The Iowa Straw Poll Mystery – Missing Votes – Did Ron Paul Actually Win?

Federal Jack reports:

The official number of votes counted in the 2011 Iowa Straw Poll is 16,892. The general breakdown of the total is as follows:

4823 – Michelle Bachmann
4671 – Ron Paul
2293 – Pawlenty
1657 – Santorum
1456 – Cain
718 – Perry
567 – Romney
385 – Gingrich
69 – Huntsman
35 – McCotter

Ok, so let’s add up the votes (4823 + 4671 + 2293 + 1657 + 1456 + 718 + 567 + 385 + 69 +35 = 16,674). But wait a minute, the total votes counted were 16,892 right? So, of the total votes counted in the Iowa Straw Poll amounting to 16,892. The ten candidates listed above garnered 16,674. Well that leaves 218 votes unaccounted for.

So where did the remaining 218 votes go?

Good question Jack.

I believe many of those were scattered votes.

I don't recall the exact number that was stated though.

IIRC something around 152 scattered.


Okay, it was 162 according to www.cnsnews.com...

Still some are missing though... (According to the the math in your OP)

Hmmm...

I was thinking that maybe those 'leftovers' were write-ins but, if that is case, why is Rick Perry up there with his 718 write-in votes and not the others?

Hmmm...

reply to post by BeyondPerception


Yeah something like 56 votes are missing from the total if we assume that "scattering" votes for write in candidates took up the remainder.

I would like to see a full published list of all votes by the poll operators.

Write in votes would be my guess. There are probably many of those that they don't bother reporting on. Like Homer Simpson.

If adding in the scattered votes it accounts to 16836. This means that there are only 56 unaccounted for votes. Even if all of those were for Paul, he would still lose the straw poll.

Originally posted by mnemeth1I would like to see a full published list of all votes by the poll operators.

Ha! Good luck with that.

Good luck finding who even counted them.

reply to post by mnemeth1


This may be the answer.

Stephen Colbert ran a couple of ads, funded by his superpac, in Iowa encouraging voters to write in the name Rick Parry, (misspelled, with the "a" instead of the "e" in Perry). He claimed that he could not find out the number of votes so cast - and comically asked for an "investigation."

My guess the only conspiracy here is to avoid feeding Colbert's comedy.

It's a freaking straw poll.

It means nothing.

Let's just give the Iowa Straw Poll to Ron Paul, so his supporters can stop whining.

You Ron Paul people are something else.

Originally posted by Carseller4
It's a freaking straw poll.

It means nothing.

Let's just give the Iowa Straw Poll to Ron Paul, so his supporters can stop whining.

You Ron Paul people are something else.

If he won, could you imagine the reactions from the Bachmann supporters?

Might want to consider taking off those 'tunnel vision' glasses for a little while.

By the way, who the hell do you support anyway? Anyone, or do you just support your own opinions?

reply to post by BeyondPerception


He probably supports the guy that has set record breaking defense budgets and launched a new war in Libya.

To let this go with out getting sorted out is setting a bad example for the vote counting to come. If any bad people, machines or systems are found now it is less to deal with latter when the counts get more critical.

reply to post by Carseller4


Is it fare to say that something fishy is up with the mainstream media totally ignoring RP's positive numbers/results for the past 2+ months? Don't you see how big this is? It is total mass manipulation to the core, the media is not delivering true complete stories, period!! Incorrect news needs to have a zero tolerance stance. You deliver false/incomplete information, then a public apology aired numerous times for a week needs to be inforced.

Note that this lack of integrity by the mainstream media can happen to whomever you support.

Even Jon Stewart totally mocked the media on how they treat RP, both CNN and FOX...

I hope you understand where RP supporters are coming from...

RP 2012