PatternReview.com online sewing community
Online Sewing Class: Leather 101
Register Today!
Join our community of 579,269 sewists!
SIGNUP Membership is free and includes 1 free lesson
Login |
Join our community of 579,269 sewists!
Signup | Login
To participate in the PatternReview.com forums please Login or Join PatternReview
Member since 5/21/05
Posts: 184
Send Message
Posted on: 5/3/06 7:29 PM ET
I;m not really a political person and won;t mention how I'm registered since parties have nothing to do with this issue. I was asked to hand out write in cards for a candidate in my congressional district for a few hours yesterday for the primaries, Myself and 2 other people were definitely outside the perimeter set so we weren't breaking any rules although there were complaints to the election board to the contrary. I handed one voter instructions for the write in again not inside the designated zone On the voters way in I overheard a poll worker say you can't bring that in here, which is not true, The card was placed down outside. What really bothered me was the rights of this voter was violated. This was a new voting machine, touch screen and I.m sure everyone does not know how to use them. The write in candidate won but I wonder how widespresd minor abuses might be. So what do you think?
  
Member since 8/24/02
Posts: 2728
Body Type:
Send Message
Posted on: 5/3/06 9:08 PM ET
In reply to Map
Oh, you're venturing into dangerous territory here since a number of folks think those "new" machines were rigged to favor Bush and other Republicans.

I think voters' rights have been abused to some extent since the nation started voting, but we're a lot more sensitive about the issue now.

Nina
  
Member since 1/12/04
Posts: 6312
Send Message
Posted on: 5/3/06 9:32 PM ET
I don't know how widespread abuses are but we periodically have disagreements here in California with people intimidating people going in to vote on the grounds that they may not be citizens and therefore won't be eligible to vote. I don't know if any studies have ever been done to see if this is a problem or not but we have DMV registration to vote.
------
Marilyn

January 2009 to January 2010 81 yards out and 71yards in January 2010 to the present 106.7 yards out and 146.5 yards in. January 2011 to the present: 47 yards out and 69 yards in.
  
Member since 7/11/05
Posts: 3783
Send Message
Posted on: 5/3/06 10:06 PM ET
If you think the voter's rights were violated you should contact the elections commission in the district where the alleged violation took place. That is what they exist for. There should have been election judges from both parties at the polling place as well, to witness and report if any violations occur.

I'm not sure what touch screen may or may not have to do with a voter voting or not voting for a write in candidate in this instance. What was the voter "not allowed" to bring in? You can bring any blasted thing you want in with you as a reference material to cast your ballot but to be counted, a vote does have to be cast using an official ballot, issued by the local election commissin and filled out by the voter that ballot was issued to. Otherwise, ballot boxes could be stuffed with any old thing---

We had a lot of trouble here in Chicago with the new touch screen and optical scanning equipment - it was weeks before some of the races were called for sure-- but I think it had a lot less to do with voting rights issues than it did with abysmal training of the election officials who would be manning the polls on election day by Sequioa- the company that got the contract to provide the machines and the training for poll workers. They were also "not available" for some reason to provide technical support to poll officials who had issues or questions until hours after the polls opened.

I'm sure there were a lot of poll workers who showed up that day completely clueless...

Terry
-- Edited on 5/3/06 10:27 PM --
------
I am going for a level of perfection that is only mine... Most of the pleasure is in getting that last little piece perfect...Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just keep showing up and doing the work.

Chuck Close, painter, printmaker, photographer

Hope has two lovely daughters: Anger and Courage

St. Augustine
  
Member since 5/21/05
Posts: 184
Send Message
Posted on: 5/4/06 8:41 PM ET
In reply to tlmck3
The voter was not allowed to take in a card that gave instructions for write in voting. It had pictures and the person's name who was asking for this vote. I'm giving the election board a couple days then I'll call. With the new machines they had enough problems. One precinct in Cleveland didn't open till 1 30 PM because the poll workers didn't know how to get the machines going. I think the machines are hardest on the old people who don't understand computers.
  
Member since 7/11/05
Posts: 3783
Send Message
Posted on: 5/4/06 10:02 PM ET
In reply to Map
That IS bad. Geez...I sometimes carry in entire pages of who is on the ballot with my choices marked- especially for judicial races and things like the Water Reclamation board officers and ballot referenda that are always so badly worded that no one can ever parse them while standing in the booth. I never know who half of those people are until I start researching them the week of the election. And I often forget their names the minute I walk out of the booth. I've done that in maybe a dozen precincts in two states and never once had a problem.

If the election commission is unresponsive there is also your Congressman's office or - and I know this is a swear word in some circles- the ACLU -which is interested in voting rights, regardless of party affiliation. There are local chapters all over the country.
-- Edited on 5/4/06 10:15 PM --
------
I am going for a level of perfection that is only mine... Most of the pleasure is in getting that last little piece perfect...Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just keep showing up and doing the work.

Chuck Close, painter, printmaker, photographer

Hope has two lovely daughters: Anger and Courage

St. Augustine
  
Member since 3/6/03
Posts: 635
Send Message
Posted on: 5/9/06 8:29 AM ET
I am very involved in the School Board elections in my district. There are very contentious issues here, and a particular group of people are consistently turned away. We have been telling our voters to insist on filling out an affidavit ballot. That way, if the election is close, they go through the affidavits after the fact, and have more time to determine thier validity.
  
* Advertising and soliciting is strictly prohibited on PatternReview.com. If you find a post which is not in agreement with our Terms and Conditions, please click on the Report Post button to report it.
Selected Reviews, Classes & Patterns