FL poll workers tell voters primary was for GOP only, Dem ballots found hidden in closet

[Cassiopeia]

http://winningdemocrats.com/fl-poll-workers-tell-voters-primary-was-for-gop-only-dem-ballots-found-hidden-in-closet-video/

Democratic voters in Polk County, Florida were almost turned away from polls after the workers at one precinct told them the primary was for Republicans only.

Theresa Wibert said she and her partner showed up at their local polling place on Tuesday to vote in the closed primary and were given ballots without their candidate’s name. She says the ballot she was handed only had Republican names on it and,”We would have been turned away if we weren’t forceful about it.”

When she asked the workers where the Democratic voter ballots were, she received an outrageous answer:

A woman who was in charge told Wilbert that it was a closed Republican primary and it was not for Democrats.

Ummmm….what?

More at link along with video of news report.



Hosts, if this is improperly placed please forgive me. It is about the primary, but it's about a voting issue and is not geared toward any specific candidate in either party.

[rpannier]

1. In preparation for November

The GE is for Republicans only

[yuiyoshida]

2. hey!! I know this story!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027687726

[Cassiopeia]

9. Thank you,

[Downwinder]

3. What state is the DNC chair from?

Who is running the party?
Tell me again why I should support it.
In Florida no ballots, in Texas no candidates.
State law says I have to be a Democrat until 2018, after that we will see.
There is no law that says that I have to vote for a Democrat.

[TexasProgresive]

4. They used a different method to suppress voters in the dem primary

in my part of Texas. I posted about it here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/107830743
And some people don't believe evil exists.

[Vinca]

5. If true, it should be investigated and someone should be be charged.

We always hear these stories - which are probably true - but they never seem to be followed up. If poll workers or party bosses know they can alter the vote with no consequences, they're more apt to do it. Throw the bums in the big house for a short vacation. It's not an acceptable thing to do.

[Cassiopeia]

10. There are people on the ground here making demands

of all poll site workers names and for all video and data from the precinct in whatever form it may be available.

I'm not sure where they'll get, but at least they're trying.

[ScreamingMeemie]

6. They turned people away, telling them they had switched their registrations and couldn't vote.

Of course, these stories always drop like stones.

[Chan790]

7. Increase the penalties for this shit!

Election-tampering is one of the most fundamental betrayals of the will of the people...and it carries piddling criminal sentences.

It seems to me, the best solution to election tampering (as a class of offenses ranging from illegally trying to turn away voters to ballot tampering to illegal electioneering to altering the results to ballot theft and ballot destruction and a few dozen more election-related crimes I've omitted) would be long incarceration and permanent disenfranchisement. The penalties need to be severe enough to be an actual deterrent.

Other suggestions?

[1939]

8. Supposedly

Both parties are to be represented at every polling station. If the Democratic ballots were not available, the Dem poll watchers should have screamed to high heaven. If they didn't, they were trying to depress Dem turnout at that station for one or the other of the two Dem candidates.

[MisterP]

11. if you can't debate 'em, block the door