...and you thought the election was over

     Dear Friends,
     With a little luck the election for the US House of Representatives in the 2nd Congressional District will finally end today.  This past Wednesday I had the chance to observe the recount in Vance County on behalf of the NRA endorsed candidate, Renee Ellmers.  The process was conducted by the County Board of Elections and started promptly at 9:00 and didn't end until 5:15.  Ballots were taken out of storage, machines were zeroed and then each and every ballot cast was fed into the machines again using the same process that was used after voting was completed on Election Day.  There were 10 people there observing the process on behalf of Mrs. Ellmers in addition to a lawyer from her legal team.  Mr. Etheridge was represented by a member of the NC Democratic Party, the chair of the Vance County Democratic Party as well as a lawyer from the Etheridge campaign.  The count was done without rancor with all of the participants working together to make sure that every ballot was counted in accordance with state law.  There were just a couple of minor disagreements that were resolved to everyone's satisfaction on the spot and in consultation with the NC State Board of Elections where necessary.  While it was tedious and about as much fun as watching paint dry I think that all who were there believed it was important and worthwhile.  I'd like to commend the Vance County Board of Elections for their professionalism and the diligence with which they conducted the recount.
     After tallying 4,414 votes cast, the result of the recount added just one vote for Mr. Etheridge while the tallies for Mrs. Ellmers and Mr. Rose were unchanged.  It struck me as remarkable that of the stacks and stacks of ballots that the resulting count was so consistent. I have no doubt that it was done fairly and equitably.
     Later today it is expected that the results of the recounts in all 10 counties in the 2nd District will be provided to the State Board of Elections who will in turn make the final tally from recount. They are expected to make that public later today.  If the process employed in Vance County is applied to the other nine counties is used, I am sure that the public and the respective candidates can trust that the results are fair and final.
     I am sure that all of us who have participated in this campaign will be happy to see it come to a conclusion and that we are looking forward to seeing our new Congressman at work representing our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
     Sincerely yours,
     Tom Goffe

Registration Deadline is TODAY

     Dear Friends,
     Today is your last day to register to vote in the 2010 election.  That's the bad news - the good news is that you can vote at the same time with one-stop voting!  Please double check your voter registration status here and be sure to make your voice heard both here in North Carolina and in Washington.  You can also look up where to vote online if you prefer to vote on Tuesday, November 2.
      I'd also like to invite you to take a look at the NRA Voter Guide for North Carolina or see my 2nd District Voter's Guide for federal office as well as for the NC Senate and NC House.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
     Tip of the Day:  If you use the NRA Voter Guide for North Carolina, you can click your mouse on each candidate you like, then print out your personalized list of candidates and take it with you into the voting booth.  Just another example of the NRA going the extra mile to ensure that you get to the polls for vote for freedom.
     Sincerely yours,
     Tom Goffe

Voters: Trust, But Verify

     Dear Friends,
     Ronald Reagan was famous for saying "trust, but verify" when it came to dealing with the Soviet Union.  That same thought also applies to voting.  Today I saw in the New Bern Sun Journal an article that was very troubling.  A voter attempted to vote a straight line ballot there and just as he was about to finalize his electronic vote, he saw on the machine's screen that somehow it was changed from one party to another.  He contacted a poll worker and after a few tries his desired votes were properly recorded into the machine.  According to the story, he wasn't the only citizen to have that problem. 
     How many people who voted did not catch a similar error and unknowingly cast ballots for people they DON'T want to elect?  What can you do about it?
     First - double check your votes line by line and race by race.  Whether you are using a pen to fill out ovals or an electronic touch screen machine, give it a second look.
     Second - if you make a mistake or want to change your vote, ask a poll worker for help.  Tell them you think you might have made a mistake and want to correct it.  Don't but your paper ballot into the machine or finalize your vote on an electronic machine then ask for help.  It is too late then.  STOP and ASK FOR help the second you have a question or think you made a mistake.  The poll workers are there to help.  Hey - we all do that every so often. But if you make a mistake here, it could haunt you for 2 or even 6 years.
     Third - please share this information with your family and friends who will go voting with you.
     Sincerely yours,
     Tom Goffe