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10.27.2008 6:45 pm

St. Charles County says Obama campaign turned in 15 bad registration cards

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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Rich Chrismer, the St. Charles County elections director, says his office last week turned over to the FBI 15 voter registration cards with nonexistent addresses that had been submitted by the Barack Obama presidential campaign in Missouri.

Chrismer said the bad addresses were noted by one of his employees who was checking on voter registrations.

He said the FBI had asked him to contact the bureau if anyone tried to vote using the suspicious registration. He said the cards were turned in, mostly on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9, by Obama for America. That’s one of the Obama campaign organizations operating in Missouri.

Obama spokesman Justin Hamilton said the campaign has gone through “painstaking measures to ensure that we dotted every I and crossed every T” on the tens of thousands of registration cards submitted by the campaign across Missouri.

He added, though, that ”we don’t think any number of problems is acceptable… We’re certainly concerned that they are raising the idea that there could be a problem two weeks before the election.”

Hamilton said the FBI had not contacted the Missouri campaign about the 15 cards. He also said it was “disturbing” that Chrismer’s office hadn’t raised the issue with the campaign “but chose to do so with the media.”

FBI officials could not be reached for comment tonight.

23 comments

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The St. Chuck election board is headed by Republicans`, they probably filled out the registration cards themselves to smear Obama just like the RNC is doing with there fear and smear campaign.

— Will R.
7:28 pm October 27th, 2008

Had Mr. Hamilton been around for a while, he would regard it as predictable (albeit a little disturbing) that Chrismer went straight to the FBI and Mark Schlinkmann, er, I mean the media. I am sure Chrismer advised his staff weeks ago - perhaps months ago - to be on the lookout for any irregularities on any voter registration cards turned in by the Obama campaign and met the discovery of a handful of allegedly incorrect addresses with spasms of euphoria. I like the FBI’s response. “That’s nice Mr. Chrismer. Why don’t you give us a call if see any actual indications of vote fraud.” What a waste federal resources calling in the feds as if there was some sort of law enforcement emergency. Reminds me of Joe McCain calling 9-1-1 to complain about traffic. Make no mistake, voters of St. Charles County, the thumb of your county election authority is firmly on the McCain side of the scales, and he is not afraid to show it.

— Penelope
8:32 pm October 27th, 2008

So 15 registration cards had some errors on them. What Chrismer fails to mention is the fact that almost 3000 new registrations came from efforts of the Obama for America volunteers. I think that a mistake ratio of 15 out of 3000 is pretty darn good.
Does Chrismer operate his office that efficiently? I think not. They are so behind in that office because of his partisan intent to keep Republicans on top in St. Charles County. He’s spending precious preperation time getting media and FBI attention, trying to discredit the Obama operation while the real work of getting ready for the election remains undone.

— Simone
9:59 pm October 27th, 2008

It is so beyond STUPID to think that there will not be fictitious registrations done intentionally by an opposing Party in order attempt to place that Party in a bad light and especially by some in Red County, St. Charles County, BUT LET’S NOT FORGET AND ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE OBAMA SUPPORTERS IN ST. CHARLES COUNTY, THERE ARE MANY!!! GO OBAMA!

You have better believe that many of the dark minded haters of Obama would fill out fictitious registrations. I doubt that anyone will be using those irregular registrations because they were only filled out to attempt to place the Obama supporters and campaign in a bad light. Some pretend to not recognize the ugly in human nature and themselves

— D. Walker
10:32 pm October 27th, 2008

“…fictitious registrations done intentionally by an opposing Party … because they were only filled out to attempt to place the Obama supporters and campaign in a bad light” — D. Walker

You couldn’t possibly know this.

===

— BobZ.
11:14 pm October 27th, 2008

Just as Rich Chismer couldn’t possibly know the intent (or complete lack of it) on the part the persons that provided allegedly incorrect addresses. I guess calling in the FBI was a diversion from sitting around wringing his hands because change is coming, or, like Simone said, doing his job getting ready for the onslaught.

— Penelope
7:00 am October 28th, 2008

My son attended Lindenwood University last year and Chrismer was a guest lecturer. According to my kid, Chrismer was clearly a supporter of McCain even then (last spring) so his office is, well, just a tad bit partisan.

If Obama’s folks registered 3000 new voters and 15 were problems, that is an error rate of, what, five percent? And Obama folks turned them in according to their legal obligation to forward all completed cards? And the cards are filled out with volunteers helping out? And this is a scandal? Really? Geez. We need a new party in charge.

— Greg Pr
8:09 am October 28th, 2008

> his office is, well, just a tad bit partisan.

In St. Charles county - and, I believe, most counties in the state - county clerk is a partisan elected office. That doesn’t mean they get to cheat in favor of their party. Some might say it ought to be non-partisan. Problem is, almost everyone has a political position. That isn’t eliminated by making something a non-partisan office - it just means we don’t get to know which way the boss leans.

— Nick Kasoff
8:24 am October 28th, 2008

3000 registrations divided by 15 erroneous (according to R.C.) addresses = 0.01%.

— Penelope
8:49 am October 28th, 2008

BobZ,

It is a pretty sure thing that such happens. Distortions have become the “motto” for the GOP and my “first mind” as my grandmother use to say, speaking of “conscience” tells me this.

Paid workers are also known to commit such acts for more pay, but this group here are volunteers, so I will just stick with my “first mind”.

— D. Walker
9:04 am October 28th, 2008

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