The voter, Linda Boyle, also said that 4-year term school board candidate Bob Goldsack assisted in the reprogramming of the voting machine at the Dingman Township Firehouse polling location, after receiving verbal directions from the head of the Board of Elections, Yolanda Goldsack, Bob's wife.
Boyle said county chief clerk Gary Orben told her that the county's solicitor said today's canvas of the votes still had to take place as scheduled, despite the receipt of her letter. Boyle then distributed the letter to attendees of the canvas this morning.
⇒ READ HER LETTER
May 22, 2009?
Richard A. Caridi, Commissioner
Harry Forbes, Commissioner
Karl A. Wagner, Jr., Commissioner
Gary Orben, Chief Clerk
I feel that the election was flawed and should not be certified today for the following reasons.
1. There was a problem with the voting cards being programmed at Dingman 2 from approximately 7:00 AM to 7:20 AM. I was voter #1. I am a registered Republican and the card that was given to me was a Democrat card. My vote was cast as a democrat and not a Republican.
2. I feel that it is a gross conflict of interest that Bob Goldsack had anything to do with the reprogramming of the card programmer, whether done personally or verbally, after receiving verbal directions from his wife, Yolanda Goldsack, on how to reprogram the card programmer.
3. Not all of the facts are known such as how many other polling areas have been affected, if at all, and if all of the voters after me and prior to the reprogramming of the card programmer have been notified of the problem.
4. I filed a notarized affidavit with the Pike County Commissioners’ Office on May 21, 2009 stating the events that have personally affected me. This information is currently under investigation by all of the Pike County
Commissioners. It is my desire to entrust this investigation to the
above-mentioned Commissioners.
I respectfully request that the certification of votes be postponed until all of the above information is gathered and the investigation is complete.
Linda G. Boyle
Milford, PA
Prior to handing this to the press, I spoke with Gary Orben. I asked him if my request was granted, would it have already been brought up or would it be brought up after the count. He said it would have already been brought up. Gary said that he spoke with the solicitor and the solicitor said the canvass must go on as scheduled.
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11 comments:
Why would a candidate on the ballot be anywhere near the machine let alone involved with working on it. Is he nuts? Whether he is responsible or not, why were some voters given the wrong ballot? Miss Boyle's votes were not attributed to the rightfully deserving candidates. Her vote and perhaps others could have changed the outcome of the Fisher-Silverstone tie, but above all voters were denied their constitutional right. What is going to be done about this? Why wasn't the process halted and an investigation launched? Is anything ever going to be done right by this board of elections? This is implorable. How does it happen that a voter is given the wrong party ballot. WHO is responsible and how will this be corrected?
I heard nothig is going to be done about it. Is this true?
People need to start showing up to Commissioners Meetings. Having raised these issues, I don't think our elected officials are convinced as to the public's outrage over what is happening.
Two weeks ago, Mr. Wagner complained of "rebuttal of assumption" - where they are constantly having to respond to accusations of wrongdoing because the Director of Elections is married to a candidate. (Which should be a reason why they should not have let this situation persist). Regardless, it seems to me there are no longer only assumptions. There is actual wrongdoing alleged. If the commissioners refused to take action to correct an appearance of impropriety, they ought to act to rectify actual impropriety.
Mrs. Boyle should be entitled to cast a vote that counts in this election. There was no negligence on her part, as it should be a safe expectation for every voter that they are voting on a correct ballot.
Mrs. Goldsack should recuse herself from the rest of this election.
And the Board of Elections should, as Mr. Greenlaw suggested, release the precise voter count at each polling station broken down by political party so we can determine if there are any other over-votes.
Anything less would make a complete mockery of our elections (if they are not already).
I believe certification will continue on Tuesday. Wednesday at 9 am is the next Commissioners Meeting at the Administration Building.
Thank you Nick. It should be fairly easy to determine the voting status. This shoddy Pike County electorial performance must be cleaned up!
Are the voting citizens of Pike County going to be fairly represented or is the Board of Elections and their bosses going to get away with this farce between Fisher and Silverstone? Unsuspecting Republican voters were given Democratic ballots. These voters thought they were voting for Fisher on their Republican ticket. This is what a primary is about folks; voting within your own party. Republicans assumed they were provided the correct ballot. It is the job of trained poll workers to do so. Stop wasting your time on trivialities and Speak Up citizens! Voters were cheated out of their votes. There is no true tie. There is a BIG stink though!!! Don't let them get away with this.
HOW MANY OTHER REPUBLICAN VOTERS WERE GIVEN DEMOCRATIC BALLOTS?
WE MUST KNOW. WE MUST FIGHT AND DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY. WE MUST FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.
WHERE ARE THE IMPORTANT HEADLINES?
HEADLINED THAT READ "VOTERS CHEATED AT THE POLLS!"
Citizens must demand a RECOUNT of the voting machine that was not programmed correctly.
Our freedom of choice has been taken away.
The PC commissioners did not take immediate action. They were informed of this Friday morning following the election.
anonymous,If you think this is revolting behavior by the Goldsacks (and getting away with it)get ready when Goldsack runs for commissioner,he will win in a huge landslide.We must thank Forbes for this,since for the obvious reasons put Yolanda,the most incompetent person in charge of elections.Folks,we have the fox looking after the chickens.
Not one commissioner is denying that human error caused a Republican primary voter to be given a Democratic ballot. Right? That was easily proved.
Ms. Boyle brought this to the attention of the Commissioners who chose to turn their heads to this injustice.
On this Memorial Day weekend we should remember the servicemen who died or gave service to America protecting our freedom to vote and who expected the voting process in America to be honest.
Enough is enough. Yes, we, the citizens will speak in the next commissioner race just as we did in the school board race. Believe me, Bob Goldsack, will NOT be a county commissioner and hopefully he will not be a school board member. He too seems to have no conscience, but that doesn't mean the public won't have a conscience as more truths come out.
But meanwhile, we must solve this immediate problem. How can Ed
Silverstone sit back and not demand a recount of the machine in question? Does he really want to enter a general election knowing the voting process was marred during the Primary Election?
I will not be quiet about this and neither will others.
RECOUNT!
The real problems:
1) The preparation of the voting equipment was apparently inadequate. Commissioners: What is the corrective action?
2) No candidate should do ANYTHING in the polls other than enter ONCE to vote and leave. Commissioners: What is the corrective action?
3) This is not the first time this has happened. According to poll workers Bob did the same thing in a past election. No learning from mistakes. Commissioners: What is the corrective action?
4) How widespread was this problem? It occurred at the same polling place in two different years. Did other polling places have the same problem, or is it just Dingman 2? (Lighting strikes twice in the same place???) Commissioners: Determine if this has happened anywhere else. What is the corrective action?
5) How many embarrassments will the commissioners allow before conceding that the aura of fairness has been destroyed? We must do what we can to ensure that our elections are always above suspicion. Commissioners: What is the corrective action?
Commissioners: Fix this now before this gets any worse.
Bill,
You need to get your comments onto the front page of every newspaper in the tristate area. This erroneous assignment of votes is keeping the real winner, Jack Fisher, from claiming his victory on the Republican ticket.
I hope you contact all the papers.
The repulican party in this county has turned to mush and this is an example of what happens when complacency sets in. How would they react if one of their commissioner's or supervisor's ballots was given to the opposite side during a primary election?
On dear! maybe they have!
The more I read the more I know I did the right thing to support Fisher, Greenlaw, Lutfy, Schor and Pike (and I'm a Democrat!).
Don't give up!
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