Voter Fraud is a REALITY! :(

pinksirfidel · #1 11-02-2008, 01:14 PM

A friend of my went to a polling center (in Florida) on friday at 3:55PM. They told her she couldn't vote, because the polling center closes at 4PM. BOTH Lies ~ If you go to a booth before it closes, whether it be five minutes before or 1 minute before...as long as you are in line, you have a RIGHT to vote. Also, ALL polling centers close at 7PM in Florida. Govenor Christ extended times for early voting.

Anyway, she threathened to call the voter protection number, and the man at the door immediately let her through. She clearly looks like a student, and I guess the man thought she wouldn't know any better.

This is crazy! I've heard stories, but I never thought it would happen to someone I know. She still called the voter protection number to make a report. The number is 1-877-874-6226. Please pass it out to your friends or have it in your cell phones in case you run into any problems on election day! Voter suppression is a sad REALITY

ETA: I guess I cannot change the title of this thread... I definitely "miss-typed". It should probably be worded as "Voter Suppression"... oops!

honeychile · #2 11-02-2008, 01:42 PM

One thing people should be aware of: If you haven't voted in the last two years, you may show up at the polls thinking that you're registered. But! Many counties/states purge their voting rolls every two years - which means that you won't be on the rolls.

If this happens, you may have to go to the county seat, and have a judge "allow" you to vote. This happens much more often than people realize.

SWTXBelle · #3 11-02-2008, 01:58 PM

When I was in college the townspeople tried to keep students from voting - KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Every voter should know the rules and regulations of their state - and who to call if there is a problem.

AGDee · #4 11-02-2008, 02:52 PM

You can also go to canivote.org to check your voter registration ahead of time. Problem is, it seems to be down at the moment or too busy.

PhiGam · #5 11-02-2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinksirfidel

A friend of my went to a polling center (in Florida) on friday at 3:55PM. They told her she couldn't vote, because the polling center closes at 4PM. BOTH Lies ~ If you go to a booth before it closes, whether it be five minutes before or 1 minute before...as long as you are in line, you have a RIGHT to vote. Also, ALL polling centers close at 7PM in Florida. Govenor Christ extended times for early voting.

Anyway, she threathened to call the voter protection number, and the man at the door immediately let her through. She clearly looks like a student, and I guess the man thought she wouldn't know any better.

This is crazy! I've heard stories, but I never thought it would happen to someone I know. She still called the voter protection number to make a report. The number is 1-877-874-6226. Please pass it out to your friends or have it in your cell phones in case you run into any problems on election day! Voter fraud is a sad REALITY

Does that rule apply to early voting though? I don't understand the outrage here honestly.

UGAalum94 · #6 11-02-2008, 03:24 PM

When I voted early in Georgia, there were signs up that said as long as you were in line by a certain time, you got to vote. I'm pretty sure it was the posted poll closing time, but I'm not 100% on that.

Is "voter fraud" the right label for this? Isn't voter fraud when would be voters falsify documents and that the OP here really describes vote suppression?

Leslie Anne · #7 11-02-2008, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhiGam

I don't understand the outrage here honestly.

Hmm, and I think it's a no-brainer. Wouldn't you be angered if when you go to vote someone tells you that you can't?

Quote:

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

Is "voter fraud" the right label for this? Isn't voter fraud when would be voters falsify documents and that the OP here really describes vote suppression?

Yeah, it's not voter fraud. It's voter intimidation and it's illegal. I'm sad to hear about this happening.

DGTess · #8 11-02-2008, 03:58 PM

Um, were there not other voting days? I don't know about Florida, but I know here in Virginia if you're in line at poll-closing time (7pm) you can still vote. I don't know if that extends to early voting as well.

It seems to me if you want to vote early, and not absentee, you plan to be there in time? I would expect poll workers want to get to their homes also.

No one should be intimidated from voting; on this we can all agree. But I'm not sympathetic to people who can't plan ahead then get upset because things don't go their way. Perhaps that's not the case here, but it's hard to tell.

agzg · #9 11-02-2008, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DGTess

Um, were there not other voting days? I don't know about Florida, but I know here in Virginia if you're in line at poll-closing time (7pm) you can still vote. I don't know if that extends to early voting as well.

It seems to me if you want to vote early, and not absentee, you plan to be there in time? I would expect poll workers want to get to their homes also.

No one should be intimidated from voting; on this we can all agree. But I'm not sympathetic to people who can't plan ahead then get upset because things don't go their way. Perhaps that's not the case here, but it's hard to tell.

She was there three hours and five minutes BEFORE voting closed. The election official LIED to her and told her that the polls closed at four. A friend of mine (who lives in Florida) mentioned earlier this week that the polls were extended to seven AND that if you were in line by then you would still get to vote. I think that rule is specifically for times when there are super long lines (some people have waited upwards of 3 hours already), but whether it's busy or not, the rule still applies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinksirfidel

A friend of my went to a polling center (in Florida) on friday at 3:55PM. They told her she couldn't vote, because the polling center closes at 4PM. BOTH Lies ~ If you go to a booth before it closes, whether it be five minutes before or 1 minute before...as long as you are in line, you have a RIGHT to vote. Also, ALL polling centers close at 7PM in Florida. Govenor Christ extended times for early voting.

VandalSquirrel · #10 11-02-2008, 04:54 PM

I'm glad I live in a state where you can register day of, which I've never had to do. Also for the big elections you can vote on campus, which is nice, and if it was at the fairgrounds they'd still run shuttles.

Though it is some old school voting, chads and all.

PhiGam · #11 11-02-2008, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leslie Anne

Hmm, and I think it's a no-brainer. Wouldn't you be angered if when you go to vote someone tells you that you can't?

Not if I was using the early voting method and I showed up five minutes before the polls closed. You can't expect the volunteers running the polling station to be happy about someone showing up right when they're ready to close up and go home. I would at least be willing to take partial responsibility for it if I showed up at 4:55pm.
Labeling this as "voter intimidation" or "voter fraud" is certainly a little melodramatic.

KSUViolet06 · #12 11-02-2008, 05:53 PM

I don't think this is fraud per se, but it's an example of why it's important to know your state and be prepared (show up early, have all neccessary documents and even back-ups just in case).

I tell everybody to BE EARLY, because if you show up too close to poll closing time, you may have these sorts of problems.

agzg · #13 11-02-2008, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhiGam

Not if I was using the early voting method and I showed up five minutes before the polls closed. You can't expect the volunteers running the polling station to be happy about someone showing up right when they're ready to close up and go home. I would at least be willing to take partial responsibility for it if I showed up at 4:55pm.
Labeling this as "voter intimidation" or "voter fraud" is certainly a little melodramatic.

The person in question did NOT show up five minutes before closing. She showed up THREE HOURS AND FIVE MINUTES BEFORE CLOSING. Telling someone they can't vote by lying to them and saying the polls close at four, even though they close at seven IS ILLEGAL.

pinksirfidel · #14 11-02-2008, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhiGam

Does that rule apply to early voting though? I don't understand the outrage here honestly.

Yup...it does! I was upset because if she didn't know better she would have just gone home. Either the campaign workers didn't know the correct information or they lied to her.

Quote:

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

When I voted early in Georgia, there were signs up that said as long as you were in line by a certain time, you got to vote. I'm pretty sure it was the posted poll closing time, but I'm not 100% on that.

Is "voter fraud" the right label for this? Isn't voter fraud when would be voters falsify documents and that the OP here really describes vote suppression?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhiGam

Labeling this as "voter intimidation" or "voter fraud" is certainly a little melodramatic.

I definitely miss-typed! lol... I guess it wouldn't be considered Voter "Fraud"...more like Voter "Suppression".

barbino · #15 11-02-2008, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhiGam

Not if I was using the early voting method and I showed up five minutes before the polls closed. You can't expect the volunteers running the polling station to be happy about someone showing up right when they're ready to close up and go home. I would at least be willing to take partial responsibility for it if I showed up at 4:55pm.
Labeling this as "voter intimidation" or "voter fraud" is certainly a little melodramatic.

I am a paid election judge in my area. I think that most of the "volunteers" around the country are actually paid. Working the polls makes for a very long day (Chicago: 4:45am to approx. 10-11pm). Also, most precincts spend 2-3 hours the night before setting up. I know the rule in the county that I live in is that you have to be in line before closing. If people are in line at the time the polls are scheduled to close, we are supposed to post a judge at the end of the line. Anyone who comes after that person cannot vote.
During the primaries one of the poll watchers in my precinct was really upset with me because I did not allow two of his friends to vote- they came after the scheduled closing time. Anybody that is in the line at closing time should be allowed to vote, I believe--but as previously mentioned, each state does it dfferently. Every voter is responsible for knowing the rules in his/her own state. The election judges are there to enforce the state & county rules "by the book." There are books/manuals that govern the proper procedures for all aspects of Illinois elections. I would imagine all other states have this as well.