Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 01:59:21 -0000 From: pgammill@home.com Subject: [lpaz-discuss] Re: Vote count problem - Yesterday's Glendale Election To: lpaz-discuss@yahoogroups.com Reply-To: lpaz-discuss@yahoogroups.com
From today's AZ Republic:
Glendale officials examining 3,273 ballots in Wal-Mart vote
By Dennis Godfrey The Arizona Republic May 16, 2001 01:25:00
Election officials today are examining 3,273 early ballots cast in Glendale's special election over a Wal-Mart to see whythe city's ballot-counting machines did not register a "yes" or "no" vote.
Those votes will be tallied if voter intent can be determined.
Tuesday's election drew more than 19,000 votes, 9,738 of which were early ballots.
Of the early ballots, about 34 percent were recorded as "undervotes," meaning that they likely were not marked or that they were marked incorrectly. Ballots had to be marked in black ink and the lines connected for the optical scanner to record a vote.
In contrast, of the 7,485 ballots cast at the polls on Tuesday, 79, or about 1 percent, were recorded as undercounts. The same equipment was used to tally both sets of ballots.
Voters demonstrated a clear anti-Wal-Mart preference in the ballots counted: The unofficial vote was 8,257 to 5,610.
The 3,273 unrecorded votes, along with 1,974 questioned ballots, are enough to swing the election to the Wal-Mart position.
The election was on whether the Glendale City Council acted properly in using zoning stipulations to block a 24-hour, Wal-Mart supercenter on 39 acres at 51st and Olive avenues.
Because of the ballot wording, a "yes" supported the City Council and was a vote against Wal-Mart. Likewise, a "no" vote supported the Wal-Mart position.
Hayscale LLC, which owns the property, spent $200,000 on the election. Wal-Mart added another $100,000.
A neighborhood group ran an aggressive grassroots campaign against Wal-Mart on about $7,000. Their efforts were augmented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which spent about $68,000 in the campaign. The union opposes Wal-Mart's anti-union positions.
The 9,738 early ballots are being run through the counting machines again today. The machines are programmed now to separate the "undercounted" ballots. Voting officials will examine the ballots to see if the voter's intent is evident. If it is evident, duplicate ballots will be marked so that they can be tallied.
Representatives of the pro-Wal-Mart/Hayscale side expressed concern on Tuesday that the computers were improperly programmed. They contended that each of the "undercount" votes should have been separated at the time of the initial count.
Pam Oliveira, Glendale city clerk, said that in pre-count tests the equipment worked properly and accurately.
The processing of the "undercounted" votes is expected to take all day.
Reach the reporter at dennis.godfrey@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-6921.
Copyright 2000, The Arizona Republic. All rights reserved.
source: http://www.arizonarepublic.com:80/arizona/articles/0516Walmart16-ONL.h tml
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