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Pumpkin 🎃 or sideways Q shaped ovals marked by machine?

Video recap of Morrison County Commissioner District 3 Discretionary Recount
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Today's $3,000 discretionary recount paid for by a candidate and supporters revealed several anomalies, the most significant being that a majority of ballots for one of the candidates had a similar pumpkin 🎃 or sideways Q shaped oval filling - equivalent on many ballots.

Unfortunately this needs to be seen to be believed.

However because the recount rules disallowed video recording of the ballots from close range, a next logical step would be for the current county commissioners (including the incumbent of district 3 who unofficially won this election) to authorize a full forensic audit by passing a resolution to that effect during a county commissioner board meeting with the intent to analyze the paper and oval markings with the strange repeated shape.

To be clear the ovals were filled seemingly perfectly except for the diagonal line extending out of the oval up and to the right.

Those who understand the problem laid out here can help to raise awareness to alert commissioners with authority to pass a resolution to investigate.

Additional concerns included:

  • Missing election judge initials on perhaps a dozen ballots

  • Duplicate initials

  • Variance in initial markings for same letters

  • 1 vote for one candidate that should have been counted but was not recorded by the ES&S tabulator (voter intent was clear but oval filling wad minimal)

  • $3,000 for a 2-hour recount

  • Paid for by making out cashiers check to auditor treasurer without itemized list of services

  • Administrator asking challengers/observers not to ask questions when pumpkin or sideways Q shaped ovals noticed by one observer

  • Election judge counter changing position relative to challenger to avoid challenger from seeing the ovals during count

  • Why cannot video record ballots themselves from close range?

  • Video recorded by county of entire process available to public?

Keep in mind this discretionary recount is very limited in scope.

As challengers we did not have access to any of the following:

  • A close range analysis or inspection of ovals

  • The chain of custody of all ballots (of particular interest would be the chain of custody for the ballots that appeared to be machine marked with the odd recurring shape)

  • Tabulator summaries to compare with the SOS reported numbers and the county-reported Electionware numbers

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To all paid and free supporters I am very grateful as you are patient with me gradually but diligently putting time and energy into building the skills and perspective to provide timely election news that you can act upon as you are able.

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Erik van Mechelen