Was the GOP Collecting Completed Absentee Ballots in NC?

[struggle4progress]

by david badash
October 17, 2016 11:17 AM

After Sunday's despicable and horrific attack on the Orange County, North Carolina offices of the Republican party, GOP spokesperson Emily Weeks told NBC News "that materials inside, possibly including completed absentee ballots, may have been destroyed."

Fox News appears to have reported "absentee ballots burned in office attack."

If completed absentee ballots were housed in the GOP's headquarters, that could be a violation of North Carolina's State Board of Election's rules.

When asked if the GOP could have been collecting completed absentee voter ballots, Tracy Ream, the Director of North Carolina's Orange County Board of Elections told The New Civil Rights Movement via telephone Monday, "they cannot do that." She cited the State Board of Elections rules ...

http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/_why_is_the_gop_claiming_completed_absentee_ballots_may_have_been_in_their_nc_hq_that_was_firebombed

[Botany]

1. What are completed ballots doing @ the county GOP HQ?

The ballots should be in three places

1) In the mail either coming or going

2) With the voter

3) @ the County BOE

This does not pass my smell test.

*******
I have done election protection work in OH for 12 years.

[uppityperson]

2. k&r

[Laf.La.Dem.]

3. Those cheating Democrats caught cheating!!

Oops - never mind

[anamandujano]

5. Saying that completed absentee ballots may have been destroyed gives away the game.

They are trying to make it look like the dems wanted to cheat by getting rid of puke votes.

THEY DID IT!

[Democrats_win]

4. Fahrenheit 451!

Fate stepped in and the "ballots" spontaneously combusted. Obviously! Good Karma, good.

[Raine1967]

6. I asked the NBC author of his misquoted or she misspoke in a tweet:

.@timstelloh was @emalineweeks statement re: possible completed ballots destroyed a misquote or misspoke? http://nbcnews.to/2ef0Fi4 #NCGOP

https://twitter.com/raine1967

No response yet.

[Stand and Fight]

7. Yeah. I asked them too. Odd.

[jberryhill]

8. Could she perhaps have meant voter registration forms?

[Raine1967]

9. She replied with no detail only to say:

Emily Weeks ‏@emalineweeks 11m11 minutes ago
@raine1967 @joelbousley @timstelloh nope no filled out ballots were stored here.

[struggle4progress]

12. The mail-in or drop-off deadline for voter registration forms was Friday 14 October

It has been extended by court order until Wednesday 19 October in some counties affected by Hurricane Matthew -- but the extension does not apply to Orange County

Voters can still register in person at the same time they early vote (starting Thursday 19 October) -- but nobody else can submit the form for them then

There's no good reason for the Orange County GOP to have been in possession of completed voter registration forms on Saturday 15 October or Sunday 16 October

[Raine1967]

15. There are a lot of unanswered questions that I hope a reporter will look into.

I asked the very question this morning on my FB page and got a lot of very good information.

[Raine1967]

10. Emily Weeks replied to me via twitter:

Emily Weeks ‏@emalineweeks 13m13 minutes ago
@raine1967 @joelbousley @timstelloh nope no filled out ballots were stored here.

Now I'd like the reporter to respond.

[struggle4progress]

13. That's an oddly worded denial. The GOP should not have been in possession of ANY absentee ballots,

whether filled out or not and whether stored there or anywhere else

[Raine1967]

14. I agree. I asked her another question:

.@emalineweeks What did you mean to say with your original comment? Re: Ballots possibly destroyed. This is important. #NCGOP

She did not deny her original comment.

It's all puzzling.

[Raine1967]

18. Reporter repied to me via twitter:

‏@timstelloh
@raine1967 @emalineweeks @joelbousley just added to story: &quot Weeks later clarified that the ballots were not stored at that office.)"

[dembotoz]

11. That's why God created mailboxes

[Nac Mac Feegle]

16. The article I read said there were "Sample Ballots" destroyed

Probably just a bit of false outrage and misunderstanding creating the meme.

<sigh>

[struggle4progress]

19. ... North Carolina Republican Party spokeswoman Emily Weeks told NBC News that

the office was destroyed, along with materials inside, which may have included some completed absentee ballots ...
Support Pours in for Firebombed North Carolina GOP Group
by EMMANUELLE SALIBA and JON SCHUPPE
OCT 17 2016, 2:29 PM ET

[panader0]

17. The ATF is on this. The answers will come soon.