I capture the flag
In the latest Rolling Stone, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. catalogues a dizzying array of fraudulent tactics in the 2004 presidential election.
The particular anecdote below regarding a fake terrorist alert during vote counting is the sine qua non of the entire 2004 GOP strategy — fearmongering not only to win votes, but also to stuff them.
In Clermont County, where optical scanners were used to tabulate votes, sworn affidavits by election observers given to the House Judiciary Committee describe ballots on which marks for Kerry were covered up with white stickers, while marks for Bush were filled in to replace them…
Immediately after the polls closed on Election Day [2004], Marks for Kerry were covered up with white stickers, while marks for Bush were filled in to replace themGOP officials — citing the FBI — declared that the county was facing a terrorist threat that ranked ten on a scale of one to ten. The county administration building was hastily locked down, allowing election officials to tabulate the results without any reporters present.
In fact, there was no terrorist threat. The FBI declared that it had issued no such warning, and an investigation by The Cincinnati Enquirer unearthed e-mails showing that the Republican plan to declare a terrorist alert had been in the works for eight days prior to the election… Results are held back until it’s determined how many votes the favored candidate needs to win, and the totals are then adjusted accordingly… [Link]
Wikipedia explains naked vote fraud in India:
Booth capturing is a type of electoral fraud, witnessed primarily in India where armed party loyalists “capture” a polling booth and vote on behalf of the voters to ensure that their candidate wins. Though it is a kind of voter suppression, unlike other forms of voting fraud, booth-capturing is a malpractice witnessed mainly in India and the least subtle of all….
The modus operandi of such booth capturing operations was made easier by the fact that communication in many areas was literally absent with minimal to no police protection and there was also some kind of political backing to such unlawful activities. By the 90s it became a common and unsightly occurrence wherever elections were held. Sometimes two rival party thugs would descend on the same polling station, resulting in violent clashes… [Link]
The Democrats’ political machines used to be renowned for vote fraud, but dirty ops now seem to be Republican-dominated. In India, most major parties are accused of booth capturing. Cynicism is overtaken by truth; no matter how cynical you are, it always seems insufficient to model reality. Who knew elections were still this dirty?
on Friday, June 2nd, 2006, 9:05 am in Politics › 
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[…] RFK Jr. Alleges Bush Stole Election By saurav Three-year old news about electoral irregularities usually makes my head nod the way it used to in class–pen scribbling down the page–on occasion, but Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s article in the latest issue of Rolling Stone is too comprehensive to ignore (sources: Ultrabrown and Portside). Including the 200+ footnotes, the piece comes in at over 14,000 words worth of detailed arguments and illustrations of alleged Republican efforts in the last Presidential election–particularly in Ohio–to throw the election to Bush. It is deep, it is dark, and it is above all worth reading. […]
Wow, this is crazy… I would’ve found it hard to believe even if it had happened back home. After the advent of voter id cards and electronic voting machines in India, I am told that things have gotten much, much better.
Though this article is enlightening and infuriating at the same time - I wonder if it will acted upon? We know so many politicians have deceived the public and covered up the truth, but nothing has ever seem to come of it. I’m not sure which is worse - that they act this way, or that there is no attempt to correct it.