: Kerry Can Win Ohio

Kerry Can Win Ohio

By David Swanson and the International Labor Communications Association

The media has collapsed and Kerry has conceded, but we don't have to.

According to CNN, Bush is ahead in the count in Ohio by 136,221. According to the Toledo Blade, Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell has said the number of provisional ballots could be about 175,000. Blackwell also told the Blade that in the last election 90 percent of the provisional ballots ended up being declared valid and being counted, a figure also reported by CBS News Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen.

There is good reason to believe that the provisional ballots are disproportionately for Kerry. This is because many of them are the result of Republicans challenging voters at the polls.

Therefore, Kerry can win, and we need to demand that every vote be counted.

The provisional ballots are expected to be counted in 10 days. Meanwhile, state law allows Republican and Democratic challengers to examine the envelopes and to challenge their eligibility to be counted.

We need massive public pressure in Columbus , Ohio , to demand a fair count. If you can't go to Ohio , call the Democratic National Committee at 202-863-8000 and tell them that you want the count monitored. Send them an Email on this page:

http://www.democrats.org/contact

Write letters to the editors of your local newspapers.

Call your local radio and television stations.

Write or call your Congress Members and other elected officials.

Tell them all we want an accurate count.

In addition, numerous possible cases of Republican wrongdoing in Ohio are being investigated, and we must be prepared to act quickly and in great numbers. Various such cases in Florida four years ago were discovered too late.

There are numerous complaints from Ohio of lines at the polls being longer in heavily Democratic precincts, also a result of Republican challengers and part of the Republicans' plan. Other complaints include rejected registrations, polls not open on time, and voters turned away. See:

http://ilcaonline.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=866

and

http://www.alternet.org/election04oh/20384/

and

http://www.michaelmoore.com/electionwatch/state.php?state=OH

and

http://cleveland.indymedia.org/features/election_protests/

Also watch for a related release later today from the Institute for Public Accuracy:

http://www.accuracy.org/

We may also need to demand investigation of the voting machines in Ohio . A year ago the head of Diebold, the company that produced the machines, boasted of his intent to help Bush carry Ohio .

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0828-08.htm

Remember what happened in Florida in 2000:

http://ilcaonline.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=835

For updates, watch http://ILCAonline.org

For questions or information, contact:

David Swanson ILCA Media Coordinator http://ILCAonline.org

dswanson@aflcio.org 202-974-8037

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