Officials find source of fake election flier, won't press charges

This story broke on election day yet we didn't find out until three days later why no prosecution!
Someone made the flier as a joke at work and showed it to a handful of people. One of *them* sent it to the Obama campaign where it was accidentally sent out as a viral e-mail! So, whoa, the campaign workers for the Democrats almost got their own Democratic population to the polls on the wrong day?
Gertz, do you still wish to hang the person/organization that distributed this?

The real joke will be on us if Obama gets elected

But can resources be better spent on a more damaging crime? Think of the cost of taking the person to trial or even just a hearing versus using the efforts elsewhere. Yes, I agree that using the official images was wrong, but how was society really hurt by the action? The system chose their battle, and did so wisely.

You stated on another Misdemenor Issue that:
Ms McNair should be prosecuted because she broke the law, but I'm curious, will these people actually show up to vote? Maybe! How many applications were false? ***Are we talking something minor or something major?*** Wed, 10/15/2008 at 4:48 pm

But now for this misdememenor you seem to want the stones thrown at the people invovled. For such a staunch person of law, at least that last comment, why would you even consider wondering if there was a major or minor infraction of law previously?

Joke or not is this still not a crime.

This was a joke. That was obviously the intent. Please move on, and lighten up! I highly doubt anyone really took this seriously, and if they did, well...they should take voting more seriously, and do some research before they vote. If you get your information from a sign stuck to a street pole, I feel sorry for you.

I was under the impression that this was a felony. Use of a government seal. Phony distribution. I wonder how this can happen that the authorities have chosen to just look the other way? This is going to have an affect on the election. I hope the Democrats contact their attorney regarding this.
McCain has contacted his attorney regarding the military not getting all their votes in.
We need a truly honest election where all the votes can be counted; that would be fair.
What about all the people who sent in their request for absentee voting due to their jobs and never received the voting packets in the mail? I haven't heard anything about that in the news yet. I know, because I sent in two requests and so did my husband and neither one of us received it.

I just got a text message that said 'Due to long lines Obama voters should vote on Wednesday!'

Call the feds!!

desert_divine wrote:

>>>There should be accountability for this. Why isn't this considered fraud since an official logo was used to make this flier?<<<

There is truth and then there is law. There has to be criminal intent which the state police, after an investigation, found there was none.

As has been stated, anyone falling for this hasn't the capacity for rational thought, much less the ability to vote.

The State Police statement may be showing appropriate discretion in not providing further information. But in such a hotly contested race, where there has been evidence of actual deceptive behavior, a better explanation is owed to the public. This is too serious to be brushed aside, even if the explanation proves embarrassing to adult or juvenile perpetrators.

I think it's hilarious. Anybody stupid enough to fall for it shouldn't be voting anyway. I also think people should have to graduate high school to be allowed to vote. I'm sorry if getting the bare minimum of education is too difficult, but why are we leaving the fate of our country in these hands??? And I think if we're going to start the whole "a law was broken and should be punished" why don't we start with something that actually hurts people, like drug dealing or drunk driving? Instead of sentencing 3 years and letting them out after 5 months like the moron in NC who shot a trick-or-treater. Just a thought.

There should be accountability for this. Why isn't this considered fraud since an official logo was used to make this flier? If anything should be considered "disenfranchisement", it should be this solely for the mere fact that some voters would have acted accordingly. Unfortunately, even the stupid have a right to vote. I demand the state see this through.

A joke gone awry... I'll remember to use that excuse if I ever break the law...

?

If you are that ignorant, you shouldn't be voting in the first place.

I don't care if it was "a joke gone awry." The law was broken and the person responsible should be prosecuted. Otherwise, what is the purpose of having the law on the books?

It was even in the Wizard of Id comic strip last week.

Learn to laugh, life will be a lot easier.

But if you folks are that paranoid, you need to get your meds adjusted.

And if it kept one idiot from voting it was worth it.
Come to think of it, isn't there a Law against idiots voting in the first place?
Oh, we can't enforce THAT law can we?

If you feel your voting rights have been violated or that you may have witnessed an election law being broken Immediately contact one of the following: Your Local Voter Registration Office
The State Board Of Elections
1-800-552-9745 or
info@sbe.virginia.gov

Distribution of false information to voters is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia!
We have LAWS for a reason. They, however, pick and choose which LAWS are to be dealth with and which are not.
Then why even have the LAW on the books?
The person must have been a close personal friend, a relative of the person or a higher official asking that it not be prosecuted. That's the only valid excuse I can come up with!!

Why is it so important to investigate the matter if no one is going to be punished? Why waste all those man hours? I agree with an earlier poster: Someone is afraid to follow through!