Election Monitoring in 2004: Notes from Ohio
Time for another blast from the past. Gabrielle is a Webb for Senate volunteer who is determined to make every vote count. She understands the stakes particularly well. As a precinct captain in Ohio in 2004, Gabrielle coordinated a team of volunteers to support voters. Election monitors this year will benefit from Gabrielle's experience and advice.
On E day 2004 I was captain of a voter protection team, and we were deployed out to OSU, Ohio State University. I had 4 people on my team, and stationed them at each of the entrances and exits of the precinct. These volunteers were there to remind people that today was the day to vote ask voters how things went and what their experience was, if they had any problems.
At 10 I received a phone call from one of my team members letting me know that a problem had come up. I went down. When I arrived, I saw my team member with a girl who was in tears. She had waited almost 2 hours in line, at which point someone at the polling place told her that if it turned out that her name wasn't on the voters list, she could be arrested. We notified the relevant authorities, but we also reassured her that she absolutely had the right to vote. When she exited the polling place for the second time, she was wearing an "I voted" sticker and beaming.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of the problems we dealt with. Student after student came out and saying it seemed like the polling employees were rushing the voters. The lines were long, and it seemed they weren't always checking the list thoroughly. Instead, they were passing out provisional ballots like they were candy. A student would arrive and they would say a name "Michael Smith". They would go through the list with a cursory glance and say, Michael Smith, your not on the list. People were just being told that they couldn't vote. The line at 8 oclock was still quite long. They were just telling people no, you can't vote. They wouldn't even give them a provisional ballot at that point.
After Gabrielle shared her story, I asked what advice she would give to voters this year. She replied "Know your rights. Be prepared for whatever comes your way, and be persistent. Don't let anything keep you from exercising your right to vote."
On E day 2004 I was captain of a voter protection team, and we were deployed out to OSU, Ohio State University. I had 4 people on my team, and stationed them at each of the entrances and exits of the precinct. These volunteers were there to remind people that today was the day to vote ask voters how things went and what their experience was, if they had any problems.
At 10 I received a phone call from one of my team members letting me know that a problem had come up. I went down. When I arrived, I saw my team member with a girl who was in tears. She had waited almost 2 hours in line, at which point someone at the polling place told her that if it turned out that her name wasn't on the voters list, she could be arrested. We notified the relevant authorities, but we also reassured her that she absolutely had the right to vote. When she exited the polling place for the second time, she was wearing an "I voted" sticker and beaming.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of the problems we dealt with. Student after student came out and saying it seemed like the polling employees were rushing the voters. The lines were long, and it seemed they weren't always checking the list thoroughly. Instead, they were passing out provisional ballots like they were candy. A student would arrive and they would say a name "Michael Smith". They would go through the list with a cursory glance and say, Michael Smith, your not on the list. People were just being told that they couldn't vote. The line at 8 oclock was still quite long. They were just telling people no, you can't vote. They wouldn't even give them a provisional ballot at that point.
After Gabrielle shared her story, I asked what advice she would give to voters this year. She replied "Know your rights. Be prepared for whatever comes your way, and be persistent. Don't let anything keep you from exercising your right to vote."
posted by Linda at 6:56 PM
2 Comments:
I think you are doing great things here. As a proud supporter of Jim Webb, it's inspiring to know that there are people working to make sure the votes are all properly counted. Just read the piece in the Miami Herald about the switching of candidates in early voting in Broward County and wondered if any similar problems have been reported by early votors in VA: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15869924.htm
I will be video taping my vote here in Richmond, and I'm encouraging friends and relatives to do the same. Thanks for your work!
As a die-hard University of Michigan football fan, I know how hard it is to win a road game in Columbus, Ohio. Way to fight the good fight, Gabi!
(And Go Blue on Nov. 18th!)
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