California Called for Clinton While 800,000-3,000,000 Ballots Remain Uncounted
Greg Palast warned us that this would likely happen. Palast is the investigative reporter who more than anyone else documented how George W. Bush stole the Florida 2000 Presidential election that gave Bush the final electoral votes he needed to win the election. On June 1st 2016 Palast wrote of the coming Democratic primary in California that some poll workers have been told to give No Party Preference (NPP) voters provisional ballots rather than regular ballots. He urged voters to demand a regular Democratic ballot because, as many of us know, provisional ballots are usually not counted.
I did phone banking for Bernie. My job was to contact NPP voters and tell them that they had to ask for a Democratic ballot (or a Democratic “crossover” ballot) when they go to the polls, or if they’ve already been sent a “non-partisan” ballot (which doesn’t give them the opportunity to vote for President) they have to bring it to the polls to exchange for a Democratic ballot. The goal was to provide these instructions to all NPP voters in the state. But so many calls go unanswered – what percentage of NPP voters actually get the correct information?
The importance of this to the Sanders campaign was huge. Record breaking new voter registrations in California resulted in 4.2 million registered NPP voters by Election Day. Polls show that these voters vote for Sanders by a margin of approximately 40%.
But when California was called for Clinton on Wednesday morning, a bare minimum of 800 thousand ballots remained uncounted – including provisional ballots and late mail-in ballots. The 800 K number was arrived at by 11 California counties that reported solid numbers of uncounted ballots. But there are 58 counties in California. Nobody knows at this time the total number of uncounted ballots. Estimates of uncounted ballots range from 1 million to 3 million. And these estimates don’t even include the many eligible voters who were turned away from the polls on Election Day without even being given a chance to vote provisionally.
The official vote count had Clinton ahead by about 440 thousand votes. How can they call the election with so many votes uncounted, especially when most of them are disproportionately likely to be for the candidate who’s losing?
Election Day, June 7 in California
The reality of Election Day in California turned out to be far worse than even Palast was warning of. Investigations show an aggressive attempt to disenfranchise Sanders voters. Palast wrote on Election Day, June 7:
In some counties like Los Angeles, it's not easy for an NPP to claim their right to vote in the Democratic primary – and in other counties, nearly impossible. Example: In Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, if you don’t say the magic words, “I want a Democratic crossover ballot,” you are automatically given a ballot without the presidential race. And ready for this, if an NPP voter asks the poll worker, “How do I get to vote in the Democratic party primary”, they are instructed to say, “NPP voters can’t get Democratic ballots.” They are ordered not to breathe a word that the voter can get a “crossover” ballot that includes the presidential race. I’m not kidding. This is from the official Election Officer Training Manual page 49:
"A No Party Preference voter will need to request a crossover ballot from the Roster Index Officer. (Do not offer them a crossover ballot if they do not ask)."…
If an NPP voter doesn’t say they are “surrendering” their NPP ballot, the clerk can take it and count it blank instead of giving the voter a new one… Election Justice USA filed still more declarations with the courts of poll workers being told to give NPP voters “provisional” ballots even if they say the magic words, “I want a crossover Democratic ballot.”
Poll worker Jeff Lewis, who was abhorred by the training he received, filed a description of the training in an official declaration to a federal court:
Someone raised their hand and asked a follow-up question: ‘So, what if someone gets a nonpartisan ballot, notices it doesn't have the presidential candidates on it, and asks you where they are?’ The answer poll workers are instructed to give: ‘Sorry, NPP ballots don't have presidential candidates on them.’
Another California poll worker, Ashley Beck, complained:
I was told that all NPP voters are to be given provisional ballots. I was bothered by that, because I was always told that NPP voters in California can vote for Democrats and their vote would be counted…. We all know what happens most of the time with provisional ballots. They are not being counted.”
The Los Angeles Times announced hundreds of reports of additional problems in an article titled: ‘It was just chaos’: Broken machines, incomplete voter rolls leave some wondering whether their ballots will be counted. As if the impediments to obtaining a Democratic “crossover” ballot weren’t bad enough, some counties ran out of them, thus ensuring that NPP voters wouldn’t be able to vote on a regular ballot. Other counties demanded that first time voters (likely Sanders voters) show official voter ID, even though California law doesn’t require it. And as we’ve seen all through this primary season, many would-be voters are complaining that their voter registration was purged or changed to Republican (which prohibits them from voting in the Democratic primary) without their knowledge, and most of these would-be voters are Sanders would-be voters.
So why did they call the election with so many votes uncounted
The reason the election was called with so many votes uncounted is not hard to understand. It is exactly the same reason why our corporate “news” media timed their false announcement of Clinton “clinching” the Democratic nomination for the day before the California and five other Democratic primaries. It is the same reason why all of the powerful establishment forces within and outside of the Democratic Party have done everything they can since day one to prevent the nomination of Bernie Sanders. Their status, power, and wealth are vested in the status quo. The Sanders campaign is all about disrupting the status quo – leveling the playing field and giving the American people more control over their lives. It’s that simple.
Efforts are currently underway to force a counting of the uncounted California ballots prior to certification of Tuesday’s election. We will see what happens. If they are not counted, this should come up at the July Democratic National Convention.
= new reply since forum marked as read
At some point it would behoove you to face reality.
really
America is so screwed
You always say you do, but you don't.
Regardless of what 
types like Greg Palast claim.
Luv ya!
Last edited Fri Jun 10, 2016, 10:35 AM - Edit history (2)
For example, according to the OP, it is significant that there were 4.2 million registered NPP voters in California on election day, apparently as a result of a big surge in registrations.
While it is true that there were 4.2 million NPP voters, understanding that number in historical perspective suggests that its a bit more complicated.
The reality is that registrations fluctuate. A lot. The State of California does a very good job of disclosing data about registration. Thus, anyone who wants to can easily look up historical registration data. And if you did, here's something you would find that might surprise you:
Total Registered Voters:
Thus, while there was a surge in registration the first part of this year, it followed a pretty steep decline during 2015, with the result being a pretty small net increase over the past couple of years total.
Registered Democrats
links same as above)
May 2014: 7.69 million
February 2015: 7.645 million
January 2016: 7.438 million
May 2016: 8.029 million
(Note that in the May 2014 report, the SOS only gave percentage of total registration for party registrations, so you have to do the math to get to an actual number).
Again, the numbers fell, before rising, making what looks at first blush to be a 500,000 increase to be more of a net 380,000 increase
NPP Registration: (links same as above)
May 2014: 3.75 million
February 2015: 4.175 million
January 2016: 4.141 million
May 2016: 4.177 million
As you can see, it looks like a big jump if you compare May 2014 to May 2016. Not so big if you compare January 2016 to May 2016 and essentially no change if you compare February 2015 to May 2016.
Republican registration (links same as above)
May 2014: 5.037 million
February 2015 4.958 million
January 2016: 4.767 million
May 2016: 4.888 million
As you can see, from January 2016 to May 2016 repub registration grew by 120,000 voters (compared to an increase of only 35,000 in NPP registrations during that period and increase of over 500,000 in Democratic party registrations.
The point is that the registrations jump all over the place and the total change in registrations can be due to folks who fell off the rolls getting back on as well as "new" voters and the changes in party registration could reflect new voters or voters shifting allegiances. Trying to extrapolate from changes over the past few months is a risky business without more information.
edited to delete duplicative data and add links
Your posts are always thoughtful, well documented, and fascinating.
Sorry about the bullshit, but I expect you're used to it by now.
Yes, I'm used to it but I have never in my life seen a thread of mine (or written by anyone) on a Democratic website so infested with apologists for election fraud -- people actually making excuses for the kind of behavior described in the OP. No doubt many of them are paid "Correct The Record" shills. Others are just plain in denial or feel that election fraud is ok if done on behalf of their candidate. It is depressing.
On June 16th correct?
A mere few days away
You know, there are still some Bernie supporters who continue to say that Hillary stole almost every primary state she won. Unfortunately, it will never be over. Tin foil for life I guess 
.
It showed up on AP and LA Times trackers, along with numbers of voters and percentages. If the numbers change slightly as the mail-in and provisional ballots are tabulated, and there are tons of them, then the amended numbers will be published before they're certified. That's the way democracy works in a big state with lots of parties making lots of rules, mostly good, many new, like motor-voter which brought a lot of new NPPs into the mix.
And I don't think Palast reported a tenth of the bs that went down in 2004, and now here he is sniffing out non-existent corruption in Democratic California. Sorry, no sale.
except that a) Hillary has a 12+ and not a 10 point lead, and b) the Clintons did more of the last-minute heavy lifting than I thought they'd need to. I was expecting Cali's top Dems to hit the hustings but after what Boxer went through in NV I guess they were less inclined to pitch in so Bill and Hill both came out here and campaigned their asses off. It was a thing of beauty and I'm glad I got to hear both of them and shake hands with Bill. But no one can say they didn't earn every vote they got here.
