Democrat gaining as Arizona Senate race vote count drags on

[Sedona]

PHOENIX (Reuters) - With several hundred thousand ballots still to be counted in the race for an Arizona Senate seat, a Democrat who earlier conceded the race to his Republican rival was gaining and appeared to have a distant shot at the seat after all.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona conceded on election night last Tuesday to six-term U.S. Congressman Jeff Flake after about three quarters of precincts had reported, showing Flake with a lead of about six percentage points.

But nearly a week later, with more than 340,000 ballots yet to be counted, the tally has tightened to about four points, leaving the Carmona campaign watching closely to ensure that each and every ballot is counted.

The most recent results show Flake in the lead by 79,547 votes in a race in which 2 million ballots were cast.

"We're monitoring it closely, and we want every ballot to get counted, and we will take any necessary steps to make sure that happens," said Carmona campaign spokesman Andy Barr.

more....

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-rt-us-campaign-arizona-countbre8ac03d-20121112,0,6698318.story

[Coyotl]

1. This means those who voted provisionally are now required to go to elections office

just to have their vote count.

This is how voter suppression wins seats for Republicans against the will of the People.

[Sedona]

2. Its 100+ mile round trip

and 4 hours from Sedona to the Prescott courthouse in the Yavapai County seat to prove your provisional ballot is good. So after getting dicked around on election day one needs to spend another day, half a tank of gas (IF one has a car) to get them to count one's ballot.

This is SO fucked.

[Sunlei]

3. Arizona doesn't have ANY officials NEAR the voters home who can verify their ID/address?

[Sedona]

4. Not in 8100 square mile Yavapai County.

Maricopa County (home of Phoenix) has many many places to bring a provisional ballot.

[Texas Lawyer]

5. Carmona had a good chance until his stupid and offensive Candy Crowley "joke." He really

disappointed me.

As the margin of victory narrows, I get madder and madder because it becomes more and more likely that the comment was the tipping point which may have made the difference between winning and losing.

I hope Carmona wins, but -- if he doesn't pull it off -- he has himself to blame.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

6. What did he say? I'm sorry but why aren't people more pissed off by Flake's racist comments?

And telling Hispanics to go vote somewhere else? Why isn't Flake in jail for suppression?

[Texas Lawyer]

8. Moderator Brahm Resnik said, "Now I know how Candy Crowley felt." Carmona replied "You’re prettier

than her."

It was a casually rude and thoughtless comment that did nothing but reflect poorly on Carmona at a time when he was gaining in the polls and appeared to have pulled slightly ahead (he dropped in the polls after the comment and never regained his momentum).

Here is more about Carmona's foot-in-mouth episode:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/19/1147152/-Richard-Carmona-AZ-Senate-tells-moderator-Brahm-Resnik-that-he-s-prettier-than-CNN-s-Candy-Crowley

But keep this in mind: Just because Carmona made a gaffe, it does not excuse Flake's bullshit campaign, and I'm not suggesting that it should. I'm just saying that when Repubs across the nation are working to alienate voters, it was disheartening to hear one of our own candidates (one who was in a very close race) make the same sort of offensive comment that we would rightfully attack a Repub for making.

This was an unforced error that may have cost us a winnable Senate seat.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

9. WOW!! How could he be so stupid? I thought I saw him winning or well within the MOE

a few days before the election. Now I know why that all changes. I do hope he pulls it out, though. If not, he's to blame for sure.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

7. Fingers crossed!