The McCain campaign is collecting reports of "Election Day irregularities" in swing states and distributing them to reporters. I cannot help but wonder if they are preparing a case to contest the legitimacy of the election, should Obama win by a 2000-like narrow margin.

The irregularities include "black panthers" who are "intimidating Voters By Standing Outside Of A Polling Station While Holding A Night Stick" in Philadelphia, and "multiple reports that a polling station in Virginia Beach is understaffed, and people are picking paper ballots off the floor and casting multiple votes".

About an hour ago they released the following statement:

ARLINGTON, VA -- The McCain-Palin campaign is committed to ensuring that every qualified voter has the opportunity to vote and that all lawfully cast ballots are not cancelled out by fraudulent votes. Given that four states in the 2004 Presidential Election were decided by 1 percent or less, the McCain-Palin Campaign believes there should be a zero-tolerance policy for voter fraud and voter intimidation.

Full release after the jump:



ARLINGTON, VA -- The McCain-Palin campaign is committed to ensuring that every qualified voter has the opportunity to vote and that all lawfully cast ballots are not cancelled out by fraudulent votes. Given that four states in the 2004 Presidential Election were decided by 1 percent or less, the McCain-Palin Campaign believes there should be a zero-tolerance policy for voter fraud and voter intimidation. Through a combination of news accounts and first-hand reports, the following cases of voter irregularities have been documented:

PENNSYLVANIA

In Philadelphia, PA, Black Panthers Are Intimidating Voters By Standing Outside Of A Polling Station While Holding A Night Stick. Fox News' Rick Leventhal: "I do not even know where to begin, but we have reached a polling place in the city of Philadelphia. One of the two black panthers who was allegedly blocking the door is standing right over here, [and] accused us of intimidating voters because we were here with a camera and microphone. He did not answer questions, other people here have confirmed that another person in black panther attire was holding a night stick and apparently the concern was that they were intimidating people who were trying to go inside to vote. A republican poll observer actually called the police, the police were here and we miss[ed] them, they came and left." (Fox News; "America's Newsroom 2008," 11/4/08)

The New Black Panther Party Promised To "Protect Its Interest" On Election Day. "We will not allow some racists and other angry whites, who are upset over an impending Barack Obama presidential victory, to intimidate blacks at the polls,' [Black Panther Field Marshall Najee] Muhammad said. Most certainly, we cannot allow these racist forces to slaughter our babies or commit other acts of violence against the black population, nor our black president.' Muhammad added, "We must organize to counter and neutralize these threats using all means at our disposal. This is a great time for our people, and we must ensure that peace prevails for our people.'" (Tyrone Tony Reed, Jr., "New Black Panthers Visit Alamo," Jackson Sun, 11/2/08)

In Philadelphia, PA, Republican Election Board Officials In At Least Six Precincts Have Been Tossed By The Democrat Judge Of Elections. The State Republican Party filed suit in Election Court in Philadelphia City Hall seeking an injunction requiring that all Republican poll watchers be provided the access that had been denied. The duty judge granted the injunction that was sought.

In Lancaster County, PA, Calls From "Democrats For Obama" Are Being Made, Informing Voters About A Fake Change Of Polling Location. Lancaster County is a high priority target county for Republicans this year, and this is a clear attempt to suppress Republican votes.

FLORIDA

In Florida, There Are Reports That Out-Of State Obama Volunteers Have Cast Ballots In The State. "Julietta Appleton's business and home address are in New York, but she decided to vote in Florida. ... Julietta flew to [Florida] in September to help the Obama campaign get out the vote in Miami. She posted a link on ObamaTravel.org -- a site designed to help volunteers from non-swing states get to battleground states by connecting them with donors. On the site, she asked for help paying for a flight back home' to New York after the election. Included, Julietta posted a picture of herself casting a ballot in Miami." (Tiffany Wilson, "Florida Fraud?" Palestra Blog, 11/4/08)

In Florida, There Are Reports Of Intimidation Of McCain-Palin Voters By Elections Officials. After learning that a voter cast a ballot for the McCain-Palin ticket, one Florida election official reportedly told the voter "she could kill her for voting for [McCain]" and that she didn't deserve an "I voted sticker" because she voted for McCain-Palin.

In Palm Beach County, FL, Many Voters Are Reporting Trouble Locating The McCain-Palin Ticket On The Ballot Because It Appears On The Second Page. "Florida's Palm Beach County is reporting problems at a couple of polling stations: so-called undervotes,' where machines reject ballots because voters are not filling out the second page of the ballot, a spokesman for the county Board of Elections confirmed He said in some cases people simply forget to fill out the second page..." (CNN, "Undervotes Reported In Palm Beach County, Florida," CNN Political Ticker Blog, 11/4/08)

NEW HAMPSHIRE

In Manchester, NH, Republican Election Officials Are Being Kept Away From Locations Inside The Polling Places Where They Are Supposed To Be Verifying Voters. The New Hampshire Republican Party brought a lawsuit against Secretary of State William Gardner seeking an immediate order to require that election officials in statewide polling stations, including in Manchester, NH, allow appointed Republican officials access to same-day registration tables where voter qualifications are being checked. These Republican officials, who are appointed by the State Party to monitor voter registration to ensure they are qualified to vote in NH, are being kept away from the locations inside the polling places where this verification is taking place. The lawsuit occurred in New Hampshire Superior Court at 1:30 pm. (Ethan Kendrick, "BREAKING NEWS - Lawsuit Being Filed Over NH New Voter Registrations," New Hampshire's News and Politics Blog, http://www.nowhampshire.com, 11/04/08)

OHIO

In Toledo, OH, Non-Credentialed "Election Protection" Democrat Observers Were Found Inside The Polling Precinct. (ElectionJournal.org, 11/4/08)

VIRGINIA

In Virginia Beach, VA, There Are Reports That Voters Are Casting Multiple Paper Ballots. There are multiple reports that a polling station in Virginia Beach is understaffed, and people are picking paper ballots off the floor and casting multiple votes.

In Northern Virginia, It Is Reported That "Tens Of Thousands" Of Military Absentee Ballots Could Be Missing. Fox News' Megyn Kelly: "[T]he northern part of Virginia almost always goes blue. He may not know how many military ballots are missing, but according to the wire reports, it could be tens of thousands. That is according to the McCain camp in a local press report. That military absentee ballot in Virginia could be potentially big." (Fox News' "U.S. National America's Election HQ," 11/4/08)