Thread: Is everyone ready and down with the plan for tomorrow?

FL Already a Hotbed of Voting Problems



A quick glance at what is currently being reported from across the state:

Tampa, FL - Special "Emergency" Ballot Box Created On the Spot
All ballots at a particular polling place were rejected by the optical scan machines. Technical Support was called but was unable to remedy the problem, believing the issue to be "defective ballots". The Supervisor of Elections created an "Emergency" ballot box where the ballots would be counted by hand at the end of the night. One of many issues causing concern is that the Supervisor of Elections is up for reelection on those very ballots.

Augusta, FL - Optical Machines Replaced with "Trust Us"?
Just moments after the polls opened the voting machines were not working properly to accept votes. Voters were given a choice - come back later or trust poll workers to enter their votes later.

Boca Raton, FL - Every Person For Themselves
Among hundreds waiting in line to vote, rumors of computer glitches caused the back of the line to disperse. That and a lack of poll workers to assist special needs voters creates an environment of "complete chaos".

Florida Absentees - Voters Still Chasing Down Their Ballots
With average hold times of well over an hour in the weeks leading up to the election, numerous Floridians feel "truly let down" as incomplete or lost registrations, system glitches and address issues prevent them from receiving their absentee ballots by mail.

Statewide - Felon Voter Rights Not Yet Restored
Despite a law passed by Governor Christ restoring the constitutional right to vote for felons, several felons have been told that there was "not enough time" to process their voter registration before this election.

To share your voting experience please comment below and then click here to tell Huffington Post about it.

Special thanks to the Election Protection coalition for providing much of this information. This non-partisan organization will continue to provide updates throughout the day.

Huff N Puff

Voting Problems Roundup: Election Morning

(CBS) CBS News Investigative Producer Wendy Krantz and Kim Lengle wrote this story for CBSNews.com.
Just a few hours into Election Day, problems are popping up in several key states with long lines and broken machines all against the backdrop of what is expected to be the largest turnout in history. As of right now, one national voter protection group says it has received 27,000 reports of problems.

- In Virginia, problems at polling places have been reported from over ten locations all across the state, including Richmond, Portsmouth, Lynchburg, Chesapeake, Vienna, Newport News and Virginia Beach, according to voter protection groups. The most common complaints are about long lines. However, problems with voter registration and polling machines not functioning properly in several locations has also been reported. Some voters are reporting there have been no offers of paper ballots. And even as of 7am, Some polling places were not open.

- The Washington Post reports that some precincts have discovered an unusual weather-related problem. Rain in some areas of the state have been causing problems with the optical scanners because of wet ballots.

- In Pennsylvania, Bethlehem, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have reported a number of problems with voting machine malfunctions in, as well as major breakdowns at three precincts in Allegheny County.
CBS Newshas confirmed with state officials that there have been machine malfunctions throughout the state.

- There have been reports of a few precincts in Philadelphia running out of paper ballots. People have been given provisional ballots in these cases. (If 50 percent or fewer of the voting machines are working, polling officials must provide paper ballots to voters, according to a recent ruling by a judge.) State guidelines also dictate that these provisional ballots must be marked “emergency,â€

Rep. poll monitor's
credentials revoked

Last Edited: Tuesday, 04 Nov 2008, 2:19 PM EST
Created On: Tuesday, 04 Nov 2008, 1:44 PM EST

* Phil Sanchez
* Edited by Hyacinth Williams

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The Marion County Election Board said a Republican poll monitor was intimidating Democratic voters and has revoked his credentials.

His name is Adam Longworth and he was the Republican challenger assigned to Warren 9. The Marion County Clerk's Office said Longworth was challenging voters based on party affiliation.

Election officials said challengers can challenge voters on things like residency, but not party. The clerk's office also told 24-Hour News 8 that Longworth had the challenging paper work signed by the Republican clerk who was also working the poll.

Election officials said they know of at least three voters who Longworth scared into voting provisionally.

"Personally no it was not intimidating for me because I've been doing this a long time and I was going to vote and I'm going to vote my conscience, but for people who are first timers I think it could of been," said Paula French, a voter.

Both Longworth and the clerk were removed from the polling precinct.

The case will be reviewed by the grand jury and Longworth could face criminal charges.

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/politics ... ls_revoked

Votes on faulty Kenton machines will be counted

By Patrick Crowley • pcrowley@nky.com • November 4, 2008

COVINGTON - The Kenton County Board of Elections halted voting this morning on handicapped accessible machines because straight-ticket voting was not being properly counted.
Advertisement

Voters began complaining about the problem early this morning, said board member Eileen Wendt.

Wendt said that straight-ticket voting in the state senate race between Republican Sen. Jack Westwood of Crescent Springs and Covington Democrat Kathy Groob and the Kentucky House race between Republican Rep. Adam Koenig and Democrat Merrick Krey also of Erlanger were not being tallied on the E-Slate voting machines.

But local and state election officials said votes cast on those machines will be counted.


Under the law, election officials can take into account what is known as "voter intent," said Greg Shumate, a Fort Mitchell lawyer and a member of the Kentucky Board of Elections.

"If someone was voting a straight ticket, and for instance their vote did not register for Kathy Groob or Jack Westwood, that vote can still be counted because it is obvious who they were voting for," said Shumate, who is also chairman of the Kenton County Republican Party.

The machines were put off limits to voters, but the votes cast this morning will be kept and counted, Wendt said.

The problem was only with straight ticket voting and did not affect non-partisan races, such as the many city council contests and the district judge race in Kenton County.



Election officials in Boone and Campbell counties said this morning they were not experiencing the problem.

Les Fugate, spokesman for Secretary of State Trey Grayson, said Kenton County was the only one of Kentucky's 120 counties reporting the problem.

The machines are designed for handicapped voters, mainly those with vision impairments. But non-handicapped voters are also permitted to vote on the machines, particularly when there are long lines at the polls. With several Kenton County precincts reporting extremely heavy turnout, a steady flow of voters was being directed to the E-Slate machines.

Handicapped voters are now being directed to the standard voting machines. They are permitted to vote with the assistance of a poll worker, Shumate said.

"That's how the state law reads and that's how it was done before counties started using the E-Slate machines," he said.

The handicapped machines are mandated under the federal law Help America Vote Act.

However, with turnout heavy and one less voting machine in use, lines are expected to be long all day and the final returns could be delayed.

Kenton County Clerk Rodney Eldridge was at a loss to explain how the situation occurred. The machines had been tested, he said.

"We don't know what happened," Eldridge. "But it could have been a lot worse. At least this happened with straight ticket voting, We know who people were voting for, so those votes will be counted."

Eldridge said poll workers are being contacted by phone and in person to make sure voting on the E-Slate machine ceases.

"We're sending out (Kenton County Sheriff's) deputies, we're sending out trouble shooters, we're notifying every precinct location," he said. "But I can guarantee, no votes will be lost."

Eldridge said he began receiving complaints and concerns from voters and poll workers just minutes after the polls opened at 6 a.m. A special board of elections meeting was called and at about 9:40 a.m., the board decided to halt voting on the E-Slate machines.

There have been no problems reported on the standard voting machines, Eldridge said.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2008 ... /310310111

Thanks April, Florgal, Texasroadrunner,Jshhmr, for the birthday wishes! A very happy birthday to GeorgiaPeach too!

Jersey is experiencing some polling problems. Here is an article.

High turnout, voter problems reported around N.J.
ASSOCIATED PRESS • November 4, 2008



NEWARK — Voting problems were reported throughout New Jersey Tuesday as an anticipated record turnout caused long lines at many polling places. In one county, a judge rejected a request to extend polling hours.

Carmine Casciano, the superintendent of elections in Essex County, said 14 machines had to be replaced countywide this morning, half of the them due to poll worker error.

At least three machines were down in Newark, one in Millburn and one in Caldwell. The rest of the problems were scattered throughout both urban and suburban voting districts. Casciano said some poll workers inadvertently turned machines off while they were running because they were unsure how to operate them.

The other machines had to be replaced due to unspecified malfunctions, Casciano said. All polling sites were working properly by early afternoon.

According to Casciano, representatives of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama petitioned Essex County Assignment Judge Patricia Costello Tuesday morning to extend polling hours because some machines had been down for 45 minutes to two hours.

Costello rejected the request, Casciano said, on the grounds that there was still plenty of time for people to vote and that voters had been given emergency ballots when the machines were unavailable.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey reported that some voters in Hudson, Camden, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex and Monmouth counties were improperly asked to provide identification in order to vote.

ACLU New Jersey director Deborah Jacobs said voters should only be asked for ID if they are voting for the first time at a polling place and did not provide it when they registered.

New Jersey's Secretary of State sent an e-mail reminding county workers of the rules.

Poll workers in Monmouth County have been told they can only ask for identification if a notation, saying "ID required," appears next to a voter's name in the roll books, said Leah Falk, the chairwoman of the county board of elections.

She said that notation is made for first-time voters who did not provide identification because they registered by mail.

At training, poll workers often ask if they can or if they should ask voters for identification, but the rules are quickly explained to them, she said.

"They're taught not to ask for identification, unless right next to their name, it says ID required," she said.

Jacobs said her offices received complaints of poll workers distributing emergency ballots when they should be handing out provisional ones to voters whose names didn't make the printed rolls in time.



http://www.app.com/article/20081104/NEWS/81104033

Voter Surveys Found Littering Interstate

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/e ... 888375.ece

TAMPA — The intersection known for years as "malfunction junction" has another notch on its belt.

Highway workers discovered hundreds of papers with voter information early Monday on the shoulder of the westbound Interstate 4 ramp just before the entrance to southbound Interstate 275 in Tampa.

The voter survey forms, discovered about 4:15 a.m., carried the names of Tampa residents, their party affiliation, age, sex, home addresses and some phone numbers. Most of that information is obtainable from public records.

Each entry also includes an option to show whether the voter supports John McCain or Barack Obama, and check boxes to mark whether the person voted or needs a ride to the polls on Election Day.

"It was apparently boxes of surveys that fell off a truck," said Kris Carson, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Transportation.

The papers did not belong to any election office, and state and local and local election officials directed transportation officials to destroy the materials, she said.

No one ever claimed the papers. But Michael Steinberg, chairman of the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee, said the information appears to have been generated by a software program used by the Democratic Party called Vote Builder.

"Everyone uses the same forms. I can't tell whether the list belonged to Obama, the Florida Democratic Party or our organization," he said.

Steinberg said it was disturbing that the files were on the side of the road.

"I would be a little annoyed that the information was laying out there for anyone to pick up and look at," he said. "Whoever lost the information really needs to be more careful about how they handle it. But we really have no control over that. We apologize if anybody was upset."

He said he doubted the papers were dumped on purpose.

Carson said the questionnaires were first spotted by a traffic camera. The next call went to a private firm the state contracts with to clean up debris on roadways. Carson said that the company, Transfield Services, filled nine large garbage bags with the paper.

By 6 a.m., the papers no longer littered the roadway.

Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3401.

I'm in

I just found this article also----

Black Panther Intimidation At Polls?
Posted by Steve Schippert
Published: November 4, 2008 - 1:32 PM
Are Black Panther guards intimidating voters at city polls? The National Black Panther Party says as much.

"We will be at the polls in the cities and counties in many states to ensure that the enemy does not sabotage the black vote, which was won through the blood of the martyrs of our people."
A confrontation in Philadelphia was reported, one between a veteran and two Black Panther guards.

http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/11/ ... -polls.php

is anybody else feeling a little nauseous?

Originally Posted by CCUSA

Will report as well.


It's my birthday, and I am hoping that all our endorsed candidates win.

I'm praying and wishing!!

Will report any I see or hear about the polling centers.