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Voter Roll Irregularities Alleged in Baltimore County

Deceased voters, duplicate and invalid addresses found on Baltimore County voter rolls, according to Election Integrity Maryland.

The voter rolls of Baltimore County contain the registrations of deceased voters as well as voters registered to duplicate and invalid addresses, according to a Maryland voter fraud watchdog organization.

Election Integrity Maryland Friday submitted a challenge to 828 voter registrations because of alleged irregularities.

"We're bringing these to [the county Board of Elections] in the hopes it will make it easier for them to remove these registrations," said Cathy Kelleher, president of the non-profit, non-partisan organization.

"We're trying to help the system," she said.

Kelleher said that the irregularities, in some cases, could allow a voter to cast ballots in two different locations.

Election Integrity Maryland initially reviewed 1,700 voter registrations in the county. There are 492,288 registered voters in Baltimore County as of the last report issued in April by the State Board of Elections.

Kelleher said the irregularities could open the door to election fraud but said her group could not prove if such fraud had already occurred.

"We don't have access to the kind of records that could prove that happened," said Kelleher.

Katie Brown, director of elections in Baltimore County, said she the packet from Election Integrity Maryland was delivered Friday afternoon to her office but she had not had a chance to review it.

"We're going to verify everything they gave us," Brown said Friday night. "I'm not just going to put this away some where."

Brown said the watchdog group "uses information from sites were not legally allowed to use."

The elections director said confirmation cards will be sent to voters if there is a concern related to an irregularity. Voters who respond will have their information updated.

Voters who do not respond, however, will not be struck from the voter rolls.

"I wouldn't want to take away someone's right to vote if (the allegation) is not so," Brown said.

An audit of the 2008 election performed by the State Board of Elections discovered that as many as 200 people in Maryland intentionally voted twice—a more than 30 percent increase over the 2006 election.

More than a third of those came from Baltimore City and Baltimore County, according to the March 2009 report.

Elections officials pointed out at the time that the total number of duplicate voters represented just 1/100th of 1 percent of the 2.6 million votes cast in the 2008 presidential election.

All of the 2008 cases were referred to the Maryland State Prosecutor. None were prosecuted.

In February 2010, then-State Prosecutor Robert Rohrbaugh wrote in a letter to the Maryland State Senate that his office was unable to prosecute such cases because of budget and staff limitations.

Election Integrity Maryland has about 75 trained volunteers that use a computer program that identifies potentially problematic registrations. Typically, the program identifies addresses that have multiple registered voters that do not share last names and appear to have no relationship to one another.

Researchers for the group then review those individual registrations in an attempt to identify irregularities, according to Kelleher.

Earlier this year, Elections Integrity Maryland reviewed 7,000 voter registrations in Montgomery County and alleged that 5,400 of those contained irregularities similar to those found in Baltimore County.

"They haven't really given us a substantial response," Kelleher said of the Montgomery County Board of Elections.

There are 582,607 registered voters in Montgomery County and a total of more than 3.5 million in Maryland.

Kelleher said her group plans to review each registration.

"This is an ongoing process," Kelleher said. "We'll be doing this for years to come."

Escariot June 4, 2012 at 05:52 pm
Dear Brandon, your post could not have been more wrong if you tried. The supereme court has in fact ruled that all states that are not required to request voting changes because of gross civil rights violations in the past have a right to pass laws requiring photo id to vote. That is a plain and simple fact. Every time the Holder justice system has tried to fight that law it has lost in the courts. The supreme court has ruled sir that photo ids do not violate voter suppression. Also sir, you are ignorant of southern states that send people to the residencies of those poor and get them a photo id with no cost. Almost every state proposing voter photo id laws have programs to accomodate those that do not drive and are poor. Nice try though. Go back to msnbc.
Escariot June 4, 2012 at 05:58 pm
FIFA obviously deserves an award for most incredulous poster of the year. Keep denying the facts FIFA, oh wait that is what all liberals do when they cannot bring their own facts to the table. Go crawl back under your msnbc rock, and when you wake up we will have a new president.
Mark Patro June 4, 2012 at 06:00 pm
Photo IDs work for the Police department because they have a computer system that works with that ID card. They can go to their car, log on to their computer and pull up a picture taken at the DMV when the license was made. When the voting system has a computer system with that ability it will likely reduce voting fraud.
Using a photo that is simply on a card and is not verifiable is no more proof of who you are than a fake ID that an under-aged college student uses to get beer. I have mentioned this here at least three times and no is disputing this. All I keep hearing is "a photo ID is the solution." Anyone with the ability to produce an authentic looking driver's license could then get more erroneous votes though the system because we all assume any photo ID is authentic. This will increase the fraud not decrease it.
Brandon June 4, 2012 at 06:33 pm
Escariot, why don't you have a civil conversation and back of the MSNBC crap. In every post you have written on this topic is a dig at the person writing. I suppose you are unable to have a conversation without belittling you you are talking to. You're behaving like a bully.
Escariot June 4, 2012 at 06:41 pm
There is a biography of Barack Obama that was given to the first book publisher that paid him 150,00 dollars for an advance. That biography that was provided lists him as being born in Kenya. That is a fact. Maybe FIFA or brandon will post something intelligent, or factual. Brandon keeps touting photo id laws as suppressing votes, yet the scotus ruled otherwise. Also FIFA, it is a fact that obama had sealed his college records including his financial aid forms and his written works. What is he trying to hide? Did he apply for financial aid as a foreign student?
Arbutus Town Crier June 4, 2012 at 07:29 pm
The vote is a private right, But a card like a credit card, your private creative pin number to vote, and secondary code when you sign in e.g..mothers maiden name and add coded finger print on the card making 100% better then the current process. Banks do it and even notify you when their is an irregularity and a way you could check if your card has been abused. ,Its better than what we currently have. Then Illegal use of the card or counterfeit card punishable by Federal law.For those absentee ballot a booth could be at the local police station, Local court house where someone would feel uncomfortable breaking the law.
Escariot June 4, 2012 at 07:48 pm
Problem with that statement FIFA, is that Barack was the one that supplied the information. Once again, tell me of one person you know of in this entire country that has had their college records sealed. I talk about voter fraud. Voter fraud was not the reason Gore lost. Gore lost because the scotus decision to stop counting ballots was erroneous, in my opinion concerning the butterfly ballot. The constitution as written determines that any voting inconsistency shall result in the will of the voting people prevailing. Florida wanted recounts and revote, the scotus denied that and was wrong. That is different than the voter fraud cases i mentioned in new york with the deceased, in Mississippi with absentee ballot interception and voting, and ohio with more registered voters than people alive in the county, and with the winning votes out of a trunk of a car in minnesota. As an independent, i am against all voter fraud. What you refuse to acknowledge however is that the dems and Holder have been suing right and left for cases with no merit. Do you forget that this is the same Eric Holder that wracked up 17 million in fines with his justice department under Clinton for frivilous lawsuits involving race and voter suppression? Never once did i state that i was a birther. I question the fact that obama had his records sealed which would include the status of how he applied for financial aid. I question that because the dems are asking Romeny to release confidential tax records.
FIFA June 4, 2012 at 08:06 pm
Escariot, that was the most respectful post you have made in quite awhile. As long as that continues I will avoid putting the Birther label or any other on you. You are correct about Gore, he was robbed.
The issue I have with you and voter fraud is you only ever bring up cases of alleged Democratic fraud, not once, not a single time do you mention alleged Republican voter fraud. That makes you a partisan and your opinions lose credibility with me and others. I am like you, I can be snarky or civil, I prefer the latter. Regarding Obama's college records he has the right to keep people from peering into history. Is there something embarrassing in there, maybe. Is there something embarrassing in Romney's tax returns, maybe. If you want to convince me of an opinion, I find it necessary that all facts be disclosed, not just the ones that might support your opinion. If you only give one side, I can watch MSNBC for the left wing and FOX for the right wing.
Tim June 4, 2012 at 08:13 pm
Not related specifically to this, I saw your comment about the left/right media FIFA. I make a point of visiting websites of ALL political leanings to help prevent unintentional biases from getting into my views on world topics.
There's value in most news sites, hell my favorite aggregate site is the Drudge Report. They put some lolConservative headlines, but the majority of the artciles themselves aren't horribly biased.
Josephine Hlatki June 4, 2012 at 08:31 pm
Bill Howard and Bob Long, I'm in total agreement with both of you. During the 2010 General elections I was in charge of many precincts for a candidate. The day of the elections my cell phone was ringing off the hook from my poll watchers, telling me voters were coming outside the polls after voting and complaining that after they cast their ballots, the summary came up different....meaning the Republican votes were coming up for the Democrat candidate. I can't help but wonder how many people didn't bother to read the summary before casting their ballots and having their votes go to the Dem and not the R. I did not get one call saying the opposite was happening to the Dems. I placed so many calls to the attorneys, it was ridiculous. I hope they get to the bottom of this.
Josephine Hlatki June 4, 2012 at 08:33 pm
Mark, you are one of the biggest liberals to ever comment on the Patch. I've run into you many times....same old garbage. We have you pegged.
Josephine Hlatki June 4, 2012 at 08:41 pm
Joan, you sure can tell who leans to the left in these conversations, can't you? When my folks die, I make sure they're off the rolls so some lib in the family doesn't vote as them. It's easy to do, we just need to do it.
I also remember in 2010 hearing about the mailboxes at vacant houses where gobs of absentee ballots were mailed.......voter fraud.......you betcha.
Josephine Hlatki June 4, 2012 at 08:43 pm
Thanks, Paul....got your number now.
Buzz Beeler June 4, 2012 at 08:48 pm
Paul, right again on the issue. You are - dead rights - on those who have passed away but still vote from beyond the yellow brick road.
Mark, when Bryan tells about an article he did you can take it to the bank. Just because you can't remember or have knowledge of it doesn't mean it ain't there. As to the link, they were taken down over business transactions. Bryan I would scan and upload it to prove your point.
FIFA June 4, 2012 at 08:51 pm
Josey, liberals are not a disease. It is a very valid point of view. Your "garbage" is cleaner, doesn't stink? You carry a bagful of it and I think it smells.
Buck Harmon June 4, 2012 at 08:59 pm
I dispute it Mark..people have to pay dearly for the fake ID, not many would do that to cast fraudulent votes at their own expense...the percentages would be lower than numbers that you have used on this blog. Who will be paying for fake ID ?
Buck Harmon June 4, 2012 at 09:01 pm
What are you afraid of Mark...do you not have a photo ID?
Buck Harmon June 4, 2012 at 09:18 pm
Obama tells half truths, he avoids putting legitimate concerns about his shady past to rest. I am a truther...I really want to know the truth about the human being that wields deadly power world wide. If he has something to hide, he does not deserve the respect or honor that should be associated with being the President of The United States. He does not deserve any public service position, but rather, jail time in my opinion...don't care where he was born, he has not been straight forward by hiding the truth about himself...or his wife for that matter..
If there was nothing of significance to hide~ nothing would be hidden..
Paul Amirault June 4, 2012 at 09:22 pm
Buzz, I have heard the "dead" voting stuff all the time. I would like you to focus on the elephant in the room, the possibility of altering electronic vote totals without detection. People easily understand the dead person voting, that's one vote. But changing totals surreptiously, the perpetrator decides who wins the election. Involve fewer people, don't leave a trail.
Paul Amirault June 4, 2012 at 09:23 pm
Buzz, you were a cop. Involve too many people and you get caught easily, which is exactly what an organized campaign of dead or duplicate voters would take.
Paul Amirault June 4, 2012 at 09:29 pm
Buck, the old "if you have nothing to hide" argument. I am sure you had the same to say about GW Bush's National Guard days, right?
There will be a "mushroom cloud", sound familiar too? Cost a bunch of people their lives and limbs and our treasury a ton of money now and into the future. "he avoids putting legitimate concerns about his shady past", concerns raised by his opponents perhaps and you already judge as "shady". My mother-in-law taught me an important lesson in life, there comes a time when you just have to let go. Let it go, Buck. He is the President of the United States and may be for four more years, deal with it.
Buck Harmon June 4, 2012 at 09:55 pm
Paul, Your man lies about and hides the truth...If you think that this kind of behavior is acceptable then you are obviously a man with lower standards I am.
I actually had hope for change with Obama when he was first elected, now I hope for change in this election. Problem is...I'm Independent and detest the way that our Country was Bush whacked, the Repubs have done a terrible job by providing Romney as the other choice so I'm torn between a coward that hides the truth and a corporate greed driven bastard that seems to have the same ruler pulling his strings... You lost my respect when I learned of the way that you really made your living Paul, so get over it like your mother in law has tried to teach you..
FIFA June 4, 2012 at 09:57 pm
@Tim, the problem I have with all three of the 24/7 talking head networks is the volume and the repetition of non-news. The car chases, the death of actresses, actors, singers, etc. The Prince gets married, whoopee!
Those networks will talk incessantly about anything but important stuff. Some more than others. Young Americans die every day for this country in Afghanistan and it simply makes me ill that it is not important to us. "They volunteered" for that job speech makes me sick to my stomach. Probably speaks to the attention span of Americans.
Paul Amirault June 4, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Buck - he is not "my man", just the choice I had. You call Obama a "coward", on what basis? Ask Bin Laden.
I lost your respect because of the way I "really made my living". I really don't give a hoot about your respect. I am a land developer, former home builder, and a 30+ year volunteer in this community and have never hidden those facts. Grow-up, Buck. I earned every nickel I have the hard way, by working for it. Son of an Army sergeant, paid my own way through college, invested all of my money and took many risks that I could end up being bankrupt? Turns out I was lucky, it worked out. You make me ill sometimes with your holier than thou attitude and your plastic shack comments. Enough said about this.
Paul Amirault June 4, 2012 at 10:51 pm
So what Josey? I have your number too? Is that what you want?
Escariot June 4, 2012 at 11:06 pm
In regards to Paul, and his defense of Obama's shady past. Here are classic examples of his shady past, in no particular order:
1) Obama lectures acorn staffers on how to protest banks and intimidate lenders-now it is simply referred to as the "muscle for money" modus operandi 2) As a state legislator in Illinois, Obama wrote federal recommendations for block grants for federal housing for Tony Rezko. Rezko then took the money but allowed the properties to be condemned. Thousands of poor african americans and other citizens had to leave while Rezko and Obama buddies bought the condemned properties and flipped them for huge profit. 3) As a state legislator Obama was the only one that voted yes for a bill that would allow failed abortion viable fetuses to be thrown into linen closets and allowed to die in that manner. 4) Obama lied about working with Ferrakahn in the million man march, even though the chicago tribune had his name printed on it as a manager/organizer being thanked by Ferrakahn himself. 5) Obama was at a dinner with Khalidi where member of the audience read poems advocating the death of Israel. Did Obama condemn this? The los angeles times to this day will not release the tape, even after McCain publicly pleaded for its release in 2008. Hmm, makes sense now in 2012 his policies concerning Israel. 6) His failed attempt to make gun sellers be banned from selling arms when fast and furious blew up in his face
Buck Harmon June 4, 2012 at 11:53 pm
Obama is afraid to release his history in full or he would have. Spending millions to keep it neatly tucked away from the public is a cowardice approach that speaks volumes to the guys true character.
Paul, You should feel ill because of the way that homebuyers were taken full advantage of with the very real plastic shack development processes that you participated in. Greed driven at every level... shameful..
David Taylor June 5, 2012 at 02:01 am
Why bother even trying to have a serious discussion of voting issues (machines or process) or about the Scott Walker Tea Party squad invading and attacking the Maryland roles... all you folks here seem to care about is pecking at each other like a bunch of old hens.
Enjoy yourselves... this is below even my low standards, and I've been online since the 80's.
Mark Patro June 5, 2012 at 09:43 am
Josephine, I am not embarrassed to be a Liberal. If I were to create a stereotype about myself I'd probably use that label myself. I do not find it to be negative. That is other people's baggage. I am, however, centrist on many positions, just not on civil rights or other social justice issues.
DARRELL HAMMERBACKER June 6, 2012 at 11:58 am
The Maryland Democratic Machine which owns this State have loaded the Voter Rolls with Illegal Aliens and People living in Greenmount and German Hill Cemeterys for Years.And their is nothing anybody can do about it because the Judicial System in this state is loaded with their Liberal appointed Judges.When people at the DMV are caught giving out ID's to New Americans what do you expect!

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