December 10, 2004

Blackwell Locks Out Recount Volunteers
Subject: Blackwell Locks Down Ohio Voting Records

Ohio Election Investigation Thwarted by Surprise Blackwell Order

Dayton, Ohio Friday December 10, 2004

On Friday December 10 two certified volunteers for the Ohio Recount
team assigned to Greene County were in process recording voting
information from minority precincts in Greene County, and were stopped
mid-count by a surprise order from Secretary of State Blackwell’s
office. The Director Board of Elections stated that “all voter records
for the state of Ohio were “locked- down,” and now they are not
considered public records.”

The volunteers were working with voter printouts received directly
from Carole Garman, Director, Greene County Board of Elections. Joan
Quinn and Eve Roberson, retired attorney and election official
respectively, were hand-copying voter discrepancies from precinct
voting books on behalf of the presidential candidates Mr. Cobb (Green)
and Mr. Badnarik Libertarian) who had requested the recount.

One of the goals of the recount was to determine how many minority
voters were unable to vote or denied voting at the polls. Upon
requesting copies of precinct records from predominantly minority
precincts, Ms. Garman contacted Secretary of State Blackwell’s office
and spoke to Pat Wolfe, Election Administrator. Ms. Wolfe told Ms.
Garman to assert that all voter records for the State of Ohio were
“locked down” and that they are “not considered public records.”

Quinn and Roberson asked specifically for the legal authority
authorizing Mr. Blackwell to “lock down” public records. Garman stated
that it was the Secretary of State’s decision. Ohio statute requires
the Directors of Boards of Election to comply with public requests for
inspection and copying of public election records. As the volunteer
team continued recording information from the precinct records in
question, Garman entered the room and stated she was withdrawing
permission to inspect or copy any voting records at the Board of
Elections. Garman then physically removed the precinct book from Ms.
Roberson’s hands. They later requested the records again from Garman’s
office, which was again denied.

Ohio Revised Code Title XXXV Elections, Sec. 3503.26 that requires all
election records to be made available for public inspection and
copying. ORC Sec. 3599.161 makes it a crime for any employee of the
Board of Elections to knowingly prevent or prohibit any person from
inspecting the public records filed in the office of the Board of
Elections. Finally, ORC Sec. 3599.42 clearly states: “A violation of
any provision of Title XXXV (35) of the Revised Code constitutes a
prima facie case of election fraud within the purview of such Title.”

Contact Information: Joan Quinn (937) 320-9680, (916) 396-9714 – cell
Katrina Sumner (937) 608-5861