Not quite sure yet what to make of this story but it does appear that an election working possibly influenced by a state lawmaker who claimed that the last election was fraudulent has committed fraud. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news...n-worker-fired-over-ballot-fraud/69616108007/ Milwaukee Election Commission official Kimberly Zapata could face charges accusing her of fraudulently requesting military ballots A Milwaukee election official could face criminal charges accusing her of fraudulently requesting absentee ballots reserved for members of the military and sending them to a Republican lawmaker known for embracing unfounded conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Milwaukee Election Commission Deputy Director Kimberly Zapata, 45, of South Milwaukee was fired by Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson this week after Johnson discovered she had requested the ballots. Johnson said Zapata's actions may have been to show voter fraud was possible. "This has every appearance of being an egregious and blatant violation of trust," Johnson said. "Election integrity is absolutely integral. It's absolutely essential." Milwaukee County prosecutors are considering charging Zapata with malfeasance in office, a felony, and illegally requesting a ballot, a misdemeanor, a source told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. District Attorney John Chisholm said in a statement his office is reviewing the election fraud allegations and that prosecutors "expect charges to be filed in the coming days." Michael Maistelman, who is representing Zapata, declined to answer questions. "We will litigate this in the courtroom, not the media," said Maistelman, who often represents Democrats including Gov. Tony Evers. Johnson held a news conference Thursday but left before reporters were finished asking questions about the matter. The revelation five days before the Nov. 8 midterm election is potentially explosive at a time when Republicans have cast doubt on the security of absentee voting, and in Milwaukee in particular, ever since former President Donald Trump began falsely accusing Milwaukee election officials of rigging the 2020 election. At Thursday's news conference, Johnson said he learned Wednesday that Zapata “apparently sought fictitious military ballots” from a state elections website and directed them to Brandtjen. Zapata’s actions may have been an effort to expose vulnerability in the state election system, he said. “It does not matter to me that the alleged crime did not take place at work,” he said. “It does not matter to me that the city of Milwaukee ballots were not a part of this, nor does it matter that there was no attempt to vote illegally or tamper with any election results.” City officials revoked Zapata’s access to city offices and computer systems when they learned of her actions and she was fired, Johnson said. He said while there is no other indication of violations by Zapata, city officials are “looking into the possibility of other misdeeds.” Zapata had been with the Election Commission for about seven years and the city about 10, Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said. She was appointed deputy director of the Election Commission this summer. “Up until this point, we have never had any indication of any type of violation of work policies or procedures,” Woodall-Vogg said. “We, of course, will be taking an extra look at that, but up until this point she has been forthcoming and we don’t have any indication of any concerns at this point. That’s not to say that we won’t be looking at every aspect of elections she’s been involved in.” Johnson's spokesman, Jeff Fleming, said at this point the city Election Commission is leading the review but that others inside and outside city government are also expected to look into previous elections with which Zapata was involved. He declined to answer questions about why Zapata apparently approached city officials, who she spoke with, and when the ballots were sent. Fleming instead directed questions to Maistelman or the district attorney's office, which declined to provide additional details about the case. Asked how they learned of Zapata’s actions, Woodall-Vogg said “the employee was forthcoming.” Under state law, military voters are not required to register to vote and do not have to provide photo ID or any other identification. “It’s my belief that she was pointing out that you can go onto the public system, make up a person and request a ballot,” Woodall-Vogg said, adding that city officials’ understanding is that she sent it to Brandtjen to alert her to the system’s vulnerability. Johnson said faith in Milwaukee’s elections should not be shaken because city officials were forthcoming about what had happened and Zapata was immediately fired. At that point, he and Woodall-Vogg left as reporters shouted questions. Zapata's termination means Woodall-Vogg will instead oversee the city's central count operation, where all the absentee ballots are tallied on Nov. 8. Eight of Milwaukee’s 11 council members in a statement applauded Johnson’s decision to fire Zapata, calling her actions “shocking, sad and extremely disappointing.” “Although she apparently did this outside of work and on her own time, that fact does NOT matter. Her actions leave a stain on the Election Commission and city government that is hurtful and unwarranted, but nonetheless damaging,” wrote Alds. Michael Murphy, Robert Bauman, Milele Coggs, JoCasta Zamarripa, Mark Borkowski, Scott Spiker and Marina Dimitrijevic, along with council President José G. Pérez. Still, they wrote, they continued to have faith in the city's election workers, system and overall operation. State Rep. Janel Brandtjen contacted law enforcement after receiving three absentee ballots she did not request On Monday, the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department announced it was investigating who requested absentee ballots on behalf of members of the military and had them sent to the home of state Rep. Janel Brandtjen of Menomonee Falls. Brandtjen, who leads the Assembly's elections committee, said Monday she believed the episode involved someone copying the actions of a Racine County man who says he believes voter fraud robbed Donald Trump of a victory in 2020 and wanted to prove election fraud is possible. On Thursday, Brandtjen suggested Zapata's actions shed light on problems that lawmakers need to address. "We have uncovered so many issues that demand attention. I have been attacked by the liberal media, Democrats who benefit from the system, and Republicans who don’t have the backbone to take on the issues, including Speaker Vos, who has referred to me as a conspiracy theorist," Brandtjen said, referring to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. Brandtjen said Monday she contacted law enforcement and former Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who oversaw a partisan review of the 2020 election, after she received three ballots from clerks in Menomonee Falls, where Brandtjen lives, South Milwaukee and Shorewood to three different women with the first name Holly.
That is a very close race but will point out that the Republican governor of NH has refused to endorse Bolduc.
Rightly so...party of less government making bounties, taking away contraceptives, taking away women's rights
By those margins, if any of the Republicans win, there is absolutely voter fraud and therefore illegitimate.
That is a true statement ... if ... voter turnout matches the poll's assumptions. Polls underestimated in 2016 the Trump voter turnout, since Trump got infrequent voters to turnout. Ds are hoping for something similar in 2022. We will see.
Moore called the 2016 Trump victory (and the 2020 Trump loss). We will see. Methinks that when the Rs hear that the Ds will have a strong voter turnout the Rs make sure all of their on-the-fence voters turnout as well.
If anyone cares about 538: 54% chance that Repubs get both chambers 31% chance that Repubs get House, Dims retain Senate 15% chance that Dims retain both There it is. We just don't know, but it's kind of a coinflip slightly favoring the GOP.
That doesn't change what I posted. Hassan has troubles and having not watched the debate I don't really have an opinion on it. This is a close race but it is telling that even John Sununu doesn't think Bolduc should be a Senator. I don't know how much the Hassan campaign has used that if they aren't that is their fault.
Yes those definintely seems like possibilities. I think for all the things that helped Democrats it still largely comes down to the economy and that is one area the Democrats can't do anything about. Also as just noted with the NH Senate race quality of candidates cuts both ways. If Hassan, Cortes Masto and other Democrats can't make good arguments against flawed opponents that makes sense that they would be in trouble.
