You had to know it would happen: Absentee ballots go out with "Barack Osama"

[Angie Gallant]

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=728326&print


Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's last name is spelled "Osama" on hundreds of absentee ballots mailed out this week to voters in Rensselaer County.
The misspelling, which elections officials on both sides of the aisle insist was simply a typo, is causing embarrassment for the county.

''No question this is an honest mistake innocently done,'' said Edward McDonough, the Democratic commissioner. ''We catch almost everything.''

''This was a typo,'' said Republican Commissioner Larry Bugbee. ''We have three different staff members who proof these things and somehow the typo got by us.''

It was only 300 ballots and anyone who calls in concerned about it gets a new one mailed to them. But there's still some concern about voters possibly invalidating their ballots while trying to correct them instead of getting a new one.

[jpinard]

Accident my ass... when was the last time ANYONE had typos on the Presidential lines?

John Kewwy vs. George W. Butt?
Al Goat vs. Geroge W. Bust?
Bill Clinkon vs. Bob Dolt?

"s" isn't anywhere near "b" on the keyboard either.

[MarchHare]

"s" isn't anywhere near "b" on the keyboard either.


That was my first thought too, but I often make typos strictly because of muscle memory regardless of whether the keys are near each other or not.

Still, how could three proof-readers miss that?

[Hanacker]

Yeah, it's possible it was an unconscious typing of a similar word. Doesn't matter though. There's no way it should make it to final.

Speak of the devil - I just addressed an e-mail to Time instead of Tim. I immediately caught it though.

[Ben Sones]

Yeah, it's not like they were proofing a novel. I have a hard time believing that three people could read copy of probably less than fifty words, and all miss the misspelling of one of the key pieces of text.

[Squirrel Killer]

Yeah, it's not like they were proofing a novel. I have a hard time believing that three people could read copy of probably less than fifty words, and all miss the misspelling of one of the key pieces of text.
While they absolutely should have caught it, ballots are a hell of lot more than fifty words.

And I've got to laugh a little at one of the constitutional amendments. Summary: Changes the language that describes a person who cannot legally vote from "idiot or insane person" to "a person adjudged mentally incompetent to vote." Sure would invalidate a lot of voters from voting as it currently stands.

[Funkula]

I hate newspaper websites that don't immediately make it clear where they're publishing. The dateline on that story just says TROY. After poking around in other stories (and noticing the title bar on the webpage) I saw that it's apparently in New York. How hard is it to append the two-letter state abbreviation to the first mention of the city? Do they not expect to get national attention at any point?

Anyway, while it's reprehensible, in practical terms it's irrelevant. 300 absentee ballots in New York is not going to make or break this election.

[Staff Sergeant]

<tatclass> YOU ALL SUCK DICK
<tatclass> er.
<tatclass> hi.
<andy\code> A common typo.
<tatclass> the keys are like right next to each other.

[Angie Gallant]

And CNN (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/10/new-york-countys-ballots-print-%E2%80%98barack-osama%E2%80%99/) brings us a picture of the ballot:

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/10/10/gall.timesunion.jpg

[Calm]

McCain is on that ballot twice? Once as Republican and once for Independence?

[Angie Gallant]

New York law lets a party choose to show their support for another party's ticket on the ballot. So yes, the Independence party in New York endorsed McCain, so that shows up as the choice for the Independence party.

[Calm]

Bah, I was hoping it wasn't something like that so I wouldn't look like a fool for not knowing election rules. Good to know though, thanks.

[Moggraider]

I find it hard to believe this is not intentional.

[Midnight Son]

I guess I'll vote for Osama, then.

[Chris Nahr]

I'm looking forward to ballots that also misspell "Biden" as "Laden".

[ydejin]

I'm looking forward to ballots that also misspell "Biden" as "Laden".

I'd go with Bin. It gives just a touch of plausible deniability.

[VegasRobb]

It's a great story. Realistically it's not going to change any votes, it's just very embarrassing.

Perhaps one of the three proofreaders is going to get a little something extra in their pay envelope in November? :)

[Bob Violence]

New York law lets a party choose to show their support for another party's ticket on the ballot. So yes, the Independence party in New York endorsed McCain, so that shows up as the choice for the Independence party.

Note that Obama is also on the ballot twice:


On Row 1A, Barack Obama's name is spelled Barack Osama — a name bearing an unfortunate resemblance to terror mastermind Osama bin Laden - but further down on the Working Families line it is spelled correctly.

[Papageno]

Unbelievable. And also unbelievable that it "innocently" got past three proofreaders. I call bullshit.