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Lyle residents ask county to address election fraud« Thread

Daily newsbrief journal for October 2005, also see http://www.usdemocrats.com/brief for a global 100-page perpetual brief and follow twitter @usdemocrats


Lyle residents ask county to address election fraud« Thread

Postby admin » Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:32 pm

Lyle residents ask county to address election fraud« Thread Started on Oct 31, 2005, 2:44am » --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Lyle residents ask county to address election fraud claims By Lee Bonorden/Austin Daily Herald read source: http://www.austindailyherald.com/articl ... txtUnhappy with the handling of their complaints about election fraud, Meri Jo Lonergan, Norma Olson and Blanche Hollerud went to the Tuesday meeting of the Mower County commissioners.“We realize we can't overturn what has been done,” Lonergan said. “We feel betrayed.” Before the morning was over, a visibly upset Mower County Attorney Patrick W. Flanagan lectured the women on the criminal justice system and normally mild-manner Mower County Auditor Woody Vereide started expressing his frustration over the women's complaints.In the end, nothing was done.“It appears there's really no action the county board can take as far as the complaints are concerned,” said Ray Tucker, 2nd District county commissioner and chairman of the county board.Tucker did agree with the three women that more training of election judges may help prevent some of the apparent irregularities from happening at future elections.Tucker also appeared to express sympathy with the Lyle area residents. “This is very similar to what happened in Grand Meadow,” he said.Lonergan, who started the discussion, ended with the same introductory remarks.“You were our last-ditch chance,” Lonergan said.In between, there was an emotional exchange between the Lyle delegation and the county.On Sunday afternoon, ground-breaking ceremonies will be held for the new $8.34 million school construction project.In a May 24 referendum, voters in the Lyle school district approved the referendum by a 449 to 343 vote total.Ninety-eight percent of the eligible voters cast ballots, Both sides waged bitter campaigns for their “Vote ‘Yes'” and “Vote ‘No'” sides on the issue.Many opponents included farmers fearful the referendum would result in high taxes for their farmland.Since the May vote, the “No” side has waged a campaign to discredit the election results and have it overturned.Lonergan told the commissioners complaints have been made to the Minnesota Secretary of State, Attorney General and State Auditor.In addition, the non-believers have complained to the Mower County Attorney, Sheriff and Auditor.Despite the non-interest by state officials, Lonergan - with help mainly from Olson - detailed their complaints: People were not allowed to vote if they were known to be opponents of the bond issue, absentee ballots were distributed to a residents at a senior housing project, who were told “if they didn't vote ‘Yes' they would not have a home” and people who were not living in the Lyle school district, but who favored the referendum were allowed to vote.According to Lonergan and Olson, even the 98 percent turnout in a well-publicized school referendum should have been suspect.“Over 60 of those who vast ballots were new voters in this referendum” Lonergan said. “It's hard to believe in a small town like Lyle, there could be that many new residents or new votes since the last referendum.”That occurred in the fall of 2004. The May 2005 referendum was the fourth time Lyle school district voters went to the polls.Lonergan and Olson presented copies detailing their complaints and petitions signed by over 70 people to Tucker, the board chairman, and asked for the county commissioners' help.The Mower County Auditor admitted the alleged election irregularities mentioned by Lonergan and Olson were “new to me.”Then, the Mower County Attorney took over.“There is nothing this board can do, I can do or the government can do to overturn the election,” Flanagan said.All of the complaints made by the Lyle school district citizens to state or local officials have been investigated, according to Flanagan.He also took exception to their request that Lyle Police Chief Forrest “Frosty” Miller be excluded from any investigation because he is “too close” to Lyle residents.“We've had several discussions, and I keep repeating myself over and over,” Flanagan saidUntil the complainants produce specific details and identify the alleged culprits, Flanagan's hands are tied.“I've expressed this to you dozens of times,” Flanagan said.When Olson took over, she frequently stopped Flanagan from interrupting her presentation just as he did the pair from interrupting his response to Lonergan's accusations.When it was the commissioners' turn to speak, Dick Lang, 4th district, said, “I don't want a witch hunt here.”Lang also said, “We have some citizens who believe their rights were violated.”The county commissioner said he understood their complaints to mean the want to “clear the air” over the Lyle referendum results.Garry Ellingson, 5th district county commissioner and a retired Mower County chief deputy, said whomever would investigate the charges “would have to follow the same procedures that Frosty did, the Sheriff did and the DCA would if asked.”Olson said having a school referendum shrouded in so much doubt by so many people may influence voters in future elections.“They may feel their votes don't count,” Olson said.Hollerud said she questioned the process of voting in the Lyle school district before the ballots were counted.But Craig Oscarson, county coordinator, attempted to explain that elected official such as the attorney, auditor and sheriff “answer to themselves” and that the county board had no supervisory powers over them.Frustration does not describe how we feel,” said Lonergan. “‘Trampled on' describes that.”Back and forth it went until Tucker said there was nothing the county commissioners could do.When he referred to a similar reaction to a $12 million school referendum issued in the Grand Meadow school district.The referendum was approved in a September 1998 vote. The tally was 496 “Yes” to 322 “No” votes cast.Opponents said the $12-million school referendum would place too great a burden upon the ag land which comprises the largest portion of the property tax base in the Grand Meadow school district.That's the same argument Lyle referendum opponents made.Today, Grand Meadow has a new K-12 concrete dome school facility along Highway 16 at the east edge of the community.The Lyle school project will take place on-site. The newer portions will be renovated while the oldest portion will be demolished and a new structure erected.There were no support from the county commissioners for hiring a third-party investigator to pore over the Lyle district's naysayers' complaints.Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com
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