After caucusing, each candidate's votes were counted and recounted. Further caucusing occurred and another vote was counted, recounted, and reported to the secretary.
At that point, I asked from the floor if each candidate's vote totals matched the total number of registered voters present. The chair stated that the candidates' votes totaled 180, the correct total.
The chair and his helpers then tried to compute the number of each candidate's delegates. The attempt failed due to a problem "with the computer." The chair then stated that they would compute the numbers by hand. I spoke up from the floor suggesting that it be done with a calculator and one was offered by another voter. The math was done and the chair reported that candidate Obama won 3.5 delegates and candidate Edwards won 2.5 delegates.
Not knowing the procedure to resolve the half delegates, the chair phoned what he called his "crap" line, spoke with someone, and told the audience (voters had already begun to leave the building at this point) that each candidate would be awarded 3 delegates each.
An Obama supporter objected. An Edwards supporter objected. The chair again phoned someone, and after completion of that conversation, announced that the tie would be decided by the flip of a coin. I, and several others protested this and while this discussion was going on, another situation arose. A voter stated that she was undecided in her choice of candidate and was not counted.
If this was true, then some candidate's vote count was incorrect. There was no captain in charge of counting undecided voters and reporting to the secretary. The undecided voter stated she wished to change her vote from undecided and give her vote to Edwards. More protests.
At this point it was impossible to do any sort of recount as far more than half of the original 180 voters had left the building. A suggestion was made by a voter that the half delegate from Obama and the half delegate from Edwards become one undecided delegate. This was ignored by the chair.
After further acrimonious discussion and protests, the chair stated that he wanted an Obama supporter and an Edwards supporter to listen while a third call was made by speaker phone to his "crap line." I listened as an Edwards supporter. The chair reiterated the delegate computation and the situation of the uncounted undecided voter. I heard the voice on the speaker state that the undecided vote could not then be counted or added to Edwards' count in order to break the half-delegate tie and that a coin flip must be used to assign the delegate in question.
I then told the chair that I wished to record a protest about the use of a coin toss, and he said I could call his "crap line." I strongly believe the use of the coin toss was wrong and unfair to both candidates Obama and Edwards. Obama "won" the coin toss and got the extra half-delegate.
I would be glad to try to answer any questions you may have about the above. Interested in your comments.
JEG
