Yup, those jolly jesters of the “poke them in their political eyes” genre of investigative journalism have done it again. Here. In New Hampshire. During the First In the Nation Primary. Did I mention “Again”? Yep, James O’Keefe and his compatriots are showing us, once again, that the “thing that cannot happen here in NH” actually can be done thanks to clueless (or better put, hyper-partisan) election officials more excited about helping “their side” than protecting The Rule of Law.
Take a gander:
So, will former NH Assistant AG Dick Head come out of retirement to track James O’Keefe down? Will he (or his replacement) be having someone knocking on Grokster Mike’s door? Will the newest version of “the manila envelope” open up and spill my picture on the ground? Stay tuned for this riveting second round of the parody “Vote, vote, who is stealing our votes!”.
In the meantime, here’s a bit of a transcript – and it TRULY is very sad. If we cannot trust government workers to obey the law, see to it that the laws are faithfully kept both in the Letter as well in Spirit of it, well, why should we little people have to follow it? The Rule of Law is only effective when it applies to ALL. But the transcript showing that those that would want to break the Law have willing co-conspirators in those that should be shouting “Hey, I need Law Enforcement here!”
VO #1: If multiple people from other states showed up in New Hampshire on election day with either no ID or an out of state ID…could they have voted in Tuesday’s primary?
PVA: Okay and how long long do I have to live in New Hampshire before I can vote today?
Emily Croots, Election Official, Durham, New Hampshire: Not long. I don’t know, there’s not really a set time.
PVA: Okay, how long do I have to stay in New Hampshire to vote today?
Emily Croots, Election Official, Durham, New Hampshire: There’s no requirement.
PVA: Okay and what do I need, because I don’t have an ID?
Emily Croots, Election Official, Durham, New Hampshire: You are just going to need to fill out an ID, just another form.
PVA: I just need to fill out another form?
Emily Croots, Election Official, Durham, New Hampshire: Right. Right.
—
Susan: (Poll worker, Nashua, New Hampshire) So they will allow you to sign an affidavit saying that you live in the state of New Hampshire.
PVA: But, I’m not living here, I am just trying to vote here.
Poll worker: Do you have an intention of living here indefinitely?
PVA: No not indefinitely.///
Susan: (Poll worker, Nashua, New Hampshire) If you want to vote today, you might want to tell them that you’re staying with a friend. And you’re here indefinitely, because it sounds like its true.
PVA (Cori): Ok, yeah. Not 100% true though.
Susan (Poll worker, Nashua, New Hampshire): Right, but you’re here indefinitely, and you’re staying at your friend’s house, and you’ll be about to vote. Otherwise, I don’t know.
—
Lacey Bang, Poll worker, Little Harbor School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Water bill or electric bill or anything like that?
PVA: No, I don’t have that.
Lacey Bang, Poll worker, Little Harbor School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Okay. So if you have your driver’s license, your Mass driver’s license with you.
PVA: Okay, I just want to make sure, so if I sign that piece of paper, and then a Massachusetts ID works, then I can vote today?
Lacey Bang, Poll worker, Little Harbor School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Yes.
PVA: Okay, how long do I have to be in New Hampshire to vote today?
Lacey Bang, Poll worker, Little Harbor School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Probably 48 hours.
PVA: 48 hours? Okay. How long do I have to stay in New Hampshire to vote today?
Lacey Bang, Poll worker, Little Harbor School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: If you’re here today, you vote, you can be gone.
VO #2: It was just a little more than four years ago, when Veritas proved that lax voter registration laws in New Hampshire would allow for serious voter fraud.
Sound up…dead man’s ballot
VO #3: After the story broke, legislators rewrote the law but based on what we discovered this week, they did a lousy job.
PVA: Okay. How long do I have to have lived here to do domicile?
Joan Arroquette, Newmarket: Umm. I don’t think there is. I don’t think they ended up passing that…this needs to be your legal place where you live. Where your put your head on your bed, so to speak.
PVA: All righty, so all I need to do is fill this out. I don’t have an ID, but I fill this out and then I can vote here today?
Joan Arroquette, Newmarket: Yep.
VO #4: The New Hampshire law and a memorandum from the state’s Attorney general’s office expressly states that quote, “Under no circumstances should a voter be turned away at the time and place of check in because they do not possess sufficient photo identification”, unquote.
Diana Lytle, Poll Worker, Nashua, New Hampshire: “Ok so let me see your Identification.”
PV Journalist: “Ok I’ll have to go grab it then.”
Diana Lytle, Poll Worker, Nashua, New Hampshire: You don’t have your identification?
PV Journalist: I’ll have to go grab it? But I was told you don’t even need an ID.
Diana Lytle, Poll Worker, Nashua, New Hampshire: You don’t, but you have to have your picture taken then.
PV Journalist: So I’ll go get my ID.
PV Journalist: Well thanks for clarifying that. I’m glad I can vote.
Diana Lytle, Poll Worker, Nashua, New Hampshire: Well you can vote.
—
Poll Worker, Carol M. Rines Center, Manchester, New Hampshire: Alright so you’ll need to fill this out…
PVA: So I just fill this…
Poll Worker: Yeah, fill both of these out and I’ll add you.
PVA: And then I can vote?
Poll Worker: Right. Do you have a Mass license?
PVA: I’m not sure if I have one on me but…
Poll Worker, Carol M. Rines Center, Manchester, New Hampshire: I need a picture ID. If you don’t have one I need to fill one of these out and take a picture.
PVA: So I just need to fill out these forms and take a picture and then I can vote?
Poll Worker, Carol M. Rines Center, Manchester, New Hampshire: You got it.
VO #5: The problem is that without identification and confirmation, someone could vote with a made up name and address and by the time the state found the fraud, the vote would have been long counted with no way to correct the wrong.
So how would campaign officials respond to requests to “skirt” the domicile law and vote?
PVA: …when Hugo mentioned the domicile thing, I totally think I’m going to do that.
Peyor Gugal, Bernie Sanders Campaign Staff: You should.
PVA: You think I should?
Peyor Gugal, Bernie Sanders Campaign Staff: Why not?
PVA: The only thing is like I don’t know what address to use.///Oh can I use yours?
Peyor Gugal, Bernie Sanders Campaign Staff: You can if you want.
PVA: Oh, for real?
Peyor Gugal, Bernie Sanders Campaign Staff: Yeah.
PVA: Can you write it down?
Peyor Gugal, Bernie Sanders Campaign Staff: Yeah.
PVA: I can use your address?
Peyor Gugal, Bernie Sanders Campaign Staff: Yeah.
—
Donna Waterman, Bernie Sanders Campaign Staffer: It’s incredibly easy. Like, I think in many ways New Hampshire is incredibly proud of their first in the nation primary, and for that reason they make all of these really lax laws, surrounding voting, so people can, like, take advantage of it.
PVA Journalist: Why doesn’t just every volunteer, like, every in the office, just…
Donna Waterman: Bernie Sanders, Campaign Staffer: I think they all have honestly. And like, all of our paid canvassers have done it. It’s very, very easy.
PVA: It almost seems like its more, its better to have people from out of state. Because they can do that and it’s like more votes.
Donna Waterman: Bernie Sanders, Campaign Staffer: Yeah. Like I said. I don’t know the legality of it. Perhaps it’s voter fraud.
—
PVA Journalist: So, I’m wondering if I can do domicile.
Mariel Brown-Fallon, Bernie Sanders Field Organizer: Are you registered? Oh, from here? Oh, yeah.
PVA Journalist: The only problem is, I’m staying with her aunt and I don’t have an address. Because I do want to use her aunt’s.
Mariel Brown-Fallon, Bernie Sanders Field Organizer: Oh, why not?
PVA Journalist: Yeah, we talked about it and just, like, she’s not cool with that.
Mariel Brown-Fallon, Bernie Sanders Field Organizer: She’s not cool with that? Okay?
PVA Journalist: Cause we both want to do it.
Mariel Brown-Fallon, Bernie Sanders Field Organizer: Ummm…could you say you’re staying at 345 Cilley Road?
PVA Journalist: Could we?
Mariel Brown-Fallon, Bernie Sanders Field Organizer: Yeah.
PVA Journalist: That’s, that’s this address.
Mariel Brown-Fallon, Bernie Sanders Field Organizer: Yeah.
****VO #6: We heard that Mariel, who is from Massachusetts, voted for Bernie Sanders in the New Hampshire primary. But has no intention of staying in the Granite state.
0:31 O’Keefe: Are you Mariel?
Mariel: I am.
O’Keefe: Hey, James O’Keefe Project Veritas. How are you doing?
Mariel: Hey there good. Actually I have to tell you right now I’m now allowed to
speak to press.
O’Keefe: You live here? In New Hampshire?
Mariel: I’m not allowed to speak to press.
O’Keefe: Do you live here in New Hampshire?
Hat girl: Garrett lives here.
Mariel: Garrett lives here.
O’Keefe: Because my understanding is that you’re from Massachusetts, right? And you’re kind of exploiting the voter loophole by voting here and then you’re leaving right away, right?
Hat girl: Mariel’s been living here.
Mariel: I can’t speak to the press.
O’Keefe: Do you like New Hampshire? Because my understanding is you don’t like New Hampshire very much.
Hat girl: Mariel’s been living here for over a year. (Inaudible) She can’t talk to you.
O’Keefe: So are you voting, did you vote here? Mariel are you planning to vote here today? Because I think that you are voting here today, and that would be violating the voting loophole in New Hampshire, wouldn’t it? Because you’re not from New Hampshire and you intend to leave right away, so do you have a comment?
Hat girl: Is this private property issue or something like that? Because this is my
office and I get to ask you to leave right?
Mariel: Mhm.
O’Keefe: But there’s also a law in New Hampshire and you can’t…
Hat girl: But I can ask you to leave my private property.
O’Keefe: Yeah I can leave.
Hat girl: This is a good time to go.
O’Keefe: But do you have a comment about that?
Hat girl: You can go.
O’Keefe: So no comment.
Hat girl: I appreciate your time so much. The pizza is really good across the street
VO #7: Remarkably we even found poll workers who seemed to support the idea of out of state campaign workers voting in a New Hampshire election.
Barbara Ward, Registrar at Large, Little Harbour School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: This is why they wanted to change the law. Some people wanted to change the law.
PVA Journalist: Because people were…
Barbara Ward, Registrar at Large, Little Harbour School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: …coming up here to work on campaigns and voting.
PVA Journalist: Alright.
Barbara Ward, Registrar at Large, Little Harbour School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Which I think, when you come up here to work on a campaign, I think, you know, you’ve been working on a campaign and you want to vote. So I personally understand.
PVA: Okay. Just to clarify, what I need, because I don’t have an ID, I can either do this here, or there, wherever you decide. All I need is to sign the affidavit and that’s it. And I can vote in New Hampshire?
Barbara Ward, Registrar at Large, Little Harbour School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Basically, what we’ve been told by the AG, is that if you’re to sign this, you can vote here today. Because we can’t do anything about it.
You’ve admitted to us that you actually don’t live here. And so that puts us in a difficult situation. You’re also signing…
PVA Journalist: Reading it, it looks like it’s more appropriate for me to vote in Weare.
Barbara Ward, Registrar at Large, Little Harbour School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: It is. You know, if you feel comfortable doing this, it’s your call. I would say, you…cause my felling is I would never want to deny anyone the right to vote.
PVA Journalist: So, technically, I can fill that out and do that here?
Barbara Ward, Registrar at Large, Little Harbour School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Technically you can. It’s up to you It’s, I can’t stop you. I can’t stop you. I would just… It’s your call.
PVA Journalist: So easy a caveman can do it.
Barbara Ward, Registrar at Large, Little Harbour School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Yep.
Poll Worker (with Travis) He was staying in a dorm because he’s working for a campaign and so he thinks he can use that for his address. Is that allright?
Betsy McClain, Hanover Town Clerk: Um, we’ll have to call the AG’s office, because I’m not sure… Let’s call and see.
1929 We’re in unfamiliar territory because of the transient living situation (into phone) Um, yes please, my name is Betsy McClain, I’m the town clerk in Hannover and I was hoping you could answer a question about domicile eligibility for me, can you help me there? Okay. That’s correct. Okay, thank you.
…Okay, okay. That’s what we’ll do, thanks for the clarification. Okay. Bye-bye.
PVA: What’s that?
Betsy McClain, Hanover Town Clerk: You can complete the domicile affidavit, and that if you’re claiming that the dormitory is your residence… And he confirmed that the property might have issues with it, but that not what we’re trying to do here.
PVA: Okay, so I just need the address and the form… Cool!
Betsy McClain, Hanover Town Clerk: So in talking to the AG’s office, he just need to complete a domicile affidavit, to say he’s resident in the dormitory. How long he’s going to be there, isn’t really our business, he’s just going to attest that that’s where he lives today to be able to vote. Alrighty?
VO #8: Alrighty then. So, I decided to see if James O’Keefe could vote in the New Hampshire primary.
O’Keefe: Hey I’m interested in a…
Poll Worker 1: You want to register.
O’Keefe: Yup.
PW 1 Right.
O’Keefe: Establishing the domicile to vote.
PW 1 What’s your address?
O’Keefe: I don’t have my ID with me. Is that going to be an issue?
PW 1 Well there’s a way to get around that.
O’Keefe: How do I do that?
PW 1 Well we’ll have you fill out…
O’Keefe: Okay. I don’t have any documents with me is that a problem?
PW 1 What’s your address?
O’Keefe: I’m just concerned, like do I need to give you…?
PW 1 Well what they’re going to take is they’re going to take your picture?
PW 2 Do you have a picture ID?
O’Keefe: Not with me, no.
PW 2 No.
PW 1 If you go to that table and they’ll take a picture of you and do an affidavit.
O’Keefe: How long do I have to be living here in order to register to vote?
PW 2 I think its 30 days, but I’m not sure that matters at this point because new registrations they’re going to.
O’Keefe: And how long do I have to stay here? Could I leave in like a few days?
PW 2 I can check with the moderator for questions like this.
O’Keefe: Alright I’ll just wait here.
At 3:29 You look familiar.
O’Keefe: I was just wondering if I register to vote how long do I have to live here for?
Poll worker: I was under the impression that it was 30 days but I’m not sure if they clarified that. When did you…?
O’Keefe: I’ve just been here for a little while, like a few days.
It’s supposed to be I think it’s at least 20 days.
I think it’s 20 days.
O’Keefe: Is it 20 days?
Poll worker: Yeah.
O’Keefe: Okay.
PW 1 Have they pushed about how long you have to stay.
O’Keefe: How long do I have to stay here afterwards?
Poll worker: You can stay here until the day after the election.
O’Keefe: So like I could leave tomorrow?”
Poll Worker: Yeah.
O’Keefe: Okay perfect. You know I do have, I could go get a driver’s license out of the car. It’s just an out of state driver’s license.
PW 2: Yeah the law says if you don’t have a picture ID we just have to take a photo of you and have you fill out an affidavit stating you claim who you are.
O’Keefe: But I could go get.
PW 2 If you have anything that would help.
O’Keefe: A New York driver’s license and bring it in. Okay thank you. Thank you.
At 4:46 I swear I think I’ve seen him.
O’Keefe: What did you say, I look familiar?
PW 2 Ah the fellow who is doing the, I don’t watch those things, but documentaries.
O’Keefe: Yeah. Yeah.
PW 2 I don’t remember his name, but I’ve seen him.
O’Keefe: I don’t know. Yeah neither can I, but I think I know who you’re talking about.
VO #9: Elections in New Hampshire don’t seem to have improved in the four years since Veritas was last here. They had to rewrite the laws back then and based on what we saw here this week they need to do it again.
Stay tuned to Project Veritas Action, because next week we will introduce you to a number of democratic campaign officials who aren’t just skirting election laws…they are brazenly breaking them.
O’Keefe: James O’Keefe, Project Veritas. How you doin? Did you vote in New Hampshire here?
Hugo: blah, blah, blah
