Occupy protests send GOP vote counting to secret location

Occupy activists enter the Occupy the Caucus headquarters, Dec. 27, 2011, in Des Moines, Iowa.

/ AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Updated Dec. 29, 12:45 p.m. ET

The Iowa Republican party is moving its caucus night vote counting operation to an undisclosed location because of planned "Occupy Iowa Caucus" protests.

State GOP chair Matt Strawn was critical of the protests and said it's ironic that the Occupy movement is focusing on the Iowa caucuses.

"There's really no more grassroots process in American politics than the Iowa caucuses," Strawn said in an interview. "So it's a little puzzling why they'd choose to disrupt that process."

Strawn said the party is coordinating with local law enforcement to ensure smooth operations next Tuesday at the 1,774 precincts around the state.

"We're taking additional safeguards when it comes to the counting and tabulating and reporting of the caucus night results to make sure they're done in a timely and accurate fashion," he said.

In past years the counting took place at Republican Party headquarters, Strawn said. On Tuesday, it will happen at a secret location that will be known to the campaigns, which will have representatives on hand to view the vote count.

Strawn wasn't specific about caucus night concerns, but a handful of protesters were arrested on Wednesday trying to enter the Des Moines campaign headquarters of Mitt Romney.

Occupy activists from around the country have convened in Iowa to join local activists in an effort to draw attention to economic and political inequities.

Arthur Sanders, professor of politics at Drake University in Des Moines, said they area already succeeding by that measure.

"They see an opportunity to draw attention to what they think is important, which is a very different agenda than the Republican candidates have," he said. "They'll get the attention they want."

[BlowtheBridge]

Google: ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, FOX, AP Wire, owns the National Election Pool (NEP)

[zigmanfrued]

Ron Paul will lose even if he "unofficially" wins the count tomorrow, not that I could ever prove it, but isn't that the point?

[zigmanfrued]

A million dollars on Romney! Has been, is, and will be the Republican candidate in 2012. Iowa schmiowa!

[artist1270]

ELECTION RIGGING!! Lies, lies, lies!!! Treason! TREASON!!!!! Secrecy is the ENEMY of democracy!!! This is the only way to stop Ron Paul from winning legitimately. WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!

[GeraldMon]

Secret vote counting is necessary or the un-American protesters win... No let me try that again. Secret vote counting is necessary or the terrorists win... No, don't buy that? OK... Secret vote counting is necessary or there will be impending world economic collapse? Oh, heard that one before? Uhmm.. What I'm trying to say is be scared, people!!! There's no need for reason or evidence. Trust us, we're the GOP (and give up your rights).

[jimbrown0004]

Secret vote counting is ********!! I guess when they say that Ron Paul is "unelectable", they mean that they will cheat in order for him not to be elected.

[Shadownian78]

easy...they have to take the ballots from where they are voted...to where they are counted....so theres plenty of time to mess with it any way they want....hell they could even switch em out for some they had made...get two cars that look alike...one with the real votes...one with their fake votes....and guess which shows up to be counted...i mean...come on...theres plenty they could do if they want to.

[marcTNMO]

When counting ballots in a SECRET location is announced it screams that they're trying to do a fix. Contact them. I am.
IOWA GOP CONTACTS

Republican Party of Iowa
621 E. 9th St.
Des Moines, IA 50309
515-282-8105 (Office)
515-282-9019 (Fax)

Chad Olsen
Executive Director

Vonna Hall
Office Manager
[e-mail]

Casey Mills
Communications
[e-mail]

Ryan Gough
[e-mail]

Patrick Stewart
[e-mail]

P.S. Spread the word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

[BlowtheBridge]

I have emailed and called all of these people over the course of the last week and have not received even ONE return call or email.

They are trying their best to steal this election, and god help them if they do it this time.

Ron Paul 2012

[BlowtheBridge]

Google: ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, FOX, AP Wire, owns the National Election Pool (NEP)

[jdev789]

I wonder if the threat of Ron Paul is constituting this kind of action where they can manipulate the voting count? Since the establishment doesn't seem to want to do accept that maybe the policies of the United States Government have been pro-war for decades by both parties, spending out of control, raising the Federal Debt Ceiling nine times over the decades, and getting into the tactics of preemptive war against any country that have resources like Libya that we haven't spoken to since Ron Reagan.

[starving1968-3]

by aghast101 December 29, 2011 5:53 AM EST
Occupy activists from around the country have convened in Iowa to join local activists in an effort to draw attention to economic and political inequities.

Read as: To promote their socialist agenda's.







Only a conservative would sh** on someone's RIGHT to "peaceful assembly".

Maybe you'd like the Gestapo to come in and do your dirty work for you, eh Hitler?

[aghast101]

I didn't. Only a leftist would impose his rights over everyone else. You don't have a right to physically impose your opinion on others. No one individual or groups rights over powers another. You have the right to express your opinion and I have mine. "peaceful assembly" does not include forcefully pushing your agenda on to others. That sounds a lot like Stalin.