Hand Counted Ballots: DOJ Sues Rural Thornapple, Wisconsin

You Can Train Online To Hand Count Ballots — In A Crisis?

Quiet Progress Is Being Made To Train Citizens To Hand Count Paper Ballots

Two of the most consequential changes necessary to stop vote fraud are first, restoration of the voter rolls to local election authorities including the control, maintenance, updating, and cleaning of the voter rolls (not a system maintained and updated at a state centralized computer data base), and second, hand-counting paper ballots in local precincts.

Progress on the second (hand counting the ballots), has moved forward incrementally and quietly in the last four years.

In the upcoming 2024 general election, over 300 counties are planning to hand count their ballots. Contrary to what computer voting advocates assert (without offering any real solid proof to back up their claims), hand-counting is faster, cheaper, more transparent, closer to voter intent, and, because it is decentralized and relies upon manpower not electronic machines, much harder to commit election fraud on a large scale. No wonder the deep state is determined to block hand-counting ballots.

The DOJ Files Suit Against a Rural Wisconsin Town For Replacing Electronic Election Systems with Hand Counted Paper Ballots

There is a little noticed legal dispute over hand-counted ballots in northern Wisconsin that is not getting the attention it deserves. Two towns in Rusk County, Lawrence and Thornapple, hand counted their ballots in the April presidential primary. The Department of Justice took note and warned the towns that they must provide electronic voting machines accessible to people with disabilities or they are in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

“Voting must be accessible for all eligible voters,” Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement. “Clerks should follow the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s guidance reminding them that they must comply with the Help America Vote Act by providing voting systems that are accessible to voters with disabilities.” The brief filed by the DOJ states “the requirements apply to all jurisdictions, regardless of the size of the jurisdictions whether the voters with disabilities identify themselves as having a disability.” (emphasis added)

While the town of Lawrence has reached an agreement with the Department of Justice and will provide accessible voting machines in the general election, the town of Thornapple has stuck to its guns. The DOJ has filed suit.

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) is representing Thornapple. “It’s appalling that the Department of Justice is bullying and targeting a small town in rural Wisconsin over its decision to use hand-counted paper ballots,” Michael Berry said. “I would think the United States Department of Justice has much better things to do with its time and resources, including fixing the rampant election integrity problems in many of our large cities. AFPI is proud to represent Thornapple, Wisconsin, as it stands up to the Goliath that is the Department of Justice.”

What’s really at stake in this case? If the DOJ can get a judgment against the town of Thornapple (population 711) asserting that HAVA requires Thornapple to provide accessible voting machines to any voter regardless of whether they identify as having a disability, the ruling can be applied by extension to every one of the over 300 counties (and the number is growing as more Americans attend hand counting trainings) that intend to hand count paper ballots. The likely goal of this federal lawsuit is obvious: to ensure hand-counting paper ballots is illegal in all federal elections going forward and to require electronic voting machines instead.

Obviously, the uniparty sees the very real threat that hand-counting ballots (in local precincts) makes to a choreographed election. If bad actors are able to take advantage of electronic means to commit election fraud, fraud can be accomplished on a much larger scale and be much harder to detect, and it involves far fewer people to commit. Thornapple, Wisconsin is on the front lines of the fight to secure our election and should get tremendous support from the public and from legal groups.

• DOJ Sues Two WI Towns Switching To Only Paper Ballots Not Using Voting Machines

At the other end of the political spectrum is a Mississippi case now before the Fifth Circuit.

The Republican Party (RNC) has filed suit against Mississippi arguing that Mississippi’s policy of counting mail-in ballots received within five days after Election Day violates federal law.

Mississippi’s mail-in ballots represent a small percentage of ballots in deep red Mississippi, so why is the RNC bringing this suit? Because, a favorable ruling from the Fifth Circuit could pave the way for other challenges to post-Election Day ballots received in more than 20 states, including close battleground states, that currently allow ballots received after Election Day to be counted. “The RNC’s move is a marked change from past election legal strategies—this time, it is suing in a state with a relatively friendly appellate division and potentially setting up a quick Supreme Court hearing before the November election.”

Both of these cases, in Wisconsin and Mississippi, are very important. The DOJ case in Thornapple, Wisconsin case seeks to lock electronic voting systems into all federal elections, while the RNC case in Mississippi seeks to prevent anyone fraudulently stuffing the ballot box post-Election Day. One case needs to lose: the DOJ in Wisconsin, and one needs to win: the RNC in Mississippi.

• RNC Gets Smart And Sues Mississippi Over Post Election Mail-in Ballot Counting

Action Item — Be Prepared for Whatever Comes This Election:

Watch a Free Hand Count Training Session Online
While the Republican legislatures across the country have done very little to enhance election security, grass roots activist have been traveling the country training thousands of people to hand count paper ballots. In fact, U.S. law requires ‘continuity of government’ provisions should a natural disaster or crisis occur. For elections, that means the ability to hand count ballots.

There are multiple free online resources available for anyone to be trained at home or in small groups to hand count paper ballots.

Watching this nine minute video will show how easy it is to quickly count vote and tally votes.

• Hand Counting Tally Sheet Demonstration: 9 minutes

For a full training in all the steps of hand counting and reporting election results, watch this complete hand count virtual training conducted by Linda Rantz. Time Tip: You can skip ahead to start at the five minute mark, and watch most presentations at 1.5X speed. Watch at least the opening session to master the arguments for the superiority of hand counting paper ballots.

• Hand Count Mastery, Full Training

Remember: Trump Can’t Do It Alone:

Time is running out to Register like-minded family, friends & neighbors to Vote.

Man a phone bank.

Work your neighborhood—door-to-door ‘literature drops’ are effective.

Get your church to register people to vote.

Talk about voting on Biblical principles.

Post your support for candidates on all your social media.

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