Harrisonburg Registration Scandal

Check this out:

"On October 6, the last day to register to vote, volunteers from the Obama HQ delivered a stack of registration forms to the registrar’s office. Among those forms was the registration of an Obama staffer.

But six of the forms that were delivered in person arrived back at the office in the mail a week later, with a Richmond postmark. Joe Fitzgerald, Vice Chair of the 6th District Democratic Committee, wrote in an email yesterday

The form went to the Registrar’s Office on Oct. 6. Somehow, it left that office, went to Richmond, got in a mailbox, and came back to Harrisonburg. In a handwritten envelope, with the Obama office written as the return address.":

Interesting. A registration form delivered on time to the local office finds its way to Richmond and is mailed back to Harrisonburg a week later- when it is too late to register to vote.  Who could have taken the forms to Richmond?

"But it gets weirder. Yesterday (Friday) morning, Fitzgerald received several threatening, obscene messages on his voice mail. The caller claimed to be calling from the Obama Campaign. According to Fitzgerald, HPD traced the threatening calls to Ellis Logan, son of Harrisonburg Registrar Debbie Logan. According to Debbie, Ellis has lived in Richmond since June."

So the Republican registrar's son lives in Richmond- and is making weird phone calls to Democrats back in Harrisonburg.  Hmm...

It may be time to fingerprint these forms...

Comments

[Mike]

I hope the authorities pursue this with vigor. It appears that eligible voters who play by the rules are being denied the right to vote in Harrisonburg. If this charge is proven (either by errors of commission or incompetence), those responsible should be held accountable, and the consequences should be serious. This is unacceptable in our democracy -- especially here in Virginia. We aren't Ohio, and we aren't Florida.

[Bubby Hussein, Hillbilly Sheikh]

This comes on the heels of other shenanigans from the Harrisonburg Registrar's office. Over 400 new voter registrations were invalidated for unknown reasons. Concerned new registrants have learned that their registration forms were altered to include incorrect information that was then cited as reason to disqualify the voter registration.

With complete Republican control of Rockingham County's legislative seats, constitutional offices,and judiciary, aligned with a rightwing nutjob local paper - The Daily News Record, lots of bad things have been swept under the rug in the Valley. But this crime has been a bridge too far - the arrogance and corruption is stark.

[Voice of Reason]

Not that I condone what happened, but worst case scenario is tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of Democratic led fraudulent voter registrations from across the country are partially offset by these.

On a separate note, is it only me that finds it odd that a campaign staffer would register to vote on the last day possible? Not saying anything is inappropriate, but just strikes me as odd.

And Willie Mae Kilgore is still at large!

[Finks]

This is what you come to expect when you live in a republican controlled area, we are trying to change that this year in Harrisonburg. We have 4 great dem's running for city council and the treasure's office. We could use any help people could offer to turn our corner of Virginia Blue.

City council Candidates

http://www.kaidegner.com/
http://www.richardbaugh.com/
http://www.davewiens.com/

Treasure Candidate

http://billney.org/

[Bubby Hussein, Hillbilly Sheikh]

Harrisonburg electoral board member AND local Republican Party Chair Suzanne Obenshain (sister of Senator Mark Obenshain) pushed for the appointment of registrar Debbie Logan...developing.
http://www.dailynews-record.com/news_details.php?AID=6216&CHID=1

[Gene Hart]

Suzanne is Mark's wife; Kate is is his sister.

[Bubby Hussein, Hillbilly Sheikh]

Thanks Gene, I stand corrected, but no more comforted.

Leave Bubby alone. He can make up all the facts he wants. It makes him happy, and that's all he knows.

[Gene Hart]

No reason to be more comforted.

[Ellis Logan]

It's sad that Mr. Fitzgerald has ignored the fact that the number of JMU students registered in Harrisonburg has risen from about 400 to more than 4,000 in about 6 months. It's equally sad that Joe has attempted to frame a city official based on partisan politics. Mr F needs to check his facts and review his tactics before resuming his deceptive initiative. There is a reason he finished last in the city council race a few years ago. Joe....you just are not a trustworthy fellow. From one Obama supporter to another...stay out of this. You are only hurting our cause.

[Jeremy Aldrich]

Ellis, what day did you come to Harrisonburg to vote early?

[Ellis Logan]

Friday the 17th.... three days after the letter postmarked from Richmond was sent. I hope that joe F will quit wasting certain city officials' time and confusing voters. This is a non issue.... sorry guys

[Jeremy Aldrich]

Well, it's not a non-issue as the forms were mishandled somewhere along the line, causing voters who should be able to vote not to be able to vote this year. What theories do you have as to what happened?

[Ellis Logan]

I have no idea. I live in Richmond and am not involved in this issue whatsoever. Sounds like your Obama staffer should have been a bit more prompt. See in business we are taught to act on everything with a sense of urgency. Let this be a lesson to all you young kids... procrastination will always lead to bad things and ultimately will create even more work than you originally had. Its a shame that one man can't vote because of his tardiness, let's instead focus on the 4,000 new voters in the City of Harrisonburg! Justice was served in court yesterday...clearly Fitz was spinning his wheels rather than working for any real objective.

[Bubby Hussein, Hillbilly Sheikh]

Clearly, when dealing with Debbie Logan and her staff of half-wits it best to "trust, but verify". In other words, get a receipt.

What I can't fathom is Judge Jim Lane's logic. On the one hand he says he can't determine whose fault this was, and then states that Gorguinpour, "failed to meet the deadline for getting his form to the county (sic)registrar".

We need to improve the quality of jurisprudence around here...and we will just as soon as we retire Mark Obenshain and the rest of his Valley Caucus judge-pickers.

[Jeremy Aldrich]

Ellis, it was my understanding that you came to vote absentee in Hburg because you didn't get to the Richmond DMV in time to register there. Have any other "life lessons" for us about procrastination and timeliness? ;-)

[Ellis Logan]

That would be incorrect Jeremy... I voted in Hburg because I will not be in Richmond on election day due to a sudden change of travel plans for a business appointment. Any other issues?

[Jeremy Aldrich]

"Debbie Logan said that Ellis never had access to any of the voter registration forms in Harrisonburg. She said that the only time he was in the office recently was to vote absentee. “He did go to the DMV [in Richmond] and tried to register, but he didn’t get it done in time, so he has one last time he can come back to his old locality and vote absentee, which he did. He came in here and voted,” Logan said."

[Ellis Logan]

check your facts bub

[Ellis Logan]

Also I;m not a party leader... I'm a 22 year old young professional.. I'm not an Obama staffer nor am I involved in any political initiatives. If my life was all about basketball you can be sure I wouldn't wait until the day before to practice a free throw.... get real

[Jeremy Aldrich]

Well why don't you tell me how coming to vote early in Harrisonburg has anything to do with being registered in Richmond but not being able to vote there because of a "sudden change in travel plans". Wouldn't that be done at the Richmond registrar's office? Come now, Ellis, if you can't be honest about the little things...

[Ellis Logan]

I have more to do with my time than argue on a message board... you were wrong, legally...go to sleep

[Ellis Logan]

I'm not honest? go ask your boy Mr. F who sent that letter from Richmond...

[Jeremy Aldrich]

How was I "wrong, legally"? Why are you uncomfortable with the question of why you voted in Harrisonburg?

[Ellis Logan]

I'm not uncomfortable in the least.... just think it's completely irrelevant. Listen, your case was dismissed and you have no grounds for any accusations anymore. Go take a nap and try to move on with your life... if you do anything of value

[Jeremy Aldrich]

I didn't have a case...not sure who you think I am. It's not irrelevant since you seem to be caught in a strange story right here in this discussion, that you were registered in Richmond but won't be there on election day, so that's the reason you had to come to Harrisonburg for one day in order to vote? I mean, this is a simple one. It's not like I'm asking why you called Joe Fitzgerald out of the blue and pretended to be from the Obama campaign, which amazingly enough is also true about the envelope that appeared at your mom's office with a return address from the Obama campaign, even though it didn't originate from there. It's okay, Ellis, we can do the easy ones first.

[Ellis Logan]

I was in town visiting my family germ... thought I would get it off my plate as I am a very busy person. Not sure what you mean by "we can do the little ones first" but I'm getting rather annoyed with your ignorance. Go back to small town USA, leave the real work to the big boys in Richmond

[Ellis Logan]

Consider the matter closed, I do not have the time nor patience to continue to dwell on a dead issue. Farewell and good luck with the election. Though you clearly are misguided, together we put two tallies in Obama's column for VA.

[Barkley Rosser]

Ellis Logan,

The charge against you is much more serious. HPD says you made threatening phone calls regarding this matter to Joe Fitzgerald. Do you deny this? Were you the one involved in the clear mishandling of the registration forms, transporting them to Richmond and then mailing them back. Are you aware that tampering with peoples' right to vote is a federal offense? Are you nothing more than a common criminal?

[Ellis Logan]

I was not aware president Bush was able to post on here. Seriously though, understand the situation before you speak out and avoid Circular (fallible) reasoning.

[Fred Bracken]

For some reason, Ellis' puzzle doesn't fit to well.

[Ellis Logan]

too, not to. And I'm still not really sure what the "puzzle" is, but once you figure it out let me know.

[Fred Bracken]

Ellis, your answers don't povide answers. They seem a little smug.

[Barkley Rosser]

Mr. Logan,

I would suggest that given all the questions that are being raised about your conduct, you should be a bit more careful with what you say. The report given here may be incorrect, but it says that the Harrisonburg Police Department told Joe Fitzgerald that you made threatening phone calls to him after he raised questions about this registration matter, how it was that registration materials reportedly handed in by hand to the Harrisonburg Registrar's office got mailed from Richmond later, and you live in Richmond. Maybe you had nothing to do with the latter, but do you wish to claim that the HPD was lying, or mistaken, when they supposedly said what they said to Joe Fitzgerald? Do you wish to claim that Joe is lying here when he says that the HPD said this to him?

Frankly, sir, if there is any truth to any of this, then every single remark you have made in your postings here and elsewhere is of the most egregiously hypocritical nature. You should be ashamed of yourself and saying a big fat nothing, if you cannot honestly deny the charges that have been reported to have been made about you.

[jhumphrey from the state]

a few related things:

-another h'burg resident who will be prevented from voting next tuesday is speaking out to local press. find that story here: http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=32823&CHID=2

she was also able to pass along her story to obama when he visited our fair town the other day...

-sounds like there are many of us in the community who are committed to pursuing this issue until it gets the attention and investigation it deserves.

-i received a call from the h'burg registrar last sunday, telling me that i had left a portion of my ballot paperwork incomplete - thereby making my vote ineligible. despite the fact that someone from the office sat with me and watched me fill out each section. i was not corrected at the time. luckily (and surprisingly?) i was able to give my "excuse for why i could not vote in person" over the phone and was assured that my vote would be counted. hmmmm...

[Barkley Rosser]

To Ellis Logan,

Are you going to comment on the charges made against you? Did you make harassing phone calls to Joe Fitzgerald? Have you engaged in felonious voter registration fraud?

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