UPDATE: Wis. Elections Board Considering Review Options

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UPDATE: Wis. Elections Board Considering Review Options

UPDATED Tuesday, February 7, 2012 --- 2:01 p.m.
Posted Tuesday, February 7, 2012 --- 12:17 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The Wisconsin state elections board is considering using statistical sampling methods to determine how often duplicate names appear on recall petitions containing an estimated 1.9 million signatures.

Government Accountability Board director Kevin Kennedy said Tuesday the board is committed to having all of the estimated 1 million signatures on petitions to recall Gov. Scott Walker entered into a database to weed out duplicates.

But Kennedy says the board is looking at statistical sampling methods used in other states to identify duplicates on other petitions. He says the board is dropping plans to use optical scanning computer software to import the names into a database.

There are an estimated 900,000 additional signatures on five other petitions seeking the recall of Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and four Republican state senators.

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by Jamie on Feb 7, 2012 at 05:57 PM

The GAB is not going to stop any signatures, or very few from being counted. That is just how it is going to go, we all know they are heavy democratic based. That is no secret either, just look at how many times they try to get things to work out for dems. They say they have screened the signatures, yet Daffy Duck, Micky Mouse have made it to Wisconsin to sign. Oh yeah they must be Wisconsin residents now as well in order to sign. The best one is Adolf Hitler apparently came back from the dead, moved to Wisconsin and wants Walker recalled. Come on give it up libs your looking more and more dumb everyday. Just let Walker serve his term and at the end you don't like it there is another election. Why waste all of this money, which will include court costs soon. It is making Wisconsin look like a bunch of fools.

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by Kevin Location: Madison on Feb 7, 2012 at 03:06 PM

How about the GAB just do it like last year when the Dems had their recalls. Fair is Fair! Why bend the rules for the Republicans?

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by Ryan on Feb 7, 2012 at 02:48 PM

The ones I have entered into the database at least 10-20% are illegible, filled out incorrectly, dated wrong or incomplete. That's not including any that are false names, addresses ect. These really need to be looked at closely. That's not even including any false names, non residents, felons, people signing their husbands names (yeah, there's a lot of couples signed with VERY similar hand writing) ect.

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by dp on Feb 7, 2012 at 12:37 PM

I'm confused here. So what it sounds like is that the GAB isn't going to do their job. I'm wondering how many people would agree with this if this method were used in actual elections. No need to bother to count all the votes or check everyone's registration; just get a sampling. I heard a news story last night about one gentlemen from the Milwaukee area who's brother was collecting signatures. His name and his mothers name ended up on multiple petition forms. When asked, neither one of them ever signed one. While I'm "sure" that most people collecting sigs tried to do the right thing and make sure they weren't committing fraud, I'm wondering how many were.

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- by Tom on Feb 7, 2012 at 03:22 PM in reply to dp
  
  Maybe they should have been required to show free ID cards!
  
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