Counting the Votes

So as we all know our primary election in Maryland was a mess. There still isn’t a final result for the Democratic primary in Maryland’s 4^th Congressional District, where Congressman Al Wynn is only ahead by about 2900 votes with thousands of provisional ballots yet to be counted in Montgomery County and massive irregularities in the turning in of the Prince George’s County voting machines (including a truckload of machines and memory cards arriving 21 hours after the polls closed on September 12):

So with voting irregularities in Al Wynn’s base in Prince George’s County he had the follow exchange with Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) during a House committee meeting Tuesday:

BARTON: Down in Texas, we had a Democratic primary about 50 years ago that Lyndon Johnson won by 54 votes. And he got the nickname "Landslide Lyndon." We have Mr. Wynn next. He had a little bit of a tussle last week, but he did win. And so, I want to recognize "Landslide Wynn" for any opening statement that he wishes...
WYNN: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. In fact, they're still counting, but we're quite optimistic. And I did take a couple pages out of Lyndon's book, so if I win, it can be attributed to Texas know-how.
(LAUGHTER)
(UNKNOWN): Did you (inaudible)?
BARTON: I hope not. I hope you win fair and square.
(LAUGHTER)
WYNN: A win is a win.

For the record Lyndon Johnson stole the 1948 Texas Democratic Primary by 87 votes not the 54 votes Joe Barton thinks, but even the notion that someone would say they took “a couple pages out of Lyndon's book” and “A win is a win” regardless of whether it is “fair and square” should be sending up warning flags to everyone. There will always be politicians like Mr. Wynn who will try to commit fraud to say in power, but the problem is made worst by our current voting machines that make it a lot easier for elections to be stolen. With paper ballots the stealing of elections takes more manpower and leaves a trail of forensic evidence that can be tracked back as was done with Lyndon Johnson’s stealing of the 1948 primary. With computer voting that does not include a voter verified paper trail there is no way to know how or if a vote is recorded as a voter cast it.

Delegate Liz Bobo got a bill to require a voter verified paper trail unanimously passed by the House of Delegates, but it was blocked through legislative maneuvering by state Senators Paula Hollinger and Mike Miller.

As noted below Delegate Bobo will be speaking on this issue at the Democracy for Howard County meeting next Tuesday, September 26th at 7pm at Elkridge Library.

Also if you want more info on Lyndon Johnson’s stealing of the 1948 primary a great history of it can be found in Robert A. Caro’s Means of Ascent, which is one of the best political campaign history ever written. The Howard County Public Libraries have a copy unabridged on booktape (with all of my driving I am a big fan of the libraries great collection of unabridged booktapes).