Anderson@Large

Meet Al Green

Later today, the executive committee of the South Carolina Democratic Party will consider the protest filed by Vic Rawl, who lost to Alvin Greene in the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate.

Rawl claims reports of “extremely unusual incidents” place “a cloud over Tuesday’s election.”

The State Election Commission says baloney:

… [W]e want voters to know that we are confident in the integrity of our state’s voting system and that security of South Carolina’s voting process has always been - and will always be - a primary focus of the State Election Commission. Our state has a proud history of safe, secure and accurate elections and South Carolinians can be assured and confident in the system’s ability to perform in the Runoff as it has thousands of times before - accurately and reliably.

Circa 2003, I was among the first to sound the alarm about the perils of paperless voting machines. But I think allegations of widespread voting irregularities are unfounded.

The problem in South Carolina was not computer glitches. It was human error.

Still, I agree with my colleagues at the Verified Voting Foundation that South Carolina’s embarrassment is a teachable moment:

Whether specific reports of irregularities in this election are confirmed, the most important fact about South Carolina’s voting system is that most ballots cannot be effectively audited or recounted. Serious concerns about the integrity of the primary (and of other elections conducted using the same technology) are inevitable, and legitimate (italics in original).

[…]

Whatever the outcome, we strongly urge citizens and policymakers in the state and in the nation at large to use this moment to insist on their right to voting systems that demonstrate trustworthiness rather than demand trust. Congressman Rush Holt’s and Senator Bill Nelson’s Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act would require that all Federal elections employ a system of paper ballots marked by the voter, with random hand-counted audits to check electronic tallies of the ballots. There has never been a better time for Congress to pass this critically needed legislation. The voters and the public deserve no less.

Meanwhile, meet the Al Green who has my vote.

Meet Alvin Greene

Newly minted U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene says he worked hard for the nomination (h/t GoGreene 2010).

Mr. Greene Goes to Washington?

Alvin Greene, a 32-year-old unemployed veteran with no money, no website and no social media strategy, won the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in South Carolina.

But he did have a DIY campaign flyer.

That was enough for Greene to win the Democratic primary with 59 percent of the vote.

Folks are now asking: Who is this man of mystery?

Well, we now know Greene was kicked out of the Army and is facing a felony charge.

The Associated Press reports:

Court records show Greene was arrested in November and charged with showing obscene Internet photos to a University of South Carolina student, then talking about going to her room at a university dorm.

Charged with disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity, Greene could face up to five years in prison. He has yet to enter a plea or be indicted.

South Carolina state law prohibits convicted felons from serving in state office. Felons can serve in federal office, although the U.S. House or Senate could vote to expel any member deemed unfit to serve.

[…]

Greene welcomed a reporter into his childhood home he shares with his father Wednesday afternoon along the backroads to Myrtle Beach. Wearing warmup pants and a green family reunion shirt from 1993, he had to be repeatedly cajoled to get his picture taken.

He seemed overwhelmed by his new fame and admitted he has no campaign signs, staff, buttons or even a slogan. He hoped the state and national party leaders might call him back, this time to offer some help.

Greene should lose party leaders’ phone numbers.

The South Carolina Democratic Party called on Greene to withdraw from the race. Party Chair Carol Fowler said in a statement:

Today I spoke with Alvin Greene, the presumptive Democratic nominee for the US Senate, and asked him to withdraw from the race. I did not do this lightly, as I believe strongly that the Democratic voters of this state have the right to select our nominee. But this new information about Mr. Greene has would certainly have affected the decisions of many of those voters.

We are proud to have nominated a Democratic ticket this year that, with the apparent exception of Mr. Greene, reflects South Carolina’s values. Our candidates want to give this state a new beginning without the drama and irresponsibility of the past 8 years, and the charges against Mr. Greene indicate that he cannot contribute to that new beginning. I hope he will see the wisdom of leaving the race.

Greene doesn’t quite see it that way.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Greene said:

I’m the Democratic Party nominee. I mean, I mean, the people have spoken. The people of South Carolina have spoken. The people of South Carolina have spoken. We have to be pro-South Carolina. The people of South Carolina have spoken. We have to be pro-South Carolina.

The people of South Carolina should have been more careful how they voted.