On Polling Places

[scoutingagain]

Well I voted last night at a public school, that does not sponsor one of those discrimanatory scouting units. I don't know how far away folks have to be from the polls here, I do know I had to drive through a guantlet of signs for local politicians as I entered the parking lot. No political signs outside the entrance door, but I did have to run another guantlet of organizations selling stuff for fundraising. The HS band had a raffle going, the Senior Class had a bake sale, another organization was selling coffee, another just begging for $$$. I didn't have to show an ID and I'm not married or related to anyone at the polling place.

 

Well I voted and can live with the outcome. Hey, the Red Sox still won the Series right? They can't do a recall or protest on that can they? Someone told me there's some special rule that may require them to replay Game 4 with the Yankees.

 

SA

 

 

[acco40]

Here in Michigan, I also vote at a local community clubhouse - not a public facility.

 

The Detroit branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, meanwhile, complained that President George W. Bush's poll watchers had harassed and intimidated Detroit voters. But the NAACP backed off a threat to sue Tuesday evening in federal court. What did the Dubya poll watchers do? They requested to see IDs from selected voters. In my community (not Detroit proper) we fill out a piece of paper with our name, address and birthdate and hand it to a volunteer. They compare that information with that on a computer printout and if it matches, give you a ballot. Those voting slips are saved (for review I guess).

 

 

[Rooster7]

What did the Dubya poll watchers do? They requested to see IDs from selected voters.

 

First - to my knowledge (and someone correct me if Im wrong) - a partisan poll watcher has no legal right to demand ID from anyone.

 

Second assuming these folks did as advertised, requested to see IDs from selected voters how exactly does that qualify as intimidation? And please, dont tell me that intimidation is in the eye of the beholder. If the rule of law is going to prevail in this country, we need to have some objective criteria to determine if/when a law has been broken.

 

In 2000, and again in the 2004 presidential election, this claim has been raised several times. However, I have yet to see any evidence from a real case, which might validate those claims of voter harassment or intimidation. In one state, someone argued that the presence of police cars qualified as voter harassment. Whos is that meant to harass felons? It might intimidate someone from trying to vote twice or cast a vote for someone else But how is the presence of the police going to intimidate law-abiding citizens?

 

[evmori]

OGE,

You ask an excellent question! I vote at the local UP church and in my area there are many polls in church's of different denominations! Wonder what Merlyn or NJ would have to say about this?

 

 

Hmmmmmmm................................

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[eagle90]

I voted at the local Catholic school. We used to vote at the fire station, but that was changed a few elections ago.

 

My church was a polling place for years, but we declined to have them back a few years ago when they tore up the tile on the stairs moving their voting machinery and then refused to accept responsibility for it. We got like $100 from them to serve as a polling place, and it cost us $300 to repair the damage!

[acco40]

Ed, you go all the way to the Upper Peninsula to vote? That is a long drive!

[dsteele]

Here in Ohio, as a new voter, I was a little bit nervous. While Uncleguinea isn't my name, what they did to my name was similar to calling me UncleGuiness . . .just different enough to make a difference.

 

Evidently, Ohio has witnesses and challengers. Partisans who's job it is to make it more difficult for you to vote.

 

Fortunately, I have flexibility in my work hours. I showed up to vote at 3:00 PM and was home by 3:20. The only guy that got really challenged was a democartic challenger.

 

He walked in and the little old lady asked what precinct he lives in. He said, "I'm a challenger." She asked "Democrat or Republican?" He answered, "Democrat." Then she wanted to see id, voter registration (and I think) training card.

 

I guess I live in one of the few republican precincts in northeastern Ohio.

 

I was glad of it.

 

"Who's in the White House???? Bush! Bush! Bush! ;)"

 

Unc.

 

[evmori]

acco,

Huh????

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[dsteele]

Ed:

 

(Acco, pardon me if I'm taking too much liberty interpreting what you said)

 

To a person with a Michigan background, when you said you had to travel to the UP to vote, it means "I had to go all the way to the Upper Peninsula (of Michigan) to cast my ballot."

 

There's not much up in the upper peninsula of Michigan, so I'm sure acco was as surprised as I am that you had to drive there from Pennsylvania to vote.

 

Unc.

 

PS -- where's your UP?

[evmori]

I understand!

 

UP = United Presbyterian church!

 

Dormont

[acco40]

Sorry Ed, I just tried to inject a little humor, something this forum lacks some times.

 

Hey, I was raised a Presbyterian. I sure glad our moral candidate who never wavers in his beliefs and who is a devout Episcopalian, oops I mean Presbyterian, oops I mean Methodist won the election.