Letter: Save the ballots

This request was to the county regarding the recent fire assessment (additional tax) vote that was initially declared not passing for a second time, and then a magic ballot was found after the public had left.

This is their second attempt in less than a year on the same issue, and now they have found a magic ballot. We request that the all ballots received which are subject to a recount and an audit be held by a neutral third party who was not associated with collecting, counting or handling the ballots in any way - like the grand jury. The reason for this request is simple. The vote is suspect, the counting is suspect, the chain of custody is suspect, the legality of the vote and proceedings are suspect. In other words, the entire process is suspect, particularly in light of the fact that after the count, and after the public was dismissed, we are told that a vote was found that was incorrectly placed in the no votes that was actually a yes vote, that could change the election results. We find this highly suspicious, that a vote is discovered when no one was present from the public to witness this.

We want to preserve and protect the chain of custody of the ballots and remove them from any of the involved parties and have them placed with an independent third party until they can be properly audited publicly, and by the public.

Thomas Barnes

Crescent City