Ron Paul Won Maine and Nevada GOP Caucuses, and Could Have Won Iowa, Too

Impact

What is interesting to note about the following accusations of vote fraud is that they all take place in caucus states. This has to do with the way caucuses operate. If votes were rigged in a primary election, it would be virtually impossible for anyone to know about it given that the public has no way of gauging the real votes compared to the reported vote totals other than comparing third party public survey polls and exit polls to the final vote counts.  A large discrepancy between exit polls and final vote counts might draw suspicion, but there would no way for anyone to prove anything.

With caucuses on the other hand, often the votes will be publicly announced in each precinct, which allows for a direct comparison between what was reported and the actual vote itself.  Caucuses also have more procedural rules that can be manipulated to the gain or detriment of various candidates. Conversely, they can be harder to rig precisely because of these facts. Since they are much more public in nature, they are harder to rig than simply slipping in a vote changing computer program.

I take no real stance on this issue, other than to point out the whole process of other people electing "leaders" to run my life is a violation of my civil liberties. Of course, I'll still root for the guy who is going to leave me alone for the most part, which in this case happens to be Paul.

Iowa Caucuses

Republicans change rules just before elections to allow any voter to vote in the caucuses without any registration or proof of residency. A Drudge Report straw poll just prior to the election showed Iowa I.P. addresses voting 33% to 20% for Paul over Romney. After the elections, GOP officials moved vote counting to an undisclosed location, claiming a threat from a "notorious group of computer hackers."

Official results show Santorum and Romney basically tied for first and second with Paul coming in a few percentage points behind, 24.5% to 21.4%.

St. Charles County Missouri Caucus

GOP caucus subcommittee chair seizes control of the caucus and ignores party rules in order to force a proportionate distribution of delegates in violation of party rules. Police came and arrested Paul supporters who attempted to hold a rump convention outside of the voting location in accordance with party rules. Caucus goers for Paul outnumbered other supporters. Similar violations of party rules were claimed in Pulaski County.

I want to reiterate that the police actually arrested caucus participants who were in compliance with party rules, were behaving peacefully, and standing on public property. Here's a video of the arrest.

Santorum won Missouri with 55.2% vs. Paul's 12.2%

Maine Caucuses

Maine Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster announces Romney won with only 84% of precincts reporting. Numerous precincts had their elections postponed. Webster ends up saying that those outstanding precincts will not be counted. The postponed precincts were viewed as favoring Paul.

Additionally, the final numbers reported were incorrect. Numerous precincts that held a caucus were counted as not having submitted any votes at all. In one precinct that held a verbal counting of votes, Paul won the vote, but the final tally by the party showed that precinct as having not submitted any votes at all.

The Chicago Tribube ran a piece that shows Ron Paul may have actually won the state wide vote.

Clark County Nevada Caucus

Clark County is home to Las Vegas and 60% of the states voters. A verbal televised reading of votes from a representative precinct of the county showed Paul winning roughly 70% of the votes.    Paul also won numerous entrance polls across the state in the days leading up to the election.

On election day, election officials suddenly decided to postpone the release of Clark County's official vote total for several days as they counted the votes behind closed doors. After closed-door recounts, results showed Romney with 47%, Gingrich 22%, Paul 18%, and Santorum at 11%.

Given Paul's open support for legalized prostitution and gambling, it seems odd that Las Vegas residents would vote so heavily in favor of Romney and Gingrich over Paul.

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With all of the problems in the caucus states, it makes one wonder if there just might be fraud occurring in the primary states as well.