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Voting Problems around the US
Summary of problems around the country at polls. Add your reposts/reports to the comments to this thread.
Summary of problems around the country at polls. Add your reposts/reports to the comments to this thread.
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By Associated Press
Bomb threats forced election officials to move one of their polling places in Phoenix today.
The calls involved Longview Elementary School at 12th Street and Indian School.
Phoenix police spokeswoman Sergeant Lauri Williams says three calls were made early today, making some kind of bomb threats.
She says police searched the school and didn't find anything.
Nevertheless, Maricopa County elections officials decided to move the voting to a nearby church _ the Phoenix Reformed Church.
Williams says school officials also decided to shut down Longview for the day.
State School Superintendent Tom Horne says students were taken to Montecito School after being evacuated from Longview.
Bomb threats forced election officials to move one of their polling places in Phoenix today.
The calls involved Longview Elementary School at 12th Street and Indian School.
Phoenix police spokeswoman Sergeant Lauri Williams says three calls were made early today, making some kind of bomb threats.
She says police searched the school and didn't find anything.
Nevertheless, Maricopa County elections officials decided to move the voting to a nearby church _ the Phoenix Reformed Church.
Williams says school officials also decided to shut down Longview for the day.
State School Superintendent Tom Horne says students were taken to Montecito School after being evacuated from Longview.
For more information:
http://www.620ktar.com/News/Story.aspx?ID=...
The polling place in Mount Laurel closed for about two hours Tuesday morning when a substance that later turned out to be salt was found on the floor.
Township police shut down voting at the Fleetwood School at about 9 a.m. after the salt was spotted on the floor and reported as a suspicious substance, Officer Frank Plunkett said.
Township police shut down voting at the Fleetwood School at about 9 a.m. after the salt was spotted on the floor and reported as a suspicious substance, Officer Frank Plunkett said.
For more information:
http://www.nbc10.com/news/3882749/detail.html
Bill Quigley is an attorney working with the N-A-A-C-P and other civil rights groups. He told the Associated Press that he had reports of at least eleven precincts in Orleans Parish with at least one voting machine broken, along with four others in suburban Jefferson Parish.
Quigley says that at one precinct in New Orleans, all three voting machines were broken and voters were being turned away and told to come back later. Almost three hours after the polls opened, he said, no one had cast a ballot at that precinct.
Quigley says that at one precinct in New Orleans, all three voting machines were broken and voters were being turned away and told to come back later. Almost three hours after the polls opened, he said, no one had cast a ballot at that precinct.
For more information:
http://www.klfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=251...
I went to vote today in Manhattan and poll workers were not properly trained on writing-in candidates, disadvantaging candidates like David Cobb. The head poll worker in my precint tried to make me fill out a provisional ballot used for unregistered voters if i wanted to write in a candidate. On top of this, the 1-800-VOTE-NYC number tells you no one is available and hangs up on you. Shame on the Board of Elections.
BTW, Emily Jane Goodman is running for re-election for NY State Supreme Court. She's ruled in favor of RNC protesters and she does not cross picket lines! This will be a vote that counts in the everyday lives of activists. Vote Emily Jane Goodman.
BTW, Emily Jane Goodman is running for re-election for NY State Supreme Court. She's ruled in favor of RNC protesters and she does not cross picket lines! This will be a vote that counts in the everyday lives of activists. Vote Emily Jane Goodman.
For more information:
http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/...
There have been over 80 complaints of voting problems in New Orleans so far (10:30 AM). Shana from New Orleans Election Protection and the League of Pissed Off Voters reported that there have been machine malfunctions and in some places there are no backup ballots available. Election Protection says that New Orleans is one of the top sites of voting irregularities nationwide.
For more information:
http://neworleans.indymedia.org/news/2004/...
http://www.michaelmoore.com/electionwatch/state.php?state=FL
If you click through the michaelmoore.com/electionwatch states, Florida is the hottest by far. Lots of people didn't get absentee ballots.
If you click through the michaelmoore.com/electionwatch states, Florida is the hottest by far. Lots of people didn't get absentee ballots.
Columns
Bob Fitrakis
Is there inner-city election suppression in Franklin County, Ohio?
November 2, 2004
Election Day Report – Columbus, Ohio
12:15pm EST
This morning, voters in the 55th and 5th Wards of Columbus’ near east side, majority African American and overwhelmingly Democratic areas, were waiting between two to three hours to cast their votes. At seven of the eight polling places, Free Press observers counted only three voting machines per location. According to the presiding judge at the polling site, at the Columbus Model Neighborhood facility at 1393 E. Broad St., there had been five machines during the 2004 primary. At Douglas Elementary School, there had been four machines during the light turnout of the spring primary.
http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/3/2004/977
Bob Fitrakis
Is there inner-city election suppression in Franklin County, Ohio?
November 2, 2004
Election Day Report – Columbus, Ohio
12:15pm EST
This morning, voters in the 55th and 5th Wards of Columbus’ near east side, majority African American and overwhelmingly Democratic areas, were waiting between two to three hours to cast their votes. At seven of the eight polling places, Free Press observers counted only three voting machines per location. According to the presiding judge at the polling site, at the Columbus Model Neighborhood facility at 1393 E. Broad St., there had been five machines during the 2004 primary. At Douglas Elementary School, there had been four machines during the light turnout of the spring primary.
http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/3/2004/977
Bogus calls target area Democrats
Calls similar to others heard across the country
Published November 02. 2004 7:30AM
BY JOE BYRNES
Chief Local News Editor
OCALA — At least a few Marion and Lake county residents received telephone calls Monday directing them to the wrong polling places today.
The calls targeting Democrats appear to be a local version of the false claims delivered by telephone showing up around the nation during a hotly contested presidential race.
Delphine Herbert, a Democratic poll watcher and Marco Polo resident, still had the misleading telephone call she received on her answering service.
The message urged her not to be taken in by "dirty tricks" designed to keep her from voting and send her to the wrong polling place. Ironically, the message did just that: It directed her to the wrong place to vote.
At the end, the message said, "Vote Democratic. This call paid for by the Democratic National Committee." Adrian Durbin, a Democratic Party spokesman in Florida, gave an emphatic "No" when asked if the calls were in fact from his side.
Herbert won't be misled by the message — she's already voted. Today, she'll be watching a polling place in Citra.
Lake County Supervisor of Elections Emogene Stegall said Democratic voters in Lake County have been receiving the calls, too.
At about 4:15 p.m., her office started hearing from voters, including Democratic poll workers, that callers were redirecting them to the wrong place. Within 10 minutes, her staff had four complaints from voters.
"So we called the Sheriff's Department and reported it," Stegall said. "And they are working on it."
Stegall, who has worked at the Lake County Supervisor of Elections Office for 50 years, said she's never seen tactics like this.
"It makes me wonder if it's local people or if it's someone shipped in here do this," she said.
Villages of Marion resident and Villages Democratic Club member Whitney Diggett was on his way back home Monday from Ocala, where he voted early, when he got a call from a woman on his cell phone automatically forwarded from home.
"She said, in essence, the other side is using some trickery or skullduggery and trying to disrupt the voting by making calls sending (people) to the wrong precinct," Diggett said. Then the woman proceeded to direct him to the wrong polling place.
He knew better and set her straight, Diggett said. And the woman got off the line.
Diggett said he checked the incoming calls on his cell phone, and the call had registered as a series of zeroes.
The Associated Press reported bogus calls in other parts of the country, as well. In Las Vegas, voters likewise received calls telling them their polling places had changed.
GOP officials have been getting reports that a person claiming to represent President Bush has been calling people and spilling a string of swear words. Another phone call allegedly tells people that they've been drafted because Bush needs them for the war in Iraq.
In Michigan and New Jersey, Democrats complain that calls have claimed Sen. John Kerry would make gay marriage legal and that a contrived message — erroneously purporting to be from retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf — is an underhanded effort to make the DNC look like liars.
Joe Byrnes can be reached at joe.byrnes [at] starbanner.com or (352) 867-4112.
Calls similar to others heard across the country
Published November 02. 2004 7:30AM
BY JOE BYRNES
Chief Local News Editor
OCALA — At least a few Marion and Lake county residents received telephone calls Monday directing them to the wrong polling places today.
The calls targeting Democrats appear to be a local version of the false claims delivered by telephone showing up around the nation during a hotly contested presidential race.
Delphine Herbert, a Democratic poll watcher and Marco Polo resident, still had the misleading telephone call she received on her answering service.
The message urged her not to be taken in by "dirty tricks" designed to keep her from voting and send her to the wrong polling place. Ironically, the message did just that: It directed her to the wrong place to vote.
At the end, the message said, "Vote Democratic. This call paid for by the Democratic National Committee." Adrian Durbin, a Democratic Party spokesman in Florida, gave an emphatic "No" when asked if the calls were in fact from his side.
Herbert won't be misled by the message — she's already voted. Today, she'll be watching a polling place in Citra.
Lake County Supervisor of Elections Emogene Stegall said Democratic voters in Lake County have been receiving the calls, too.
At about 4:15 p.m., her office started hearing from voters, including Democratic poll workers, that callers were redirecting them to the wrong place. Within 10 minutes, her staff had four complaints from voters.
"So we called the Sheriff's Department and reported it," Stegall said. "And they are working on it."
Stegall, who has worked at the Lake County Supervisor of Elections Office for 50 years, said she's never seen tactics like this.
"It makes me wonder if it's local people or if it's someone shipped in here do this," she said.
Villages of Marion resident and Villages Democratic Club member Whitney Diggett was on his way back home Monday from Ocala, where he voted early, when he got a call from a woman on his cell phone automatically forwarded from home.
"She said, in essence, the other side is using some trickery or skullduggery and trying to disrupt the voting by making calls sending (people) to the wrong precinct," Diggett said. Then the woman proceeded to direct him to the wrong polling place.
He knew better and set her straight, Diggett said. And the woman got off the line.
Diggett said he checked the incoming calls on his cell phone, and the call had registered as a series of zeroes.
The Associated Press reported bogus calls in other parts of the country, as well. In Las Vegas, voters likewise received calls telling them their polling places had changed.
GOP officials have been getting reports that a person claiming to represent President Bush has been calling people and spilling a string of swear words. Another phone call allegedly tells people that they've been drafted because Bush needs them for the war in Iraq.
In Michigan and New Jersey, Democrats complain that calls have claimed Sen. John Kerry would make gay marriage legal and that a contrived message — erroneously purporting to be from retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf — is an underhanded effort to make the DNC look like liars.
Joe Byrnes can be reached at joe.byrnes [at] starbanner.com or (352) 867-4112.
For more information:
http://www.starbanner.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...
Paid Bush supporters cause uproar
By Mark Henle and Kaitlin Bell, The Dartmouth Staff
Jeewon Kim/The Dartmouth Staff
Part-time workers, paid $75 per day by the Bush-Cheney campaign, wave signs backing Republican candidates for office Friday on the Green.
State Democrats reacted quickly when the Republican Party, trying to garner last-minute support with New Hampshire's swing voters, began paying part-time workers $75 this weekend to devote a day to the Bush campaign -- especially in liberal areas like Hanover.
http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2004110101010
Democratic field organizers in the area alerted supporters and volunteers Friday about students from nearby colleges who had been paid to hold Bush-Cheney signs and wear campaign stickers on the Green.
By Mark Henle and Kaitlin Bell, The Dartmouth Staff
Jeewon Kim/The Dartmouth Staff
Part-time workers, paid $75 per day by the Bush-Cheney campaign, wave signs backing Republican candidates for office Friday on the Green.
State Democrats reacted quickly when the Republican Party, trying to garner last-minute support with New Hampshire's swing voters, began paying part-time workers $75 this weekend to devote a day to the Bush campaign -- especially in liberal areas like Hanover.
http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2004110101010
Democratic field organizers in the area alerted supporters and volunteers Friday about students from nearby colleges who had been paid to hold Bush-Cheney signs and wear campaign stickers on the Green.
Yesterday a friend voted early at a polling location in Austin. She voted straight Democratic. When she did the final check, lo and behold every vote was for the Democratic candidates except that it showed she had voted for Bush/Cheney for president/vice pres.
She immediately got a poll official. On her vote, it was corrected.
She called the Travis County Democratic headquarters. They took all her information, and told her that she wasn't the first to report a similar incident and that they are looking into it. So check before you leave the polling booth, and if anything is wrong, get it corrected immediately. Report any irregularities to your local Democratic headquarters. Make sure you pass this along to your friends ... hopefully this is all over the airwaves by tomorrow ...
The Texas voting fraud is for real. I called the Austin office (Dem. Nat. Comm.) 512-637-1737 and they said that it has been happening a lot. They don't know why but the machines seem more "sensitive" this year and that every voter MUST check their summary as the presidential choice often rolls over to the republican choice if you vote straight democrat.
For more information:
http://www.livejournal.com/community/anti_...
Pennsylvania
HUMMELSTOWN
Friend was not allowed to vote
I have been telling a friend she needs to vote for weeks and today she borrowed her coworkers car on her lunch time to vote .She was told she was not allowed to vote because she had not voted in 4 yrs and her name was not in the book.She happens to be african american.Hmmm.I am pissed.When I went to vote and it was my first time ( Thank you Michael Mooore ) I had no problems and there was a guy there to vote and his name was not in the book and the worker called a lawyer and then they helped him so he could vote.This guy is white..hmmmmm.Just in case anyone was wondering I am white too. I just called my friend with the # you have posted and I just hope this kind of craziness stops and that Bush will find another job,one that he knows how to do.
Steph Trenn
2004-11-02 - 16:16:22
DUBOIS
Republicans outside where i vote
When I went in to vote where I always have, I was approached by 2-people with Bush-Chenney pins on them. They told me I had to sign there paper to get in to vote. I asked if this was legal and told them my wife was in the car taken there picture. They then walked away and did not bother with me. Also at the other place to vote here in town they were keeping the ticket stubs off peoples ballots and Republicans were watching people sign in.
nc
2004-11-02 - 15:29:49
PITTSBURGH
Voting Mishap
Today my brother and I woke up at 8:00am to vote at the school building we were assigned to. The lady in the building asked us our address and told us to go to the next table. We did and told the next woman our names. We weren't listed. Provisional ballots were handed to us and we filled those out w/ no privacy at all. They told us our ID would be verified later, but they never took any information from us to tie it to the ballot. I asked again and they said it was 'ok' never having us sign the envelope either!
We drove home and I just had a gut feeling in my stomach, so together we went back up blaring "American Idiot" by Green Day and went to the first table and had them look up our names.
There we were.
We got to pull the lever and that made me feel so good to put a big red X next to the names Kerry & Edwards.
Just a little heads up to everyone, don't back don't if you don't feel your vote wasn't handled correctly!
Scott Auth
2004-11-02 - 15:18:57
PITTSBURGH
Voting Discrimination
I'm currently a student at the University of Pittsburgh who walked over to the church in the upscale neighborhood where I would be placing my vote. I've been told time and time again that all I needed to bring was a government photo ID. Upon arrival, my name was not found throughout the filed cards, so an older woman serving as judge started to allow me to fill out a provisional ballet. Another man working with her demanded that show them a utility bill or bank statement in order to place my provisional ballet. I politely reminded him that no one really carries those around, and that I didn't have one available at hand. I also pulled out my student ID in hopes to calm him down. He argued with the woman and myself for over 10 minutes of how I shouldn't be allowed to vote because I can't prove that I live at my address. Many people were staring at this point and one woman even patted me on the shoulder and said "good luck". The man became frustrated and muttered "well you're the judge" to the woman who was originally assiting me in this matter. She reviewed the list again of acceptable identification and decided that I was in fact able to vote, and allowed me to do so. My only fear is that when I left, she and the gentleman did not sign the ballet or possibly discarded it. I'll be checking to see if my ballot counted with the receipt I was given, but it's extremely frustrating being subjected to things like this. It makes me understand a little more why people choose not to vote. I'm very hurt by this matter. Oh, did I forget to mention I'm African and Asian American- the only one I saw at my poll this afternoon?
Maya Moody
2004-11-02 - 14:38:58
HERSHEY
Persistence paid off
My son, a first time voter, came home last night from a near by college so that he could vote when the polls opened this morning. At the polling place he was told that he was â??not in the bookâ?? and that he could not vote.
After attending morning classes he decided to drive back to the poling place and try again, possibly voting by provisional ballot. After some discussion his name was located in the computer and he was allowed to vote.
My son was fortunate that he had the time to keep trying, unlike the some of the voterâ??s stories on this webpage.
gus
2004-11-02 - 14:00:20
LAWRENCE COUNTY
Nader on ballot
I went to vote and Nader was still on the ballot. I am not sure if they already had the ballots printed before the ruling or what. Anyone that votes for Nader will have their vote not counted at all.
gma
2004-11-02 - 13:38:59
HARRISBURG
Discrimination
A friend just emailed me about her sister's experience this morning. In Harrisburg, wards 11 and 12 both vote in the same building. In ward 11, which is about 70% white, there were no lawyers on the ground and everything was proceeding smoothly.
In ward 12, which is about 70% African American, there was a republican lawyer watching. When she asked her neighbor who works at the polls if there had been any challenges, she said, "ONLY TO EVERY YOUNG BLACK MALE UNDER 30"
Lynn Cockett
2004-11-02 - 13:22:54
DORRANCE
NOT REGISTERED?!
I served in the Air Force in Shreveport, Louisiana. I sent out for my absentee ballot in October, which I never received. Unbeknownst to me I would be honorably separated from military service on 1 Nov 04. I started my terminal leave on about the second week of October, and returned to my home state of Pennsylvania on 16 Oct 04. Since I never received any kind of absentee ballot, and upon hearing word from my mother that my name was still on the roll for voting in Dorrance, I went to the polls to vote, at which time I was told I could not. I then watched a "volunteer" cross my name off of the list and send me away. I called the voter services office of Luzerne County (my home county), just to see if it was possible that I was registered in a different township, since my parents, and thus my home address, had moved while I was in the military. I was then told that I was not registered to vote at all. I logged on to this webssite to let people know about it, but apparently I'm not the only one in Pennsylvania this is happening to. Please help in any way you can, and thank you for your time.
Richard David Walent II
2004-11-02 - 11:14:13
OLYPHANT (SCRANTON METRO)
Judge of Elections failed to appear
In Olyphant, one of the sattelite communities in the Scranton/Wilkes Barre metro area, the polls opened at 7AM but no one could cast a ballot because the judge of elections failed to appear until 8AM. Many turned away in the first hour.
Several other area polling precints could not permit voting at 7AM because they could not unlock the voting machines. This info was broadcast widely on local TV News.
Lorne Clarke
2004-11-02 - 11:06:27
SHARON AND FARRELL
Was this planned?
Electronic voting booths in several predominately-Democratic precincts in Sharon and Farrell (near the Ohio border) were not working this morning and people were turned away. They could not even vote on paper. Voters were told to come back later, but some cannot do so.
jm
2004-11-02 - 10:52:30
HUMMELSTOWN
Friend was not allowed to vote
I have been telling a friend she needs to vote for weeks and today she borrowed her coworkers car on her lunch time to vote .She was told she was not allowed to vote because she had not voted in 4 yrs and her name was not in the book.She happens to be african american.Hmmm.I am pissed.When I went to vote and it was my first time ( Thank you Michael Mooore ) I had no problems and there was a guy there to vote and his name was not in the book and the worker called a lawyer and then they helped him so he could vote.This guy is white..hmmmmm.Just in case anyone was wondering I am white too. I just called my friend with the # you have posted and I just hope this kind of craziness stops and that Bush will find another job,one that he knows how to do.
Steph Trenn
2004-11-02 - 16:16:22
DUBOIS
Republicans outside where i vote
When I went in to vote where I always have, I was approached by 2-people with Bush-Chenney pins on them. They told me I had to sign there paper to get in to vote. I asked if this was legal and told them my wife was in the car taken there picture. They then walked away and did not bother with me. Also at the other place to vote here in town they were keeping the ticket stubs off peoples ballots and Republicans were watching people sign in.
nc
2004-11-02 - 15:29:49
PITTSBURGH
Voting Mishap
Today my brother and I woke up at 8:00am to vote at the school building we were assigned to. The lady in the building asked us our address and told us to go to the next table. We did and told the next woman our names. We weren't listed. Provisional ballots were handed to us and we filled those out w/ no privacy at all. They told us our ID would be verified later, but they never took any information from us to tie it to the ballot. I asked again and they said it was 'ok' never having us sign the envelope either!
We drove home and I just had a gut feeling in my stomach, so together we went back up blaring "American Idiot" by Green Day and went to the first table and had them look up our names.
There we were.
We got to pull the lever and that made me feel so good to put a big red X next to the names Kerry & Edwards.
Just a little heads up to everyone, don't back don't if you don't feel your vote wasn't handled correctly!
Scott Auth
2004-11-02 - 15:18:57
PITTSBURGH
Voting Discrimination
I'm currently a student at the University of Pittsburgh who walked over to the church in the upscale neighborhood where I would be placing my vote. I've been told time and time again that all I needed to bring was a government photo ID. Upon arrival, my name was not found throughout the filed cards, so an older woman serving as judge started to allow me to fill out a provisional ballet. Another man working with her demanded that show them a utility bill or bank statement in order to place my provisional ballet. I politely reminded him that no one really carries those around, and that I didn't have one available at hand. I also pulled out my student ID in hopes to calm him down. He argued with the woman and myself for over 10 minutes of how I shouldn't be allowed to vote because I can't prove that I live at my address. Many people were staring at this point and one woman even patted me on the shoulder and said "good luck". The man became frustrated and muttered "well you're the judge" to the woman who was originally assiting me in this matter. She reviewed the list again of acceptable identification and decided that I was in fact able to vote, and allowed me to do so. My only fear is that when I left, she and the gentleman did not sign the ballet or possibly discarded it. I'll be checking to see if my ballot counted with the receipt I was given, but it's extremely frustrating being subjected to things like this. It makes me understand a little more why people choose not to vote. I'm very hurt by this matter. Oh, did I forget to mention I'm African and Asian American- the only one I saw at my poll this afternoon?
Maya Moody
2004-11-02 - 14:38:58
HERSHEY
Persistence paid off
My son, a first time voter, came home last night from a near by college so that he could vote when the polls opened this morning. At the polling place he was told that he was â??not in the bookâ?? and that he could not vote.
After attending morning classes he decided to drive back to the poling place and try again, possibly voting by provisional ballot. After some discussion his name was located in the computer and he was allowed to vote.
My son was fortunate that he had the time to keep trying, unlike the some of the voterâ??s stories on this webpage.
gus
2004-11-02 - 14:00:20
LAWRENCE COUNTY
Nader on ballot
I went to vote and Nader was still on the ballot. I am not sure if they already had the ballots printed before the ruling or what. Anyone that votes for Nader will have their vote not counted at all.
gma
2004-11-02 - 13:38:59
HARRISBURG
Discrimination
A friend just emailed me about her sister's experience this morning. In Harrisburg, wards 11 and 12 both vote in the same building. In ward 11, which is about 70% white, there were no lawyers on the ground and everything was proceeding smoothly.
In ward 12, which is about 70% African American, there was a republican lawyer watching. When she asked her neighbor who works at the polls if there had been any challenges, she said, "ONLY TO EVERY YOUNG BLACK MALE UNDER 30"
Lynn Cockett
2004-11-02 - 13:22:54
DORRANCE
NOT REGISTERED?!
I served in the Air Force in Shreveport, Louisiana. I sent out for my absentee ballot in October, which I never received. Unbeknownst to me I would be honorably separated from military service on 1 Nov 04. I started my terminal leave on about the second week of October, and returned to my home state of Pennsylvania on 16 Oct 04. Since I never received any kind of absentee ballot, and upon hearing word from my mother that my name was still on the roll for voting in Dorrance, I went to the polls to vote, at which time I was told I could not. I then watched a "volunteer" cross my name off of the list and send me away. I called the voter services office of Luzerne County (my home county), just to see if it was possible that I was registered in a different township, since my parents, and thus my home address, had moved while I was in the military. I was then told that I was not registered to vote at all. I logged on to this webssite to let people know about it, but apparently I'm not the only one in Pennsylvania this is happening to. Please help in any way you can, and thank you for your time.
Richard David Walent II
2004-11-02 - 11:14:13
OLYPHANT (SCRANTON METRO)
Judge of Elections failed to appear
In Olyphant, one of the sattelite communities in the Scranton/Wilkes Barre metro area, the polls opened at 7AM but no one could cast a ballot because the judge of elections failed to appear until 8AM. Many turned away in the first hour.
Several other area polling precints could not permit voting at 7AM because they could not unlock the voting machines. This info was broadcast widely on local TV News.
Lorne Clarke
2004-11-02 - 11:06:27
SHARON AND FARRELL
Was this planned?
Electronic voting booths in several predominately-Democratic precincts in Sharon and Farrell (near the Ohio border) were not working this morning and people were turned away. They could not even vote on paper. Voters were told to come back later, but some cannot do so.
jm
2004-11-02 - 10:52:30
Voting Irregularities Nationwide
Voting Irregularities were reported in: Louisiana, Florida, Ohio, and Wisconsin
The following is a list of voting irregularities reported this morning to The League of Pissed Off Voters:
New Orleans, LA:
There have been over 80 complaints of voting problems in New Orleans so far (10:30 AM). Shana from New Orleans Election Protection and the League of Pissed Off Voters reported that there have been machine malfunctions and in some places there are no backup ballots available. Election Protection says that New Orleans is one of the top sites of voting irregularities nationwide.
St. Petersburg, FL:
A voter registered in St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, FL reported to the League of Pissed Off Voters that he had been told he was not registered to vote (10:45AM). He registered in and received voting information from Pinellas County, and then moved to Hillsborough. When he went to vote this morning at the Robinson Recreation Center at 1248 50th St. in Precinct 166 of Pinellas, he was told that he was not registered to vote there and was directed instead to the Hillsborough County Center at 601 East Kennedy St. In Hillsborough he was told that he was not registered there either and that a provisional ballot would not count.
Toledo, OH:
Polls opened one half-hour late today at Glenwood Elementary in Toledo, OH, because the ballot boxes were locked in the principal's office and no one had the key, said Evan of the League of Pissed Off Voters. During the wait from 6:30 to 7AM, people left the polls without having voted. An hour and a half after the polling site opened, they ran out of pencils, bringing voting to a halt. Voting could not continue until 11AM, by which time 50 to 100 more people had walked away.
Columbus, OH:
The polling site at Sathwick-Good Funeral Home, 3100 North High St. in Precinct 19H in Columbus, OH has announced that a funeral is happening from 10AM to 1PM. During these hours, they said, no groups may distribute literature or talk to voters outside.
Beloit, WI:
This morning in Beloit, WI a lawyer for the Republicans was challenging Beloit college students saying that they could not register same day with their Beloit student ID's. In response, the Beloit college president came down to the polls with a notorized list of the students and lawyers to fight for the students' right to vote. Now students are witnessing registrations, the lines are out the door as they have been since 8 am this morning, and the majority of those in line are college students.
Milwuakee, WI:
In wards 72, 314, and 297 in Milwuakee, voting machines are broken. All three wards are predominantly African-American. Luckily, in some of the target wards in Milwuakee, voting turnout has already reached 50% of registered voters at 1PM.
Voting Irregularities were reported in: Louisiana, Florida, Ohio, and Wisconsin
The following is a list of voting irregularities reported this morning to The League of Pissed Off Voters:
New Orleans, LA:
There have been over 80 complaints of voting problems in New Orleans so far (10:30 AM). Shana from New Orleans Election Protection and the League of Pissed Off Voters reported that there have been machine malfunctions and in some places there are no backup ballots available. Election Protection says that New Orleans is one of the top sites of voting irregularities nationwide.
St. Petersburg, FL:
A voter registered in St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, FL reported to the League of Pissed Off Voters that he had been told he was not registered to vote (10:45AM). He registered in and received voting information from Pinellas County, and then moved to Hillsborough. When he went to vote this morning at the Robinson Recreation Center at 1248 50th St. in Precinct 166 of Pinellas, he was told that he was not registered to vote there and was directed instead to the Hillsborough County Center at 601 East Kennedy St. In Hillsborough he was told that he was not registered there either and that a provisional ballot would not count.
Toledo, OH:
Polls opened one half-hour late today at Glenwood Elementary in Toledo, OH, because the ballot boxes were locked in the principal's office and no one had the key, said Evan of the League of Pissed Off Voters. During the wait from 6:30 to 7AM, people left the polls without having voted. An hour and a half after the polling site opened, they ran out of pencils, bringing voting to a halt. Voting could not continue until 11AM, by which time 50 to 100 more people had walked away.
Columbus, OH:
The polling site at Sathwick-Good Funeral Home, 3100 North High St. in Precinct 19H in Columbus, OH has announced that a funeral is happening from 10AM to 1PM. During these hours, they said, no groups may distribute literature or talk to voters outside.
Beloit, WI:
This morning in Beloit, WI a lawyer for the Republicans was challenging Beloit college students saying that they could not register same day with their Beloit student ID's. In response, the Beloit college president came down to the polls with a notorized list of the students and lawyers to fight for the students' right to vote. Now students are witnessing registrations, the lines are out the door as they have been since 8 am this morning, and the majority of those in line are college students.
Milwuakee, WI:
In wards 72, 314, and 297 in Milwuakee, voting machines are broken. All three wards are predominantly African-American. Luckily, in some of the target wards in Milwuakee, voting turnout has already reached 50% of registered voters at 1PM.
For more information:
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/11/3...
I-Team 8 has learned of voters who were turned away because of what they were wearing to vote. I-Team 8 is investigating one case in which 27-year-old Scott Long of Morgan County walked in with a T-shirt. A takeoff of "Got milk?" it said "Got Bush?" for George Bush. He was pulled out of line and told he couldn't vote.
http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/11/1702647.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/11/1702647.php
ALBANY, N.Y. -- A steady stream of students made their way to the polls Tuesday at the State University of New York at Albany, but not everyone had an easy time delivering their vote.
Some students who showed up at their designated polling place found that their names were neither on the voter-registration rolls nor on any lists of recently purged voters. Meanwhile, some students who planned on voting by absentee ballot, like Joseph Rubeno of the Bronx, complained their ballots had never been received.
The students were to be given paper ballots, but one of the three polling areas on campus ran out and turned students away.
More
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny-eln--upstate-votin1102nov02,0,7830078.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire
Some students who showed up at their designated polling place found that their names were neither on the voter-registration rolls nor on any lists of recently purged voters. Meanwhile, some students who planned on voting by absentee ballot, like Joseph Rubeno of the Bronx, complained their ballots had never been received.
The students were to be given paper ballots, but one of the three polling areas on campus ran out and turned students away.
More
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny-eln--upstate-votin1102nov02,0,7830078.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire
Republican poll workers in Lake Andes were intimidating Native American voters on Monday, a federal judge ruled early today.
Republicans may not write down license plate numbers or follow Native Americans from polling places during today's election, U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol ruled in a temporary restraining order.
The ruling comes after Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle sued his opponent, John Thune, and the GOP in federal court in Sioux Falls on Monday, asking Piersol to stop what Democrats say was intimidation of voters.
"This ruling will hopefully ensure that every legitimate voter can vote free of intimidation on Election Day," said Daschle spokesman Dan Pfeiffer.
Republicans may not write down license plate numbers or follow Native Americans from polling places during today's election, U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol ruled in a temporary restraining order.
The ruling comes after Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle sued his opponent, John Thune, and the GOP in federal court in Sioux Falls on Monday, asking Piersol to stop what Democrats say was intimidation of voters.
"This ruling will hopefully ensure that every legitimate voter can vote free of intimidation on Election Day," said Daschle spokesman Dan Pfeiffer.
For more information:
http://www.argusleader.com/news/Tuesdayart...
so, my neighborhood in oakland (94607) has no polling place. it seems we are a mail in balot area only. the trouble with this is that NONE of my roomates or myself received our ballots. i even asked for an absentee ballot and never received anything. in the past i have always received my early voter's ballot, but this year, nothing. very suspiscious.
Is there even such a thing as a mail-in only precinct? They could assign you to the next precinct, particularly in Oakland which isn't rural.
Here are more California incidents.
STUDIO CITY
Not on roster??? #2
the same thing happen to me as Justin. I went to vote and my wifes name was not the rolles but my name was not. I have not changed my info in years and have voted most of the other time that I have lived at this place. So I did a provisional ballot and also voted. It shoulds like that is going on in a lot of spots in CA.
Michael l. hook
2004-11-02 - 17:18:53
CANYON COUNTRY
Not on roster???
This is sounding like a fairly common issue. I went to vote at my normal precinct at around 10am this morning, only to find that I was not listed on the rolls! I voted without incident during the primaries, and was expecting no issues this time either. I was given a provisional ballot and was allowed to vote. The election officials handled the situation properly, but it is still disconcerting to see how easy it appears to be dropped from the voting list. I just hope that my votes are counted.
Justin
2004-11-02 - 17:00:53
LOS ANGELES
Not enough voting booths
My wife and I went to the polls early this morning. Our polling place is at a local middle school and votes were being cast in the gym of the school. It's a big gym with 2 full-size basketball courts and we were frustrated to find only 9 voting booths set up. It took us 45 minutes from start to finish to cast our ballots and this was early in the morning, an hour after the polls opened at 7:00 AM! This huge gym should have been lined with booths, especially in an election where voter turnout is expected in record numbers.
Joe L.
2004-11-02 - 16:27:30
SARATOGA
Hassle at Polling Place
Waited in line like everyone. When I got to the front, I was informed that I had requested an Absentee Ballot. Huh? Not me! Also, the indication that I had requested an Absentee Ballot was HAND WRITTEN on the poll list. Looked pretty fishy to me. So, I was told to cast a provisional ballot. I said no way and complained, somewhat loudly, that this was fraud. The blood drained out of the poll workers faces. After a few frantic phone calls and cheking various lists, the poll workers admitted that had mistakenly writeen Absentee Ballot under my name rather than someone elses. It was fixed and I voted. What a hassle.
DJM
2004-11-02 - 16:10:14
LA - KOREATOWN
Poor Registration Management
Same problem as others - I moved six months ago and despite officially changing my address (and receiving my jury duty summons at the new one), my name did not appear on the registered voter list and I was forced to vote provisional. I also never received an absentee ballot, which I had requested well before deadline. But - turnout here is INsane, surely a good sign.
Anonymous
2004-11-02 - 15:47:58
SAN FRANCISCO
Voter fraud in SAN FRANCISCO?!?!? ...We ARE in TROUBLE!!!
Mike... this election has been the center of my freakin' universe for weeks... I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME!!! A few days back I received an absentee ballot in the mail. I was a little surprised by this, as I had NEVER REQUESTED one. A day or two later, my wife took a phone call from someone who claimed to be with the "organization" that had mailed me the ballot. My wife told her that I was confused because I hadn't asked for it. My wife also told her that I didn't want to put anything in the mail; because I didn't put much faith in the belief that my ballot would actually make it to the right place and be counted. As far as I was concerned, dropping my ballot in the mailbox was like dropping it in the Bush Box. Hell, I don't trust the U.S. Mail! When my wife asked if there would be any problem with me just going to vote at our regular polling place on election day, she was told that that would be just fine. This morning I happily strolled over to the library on Page Street, in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood; feeling safe and secure in what I thought was a leftist stronghold. However, when I got inside, the woman who looked up my name said "Oh! ...well this says that you've been sent an absentee ballot in mail." I said that was correct, but that I hadn't asked for it and was told I could vote then and there. She said "Well, you can fill out a provisional ballot; but, it probably won't count." Then another fellow piped in, "They're the very last ballots to be opened; and that will only happen if it's absolutely necessary. Only if it's close." As I was voting, I saw another couple of people come to sign in... they had the same issue. One of the girls, however, had her absentee ballot with her and was able to hand it in, right there. She was told that her vote would count, today. LUCKY HER!!! The others didn't know that, and didn't have their ballots with them. They got stuck with provisional ballots, as well. I said, "I have my ballot across the street... can I go get it, and vote with it?" "No... too late... you've already been signed in." This seems to be happening to LOTS of people! In SAN FRANCISCO?!?!?!? I can't believe this is happening! If Bush wins, I'm leaving the country! I used to buy the lies, hook-line-and-sinker. But, I've learned a lot over the last few years... and you've shown me a lot, too. I used to want to stay and fight, but after being disenfranchised in SAN FRANCISCO?!?!? ...I give up.
Gil
2004-11-02 - 15:42:27
REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA
Intimidation at the Polls
I am a 19 year old sophomore at the University of Redlands, and am registered to vote as a Democrat. I did "tabling" for Kerry-Edwards. Yesterday I called the Registrar of Voters in San Bernardino County and confirmed that I was registered to vote, and was given the location of my polling place in Redlands, California. When I arrived I was told that I could not vote because my name was not on the list. I asked the poll worker to call the Registrar of Voters and she refused. Thanks to "Rock the Vote" and this web site, I knew to call the Registrar of Voters on my cell phone to confirm that I was registered, and to demand a provisional ballot. I have received written confirmation through the mail that I was registered, so it is a mystery to me why the polling place did not have my name.
Anyhow, I voted provisionally, but ONLY because I knew (thanks to this web sites and other web sites) that I had the right to a provisional ballet.
Courtney Brewer
2004-11-02 - 15:41:03
SACRAMENTO
Missing absentee ballots
I am a registered Democrat. According to my sample ballot, which was sent weeks ago to my new address (from which I registered) I was to get an absentee ballot automatically and not send the request form or call. It never came. When I went to the polls today with my voter registration card, I was told I could not vote without my ballot. Then they decided to let me file a provisional ballot which may or may not be counted and a number to call in 29 days to find out if my vote was counted. There were 5 other registered Dems in the same boat just at the time I was there. (11AM PDT) This is a mostly Democrat precint.
Mary Ann Martorana
2004-11-02 - 15:18:07
SAN FRANCISCO
confusion at the polls
This morning I was excited to cast my first presidential ballot. When I got to the polls however, I was shocked at how unorganized and chaotic the experience turned out to be. Not only did the poll workers not check any form of ID, they were handing out blue ink pens, which I later found out do not count as your ballot need to be filled in with black felt tipped pens!! ( I later heard this same experience repeated from several coworkers who went to different polling places throughout the city.how alarming!)Secondly, the ballot machine was broken, and we were told to place our ballots in a slot and that they would later be entered into the machine. On my way out I asked a poll worker what I was supposed to do with the ballot id number ( the perforation that is torn off the top of the ballot) they shrugged their shoulders and said that I could keep it as a souvenir of my voting that day. It was only later that I found out that that very receipt that I threw out would enable me to check to see if my ballot was counted. All and all I was horrified with the entire experience. We have been voting for hundreds of years, you would think we as a country could figure out a better way to guarantee and support one of our most valued rights.
xxxxx xxxxx
2004-11-02 - 15:13:05
MARINA DEL REY
Not on Roster
I registred twice, once in the post office, once outside Whole Foods.
I was not listed in the roster and had to vote provisional.
Last election (2000) the same thing. Had to vote provisional even though I registred.
In 2000, we got a nasty letter because we voted provisional and that our vote will not be counted.
Nanette Winston-Armstrong
2004-11-02 - 15:11:23
CAMARILLO
Absentee ballots
I recentlh moved away to college, so I requested an absentee ballot. I never recieved my ballot, so I wondered if anyone else had my problem. My friend, also from Camarillo, also did not receive her absentee ballot either. So I called the election office an reported my problem, and all they said was "yeah, we've had a backup on those. I'm terribly sorry." So here it is, election day, and I have not been given my right to vote, along with many others in the same boat.
Parker Brown
2004-11-02 - 15:07:45
SHERMAN OAKS
A pre-written write-in
I arrived at the polls around 11:00am. I signed my name on the voting roster, then was told to go to get my ballot. I went over to the woman with the ballots and she handed me a blank ballot and an envelope to hide the ballot in for when I was finished casting my vote. The envelope also doubled as a write-in section of the ballot. As I looked down at my envelope I saw written-in all ready "Governor Richard Reardon". I showed the ballot woman the write-in and her eyes lit up and said "oh no, that's illegal." She took my envelope back and then handed me a new blank one. Then she showed it to another poll worker and said that it has happened a few times. I then went and cast my vote and left... Then I proceeded to call the voter hotline (1866MYVOTE1 & 1866OURVOTE) to which I only got a prerecorded message saying they had too many calls and I need to try back later... I finally got through, made a report, and they said they would look into it.
A.J.B.
2004-11-02 - 14:50:49
SAN DIEGO (PACIFIC BEACH)
Denied Ballot
I was refused the right to vote this morning in Pacific Beach at the polling place where I have voted in every election since 1980. I was incorrectly marked as having requested an absentee ballot, which I had not requested...and this makes me worry that someone else might be voting in my name. I was offered a provisional ballot, which I completed. Now my only concern is will my vote be counted. I plan to ask the Registrar to report to me if an absentee ballot was received for my name or if my provisional ballot was counted.
Vicky Newman
2004-11-02 - 14:25:17
ORANGE COUNTY
Absentee Ballot Never Received
As a new American citizen with an avid interest in politics, I was very excited to vote. I am currently in Europe studying. I registered to vote and requested an overseas absentee ballot well before the deadline. I never received the ballot and could therefore not vote in one of the most defining elections in my life so far.
MS
2004-11-02 - 13:48:59
SAN FRANCISCO
Will our votes count?
My wife Julia and I went to the polling place first thing in the morning. We got there before it opened and took our place in the small line. When we checked in, we were told that we were both listed as absentee voters on the rolls. We haven't changed our address since the last election and neither one of us had applied for an absentee ballot, so this news came as a bit of a shock. We (along with at least three other people in line behind us who had the same problem) were then given provisional ballot envelopes to fill out and, once we had done so, were given provisional ballots. We voted. When Julia returned to the table to hand in her ballot, the poll worker stuffed it into the ballot box. When I subsequently handed in my ballot, it did not go into the box; it was placed in the envelope I had previously filled out and set aside. I am not sure what happened with the ballots of the three other voters behind us in line.
Kyle Staggs
2004-11-02 - 13:20:55
SAN DIEGO
voter fraud
I went to my poll at 7 am. There was no record of my being registered even though I have lived at the same address for several years and voted in each election. I was given a provisional ballot in Tagalog! I was given a number to call after 30 days to see if my ballot was even counted. One of the poll workers commented, "you must have voted wrong the last time"
D. Gantz
2004-11-02 - 11:50:04
LOS AN
Here are more California incidents.
STUDIO CITY
Not on roster??? #2
the same thing happen to me as Justin. I went to vote and my wifes name was not the rolles but my name was not. I have not changed my info in years and have voted most of the other time that I have lived at this place. So I did a provisional ballot and also voted. It shoulds like that is going on in a lot of spots in CA.
Michael l. hook
2004-11-02 - 17:18:53
CANYON COUNTRY
Not on roster???
This is sounding like a fairly common issue. I went to vote at my normal precinct at around 10am this morning, only to find that I was not listed on the rolls! I voted without incident during the primaries, and was expecting no issues this time either. I was given a provisional ballot and was allowed to vote. The election officials handled the situation properly, but it is still disconcerting to see how easy it appears to be dropped from the voting list. I just hope that my votes are counted.
Justin
2004-11-02 - 17:00:53
LOS ANGELES
Not enough voting booths
My wife and I went to the polls early this morning. Our polling place is at a local middle school and votes were being cast in the gym of the school. It's a big gym with 2 full-size basketball courts and we were frustrated to find only 9 voting booths set up. It took us 45 minutes from start to finish to cast our ballots and this was early in the morning, an hour after the polls opened at 7:00 AM! This huge gym should have been lined with booths, especially in an election where voter turnout is expected in record numbers.
Joe L.
2004-11-02 - 16:27:30
SARATOGA
Hassle at Polling Place
Waited in line like everyone. When I got to the front, I was informed that I had requested an Absentee Ballot. Huh? Not me! Also, the indication that I had requested an Absentee Ballot was HAND WRITTEN on the poll list. Looked pretty fishy to me. So, I was told to cast a provisional ballot. I said no way and complained, somewhat loudly, that this was fraud. The blood drained out of the poll workers faces. After a few frantic phone calls and cheking various lists, the poll workers admitted that had mistakenly writeen Absentee Ballot under my name rather than someone elses. It was fixed and I voted. What a hassle.
DJM
2004-11-02 - 16:10:14
LA - KOREATOWN
Poor Registration Management
Same problem as others - I moved six months ago and despite officially changing my address (and receiving my jury duty summons at the new one), my name did not appear on the registered voter list and I was forced to vote provisional. I also never received an absentee ballot, which I had requested well before deadline. But - turnout here is INsane, surely a good sign.
Anonymous
2004-11-02 - 15:47:58
SAN FRANCISCO
Voter fraud in SAN FRANCISCO?!?!? ...We ARE in TROUBLE!!!
Mike... this election has been the center of my freakin' universe for weeks... I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME!!! A few days back I received an absentee ballot in the mail. I was a little surprised by this, as I had NEVER REQUESTED one. A day or two later, my wife took a phone call from someone who claimed to be with the "organization" that had mailed me the ballot. My wife told her that I was confused because I hadn't asked for it. My wife also told her that I didn't want to put anything in the mail; because I didn't put much faith in the belief that my ballot would actually make it to the right place and be counted. As far as I was concerned, dropping my ballot in the mailbox was like dropping it in the Bush Box. Hell, I don't trust the U.S. Mail! When my wife asked if there would be any problem with me just going to vote at our regular polling place on election day, she was told that that would be just fine. This morning I happily strolled over to the library on Page Street, in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood; feeling safe and secure in what I thought was a leftist stronghold. However, when I got inside, the woman who looked up my name said "Oh! ...well this says that you've been sent an absentee ballot in mail." I said that was correct, but that I hadn't asked for it and was told I could vote then and there. She said "Well, you can fill out a provisional ballot; but, it probably won't count." Then another fellow piped in, "They're the very last ballots to be opened; and that will only happen if it's absolutely necessary. Only if it's close." As I was voting, I saw another couple of people come to sign in... they had the same issue. One of the girls, however, had her absentee ballot with her and was able to hand it in, right there. She was told that her vote would count, today. LUCKY HER!!! The others didn't know that, and didn't have their ballots with them. They got stuck with provisional ballots, as well. I said, "I have my ballot across the street... can I go get it, and vote with it?" "No... too late... you've already been signed in." This seems to be happening to LOTS of people! In SAN FRANCISCO?!?!?!? I can't believe this is happening! If Bush wins, I'm leaving the country! I used to buy the lies, hook-line-and-sinker. But, I've learned a lot over the last few years... and you've shown me a lot, too. I used to want to stay and fight, but after being disenfranchised in SAN FRANCISCO?!?!? ...I give up.
Gil
2004-11-02 - 15:42:27
REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA
Intimidation at the Polls
I am a 19 year old sophomore at the University of Redlands, and am registered to vote as a Democrat. I did "tabling" for Kerry-Edwards. Yesterday I called the Registrar of Voters in San Bernardino County and confirmed that I was registered to vote, and was given the location of my polling place in Redlands, California. When I arrived I was told that I could not vote because my name was not on the list. I asked the poll worker to call the Registrar of Voters and she refused. Thanks to "Rock the Vote" and this web site, I knew to call the Registrar of Voters on my cell phone to confirm that I was registered, and to demand a provisional ballot. I have received written confirmation through the mail that I was registered, so it is a mystery to me why the polling place did not have my name.
Anyhow, I voted provisionally, but ONLY because I knew (thanks to this web sites and other web sites) that I had the right to a provisional ballet.
Courtney Brewer
2004-11-02 - 15:41:03
SACRAMENTO
Missing absentee ballots
I am a registered Democrat. According to my sample ballot, which was sent weeks ago to my new address (from which I registered) I was to get an absentee ballot automatically and not send the request form or call. It never came. When I went to the polls today with my voter registration card, I was told I could not vote without my ballot. Then they decided to let me file a provisional ballot which may or may not be counted and a number to call in 29 days to find out if my vote was counted. There were 5 other registered Dems in the same boat just at the time I was there. (11AM PDT) This is a mostly Democrat precint.
Mary Ann Martorana
2004-11-02 - 15:18:07
SAN FRANCISCO
confusion at the polls
This morning I was excited to cast my first presidential ballot. When I got to the polls however, I was shocked at how unorganized and chaotic the experience turned out to be. Not only did the poll workers not check any form of ID, they were handing out blue ink pens, which I later found out do not count as your ballot need to be filled in with black felt tipped pens!! ( I later heard this same experience repeated from several coworkers who went to different polling places throughout the city.how alarming!)Secondly, the ballot machine was broken, and we were told to place our ballots in a slot and that they would later be entered into the machine. On my way out I asked a poll worker what I was supposed to do with the ballot id number ( the perforation that is torn off the top of the ballot) they shrugged their shoulders and said that I could keep it as a souvenir of my voting that day. It was only later that I found out that that very receipt that I threw out would enable me to check to see if my ballot was counted. All and all I was horrified with the entire experience. We have been voting for hundreds of years, you would think we as a country could figure out a better way to guarantee and support one of our most valued rights.
xxxxx xxxxx
2004-11-02 - 15:13:05
MARINA DEL REY
Not on Roster
I registred twice, once in the post office, once outside Whole Foods.
I was not listed in the roster and had to vote provisional.
Last election (2000) the same thing. Had to vote provisional even though I registred.
In 2000, we got a nasty letter because we voted provisional and that our vote will not be counted.
Nanette Winston-Armstrong
2004-11-02 - 15:11:23
CAMARILLO
Absentee ballots
I recentlh moved away to college, so I requested an absentee ballot. I never recieved my ballot, so I wondered if anyone else had my problem. My friend, also from Camarillo, also did not receive her absentee ballot either. So I called the election office an reported my problem, and all they said was "yeah, we've had a backup on those. I'm terribly sorry." So here it is, election day, and I have not been given my right to vote, along with many others in the same boat.
Parker Brown
2004-11-02 - 15:07:45
SHERMAN OAKS
A pre-written write-in
I arrived at the polls around 11:00am. I signed my name on the voting roster, then was told to go to get my ballot. I went over to the woman with the ballots and she handed me a blank ballot and an envelope to hide the ballot in for when I was finished casting my vote. The envelope also doubled as a write-in section of the ballot. As I looked down at my envelope I saw written-in all ready "Governor Richard Reardon". I showed the ballot woman the write-in and her eyes lit up and said "oh no, that's illegal." She took my envelope back and then handed me a new blank one. Then she showed it to another poll worker and said that it has happened a few times. I then went and cast my vote and left... Then I proceeded to call the voter hotline (1866MYVOTE1 & 1866OURVOTE) to which I only got a prerecorded message saying they had too many calls and I need to try back later... I finally got through, made a report, and they said they would look into it.
A.J.B.
2004-11-02 - 14:50:49
SAN DIEGO (PACIFIC BEACH)
Denied Ballot
I was refused the right to vote this morning in Pacific Beach at the polling place where I have voted in every election since 1980. I was incorrectly marked as having requested an absentee ballot, which I had not requested...and this makes me worry that someone else might be voting in my name. I was offered a provisional ballot, which I completed. Now my only concern is will my vote be counted. I plan to ask the Registrar to report to me if an absentee ballot was received for my name or if my provisional ballot was counted.
Vicky Newman
2004-11-02 - 14:25:17
ORANGE COUNTY
Absentee Ballot Never Received
As a new American citizen with an avid interest in politics, I was very excited to vote. I am currently in Europe studying. I registered to vote and requested an overseas absentee ballot well before the deadline. I never received the ballot and could therefore not vote in one of the most defining elections in my life so far.
MS
2004-11-02 - 13:48:59
SAN FRANCISCO
Will our votes count?
My wife Julia and I went to the polling place first thing in the morning. We got there before it opened and took our place in the small line. When we checked in, we were told that we were both listed as absentee voters on the rolls. We haven't changed our address since the last election and neither one of us had applied for an absentee ballot, so this news came as a bit of a shock. We (along with at least three other people in line behind us who had the same problem) were then given provisional ballot envelopes to fill out and, once we had done so, were given provisional ballots. We voted. When Julia returned to the table to hand in her ballot, the poll worker stuffed it into the ballot box. When I subsequently handed in my ballot, it did not go into the box; it was placed in the envelope I had previously filled out and set aside. I am not sure what happened with the ballots of the three other voters behind us in line.
Kyle Staggs
2004-11-02 - 13:20:55
SAN DIEGO
voter fraud
I went to my poll at 7 am. There was no record of my being registered even though I have lived at the same address for several years and voted in each election. I was given a provisional ballot in Tagalog! I was given a number to call after 30 days to see if my ballot was even counted. One of the poll workers commented, "you must have voted wrong the last time"
D. Gantz
2004-11-02 - 11:50:04
LOS AN
find the closest polling place and ask for a provisional ballot.
Hey. I went to my polling place, which is literally two blocks from where I live. They said they didn't have my name in the book. I showed them my voter card, which had my name, address, and polling location. It all matched up. They issued me a provisional ballot, and gave me a reciept.
Later, I checked in on mypollingplace.com and it said
"Sorry, your address can not be verified."
It is the same address as on the voting card
Later, I checked in on mypollingplace.com and it said
"Sorry, your address can not be verified."
It is the same address as on the voting card
That sounds really suspicious. Is 94607 a mostly African American, Latino or new immigrant part of Oakland? I myself and a dozen or so of my friends who live in the Tenderloin and South of Market, parts of San Francisco where most people are extremely poor and many are African American, Latino, A/PI, immigrants, and disabled, have experienced a similar problem in terms of our city/county elections dept. failing to send absentee ballots to people who have registered as permanent absentee voters. Some received their ballots in the last few days. Others never did, and have to go find their polling place and cast a provisional ballot if they still want to vote.
On Monday of last week, I still hadn't received my absentee ballot in the mail, so I called the registrar's office and told them, and they said they would send out another one by Wednesday; when Wednesday's mail contained no ballot, I called them again and they said it should be in by Friday. Then Friday rolled around - again no ballot. Finally, on Saturday, the ballot arrived, but by the time I had a chance to fill it out and mail it in, it was after 5 and too late to get it in by today. So I had to walk it in to the polling place, something some voters with disabilities may not be able to do. If they don't notice or can't read the small print on the envelope that says they can authorize someone else to take it to the the polling place and hand it in for them, they may not get them in at all. The whole concept of absentee voting is supposed to remedy difficult situations like that, which can and do result in poor people, people of color, immigrants and people with disabilities being disenfranchised from the voting process because it is simply too difficult.
As a person with disabilities who has a hard time with accessing my polling place on election day, I have been registered as a permanent absentee voter (PAV) for years. Early this year I re-registered, again checking the box for PAV, but changing my party affiliation from "decline to state" to "Democrat" in order to vote in the Democratic Presidential Primary. (Maybe that has something to do with why my absentee ballot was "lost", but the probability of any deliberate tampering would probably be seen as low by many election watchers in a city like San Francisco, where only about 13% of voters are registered as Republican.)
Michael Moore's site (see link earlier on this page) apparently lists areas in Florida where many voters have reported not having received their absentee ballot. On Democracy Now!, one guest who is monitoring the election there warned that absentee ballots may turn out be the "hanging chads" of this election. Let's hope not.
On Monday of last week, I still hadn't received my absentee ballot in the mail, so I called the registrar's office and told them, and they said they would send out another one by Wednesday; when Wednesday's mail contained no ballot, I called them again and they said it should be in by Friday. Then Friday rolled around - again no ballot. Finally, on Saturday, the ballot arrived, but by the time I had a chance to fill it out and mail it in, it was after 5 and too late to get it in by today. So I had to walk it in to the polling place, something some voters with disabilities may not be able to do. If they don't notice or can't read the small print on the envelope that says they can authorize someone else to take it to the the polling place and hand it in for them, they may not get them in at all. The whole concept of absentee voting is supposed to remedy difficult situations like that, which can and do result in poor people, people of color, immigrants and people with disabilities being disenfranchised from the voting process because it is simply too difficult.
As a person with disabilities who has a hard time with accessing my polling place on election day, I have been registered as a permanent absentee voter (PAV) for years. Early this year I re-registered, again checking the box for PAV, but changing my party affiliation from "decline to state" to "Democrat" in order to vote in the Democratic Presidential Primary. (Maybe that has something to do with why my absentee ballot was "lost", but the probability of any deliberate tampering would probably be seen as low by many election watchers in a city like San Francisco, where only about 13% of voters are registered as Republican.)
Michael Moore's site (see link earlier on this page) apparently lists areas in Florida where many voters have reported not having received their absentee ballot. On Democracy Now!, one guest who is monitoring the election there warned that absentee ballots may turn out be the "hanging chads" of this election. Let's hope not.
Went in, they had my name, and voted with no problems. Only weird thing was a Kerry supporter who had Kerry shirt, sign, hat, and bumper stickers was asked to leave the polling area and he complained loudly about how his Freedom of Speech was being squashed by the Bush Police State. I had a good chuckle out of it because I the local DNC didn't tell him it's against the law to solicit votes at a polling place. He eventually left and I give big kudos to the people working there handling him in a calm and professional manner despite this guys rantings.
The only really complaint that I have is that it took 45 minutes to vote. I don't blame the people working at the voting booth, I blame the voters for not being prepared. While there I noticed 3 people who took 20 plus minutes to vote and 2 other people who were about 3-4 people ahead of me still voting as I left. While there were only 10 machines, if people came prepared that would have cut the waiting time in half.
The only really complaint that I have is that it took 45 minutes to vote. I don't blame the people working at the voting booth, I blame the voters for not being prepared. While there I noticed 3 people who took 20 plus minutes to vote and 2 other people who were about 3-4 people ahead of me still voting as I left. While there were only 10 machines, if people came prepared that would have cut the waiting time in half.
DALLAS -- Dallas elections judge Julian Dean Helms was removed from his post early Tuesday after he pushed a U.S. Justice Department elections observer out the door of his polling place, the Dallas County Sheriff's Department said.
The federal observer was one of two sent to the precinct based on past allegations of voting irregularities, sheriff's Sgt. Don Peritz Jr. said. Helms was replaced and the observers remained at the polling place.
Helms was not arrested and prosecutors were deciding whether to charge him with a crime.
Elections observers tried to enter the polling place at the Wellington Apartments in North Dallas at about 6:30 a.m. Helms told the observers they could wait until 7 a.m. like the rest of the public. When an observer said they wanted to watch Helms set up, he pushed her out the door.
The elections team notified the Dallas County Sheriff's Department. Helms was asked to leave the premises, and he did leave peacefully. The sheriff's office will refer charges of misdemeanor assault to the Dallas County district attorney, but he was not arrested.
The elections observers were there because the Department of Justice has gotten complaints of voters being denied the right to vote in the past.
http://www.nbc5i.com/politics/3884741/detail.html
The federal observer was one of two sent to the precinct based on past allegations of voting irregularities, sheriff's Sgt. Don Peritz Jr. said. Helms was replaced and the observers remained at the polling place.
Helms was not arrested and prosecutors were deciding whether to charge him with a crime.
Elections observers tried to enter the polling place at the Wellington Apartments in North Dallas at about 6:30 a.m. Helms told the observers they could wait until 7 a.m. like the rest of the public. When an observer said they wanted to watch Helms set up, he pushed her out the door.
The elections team notified the Dallas County Sheriff's Department. Helms was asked to leave the premises, and he did leave peacefully. The sheriff's office will refer charges of misdemeanor assault to the Dallas County district attorney, but he was not arrested.
The elections observers were there because the Department of Justice has gotten complaints of voters being denied the right to vote in the past.
http://www.nbc5i.com/politics/3884741/detail.html
An early rundown of reports that we've received from Michigan and Ohio on voting irregularities, including poll challengers, voting machine malfunctions, ID-checking, and intimidation.
* Detroit: A Volunteer working with Moses and People For the American Way (Detroit) as a poll watcher has called in to explain his experiences with "poll challengers." Challengers are affiliated with a group or party, and in Detroit there has been a high presence of Republican challengers. In contrast, poll workers act in a non-partisan manner to make sure that challengers are not slowing the voting process. Voters in Detroit have also been finding that other people have voted in their name, which then makes it impossible for the voter to cast their vote.
* Benton Harbor:Reverend Pinkney of the Black Autonomy Network Community Organization (BANCO) in Benton Harbor reports that Republican challengers are approaching BH voters at random, challenging almost every second or third voter. The actions of the challengers have had the effect of holding voters up, intimidating and discouraging them, yet despite this today was maybe the largest voter turnout in BH history. BANCO registered 2,500 people in BH to vote out of a population of 12,000.
* Detroit: Reports from the Detroit Election Protection Team state that polling sites in Eastern Detroit have Republican challengers making poll staff check everyone's ids.
* Detroit: Caller in Detroit says that at Considine Recreation Center polling center, one voting machine is not working. At another polling place down the street (in a church), all the machines are down and there is a wait of three hours. Poll workers trying to keep people from leaving, but some are anyway.
* Pontiac: A Michigan caller reported that "it's five times as bad as we anticipated" regarding Republican challengers at polls. They are doing things illegal for challengers, dressing in Election Protection t-shirts, and telling people to go home (in Detroit and Pontiac)
* Bowling Green: Caller from Bowling Green State University reports that the University Administration has issued a directive forcing all political signs to be removed from campus. While the Administration focuses on repressing speech on campus, there seems to be little concern for dealing with long lines which are preventing people from voting. Lines are more than two hours long and some voters have become discouraged and left. Some activists at BGSU are wondering if this is a deliberate effort to repress the student vote. Lawyers are being contacted.
* Detroit: Reports from voter protection workers in Detroit that at the Woodbridge Senior Center polling site this morning, voters were asked to provide ID in addition to their voter registration cards. Some voters did not have other ID and were turned away.
* Detroit: Voter protection workers in Detroit report that police are loitering around some polling sites, saying that they are there to protect against "riff-raff." Voter protection workers are concerned that this may be a form of intimidation.
* Detroit: A Volunteer working with Moses and People For the American Way (Detroit) as a poll watcher has called in to explain his experiences with "poll challengers." Challengers are affiliated with a group or party, and in Detroit there has been a high presence of Republican challengers. In contrast, poll workers act in a non-partisan manner to make sure that challengers are not slowing the voting process. Voters in Detroit have also been finding that other people have voted in their name, which then makes it impossible for the voter to cast their vote.
* Benton Harbor:Reverend Pinkney of the Black Autonomy Network Community Organization (BANCO) in Benton Harbor reports that Republican challengers are approaching BH voters at random, challenging almost every second or third voter. The actions of the challengers have had the effect of holding voters up, intimidating and discouraging them, yet despite this today was maybe the largest voter turnout in BH history. BANCO registered 2,500 people in BH to vote out of a population of 12,000.
* Detroit: Reports from the Detroit Election Protection Team state that polling sites in Eastern Detroit have Republican challengers making poll staff check everyone's ids.
* Detroit: Caller in Detroit says that at Considine Recreation Center polling center, one voting machine is not working. At another polling place down the street (in a church), all the machines are down and there is a wait of three hours. Poll workers trying to keep people from leaving, but some are anyway.
* Pontiac: A Michigan caller reported that "it's five times as bad as we anticipated" regarding Republican challengers at polls. They are doing things illegal for challengers, dressing in Election Protection t-shirts, and telling people to go home (in Detroit and Pontiac)
* Bowling Green: Caller from Bowling Green State University reports that the University Administration has issued a directive forcing all political signs to be removed from campus. While the Administration focuses on repressing speech on campus, there seems to be little concern for dealing with long lines which are preventing people from voting. Lines are more than two hours long and some voters have become discouraged and left. Some activists at BGSU are wondering if this is a deliberate effort to repress the student vote. Lawyers are being contacted.
* Detroit: Reports from voter protection workers in Detroit that at the Woodbridge Senior Center polling site this morning, voters were asked to provide ID in addition to their voter registration cards. Some voters did not have other ID and were turned away.
* Detroit: Voter protection workers in Detroit report that police are loitering around some polling sites, saying that they are there to protect against "riff-raff." Voter protection workers are concerned that this may be a form of intimidation.
For more information:
http://michiganimc.org/feature/display/754...
A number of voting irregularities in the region have prompted the Allegheny County Voting Protection Association to file a motion to keep the polls open until 9pm. One of the key problems is that there are insufficient number of legally required provisional ballots available at the polls. One young women outside the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill reported to a member of pittsburgh indymedia that although she was registered to vote in that district, her name wasn't on the list at the polling place and so she was turned away. She said that happened to at least three others who were in line with her, all of whom, she noted, were registered Democrats. The Post-Gazette reports that similar problems are occurring in Oakland, Garfield and Wilkinsburg. County executive Dan Onorato said that anyone in line when the polls close at 8 PM will be allowed to vote, no matter how long that takes.
For more information:
http://pittsburgh.indymedia.org/
Imtimidation and discrimination before 7a.m.
by 7am this day, 2 nov 2004, i had dressed, walked up the road 3 blocks to the Parish Center to cast my vote and had encountered 6 seperate incidents of voter intimidation and discrimination, 4 which directly related to myself.
first off, if you didnt know the area, or were a new voter, or maybe an older voter with bad eyesight, you would not know that voting was occuring at the Parish Center today. this being a Presidental Election, i naturally assumed the place would be well marked with "Vote Here!" or "Vote Today!" banners, balloons and signs !!!!
... what i was presented with was an 8x10, black on white, 2 inch font notice, scotch taped on a doorway, aproximately 30 to 40 ft from the curb. How dissappointed i was in this alone isnt equal to what followed. inside an area of about 10 by 15 ft were 4 voting booths, a table with 4 persons behind each on each side and NO ONE to direct or inform me, nor any Indication that each side was for a seperate district. naturally, i moved to the right and stood behind the table with my letter on it. it turned out to be not only the wrong table, but i was in the wrong distrct as well.
being of average intelligence, i observed that there was no district identification banners or signs above either table in the room, and had the brief, fleeting thought of how rude it was that there was no indication that i had choosen incorrectly, except to make the choice and then be told of it.
i moved to the correct line in front of the oppisite table and stood waiting.
as i waited, i noted the line was moving well, maybe 5 folks ahead of me --- until i relized that the gentleman at the head of the table was one of our extremely large orthodox jewish communities, and he was discussing the fact he had always voted in the Parish and hadnt moved and didnt understand why He WAS NOT in the book or how this had happened. red flags started going up for me ..... he was told to check the other district across the 10 ft and replyed he had but would again... score this man one point for allowing for possible illiteracy of the polling personall. Until the 4th gentleman in line ahead of me was in the front position... He was also of the orthodox jewish faith and was informed His name was NOT in the book and he could not vote at this location.
DING DING DING !!!
every emotion in me died i think - I was stunned speechless, and more offended then i had ever thought possible in 43 yrs and less then 5 mins, while waiting to vote ....
He also objected, not fiercly, and asked for information as to corect the problem and was told "that information isnt available here". This IS a Direct quote form the polling personall, and would also be repeated to myself in aprox 15 mins.
as i watched this 2nd man exit the polling center, i approached the book holder with 3 forms of identification and my sample ballot with my name and address on it, quite litterally in fear, that i, as well, would be denied my right - the right women struggled and fought for 85 yrs. ago with more passion and courage then i was certain i possesed @ 7am .... i gave the book holder my name .... time stood still as she ruffled the pages of the book ..... she asked that i spell my name, i did, she asked for my drivers liscence, which i handed to her .... She then looked at me and said, "You Cant Vote Here ..."
I pointed to the BOOK, and told her, "My name is there, I see it". She replyed, "Yes it is, but you dont have a NJ drivers liscence, so YOU Can't Vote".
Now, i know all about this issue as i am a disabled veteran and live on a limited income and do know NJ law DOES NOT require you to have a NJ drivers liscence to be a NJ resident and register to vote, which is what i did when i moved here 18 months ago - i kept the Drivers liscence issued by the other state as it won't expire until 2006, and by then i will be able to budget for a new one from the state of NJ.
As i stood there in complete denial that i would not get to vote, i found myself overcome with the courage of women long dead - I said, "Pardon Me, but MY Name IS in that BOOK, and I am a registered voter with proof of identification, along with proof of my address on my sample ballot and I WILL VOTE here today". I then went on to inform the woman with the book of the law, and stated that if it would reduce confusion i could produce my veterans identification as well if she would like.
The "Book Lady" gave in... she turned the book to me and asked if the signiture she had photo copied was mine, i said yes, she marked the box that i was present to vote and i signed the line next to my name to verify it was ME.
ME ... no one else but ME .... I WAS going to get to vote !!!
when asked to sign a seperate register to get a reciept to hand to the booth man, i asked if this was also my reciept for my vote - i was told "We DON'T do THAT here" and that the BOOTH MAN would take my reciept when i entered the booth. Scarey things begin to creep into my mind, the most vivid thought being that my vote was NOT going to count, regardless of my intention.
Every red flag and warning system i posesed was waging war with my desire to vote .... i stepped to the BOOTH MAN, gave up my only hard copy of proof i was here to vote and stepped behind the curtain to meet an electronic voting machine and destiny. Disappointment instantly overtook all fears and misgivings i had. i was crushed to know that regardless of my intention i would have nothing to prove i did this today, if needed. memories of 4 yrs ago flashed in my mind - "this is a set up" i said to myself as i steeled my fingers to push the voting choices i would be responsible for. I hit the big red "confirm" button with such sorrow .....
silently asking for forgiveness to the brave women suffragists, long dead,& mostly forgotten women, i exited the booth, and returned to the table.
this time, in a different line, to dbl check that the man i co-habitat with was on the list and in the BOOK.
now i did this for a reason, that being the man i live with commutes 20 hrs a week, by train to manhattan to work. he normally gets off the train at 7 pm, if there are no delays and is home around 7:30pm. the polls in Nj close at 8 pm tonight, and i was dbl checking he would have no trbl if he stopped on his way home to vote.
His name was NOT in the BOOK.
this is a man, who in my presence actually applied for and recieved a NJ drivers liscence, that 2x3 inch plastic product of my 'ALMOST' deprival to voting, he is also a man of 50 yrs old, which gives him 32 yrs of presidental election voting procedures, and has lived in various states and been a tax paying registered voter in each one, NJ not being the last, if he has his way about it ......
so i say, "may i have a # to call so i can get information for him, and what needs to be done so he can vote tonight?" i was told by the original BOOK LADY, she was at the other end of the table, "we dont' DO THAT here". I said, "you can't be serious ... where can i get the information?" and thats when the frailest gentleman i have ever seen spoke up in this steady voice from the end of the table closest to me... says he, "I think we have that # in our book" - our book turned out to be the polling personall handbook.
I took the information down on my sample ballot, mailed to me, at my address, which my hand gripped with a grip of steel yet, it was/is the only tangible piece of evidence i had that said I COULD Vote today.
i called the #, they informed me, that yes, john wasnt registered to vote in NJ, but he could call NY and see if they still had him registered and MAYBE vote there - i never gave these people ANY information that John had relocated to NJ from NY, nor was i asked for any of my own personal information when enquiring for HIS.
i was also informed he could come to one of two different townships, neither being ours and go before a judge to state his right to vote ---- IF he arrived before 8pm, which is when the judges would go home as that when the polling booths close.
i dont have any idea if john, 50 yrs old with 32 yrs of voting experience will get to exercise his right to vote tonight, i dont think he can make the closest judge to us, which is 2 townships south by 8 pm from the train.
this early morning excursion into deception, intimidation, & blatant discrimnation has me wondering what legacy will we leave for the children and granchildren of generations who will never know us personally - will they even know the right to vote or will they lose what we struggle to value in the hustle and bustle of todays flat screen tvs and hummers .... more money and less responsibility for ones own actions ....
my heart is sorrowful and my armour more withstanding of the personal attacks i witnessed today.
may i live to tell of them, to people who will reply, "i am NOT WILLING to let that happen again.....
julia
2004-11-02 - 17:40:21
HOBOKEN
Irregularity at Ward # 3 at 455 Ninth Street, Columbus Gardens
I arrived at the polling place this morning at 5:40 a.m. to vote at 6:00 a.m. There was no indication outside of the polling place that it was the location to vote! The room where the voting machine was located was locked up & not ready for use until after 7:00 a.m. The voting machine (which is electronic) was not set up by those people who were assigned to work at the polling place. Rather, a Hoboken citizen from the crowd waiting to vote was responsible for setting up the machine. While I was waiting I recognized that two people who had intended to vote before going to work left without voting... Who knows if they will make it back to Hoboken in time to cast their votes? Two other individuals filled out provisional ballots & left for work before the machine was up and running. I placed a complaint about this irregularity by calling 1-866-MYVOTE1 but did not have any success in trying to reach 201-795-6555 to register a similar complaint with the appropriate election office in Hudson County, New Jersey.
Another very surprising feature was that the polling place had only two people assigned to do the necessary work of validating people's residency in order to vote. In local mayoral elections this same polling place has had six people doing this type of work.
Joseph Bergstein
JERSEY CITY
Provisional ballot
After going through hell and high water to make sure that I was able to vote (registering on time, calling constantly busy numbers to find polling location, misc. bureaucratic BS) I went to my polling place this morning, voter registration card in hand, and was told that I was "not in the book" and handed a PROVISIONAL BALLOT. I was then told, after protesting, that I could call on November 5 to find out if my vote was "counted." I explained that, being three days after the election, it didn't really matter.
I've listened to NPR for 8 hours a night for the last 6 months (literally) and I am well aware of what is going on regarding ballots/voting inconsistencies and I am absolutely LIVID that I was handed a provisional ballot.
Just to allay my worries, the man at the polling location told me that they had already gotten 8 provisional ballots -- and pointed to a small stack of papers on THE FLOOR.
Unbelievable.
Melissa Butler
2004-11-02 - 13:54:25
I recently moved to Hoboken, NJ, and this is my first election experience here. It was not a good one. I got to the polling location at 7:00 AM, hoping to cast a quick vote before going to work... it was not to be. I did not vote until 9:00!! When I exited the polls, the line I had just waited in had more than doubled. Here's the problem: only ONE voting machine!! ONE!!! There's a line of over a hundred people waiting on ONE MACHINE. For a densely populated area such as this, I expected much more than that. I am very worried about the after-work rush. If the situation is like this in the morning, I would bet it will be far worse this afternoon. I doubt everyone in my ward and district will be able to vote in time. I fear that some will choose not to vote because they don't want to wait in a 3-hour line. Jersey is a borderline swing state this year, and we contribute 15 electoral votes. Something needs to change, NOW!!
Ben
2004-11-02 - 11:03:36
UNION CITY
Absentee Ballots Delayed Until Too Late!
My husband and I live in Union City, NJ, but work in Manhattan, so we requested an absentee ballot 3 months prior to the election. 2 months passed and we didn't receive anything. We called the county office (the number we were told to call in case something goes wrong) and they said they never received our application. So, we sent it in again. Still nothing came. We called again and got the same response. We sent it in a 3rd time and election day is now 2 weeks away. We called again and they said it was mailed 2 months ago and that since then they mailed it out another time to us and yet we never received anything. My husband is a determined and angry man when it comes to justice - so he called them and insisted that something be done about our absentee ballots not coming in the mail. We live in a Hispanic community, so I couldn't help but think that's why they weren't sending our ballots to us. 5 days before the election, my husband insists on speaking with the supervisor there and convinces them to Fedex our ballots to us. So it comes on the Friday before election day - and they only sent us ONE ballot! We called again and they said nothing could be done and they didn't have our phone number to call us to see if we needed one or two - even though they did have our number and knew we were a married couple. They said they could fedex another one (how awful that our gov't $ is being spent this way) but it would get to us on the day of the election. When we said "how in the world do you think we can get this back to you in time to be counted?" they replied "you need to walk it to such and such an address by 8pm" to which we replied "We work in Manhattan which is the reason we had to apply for an absentee ballot!!! We can't walk it there!!" After some screaming, my husband hung up and called the democratic party in NJ. They had someone drive over with a ballot for me and waited until we finished filling them out and drove them back to NJ so they could be counted! We were so happy that they did that for us that I could cry. I am appalled at how poorly organized the absentee ballots were and wonder how many people just gave up after the first or even 3rd call to them. It's just frightening to think abo
Stephanie
Broken Voting Machine
An hour an a half into voting here in this suburban town of good old fairfield a machine is already broken. These machines are so old and broke already. How is this possible? This was my first time that I am able to vote, and there was already mass confusion. They said that my father was not able to vote because he was not registered but he has the voters sample ballot that was sent to him by the state saying he is registered.He has been this country for 40 years leaving a communist country and he has voted in every presidential election that he has been able to. Also, the voting machine seemed so old and outdated that I dont really even know if my vote went through. It did not make me feel confident that my vote will be counted correctly. I have no confidence in these machines or this whole process as a first time voter.
Dean H.
by 7am this day, 2 nov 2004, i had dressed, walked up the road 3 blocks to the Parish Center to cast my vote and had encountered 6 seperate incidents of voter intimidation and discrimination, 4 which directly related to myself.
first off, if you didnt know the area, or were a new voter, or maybe an older voter with bad eyesight, you would not know that voting was occuring at the Parish Center today. this being a Presidental Election, i naturally assumed the place would be well marked with "Vote Here!" or "Vote Today!" banners, balloons and signs !!!!
... what i was presented with was an 8x10, black on white, 2 inch font notice, scotch taped on a doorway, aproximately 30 to 40 ft from the curb. How dissappointed i was in this alone isnt equal to what followed. inside an area of about 10 by 15 ft were 4 voting booths, a table with 4 persons behind each on each side and NO ONE to direct or inform me, nor any Indication that each side was for a seperate district. naturally, i moved to the right and stood behind the table with my letter on it. it turned out to be not only the wrong table, but i was in the wrong distrct as well.
being of average intelligence, i observed that there was no district identification banners or signs above either table in the room, and had the brief, fleeting thought of how rude it was that there was no indication that i had choosen incorrectly, except to make the choice and then be told of it.
i moved to the correct line in front of the oppisite table and stood waiting.
as i waited, i noted the line was moving well, maybe 5 folks ahead of me --- until i relized that the gentleman at the head of the table was one of our extremely large orthodox jewish communities, and he was discussing the fact he had always voted in the Parish and hadnt moved and didnt understand why He WAS NOT in the book or how this had happened. red flags started going up for me ..... he was told to check the other district across the 10 ft and replyed he had but would again... score this man one point for allowing for possible illiteracy of the polling personall. Until the 4th gentleman in line ahead of me was in the front position... He was also of the orthodox jewish faith and was informed His name was NOT in the book and he could not vote at this location.
DING DING DING !!!
every emotion in me died i think - I was stunned speechless, and more offended then i had ever thought possible in 43 yrs and less then 5 mins, while waiting to vote ....
He also objected, not fiercly, and asked for information as to corect the problem and was told "that information isnt available here". This IS a Direct quote form the polling personall, and would also be repeated to myself in aprox 15 mins.
as i watched this 2nd man exit the polling center, i approached the book holder with 3 forms of identification and my sample ballot with my name and address on it, quite litterally in fear, that i, as well, would be denied my right - the right women struggled and fought for 85 yrs. ago with more passion and courage then i was certain i possesed @ 7am .... i gave the book holder my name .... time stood still as she ruffled the pages of the book ..... she asked that i spell my name, i did, she asked for my drivers liscence, which i handed to her .... She then looked at me and said, "You Cant Vote Here ..."
I pointed to the BOOK, and told her, "My name is there, I see it". She replyed, "Yes it is, but you dont have a NJ drivers liscence, so YOU Can't Vote".
Now, i know all about this issue as i am a disabled veteran and live on a limited income and do know NJ law DOES NOT require you to have a NJ drivers liscence to be a NJ resident and register to vote, which is what i did when i moved here 18 months ago - i kept the Drivers liscence issued by the other state as it won't expire until 2006, and by then i will be able to budget for a new one from the state of NJ.
As i stood there in complete denial that i would not get to vote, i found myself overcome with the courage of women long dead - I said, "Pardon Me, but MY Name IS in that BOOK, and I am a registered voter with proof of identification, along with proof of my address on my sample ballot and I WILL VOTE here today". I then went on to inform the woman with the book of the law, and stated that if it would reduce confusion i could produce my veterans identification as well if she would like.
The "Book Lady" gave in... she turned the book to me and asked if the signiture she had photo copied was mine, i said yes, she marked the box that i was present to vote and i signed the line next to my name to verify it was ME.
ME ... no one else but ME .... I WAS going to get to vote !!!
when asked to sign a seperate register to get a reciept to hand to the booth man, i asked if this was also my reciept for my vote - i was told "We DON'T do THAT here" and that the BOOTH MAN would take my reciept when i entered the booth. Scarey things begin to creep into my mind, the most vivid thought being that my vote was NOT going to count, regardless of my intention.
Every red flag and warning system i posesed was waging war with my desire to vote .... i stepped to the BOOTH MAN, gave up my only hard copy of proof i was here to vote and stepped behind the curtain to meet an electronic voting machine and destiny. Disappointment instantly overtook all fears and misgivings i had. i was crushed to know that regardless of my intention i would have nothing to prove i did this today, if needed. memories of 4 yrs ago flashed in my mind - "this is a set up" i said to myself as i steeled my fingers to push the voting choices i would be responsible for. I hit the big red "confirm" button with such sorrow .....
silently asking for forgiveness to the brave women suffragists, long dead,& mostly forgotten women, i exited the booth, and returned to the table.
this time, in a different line, to dbl check that the man i co-habitat with was on the list and in the BOOK.
now i did this for a reason, that being the man i live with commutes 20 hrs a week, by train to manhattan to work. he normally gets off the train at 7 pm, if there are no delays and is home around 7:30pm. the polls in Nj close at 8 pm tonight, and i was dbl checking he would have no trbl if he stopped on his way home to vote.
His name was NOT in the BOOK.
this is a man, who in my presence actually applied for and recieved a NJ drivers liscence, that 2x3 inch plastic product of my 'ALMOST' deprival to voting, he is also a man of 50 yrs old, which gives him 32 yrs of presidental election voting procedures, and has lived in various states and been a tax paying registered voter in each one, NJ not being the last, if he has his way about it ......
so i say, "may i have a # to call so i can get information for him, and what needs to be done so he can vote tonight?" i was told by the original BOOK LADY, she was at the other end of the table, "we dont' DO THAT here". I said, "you can't be serious ... where can i get the information?" and thats when the frailest gentleman i have ever seen spoke up in this steady voice from the end of the table closest to me... says he, "I think we have that # in our book" - our book turned out to be the polling personall handbook.
I took the information down on my sample ballot, mailed to me, at my address, which my hand gripped with a grip of steel yet, it was/is the only tangible piece of evidence i had that said I COULD Vote today.
i called the #, they informed me, that yes, john wasnt registered to vote in NJ, but he could call NY and see if they still had him registered and MAYBE vote there - i never gave these people ANY information that John had relocated to NJ from NY, nor was i asked for any of my own personal information when enquiring for HIS.
i was also informed he could come to one of two different townships, neither being ours and go before a judge to state his right to vote ---- IF he arrived before 8pm, which is when the judges would go home as that when the polling booths close.
i dont have any idea if john, 50 yrs old with 32 yrs of voting experience will get to exercise his right to vote tonight, i dont think he can make the closest judge to us, which is 2 townships south by 8 pm from the train.
this early morning excursion into deception, intimidation, & blatant discrimnation has me wondering what legacy will we leave for the children and granchildren of generations who will never know us personally - will they even know the right to vote or will they lose what we struggle to value in the hustle and bustle of todays flat screen tvs and hummers .... more money and less responsibility for ones own actions ....
my heart is sorrowful and my armour more withstanding of the personal attacks i witnessed today.
may i live to tell of them, to people who will reply, "i am NOT WILLING to let that happen again.....
julia
2004-11-02 - 17:40:21
HOBOKEN
Irregularity at Ward # 3 at 455 Ninth Street, Columbus Gardens
I arrived at the polling place this morning at 5:40 a.m. to vote at 6:00 a.m. There was no indication outside of the polling place that it was the location to vote! The room where the voting machine was located was locked up & not ready for use until after 7:00 a.m. The voting machine (which is electronic) was not set up by those people who were assigned to work at the polling place. Rather, a Hoboken citizen from the crowd waiting to vote was responsible for setting up the machine. While I was waiting I recognized that two people who had intended to vote before going to work left without voting... Who knows if they will make it back to Hoboken in time to cast their votes? Two other individuals filled out provisional ballots & left for work before the machine was up and running. I placed a complaint about this irregularity by calling 1-866-MYVOTE1 but did not have any success in trying to reach 201-795-6555 to register a similar complaint with the appropriate election office in Hudson County, New Jersey.
Another very surprising feature was that the polling place had only two people assigned to do the necessary work of validating people's residency in order to vote. In local mayoral elections this same polling place has had six people doing this type of work.
Joseph Bergstein
JERSEY CITY
Provisional ballot
After going through hell and high water to make sure that I was able to vote (registering on time, calling constantly busy numbers to find polling location, misc. bureaucratic BS) I went to my polling place this morning, voter registration card in hand, and was told that I was "not in the book" and handed a PROVISIONAL BALLOT. I was then told, after protesting, that I could call on November 5 to find out if my vote was "counted." I explained that, being three days after the election, it didn't really matter.
I've listened to NPR for 8 hours a night for the last 6 months (literally) and I am well aware of what is going on regarding ballots/voting inconsistencies and I am absolutely LIVID that I was handed a provisional ballot.
Just to allay my worries, the man at the polling location told me that they had already gotten 8 provisional ballots -- and pointed to a small stack of papers on THE FLOOR.
Unbelievable.
Melissa Butler
2004-11-02 - 13:54:25
I recently moved to Hoboken, NJ, and this is my first election experience here. It was not a good one. I got to the polling location at 7:00 AM, hoping to cast a quick vote before going to work... it was not to be. I did not vote until 9:00!! When I exited the polls, the line I had just waited in had more than doubled. Here's the problem: only ONE voting machine!! ONE!!! There's a line of over a hundred people waiting on ONE MACHINE. For a densely populated area such as this, I expected much more than that. I am very worried about the after-work rush. If the situation is like this in the morning, I would bet it will be far worse this afternoon. I doubt everyone in my ward and district will be able to vote in time. I fear that some will choose not to vote because they don't want to wait in a 3-hour line. Jersey is a borderline swing state this year, and we contribute 15 electoral votes. Something needs to change, NOW!!
Ben
2004-11-02 - 11:03:36
UNION CITY
Absentee Ballots Delayed Until Too Late!
My husband and I live in Union City, NJ, but work in Manhattan, so we requested an absentee ballot 3 months prior to the election. 2 months passed and we didn't receive anything. We called the county office (the number we were told to call in case something goes wrong) and they said they never received our application. So, we sent it in again. Still nothing came. We called again and got the same response. We sent it in a 3rd time and election day is now 2 weeks away. We called again and they said it was mailed 2 months ago and that since then they mailed it out another time to us and yet we never received anything. My husband is a determined and angry man when it comes to justice - so he called them and insisted that something be done about our absentee ballots not coming in the mail. We live in a Hispanic community, so I couldn't help but think that's why they weren't sending our ballots to us. 5 days before the election, my husband insists on speaking with the supervisor there and convinces them to Fedex our ballots to us. So it comes on the Friday before election day - and they only sent us ONE ballot! We called again and they said nothing could be done and they didn't have our phone number to call us to see if we needed one or two - even though they did have our number and knew we were a married couple. They said they could fedex another one (how awful that our gov't $ is being spent this way) but it would get to us on the day of the election. When we said "how in the world do you think we can get this back to you in time to be counted?" they replied "you need to walk it to such and such an address by 8pm" to which we replied "We work in Manhattan which is the reason we had to apply for an absentee ballot!!! We can't walk it there!!" After some screaming, my husband hung up and called the democratic party in NJ. They had someone drive over with a ballot for me and waited until we finished filling them out and drove them back to NJ so they could be counted! We were so happy that they did that for us that I could cry. I am appalled at how poorly organized the absentee ballots were and wonder how many people just gave up after the first or even 3rd call to them. It's just frightening to think abo
Stephanie
Broken Voting Machine
An hour an a half into voting here in this suburban town of good old fairfield a machine is already broken. These machines are so old and broke already. How is this possible? This was my first time that I am able to vote, and there was already mass confusion. They said that my father was not able to vote because he was not registered but he has the voters sample ballot that was sent to him by the state saying he is registered.He has been this country for 40 years leaving a communist country and he has voted in every presidential election that he has been able to. Also, the voting machine seemed so old and outdated that I dont really even know if my vote went through. It did not make me feel confident that my vote will be counted correctly. I have no confidence in these machines or this whole process as a first time voter.
Dean H.
According to an Alameda county voter, "I filled out a paper ballot as did almost everyone at my polling place since the lines for the machines were too long."
Moments ago I voted in Felton, a small town near Santa Cruz, California. When I entered my polling place, St. John’s Catholic Church, the local priest told me that I had to take off my t-shirt before I voted. I had a picture of Bush on my chest framed by the words “international terrorist.” So I went back outside and turned my shirt inside out. Later I found out that election rules do prohibit the wearing of “political” clothes in the polling station. Fair enough. But, then they told me that I had to vote with a pencil...
On the voting booth there was a pink sign that clearly said "to mark your ballot use ONLY the Mark-A-Vote pen provided." We were only provided with pencils--there was not a single Mark-A-Vote pen in sight. When I pointed this out to the election officials, and voiced my concern that my pencil vote could be changed, they told me to use a blue ball point pen and then color over the pen marks with a pencil. But, they indicated that this might make it difficult for the electronic scantron machine to read my vote. One official made a call on her cell phone, and after she got off the phone she began taking down some of the signs that told voters to use the Mark-A-Vote pen. I took one of the signs and brought it home with me. My polling place is St. John's Catholic Church on Highway 9 at the corner of Russell Avenue in downtown Felton.
On the voting booth there was a pink sign that clearly said "to mark your ballot use ONLY the Mark-A-Vote pen provided." We were only provided with pencils--there was not a single Mark-A-Vote pen in sight. When I pointed this out to the election officials, and voiced my concern that my pencil vote could be changed, they told me to use a blue ball point pen and then color over the pen marks with a pencil. But, they indicated that this might make it difficult for the electronic scantron machine to read my vote. One official made a call on her cell phone, and after she got off the phone she began taking down some of the signs that told voters to use the Mark-A-Vote pen. I took one of the signs and brought it home with me. My polling place is St. John's Catholic Church on Highway 9 at the corner of Russell Avenue in downtown Felton.
For more information:
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/feature/dis...
I am not aware of any voting irregularities, in Fresno, that happened on Tuesday, November 2. What did happen here is that a number of the absentee ballots were not delivered to voters who had requested them. They (the mail in ballots) seem to have gotten lost in the mail. This was a big enough phenomena here that it was reported by the corporate media, but we do not have good information about how wide spread the problem was.
The other problem in Fresno is that there was a group, which has been associated with the Republican Party, who was registering voters. If the person they registered was not a Republican, their ballot registration was destroyed. Again, this was reported in the corporate media here in Fresno and there is an investigation under way by election officials.
For more information:
http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home
I went to my polling place in oakland and everything went fine until I was handed my card for the electronic ballot. When I put it in the machine, there was an error, and it came right back out. After retrying the card a few times, I went back to the guy who handed it to me and told him what happened. "Oh, well you'll have to use a provisional ballot," he told me, but the woman in charge heard what was going on and came over. After verifying that I hadn't even started the ballot, she got me a new card and took me over to the same machine. It worked this time and I voted. The end.
I went to my normal polling place only to find it had been discontinued. A sign on the door directed me to a second polling place. I wasn't on the list, and they tried to hand me a provisional ballot. I said "no way, it won't be counted." They then sent me to a third polling place. That was the wrong one too. Again they tried to stick me with a provisional balllot and I refused. They then sent me to a fourth polling place. I'm sure they were just guessing, because that one was even further away and that was the wrong one, too. A man at that polling place finally took the time to look up my polling place and check it against the map, and sent me to the Animal Control center, appropriately enough. Not trusting what he said, I went home first and checked on the net, and sure enough, that was the place, just around the corner. I must have walked about 13 blocks total and spent an hour and a half before I finally got to vote. I'm wondering if it was because I didn't vote for their mayor with the slicked back hair in the last election.
were in churches?
Looks like the new RCV voting system is experiencing some snags, whcih affects everyone who voted for supervisors in 1,5,7, & 11
New Voting Method Breaks Down
It broke down yesterday and just found out that the system is ES&S, Election Systems & Software, Inc., founded by the same programmer as Diebold, Bob Urosevich, and his brother Todd is still VP of ES&S. A family affair...Diebold and ES&S, together, count about 80 percent of the votes in the United States.
The system works with the Eagle machines where you connect the arrow and it goes into a scanner. We've had problems in the past with 'undervoting' and it not counting write-ins.
This is a red flag because alternative and third parties had several write-in candidates, including Ralph Nader of the Reform party and Terry Baum of the Green Party, which are still important to count.
If you google the company you will find out more.
For more information:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...
Listen now:
On November 2, 2004, Eben Kirksey published an article on Santa Cruz Indymedia voicing concern about his voting experience in Felton. I spoke with Eben shortly after he published on SC-IMC and he explained that his main concern was the use of pencils to fill out ballots at his polling station, despite signs posted inside the polling station insisting on the use of special graphite pens.
After speaking with Eben, I called the Santa Cruz County Clerk so they could explain the use of pencils in the polling station and for a clarification on the legality of political clothing inside the polling station.
I called Eben back to explain what I had learned from the Santa Cruz County Clerk. Eben feels a pencil marking on a paper ballot is an insecure method for tabulating votes due to the ability for someone to erase a marking and then mark a different box.
Eben then called into Free Radio Santa Cruz and you can hear our conversation by downloading the mp3 posted above.
Here is Eben's post to Santa Cruz Indymedia.
Possible Voting Irregularities in Felton
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/feature/display/12489/index.php
And, this related aticle
Incompetent pollworker at Louden Nelson in Santa Cruz
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/12492/index.php
After speaking with Eben, I called the Santa Cruz County Clerk so they could explain the use of pencils in the polling station and for a clarification on the legality of political clothing inside the polling station.
I called Eben back to explain what I had learned from the Santa Cruz County Clerk. Eben feels a pencil marking on a paper ballot is an insecure method for tabulating votes due to the ability for someone to erase a marking and then mark a different box.
Eben then called into Free Radio Santa Cruz and you can hear our conversation by downloading the mp3 posted above.
Here is Eben's post to Santa Cruz Indymedia.
Possible Voting Irregularities in Felton
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/feature/display/12489/index.php
And, this related aticle
Incompetent pollworker at Louden Nelson in Santa Cruz
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/display/12492/index.php
For more information:
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/newswire/di...
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