WLBT - Voter rolls stuffed with dead and absent registrants
Mississippi's voter situation is hard to believe. Places like Madison County have over 123% more registered voters than people over the age of 18.
Sue Sautermeister, First District Election Commissioner in Madison County, tried to purge the rolls, but ran into trouble when it was discovered it takes a vote of three of the five election commissioners and the purge cannot take place within 90 days of a federal election.
Sue Sautermeister is working hard in the First District of Madison County to start a purging of the voter rolls as soon after the election as possible. She has file drawers full of names of people who haven't voted in years and are known to be dead.
"We have people who registered in 1965 who have never voted," she says. "We have 486 people (registered who are) over 105."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Harper Helps House Republicans
CQPolitics - Confident Cash: Candidates Not Yet in Congress but Sure Enough to Share the Wealth
Mississippi Republican Gregg Harper, who is a shoo-in to succeed retiring Rep. Charles W. “Chip” Pickering Jr. in the state’s 3rd District, is dispensing cash from a newly formed leadership PAC to many of the same candidates Schock has favored.
Harper, whose race is rated Safe Republican by CQ Politics, has given $1,000 apiece via his leadership PAC to at least five House Republican candidates, all seeking open seats: Brett Guthrie in Kentucky; Andy Harris in Maryland; Wayne Parker in Alabama; and Christopher Lee in New York; and Glenn Thompson in Pennsylvania.
Harper’s campaign manager, Michael Cravens, declined to say whether there are other candidates to whom Harper has given through his new PAC.
Cravens said Harper’s focus is not to position himself to run for a class leadership post.
“That’s an assumption that some people have made,” Cravens said. “This is only an opportunity for him to help candidates who need help.”
Harper’s PAC, which filed its FEC paperwork on Oct. 16 is the type that can give $2,300 per candidate per election.
Mississippi Republican Gregg Harper, who is a shoo-in to succeed retiring Rep. Charles W. “Chip” Pickering Jr. in the state’s 3rd District, is dispensing cash from a newly formed leadership PAC to many of the same candidates Schock has favored.
Harper, whose race is rated Safe Republican by CQ Politics, has given $1,000 apiece via his leadership PAC to at least five House Republican candidates, all seeking open seats: Brett Guthrie in Kentucky; Andy Harris in Maryland; Wayne Parker in Alabama; and Christopher Lee in New York; and Glenn Thompson in Pennsylvania.
Harper’s campaign manager, Michael Cravens, declined to say whether there are other candidates to whom Harper has given through his new PAC.
Cravens said Harper’s focus is not to position himself to run for a class leadership post.
“That’s an assumption that some people have made,” Cravens said. “This is only an opportunity for him to help candidates who need help.”
Harper’s PAC, which filed its FEC paperwork on Oct. 16 is the type that can give $2,300 per candidate per election.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Rankin Ledger profile Harper, Gill race
Rankin Ledger - Harper, Gill to face off Nov. 4
Gill, president of Mississippi Livestock Markets Association, said, among his top priorities, are providing for veterans, securing Social Security and a responsible energy policy. The Pickens alderman said military retirees are being treated badly, especially when it comes to receiving free medical care, which was promised to many veterans. "These men and women who gave 20 years of their lives are now being told we're not going to honor that promise," he said. "That's a slap in the face to these folks. We can't give them back their 20 years (of service)."
When it comes to energy, Gill said he wants a "reasonable" energy policy - allowing offshore drilling but supporting development of hydrogen and other alternative fuels for the future. He also said he supports constraints that would keep fuel harvested from America in America. Gill said he has worked in agriculture for 38 years, and he aims to reach out to the rural population. He said many areas of southwest Mississippi lack development and these economies are sorely hurting. "I'm hoping to be able to spur small business," Gill said. Gill lives outside of the 3rd Congressional District but said he spent a big part of his life in the district, including his childhood in northeast Jackson.
Harper, who has worked on numerous Republican campaigns, also listed energy as one of his top priorities. "We have to become energy independent," the Pearl resident said. "We just can't send our nation's wealth to the Middle East any longer." Harper said he supports drilling in Arctic Wildlife National Refuge and offshore, but he also sees a need for the development of clean coal technology.
Ending illegal immigration and helping families with special needs children are some of his other big issues. Harper said the United States needs to secure its borders and continue enforcing existing laws. He said he opposes amnesty. Harper has been involved in multiple political campaigns, and his first campaign was in 1978 for Charles Pickering, when he ran against Thad Cochrane in the Republican primary. "I've always been involved in campaigns," he said. He also has served as the chair for the Rankin County Republican Party for seven and a half years.
Gill, president of Mississippi Livestock Markets Association, said, among his top priorities, are providing for veterans, securing Social Security and a responsible energy policy. The Pickens alderman said military retirees are being treated badly, especially when it comes to receiving free medical care, which was promised to many veterans. "These men and women who gave 20 years of their lives are now being told we're not going to honor that promise," he said. "That's a slap in the face to these folks. We can't give them back their 20 years (of service)."
When it comes to energy, Gill said he wants a "reasonable" energy policy - allowing offshore drilling but supporting development of hydrogen and other alternative fuels for the future. He also said he supports constraints that would keep fuel harvested from America in America. Gill said he has worked in agriculture for 38 years, and he aims to reach out to the rural population. He said many areas of southwest Mississippi lack development and these economies are sorely hurting. "I'm hoping to be able to spur small business," Gill said. Gill lives outside of the 3rd Congressional District but said he spent a big part of his life in the district, including his childhood in northeast Jackson.
Harper, who has worked on numerous Republican campaigns, also listed energy as one of his top priorities. "We have to become energy independent," the Pearl resident said. "We just can't send our nation's wealth to the Middle East any longer." Harper said he supports drilling in Arctic Wildlife National Refuge and offshore, but he also sees a need for the development of clean coal technology.
Ending illegal immigration and helping families with special needs children are some of his other big issues. Harper said the United States needs to secure its borders and continue enforcing existing laws. He said he opposes amnesty. Harper has been involved in multiple political campaigns, and his first campaign was in 1978 for Charles Pickering, when he ran against Thad Cochrane in the Republican primary. "I've always been involved in campaigns," he said. He also has served as the chair for the Rankin County Republican Party for seven and a half years.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Gregg Harper: New blood in the Third District - Craig Ziemba - Meridian Star
Gregg Harper is someone I respect as a true social and fiscal conservative and genuinely decent man. Spend an hour with Gregg and you’ll get to know a man who absolutely dotes on his wife and two children and would much rather talk about them than politics. But ask him about tax reform, illegal immigration, or national defense, and that smiling family man becomes very intense.
Gregg doesn’t have carefully nuanced positions drafted by a focus group. He has bedrock principles and has spent his whole life working for conservative causes. He quotes Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, and Tom Coburn.
Gregg Harper is passionate about the sanctity of human life. I watched his face one night at a pro-life event as Gianna Jensen, the only woman to survive an attempted saline abortion, told her life story. It was clear then and has been ever since that to Gregg, the sanctity of human life is much more than just a political issue that polls well in the third district.
Hopefully, regardless of what happens in November’s general election, relative newcomers like Gregg Harper and Sarah Palin represent an emerging trend of Americans becoming involved in politics because they cherish the ideals of less government, more individual responsibility, the social values that made our country not only strong, but good.
Just for Kicks - Custom of civility goes missing in Senate race
Gregg Harper is someone I respect as a true social and fiscal conservative and genuinely decent man. Spend an hour with Gregg and you’ll get to know a man who absolutely dotes on his wife and two children and would much rather talk about them than politics. But ask him about tax reform, illegal immigration, or national defense, and that smiling family man becomes very intense.
Gregg doesn’t have carefully nuanced positions drafted by a focus group. He has bedrock principles and has spent his whole life working for conservative causes. He quotes Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, and Tom Coburn.
Gregg Harper is passionate about the sanctity of human life. I watched his face one night at a pro-life event as Gianna Jensen, the only woman to survive an attempted saline abortion, told her life story. It was clear then and has been ever since that to Gregg, the sanctity of human life is much more than just a political issue that polls well in the third district.
Hopefully, regardless of what happens in November’s general election, relative newcomers like Gregg Harper and Sarah Palin represent an emerging trend of Americans becoming involved in politics because they cherish the ideals of less government, more individual responsibility, the social values that made our country not only strong, but good.
Just for Kicks - Custom of civility goes missing in Senate race
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Harper Makes Endorsement Rounds
Mississippi Association of REALTORS® to Endorse Harper on Tuesday
Business groups endorsing Harper - With only three weeks remaining before the Nov. 4 general election, Mississippi 3rd Congressional District candidate Gregg Harper pulled his big blue charter bus into Brookhaven once again Tuesday to publicly accept the support of several state and national business groups. The Pearl Republican stood on the steps of the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce Tuesday morning to receive the endorsements of organizations such as the Mississippi Association of Realtors, the National Federation of Independent Business and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
WLBT - Harper takes on Gill to replace Pickering in 3rd congressional district
Business groups endorsing Harper - With only three weeks remaining before the Nov. 4 general election, Mississippi 3rd Congressional District candidate Gregg Harper pulled his big blue charter bus into Brookhaven once again Tuesday to publicly accept the support of several state and national business groups. The Pearl Republican stood on the steps of the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce Tuesday morning to receive the endorsements of organizations such as the Mississippi Association of Realtors, the National Federation of Independent Business and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
WLBT - Harper takes on Gill to replace Pickering in 3rd congressional district
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Harper in Natchez with Realtors, NFIB
Natchez Democrat - Harper makes Natchez campaign stop - Congressional candidate Gregg Harper stopped in Natchez Tuesday to receive endorsements from two small business associations. The Mississippi Association of Realtors and the National Federation of Independent Business endorsed Harper, the Republican candidate for Mississippi’s Third Congressional District, at a press conference at Crye-Leik Stedman Realtors. Mississippi NFIB director Ron Aldridge said small business is the heart of the economy, and Harper would “take some good, old-fashioned Mississippi common sense to Washington.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Builders and Contractors also endorsed Harper Tuesday, but representatives were not present at the conference.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Harper Announces Endorsements
WTOK - Harper Announces Endorsements - At a Meridian news conference, the Republican announced endorsements by the Mississippi Association of Realtors, the Associated Builders and Contractors of Mississippi, the National federation of Independent Business and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Friday, October 10, 2008
DA: Sautermeister cleared
Roll action cleared by DA - Madison County Herald - An investigation by the Madison County district attorney's office found no criminal intent by Election Commissioner Sue Sautermeister when she inactivated more than 10,000 voters before the March primary election. District Attorney Michael Guest, in response to an inquiry by The Madison County Herald, said last month his office concluded its investigation and does not anticipate any further proceedings.
The names, while not purged from the system, were removed from the voter registration books and had to be restored by the Secretary of State's office before the March presidential and congressional primaries. Some of the names removed belonged to residents who have voted in recent elections. Congressional candidate David Landrum, whose name was on the March ballot, was removed from the poll book along with his wife. "No voters were removed from the voter rolls," Sautermeister said. "I was simply doing what I was elected to do, namely keep the voter rolls maintained and accurate."
The district attorney's worked with the FBI and the Secretary of State in determining that "there were more people on the voter rolls than there are actual voters. So a clean-up was merited in an effort to bring the voter records into compliance with the law," Guest said. "Our investigation determined the following: that the election commissioner had requested funds to notify those that were being removed from the rolls but didn't receive the requested funding; that the records that were deleted were added back into the system before any election was held; and we uncovered no evidence that the election commissioner was removing names, in an attempt to illegally disenfranchise those whose names were removed, or to impede the outcome of an election. Therefore no criminal intent was uncovered. To that end, it is the decision of this office that unless new information develops this case should not move forward.
Sautermeister said that Madison County's voter rolls are "so bloated with names of people who have died or moved out of Madison County that it is 122 percent of the county's entire population including those under the age of 18. "Counting an estimate of 10,000 who are under 18, this then means that a good percentage of the names on the Madison County voter roll is not eligible to vote. This situation is a very large open door to voter fraud, and I will continue to do all I can to properly correct the situation," she said.
The names, while not purged from the system, were removed from the voter registration books and had to be restored by the Secretary of State's office before the March presidential and congressional primaries. Some of the names removed belonged to residents who have voted in recent elections. Congressional candidate David Landrum, whose name was on the March ballot, was removed from the poll book along with his wife. "No voters were removed from the voter rolls," Sautermeister said. "I was simply doing what I was elected to do, namely keep the voter rolls maintained and accurate."
The district attorney's worked with the FBI and the Secretary of State in determining that "there were more people on the voter rolls than there are actual voters. So a clean-up was merited in an effort to bring the voter records into compliance with the law," Guest said. "Our investigation determined the following: that the election commissioner had requested funds to notify those that were being removed from the rolls but didn't receive the requested funding; that the records that were deleted were added back into the system before any election was held; and we uncovered no evidence that the election commissioner was removing names, in an attempt to illegally disenfranchise those whose names were removed, or to impede the outcome of an election. Therefore no criminal intent was uncovered. To that end, it is the decision of this office that unless new information develops this case should not move forward.
Sautermeister said that Madison County's voter rolls are "so bloated with names of people who have died or moved out of Madison County that it is 122 percent of the county's entire population including those under the age of 18. "Counting an estimate of 10,000 who are under 18, this then means that a good percentage of the names on the Madison County voter roll is not eligible to vote. This situation is a very large open door to voter fraud, and I will continue to do all I can to properly correct the situation," she said.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
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