New York Officials Send Out Absentee Ballots Listing “Barack Osama” — If Voters Correct Spelling, Their Vote is Nullified

Republican officials in the Rensselaer County Board of Elections in Troy, New York are insisting that a typographical error led to absentee ballots being sent to at least 300 voters giving them the choice of either voting for John McCain or “Barack Osama.” Worse yet, if a voter corrected the spelling, the vote is nullified.

For many months, the confusion with Obama’s name and Osama Bin Laden’s name has been a favorite political play — though clearly some uses are innocent mistakes or gaffes given how close the names are. It is just the fact that these ballots came out as Osama not Olama or Ofama that led to great suspicion.

Now, officials are promising to send out new ballots.

It could indeed be another innocent mistake. Though this is Troy which has a certain reputation for appearances being deceiving.

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