Voters Complain About GOP Poll Watchers In N.C. County! Intimidating Behavior!

[KoKo]

TPMMuckraker
Voters Complain About GOP Poll Watchers In N.C. County
Rachel Slajda | October 27, 2010, 11:49AM

In Wake County, N.C., elections officials have received a couple dozen complaints about intimidating Republican poll watchers at early voting locations.

The offending observers have reportedly stood behind the registration table (where they're not allowed) and taken pictures of the license plates of voters using curbside voting (also illegal), according to the director of the Wake County elections board. In other cases, director Cherie Poucher said, it's been a matter of voters finding normal, legal observing activities intimidating.

The observers who've caused problems are all Republicans, Poucher said; the Democratic Party hasn't submitted a list of registered poll watchers yet, but is expected to do so today.

As in every election, Republicans have raised the alarm of voter fraud, leading some to worry that overzealous poll watchers, intent on preventing fraud, may intimidate eligible voters.

In cases of poll watchers breaking election law, elections officials have taken the observers aside and explained to them the rules. It's a time-consuming process, Poucher said, and one that often has to be repeated when new inexperienced observers show up the next day.

Poucher explained the situation as enthusiastic observers being "unclear" on election law. "I think they got a lot of misinformation at whatever training they had," she said, adding that her office was getting more complaints than usual. "When you get a lot of new people involved in the process, they don't really understand the process."

The county Republican Party, which did not immediately respond to questions from TPM, told the News Observer that Republican U.S. House candidate Bill Randall recruited the poll watchers.

The North Carolina GOP has had other problems this year training poll watchers. According to local reports, a Republican board of elections official in Pamlico County created a training video for poll watchers. The video was so rife with errors that the state board of elections asked the state Republican Party not to allow the use of the video in any training programs.

(H/T Ed Cone)

Late update: A spokesman for the Wake County Republicans declined to give details about how it trains observers.

"We train them in the law as best we understand it. I'm not about to release our training manuals," the spokesman, Jay Bryant, told TPM in an email. "But there is really no serious problem here. This is all new to everyone, because it is the first time party observers have ever been used at early voting sites. We haven't done it before."



http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/voters_complain_about_gop_poll_watchers_in_nc_coun.php?ref=fpb

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. "Not about to release our training manuals" because Republicans are all about transparency.

Seriously, you assholes - is it so bad that you can't even let people know how you're training pollwatchers?

[dgibby]

2. If I were a voter in Wake Co,

I'd seriously entertain requesting their manual through the FOIA.

[LiberalFighter]

9. FOIA only applies to government agencies.

If a lawsuit were to be filed against the GOP then maybe those documents could be disclosed.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Looks like time for Dems who are not easily intimidated

to keep these "poll watchers" busy taking pictures of them and not having time for the license plates. At the curbside voting (wow, don't have that in PA), I suppose that Dems could drive people to the curb, having their own plate photographed a hundred times for all the trips helping others vote within intimidation.

What Dems don't want to do is act as ignorant as the Repugs.

[LiberalFighter]

10. They provide "curbside" here in Allen County, Indiana for disabled.

At just the City-County Building. They push a button to alert the election board someone wanted to vote.

[supernova]

4. I think we should get a copy

and publish it here on DU. :-)

[truedelphi]

5. Intimidation of voters is a felony.

Complaints should be made to the local District Attorney's Office.

They will probably will then inform the complainant to go to the FBI. Who probably will not do anything.

But then there are complaint forms that you can fill out to complain about the FBI!

Before Bush Jr restructured the FBI, this was never a problem.

And under Obama (The "Never Look Back") President, I am not sure that any re-restructuring has occurred.

[lpbk2713]

6. The North Carolina GOP will be quick to point out these are "volunteers'.

Just like what happened with The Stomper. That way they can disassociate themselves with any embarrassment.

[nykym]

8. Although volunteers

they are still selected by Republicans.

[blondeatlast]

7. "...as best as we understand it." Then GET A LAWYER TO EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.

Yup--time to FOIA up, folks.

[LiberalFighter]

11. They should require that the observers be registered with the Election Board.

And go thru training provided by the Election Board.

[KoKo]

12. ...

[KoKo]

13. I remember a time on DU and on the Dem Blogosphere where "VOTING RIGHTS"...got Top Priority!

What has happened? This post moved off to archives and I just resurrected it from Page 3 in GD!

How can we have Fair and Free Voting when Repugs are INTIMIDATING DEMS?

Back to the old days when they didn't allow Blacks or Women to vote without "VOTER INTIMIDATION?"

Here we have clear evidence of Voter and Privacy Intimidation...and it seems no one gives a shit.

Sadly, so many DU'ers spent YEARS and HARD WORK on VOTING REFORM...trying to get the "Black Box Voting Counters" OUT of our Voting System.

But the movement started to die off after Kerry lost and has gone nowhere since. YET...the PROBLEMS ARE STILL THERE and NOT RESOLVED by EITHER PARTY!

WHY???????

[Historic NY]

14. Call the cops, complain, make noise, doing nothing is not in your best interests.

[madmax]

15. I live in Wake

Oh please, with the mood I'm in let someone try to fuck with me and my vote.

[Celtic Raven]

16. K&R nt