they have found a way to get around King Countys absentee ballot fraud..... :D They are forcing King Co to count all of it's ballots before the other counties.....

In the past King County would be the straggler - waiting until the other counties were finished - and then Voila! King Co suddenly had exactly the right number of votes for the Democrat candidate to win! :rolleyes: They blamed it always on their huge number of absentee ballots of course....But THIS time....I notice a balanced count among the counties. If King co lists it's next date to count another batch of ballots - the other counties pick a date or time AFTER King co..... :D So KC is forced to exhaust it's absentee ballots before they can estimate how many would be needed for their Dem darling to win!

This has been going on every day since the election! Now King Co is trying to talk provisional ballots :rolleyes: but those must be sent to the county of residence for verification...which means KC cannot count any that have another county listed as their residence! I believe this is why KC made the announcment earlier this week that they do not have as many provisional ballots to count as they originally thought.... :rolleyes:
 

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The Pulse......
As of Tuesday night this was the count....
http://www.vote.wa.gov/general/statewide_results.aspx?o=Pb/1UmP3PoX/DHq+DUhS8w==
GOVERNOR
Christine Gregoire= Democrat 1323301
Dino Rossi= Republican 1326793
With Rossi leading by 3492 votes

For the up to the minute ballot count - by county go here...
http://www.vote.wa.gov/general/status.aspx

each county will show their last count date and time - and their next count date and time - and how many ballots remaining to county in each county...

As of Tuesday evening - there were 84,715 absentee ballots remaining to count state wide...with King County having only 25,000 of that...
 

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Democrats Sue King County Over Provisional Ballots


KOMO-TV Channel 4
November 12, 2004

SEATTLE - Washington state Democrats, fearful their candidate for governor might narrowly lose because of disputed ballots, on Friday sued election officials in the state's largest county.

The lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court would block that county's election officials from discarding about 900 provisional ballots. Party officials said they hoped they could get a decision later in the day.

"We have one objective: Count every vote," said Paul Berendt, state party chairman.

Democrats demanded that King County stop discarding hundreds of provisional ballots and give the party - and the voters - a chance to fix technical problems, such as not signing the ballot envelope.

The move was criticized by Republicans, who said Democrats threatened to turn the close gubernatorial election into "another Florida."

As of Friday morning, the closest gubernatorial race in state history had Republican Dino Rossi leading Democrat Christine Gregoire by about 3,600 votes out of over 2.7 million counted.

Counties estimated they have about 85,000 ballots left to count, mostly provisional ballots such as those that are the subject of the Democrats' lawsuit. King County has about 25,000 ballots left to count, mostly provisionals.

Thus far, the county has declined to count about 900 provisional ballots because they did not include a proper signature. The voters were being notified of the deficiency and have until Tuesday to submit the proper signature verification.

Republicans were chasing similar problems in some of the counties where Rossi is winning; Democrats want the same access in King, but the elections office has declined to release lists of voters.

Provisional ballots are primarily those cast away from a voter's home precinct or involve disputed registration.

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This is hilarious! A Democratic candidate suing Democratic county election officials in one of the most Democratic counties in America, to try and prevent a Democratic defeat by any desperate means available. :lol:
 
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Judge Sides With Democrats In Ballot Dispute


Associated Press, via KIRO-TV Channel 7
November 12, 2004

SEATTLE -- A judge on Friday ordered King County elections officials to turn over the names of 929 voters whose provisional ballots are in dispute. State Democrats said they planned to contact those listed to ensure their votes count.

In tears, Democratic Party chairman Paul Berendt said volunteers would work through the weekend to contact the voters. Every vote is crucial in the state's tight race for the governor's mansion; Republican Dino Rossi was leading Democrat Christine Gregoire by just a few hundred votes Friday, and King County voters lean heavily Democratic.

King County Superior Court Judge Dean S. Lum ruled that the county had not shown that it would be a burden to provide the list, and state law favors openness in government. He gave the county one hour to turn over the names.

Election results are scheduled to be certified next Wednesday.
 

expose'

The Pulse......
The Dems are going to need a lot more than 900 bogus provisional ballots to win the Governors race..... :D

As of Friday evening - Rossi is up 1970 votes over Gregoire....
There are still 41,623 votes to count and only 11,000 of them are in King County..... The total remaining votes to count in Gregoire leading counties = 14,475 and the total remaing votes to count in Rossi leading counties = 27,148.

The Rossi counties are putting Rossi ahead of Gregoire almost 2 to 1 - yet the Gregoire leading counties (with the exception of King ) have Rossi almost tied with Gregoire.....

There is no numerical way at this point for Gregoire to win this election. ;)
 
OK, here we go with the King County Machine. They allegedly "found" 10,000 more ballots overnight, and no one is reporting where they found them yet. I sure hope we have some competent monitors in there. Vance needs to be thrown overboard. The chairman of the Republican Party here is a marshmallow.

Tras
 

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Tras, I did not know you were out in my neck of the woods. The last place I would have thought to find you is within shouting distance of the statue of Lenin in Fremont. :D
 
S by SW way down the Sound, OS, and out of range, but I did my time in the U District, before I worked for Uncle Stupid in another life... :lol:

Can you believe all these ballots the Dems are digging up? You realize party faithful are hand-delivering affidavits validating provisional ballots, or that the judge who ruled they can do that violated state law? We have to be the worst state in the union for elections.

We can't even find out if our Reps won or lost yet.

Tras
 

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You are down by Evergreen University, which is even worse. My condolences.

Yes, I heard about the judge allowing them to do that. Amazing! Where are the Repub Party hacks? They should be filing suit and raising holy hell. Where is our useless Repub Secretary of State, Sam Reed? Is he not supposed to safeguard the election process?
 
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