Election Protection Watch

AlterNet. Posted November 2, 2004.

Note: These are listed at PST times.

As reported by Election Protection:

This is a summary from some of the calls to the Election Protection Hotline, 1-866-OUR VOTE, and some of the reports from the field.

ARIZONA – 8 p.m.

Election Protection received a report from Pima County, Ariz. of a people wearing "U.S. Constitutional Enforcement" shirts harassing Rep. Grijalva supporters and asking voters for ID. This is most likely Russ Dove, whom we covered in our Barriers to Voting report.

PENNSYLVANIA – 8 p.m.

A first-time voter in Philadelphia reported that she asked for assistance on the machine and the poll worker pushed the button for the candidate he wanted her to vote for, but did not tell her how to take it off. When she asked him to show her how to change it, she reports that he saw that she was trying to vote for a different candidate and the poll worker yelled out her choice when she would not vote for the other candidate.

In a polling place in Sharon, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, electronic machines were down at one point but when a voter filled in a paper ballot, a poll worker said that the ballots would not be counted because they were not properly sealed.

MICHIGAN – 8 p.m.

One Election Protection volunteer from Flint, Mich. reports that when the box for collecting ballots was filled to capacity, the election poll president came to the front of the building and announced that the poll was closed. The volunteer reports that many voters are frustrated; when the volunteer called the city clerk's office, they were of no assistance – the precinct is simply overwhelmed.

FLORIDA – 8 p.m.

In Broward County in Florida, two voters complained that when they tried to select for Kerry, the electronic machine kept selecting for Bush. After several tries they were able to select their chosen candidate.

NEW MEXICO – 8 p.m.

In Bernalillo County, N.M., a number of voters reported that when they attempted to select for Kerry the electronic machine selected the libertarian presidential candidate instead. After several tries and notifying poll workers, they were able to record their chosen candidate but they expressed concern about the accuracy of the machines.

OHIO — 3:00 p.m.

As reported by Election Protection:

This is a summary from some of the calls to the Election Protection Hotline, 1-866-OUR VOTE, and some of the reports from the field. Election Protection has received 53,000+ plus calls as of 1:30 pm EST.

In Toledo, Election Protection coalition lawyers won a lawsuit overturning Secretary of State Ken Blackwell's ruling that voters who did not receive their absentee ballots in time should be turned away from the polls. Instead, any such voters statewide can cast provisions ballots. We are urging broadcasters to send that message that voters turned away earlier in the day can return to the polls to cast a ballot.

In Cincinnati, two precincts report running out of ballots by 4:00 p.m. - hours before the polls close. Another precinct in Cincinnati has reported running out of styluses to punch the punch card ballots – they are trying to use paper clips.

PENNSYLVANIA — 3:00 p.m.

As reported by Election Protection:

In Philadelphia, many voters reported getting recoded phone calls from a Bill Clinton impersonator, urging them to vote on Nov. 3.

FLORIDA — 3:00 p.m.

In Orlando, poll watchers saw a disturbing pattern in several of the predominantly minority precincts. People were leaving the polls without voting after waiting in line for two hours only to be placed in another two hour (or longer) line for affidavits, provisional ballots or other non-specified reasons for being on a "must call Election Supervisor's office" list.

In Palm Beach, lawyers reported two persistent problems: the inability to fix voting machines that go down; and convincing officials to allow people to vote on paper ballots if the wait is too long. Palm Beach also reported that many voters were not aware that their polling locations were changed due to hurricanes; that voters and advocates could not reach the supervisors office; that voting machines running on batteries lost power and lost votes; that provisional ballots were not being provided, and that voters who went to the precincts where they voted in previous elections were sent to different far-off precincts after long wait, then sent back to their original precinct.

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