More vote fraud!

Via Atrios:

A Clackamas County [Oregon] elections worker is under criminal investigation for tampering with ballots, WW has learned.

The underlying allegation is that the woman, whose name has not been released, filled in blanks on ballots turned into the county for the Nov. 6 general election.

Sources familiar with the incident say their understanding is that the woman filled in a straight Republican ticket on the ballots where preferences had been left blank by voters.
…
The Clackamas County Elections office is no stranger to controversy. Two years ago, Elections Clerk Hall mistakenly put a county commission race on the May ballot, although it was not scheduled until November.

Democrats are asking whether this is a one-off or part of a larger effort.

Aside: This is an example of why paper ballots are not a panacea.

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GOP to reality: “Shut up!”

Via Rachel Maddow, the GOP has suppressed a Congressional Research Service Report saying that tax cuts do not increase economic growth. Inconvenient, that. Also inconvenient is the fact that Maddow posted a link to the report on her blog, going here:

The results of the analysis suggest that changes over the past 65 years in the top marginal tax rate and the top capital gains tax rate do not appear correlated with economic growth. The reduction in the top tax rates appears to be uncorrelated with saving, investment, and productivity growth. The top tax rates appear to have little or no relation to the size of the economic pie.

However, the top tax rate reductions appear to be associated with the increasing concentration of
income at the top of the income distribution.

I can see why the Republicans are shouting SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!

Minnesotans: Send It Back! Vote NO On Amendment 2

Here are some of the reasons why — in addition to voting down the Marriage Restriction Amendment — Minnesotans need to vote down the Voter Restriction Amendment:

Another Unfunded Mandate Costing Us Millions

Local elections officials and the Secretary of State’s office estimate that it would cost state and local governments $50 million or more to implement a complicated new system, raising property taxes and imposing even more cuts to our schools, police and other first responders.

Ends Election Day Registration & Mail-In Balloting

Over 500,000 Minnesotans use same-day voter registration to cast their ballots in Presidential elections, and 250,000 vote by absentee or mail-in ballot, many from nursing homes and military bases overseas. If this harmful amendment passes, many of these voters will be forced into a complicated two-step system of provisional balloting–casting votes that may never be counted.

No Safeguards for Active-Duty Military or Senior Voters

This harmful amendment provides no alternatives for our seniors in nursing homes or military members defending our freedoms overseas.

A Costly and Complicated Overhaul of Minnesota’s Nationally-Recognized Elections System

Minnesota’s elections system is recognized nationally as the best. Our system isn’t broken. There is every reason to protect our existing system and no reason to make such a costly and harmful overhaul.

Send It Back!

The legislature got it wrong. We shouldn’t have to pay the price for their failing to figure out the details. Send the Voter Restriction Amendment back so we can get it right for our military, seniors, students and all Minnesotans.

The Voter Restriction Amendment is Costly and Poorly Written with Serious Consequences for Eligible Voters. Vote NO on November 6th.