Team Barber files federal lawsuit for #Countmyvote

The Ron Barber for Congress campaign filed a federal lawsuit this morning seeking to have 133 “wrongfully rejected” ballots counted from voters who did everything right on election day.

These distraught voters have had their stories posted on Facebook and Twitter by the Ron Barber campaign under the heading #Countymyvote. Yes, valid ballots are wrongfully rejected in every election for a variety of reasons, but typically the public never learns about it because there is not a recount or a legal challenge to ballots. Elections are not perfect.

The press release from the Ron Barber for Congress campaign:

BREAKING: Barber Campaign & Arizona Voters Go to Court to Make Sure Lawful Votes Are Counted

Tucson, AZ – This morning attorneys for Ron Barber for Congress and Southern Arizonans whose votes have not been counted went to Federal Court to seek relief, asking the Federal Court to order Pima and Cochise Counties to count 133 wrongfully rejected votes.

Three Arizona voters, Josh Cohen, Lauren Breckenridge, and Lea Goodwine-Cesarac, have joined with Ron Barber for Congress to file suit in Federal District Court in the State of Arizona, asking the judge to consider 133 declarations signed by individual Arizona voters, asking for their vote to be counted.

“I’m 81 years old, and in all my years, I never thought my vote would be tossed in the trash instead of counted,” said Lea Goodwine-Cesarac. “I’m an Arizonan and a United States citizen. I voted and my vote should be counted along with the more than one hundred other Arizonans whose votes were wrongfully thrown out.”

“We are talking about 133 Southern Arizona voters who lived up to their responsibility – they registered to vote and then showed up to vote,” said Kevin J. Hamilton, attorney for the voters and for Ron Barber’s campaign. “We are asking the court to ensure that every lawful vote is counted. That’s what America is all about.”

You can read a copy of the complaint Here (.pdf).

Over the weekend, KGUN 9 News reported “McSally’s Lead Could be Trimmed to Just 5 Votes if Lawful Ballots are Counted.” Link to YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOSnQuOazso. In a letter to the Secretary of State sent on Friday, Barber’s team said that there were 147 ballots improperly rejected from the count in Pima County, and 20 such ballots in Cochise County.

There is always a deviation in the machine recount of ballots. In 1994, Sam Coppersmith was involved in a recount in which he won the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate by just 99 votes.  The machine recount of ballots decreased his lead, but Coppersmith still won by just 40 votes.

It ain’t over until the fat lady sings!