The Defense Calls Its Expert Witness; The Plaintiff

This Is All So 1996:

Challenge of Ballots Not Allowed. We are advised by the Attorney General that state law makes no provision for the challenge of ballots or voters (as provided in RCW 29.10.125) during the recount. The recount procedure provided for by statute is a mechanical function of re-tallying the ballots cast and accepted as valid by the precinct election officers or the canvassing board during the canvass of the election. The decision of the canvassing board with respect to the inclusion or exclusion of a particular ballot during the canvass is not open to question during the recount.

The above is from a memo to the Sec'y of State of Washington State, written by the same state's Att'y General in November 1996, advising that a recount of ballots in a close election may not add previously disallowed ballots back into the mix for the recount.

That Att'y General in 1996 was, and still is, Christine Gregoire. The same Christine Gregoire who has lost both the initial count, and the recount to Republican Dino Rossi for Washington's Governor's seat.

The same Christine Gregoire who is currently arguing before the Washington State Supreme Court that disallowed ballots be added back into the mix for the re-recount that will begin this week and end maybe by Christmas.