You just can't make this stuff up, Chapter 8 (actually lay the number sideways)

The latest chapter in the saga for the election that will never end is now a headline in The Standard Times.  You really just can't make this stuff up folks.  You just can't.

The found ballot is a reality.  

There are several issues with the found ballot.  The most obvious being one more ballot means there isn't a tie, assuming of course you assume it is a legitimate ballot, which I do.  That doesn't mean however that applying any reasonable standard of objective observation, one would be wrong to draw other reasonable inferences.  

Put another way, I personally think this is just another mistake in an error ridden election process.  I also can perfectly understand the several other conclusions that some have made.  

The Town Clerk notifies Town Counsel, who apparently doesn't notify opposing counsel and doesn't notify the Court. It is clear others did know about it.  If not, where does the story come from?

Would a one vote margin, if known by the judge have influenced his decision in any manner?  Don't know.

Had the existence of the ballot not been forgotten during the court proceedings, had it been disclosed, would it have formed a stronger basis for an argument by DeTerra to claim victory?  Don't know.  

What I do know, reading the newspaper is the fact that this new ballot makes 5 more votes cast then voters checking in.  This was a concern that weighed heavily in the Judge's decision, at least based on my reading of it.

Nonetheless, it might have been nice if the judge and all the lawyers had been aware of the ballot before the decision was made.  I would hazard a guess someone is going to have to do some explaining as to why they weren't made aware of it. 

Usually, I can sit down, read something and at least understand the how and the why.  May not agree with it, but understand it. I can even do that for the fact the ballot went undiscovered until the next time the machine was used.

The nondisclosure of the ballot's existence until now, I simply cannot understand that.  

We now also see a bandwagon pulling up, banners on both sides with the slogan "let's redo everything".  Well depending on where you sit in the wagon everything or just everything within a certain margin. Funny how tainted is actually only tainted depending on your view.

Who the heck knows, if this one ends up back in court, you might just see that. Not likely, but you might.

But it is either all tainted or just tainted to those extra 5 ballots.  Not 45, not 256, not just one.  

Five more ballots then check-ins.  Believe it or not, also rumors that there may be a 6th (and also rumored to be for DeTerra.  Not usually one for rumors, but what the heck, this whole thing has spun so far out of control at this point there is no stopping much of anything).

Someone is going to have to come up with a new word, because surreal just doesn't cover this anymore.