Voter Controversy in Seattle

Washington state suffered one of the longest recounts in US history in the 2004 gubernatorial race. In an advance strike, at the end of October, state Republicans challenged about 2,000 King County (Seattle) voters, who had until Saturday to "fix" their registrations. Most -- but, according to the Seattle Times, not all -- have "illegally" used a private mailbox account or storage unit as their address.

Fraud or convenience? Many of the voters appear to live on their boats; these citizens have no other way of receiving their mail. Some are the live-in managers of storage unit complexes. Officials are telling voters to vote provisionally even if they did not get their address change filed. The county Canvassing Board will hear challenges later this month.

County GOP Vice Chairwoman Lori Sotelo signed all the challenges, where she attests

"under penalty of perjury" that she has "personal knowledge" that, contrary to state law, the voter doesn't reside at the address at which he or she is registered.

Nevertheless, the GOP has backed off on its challenge of 140 on the list of 1,944. Where was the "personal knowledge"? Also, several voters - whose addresses were their homes or their condos -- were on the challenge list. Where was the "personal knowledge" that the voter was "illegally" registered?

Sotelo was not available for comment. [State GOP Chairman Chris] Vance, returning calls on her behalf, said Republicans developed their list by computer, running the street addresses of private mailbox businesses and storage-unit complexes against the addresses of registered voters. He said volunteers took pictures of each of the suspect buildings, but the party didn't attempt to contact voters because it lacked manpower.

Some voters responded with disgust at the process, saying they would not vote. Others said the GOP action made them more determined:

Linda and Steve Meuter got challenges delivered to their home along with a challenge to the registration of their daughter. They live in a single family home in Kirkland.

Steve is angry, saying the letter arrived days before the general election. He suspects it's an attempt by Republicans to try to create the image of election problems in an attempt to defeat County Executive Ron Sims.

He wondered if the trick might work: "How many of those people are just going to say 'To hell with it.' They're not going to vote. They're not going to screw with it. And I think that's their intention, they could have sent something like this out two months ago."

His wife Linda added: "They have no right to challenge my integrity as a voter and make me jump through hoops in 48 hours to try and prove myself. I have lived in this community since 1980."

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