"Is It Unreasonable to Expect an Honest Election in Philly's 180th district?"

Several "complaints were filed against state Rep. Angel Cruz about the May 18, 2010 Democratic primary election for the 180th state House District seat... asking the City Commission to investigate results in the 7th Ward division by division.  Jonathan Ramos was represented at Commission meeting by attorney Kevin Greenberg, who claimed: 'If you go through this division by division, the 7th Ward is rife with improprieties.'

The state Attorney General's Office opened an inquiry, based on a complaint referred to that agency by the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.  Attorney Kevin Greenberg laid out his claims about the 7th Ward, where Cruz is the leader, for the City Commissioners... The Commissioners said they would consider the request for an investigation.

Here's a run-down of claims made by Ramos:

There was an unusual "over-vote" in the 180th District race, with 1,271 voters in the ward casting ballots while just 793 voters cast ballots in the ward for the governor's race. Typically "top of the ballot" races like governor and senator draw far more ballots that state House races.

Cruz took home the tape that records results for a voting machine in the ward's 23rd division and never turned it it.  His brother, Luis, took home a tape from a machine in the 11th division and didn't turn it in until the next day.

Investigators for Ramos found that 72 people registered as Republicans, independents or in other political parties were allowed to vote in the Democratic primary for the 180th District.

Ramos claims that one voter who cast a ballot in the race is dead, four no longer live at the address where they were registered to vote, three were registered in vacant properties and three had bogus addresses.

Nine voters claimed that they were accompanied into the ballot booth with "assistors" who showed them who to vote for or voted for them."


Wednesday, June 16, 2010
"Ramos Steps Up Complaints Against Cruz In State Rep. Race"
by Chris Brennan

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/cityhall/Ramos_Steps_Up_Complaints_Against_Cruz_In_State_Rep_Race.html