On pins and needles...

[note] This exciting election year coverage came to you live on 2 November 2004!

Wow... this years election is certainly shaping up to be an exciting one. It smacks of the 2000 election, but hopefully there wont be as big an issue over dimpled chads in Broward County as there was then. Personally, I am hoping Bush wins, but its going to be too close to really say.

It is amazing to me, watching the coverage how these people are claiming victory though, based solely on what the AP or some other news agency is saying. For example, here in NC, Richard Burr just announced, thanks the to the AP that he has won the Senate seat he is vying for. He IS ahead, but with only 65 percent of the precints reporting. How exactly does that work? What happens if those remaining districts report a different outcome, AFTER Burr gives the victory speech? Personally, I dont care who wins most these races. I voted Libertarian. But it still amazes me how he is out giving victory speeches when there is still a third of the state left to report the tally.

In fact, at this monent, there is only 100,000 votes, give or take a small handfull between the two. Yet Burr has now claimed victory and Bowles has ceeded defeat. Doing the math now... that means that since Burr with 1,117,500 votes and Bowles with 1,012,320 make up 69%, there is still nearly 800,000 outstanding votes to report. So, if there is only 100,000 votes between the two, HOW CAN ANY SIDE CLAIM VICTORY???? This is the SAME thing that happened in 2000 when one of the major new agencies began reporting that Bush had won the election before the west coast polls had even closed. It just boggles my mind.

Another thing that bothers me is that there is NO checking at the polls to verify voters. For example, I went to the Goldston FD this morning to vote. I stood in line with my wife, then as I got up to the registrar where I announced myself, this is how the exchange went:

Me: "Hello, My name is Jeffrey Lane."
Her: "Mmmkay. Is this your address?" (SHOWS me the address in the book)
Me: "Oh yes, thats mine all right. Yep. Sure is."
Her: MmmmKay. Sign here."

And that was that. I signed my name, got a ballot and voted. Now whats wrong with this picture? There was NO effort made to verify that I am who I say I am. Hell, I didnt need ANYTHING but a name to get a ballot to vote. I could have told them I was anyone who lives in that district, gotten a ballot, and voted. This makes me really wonder... before I had thought it was difficult to commense voter fraud, but now that I think about it... it is exceedingly easy. There is NO accountability in the process... at least not in North Carolina.

Well, in any regard, at least its finally over. Now maybe everyone can get back to normal... well, that would be nice, but with a presidential race this close, its guaranteed that following the count will be the obligatory and ubiquitous lawsuits contesting these ballots in that district, claiming voter disenfranchisement, fraud, and all manner of other nasty things. But at least now I no longer have to listen to Erskine Bowles telling us all how he is his own man, and yada yada yada.

Now I can watch TV without nasty political ads. Bring on the titties and beer! W00T!!!!