Verified: A man gave out water with Kerry stickers to voters. Charged.

[madfloridian]

He was not doing anything else, and he was outside the building. The Wackenhut guard was called by someone, being checked out now. He was charged with trespassing. Just for giving out bottles of water to those in the voting line with temps in high 80s.

If it continues on to court, our lawyer friend and another lawyer will handle his case for free. Our Democratic lawyers here are on the ball. Our friend talked for about 40 minutes on local radio tonight explaining what to expect at the polling place....and what the amendments are about, etc.

This is getting out of control....the challenges here. Just ridiculous. It is NOT against the law to promote a candidate outside the polling place during early voting.

I AM GOING TO TAKE MY COUNTRY BACK

[Eric J in MN]

1. Was he more than 50 feet from the polls or whatever? nt

nt

[madfloridian]

3. That rule only applies on election day.

Not to early voting. He was well within his rights.

[KittyWampus]

8. Voting Is Voting. Early Or On November 2nd. If This Was A Republican

people would be having fits.

[phish420]

12. Agreed...

he should be outside the limits if he has kerry stickers withthe water...otherwise, it should be just water.

[Orangepeel]

19. madfloridian is right. there are no limits in FL except for election day

It's caused a bit of a controversy here, but the state has decided that the law doesn't apply to early voting.

They don't even mark where 50 feet is because the early polling places aren't regular precincts (they are libraries and such)

[madfloridian]

21. Thanks.

This guy did nothing wrong. Think "Wackenhut" and "trespassing." How do you "trespass" on property which is a voting place...public that day?

I find this alarming, and it surprises me others do not.

I don't like anyone campaigning near the voting places, but it is not my call.

[madfloridian]

14. Ok, forget it.

The GOP does it here all the time. They even campaign there. Call our Secretary of State Glenda Hood, Jeb's friends and cohort. She is in charge of elections here completely.

Call her, tell her it is wrong.. I happen not to think it is right to charged by a Wackenhut Guard with trespassing at an election site when you are voting yourself.

Hey, the Republicans ARE doing it.

[Eric J in MN]

2. Also, why am I seeing so many photos of people in Florida having

to wait outside?

In Minnesota, we mostly use school buildings, and people wait inside to vote.

What type of buildings are they using in Florida which don't have space for people to wait indoors?

[madfloridian]

4. Schools here have open hallways quite often.

Voting is not usually this high, but I guess they figure the weather will be good. I always remember having to wait in outside lines which extended from the inside.

[Eric J in MN]

7. What are "open hallways?" nt

nt

[Hello_Kitty]

11. For my Minnesotan friend: Open hallways

Are covered outdoor walkways that run between sections of the school. Very common in warm states.

[phish420]

13. Libraries

but the line doesnt curl through the library (at least not the one I was at)...just straight out the door...luckily, I went fairly early the first day and only waited for about 45 minutes and was inside the whole time...but the lines are at least twice as long now.

[greekspeak]

15. My experience in Florida (Leon County-Tallahassee

They had a side entrance to the building where voters enter to vote. Inside was sort of a big, square entry hall. The open end had a temporary partition put up to block it off from the rest of the building. There was a table of poll workers on one side, and about 1/3 of the room was devoted to the booths. There was an optical scanner into which one inserted the ballot . There was a make-shift office in there too, where people who had issues were handled. The result was that there was very little room inside for people to queue up. So there were people outside. The morning paper had a picture of a huge throng of people trying to vote. This was the ONLY place in Leon County, which has about a quarter million people, could vote.

[madfloridian]

20. I think Duval County had the same problem...not enough places.

Our state is really screwed up about voting. When I see Miss Glenda Hood being interviewed on TV, I get so furious at her incompetence.

[greekspeak]

16. My experience in Florida (Leon County-Tallahassee)

They had a side entrance to the building where voters enter to vote. Inside was sort of a big, square entry hall. The open end had a temporary partition put up to block it off from the rest of the building. There was a table of poll workers on one side, and about 1/3 of the room was devoted to the booths. There was an optical scanner into which one inserted the ballot . There was a make-shift office in there too, where people who had issues were handled. The result was that there was very little room inside for people to queue up. So there were people outside. The morning paper had a picture of a huge throng of people trying to vote. This was the ONLY place in Leon County, which has about a quarter million people, could vote.

[Rebellious Republican]

5. I am so glad that our side was prepared for this election!

Thanks for the post MF.
Say is that you holding the sign in that picture, if so, you look nothing like I imagined. Its your short cropped hair that through me! :evilgrin:

[madfloridian]

10. LOL. Funny RR. Not me.

Just a pic I found. I am a female mad floridian. LOL

[SheilaT]

6. The rule about not campaigning

within a certain distance of the polling place is going to apply even to the early voting. Different states have different distances. In Kansas (or at least here in Johnson County) the rule is 250 feet. That's far enough that it's generally well beyond the entrance to the polling place (usually a school or a church) and so we just don't get people here passing out literature to those arriving to vote. I like it that way.

[madfloridian]

9. It is not a law here. GOP does it, too.

And I see no one has asked "why a Wackenhut guard" and why "trespassing."

[madfloridian]

17. You know what? I am sorry I posted this.

The law is the law, and it is NOT my doing. Jumping on me and saying that it is wrong does no good at all.

This guy was not doing anything that bad. He was apparently far enough away from the building....election day is 50 feet. Past that distance even election day you can campaign.

I did not make the law, but I will defend the guy who did this. If you do not like the law, then work to change it. I am doing the best I can.

Our State dept of Law Enforcement is going to challenge over 200,000 votes done by ACORN because of one guy who was fired in the Tampa Bay area and tried to screw ACORN. Hey, are you irate about those votes?

I say let's hang this guy who gave out water. Lynch mob, anyone?

[madfloridian]

18. And you know what else?

Ask why Wackenhut was there. Ask why he was charged with trespassing.

[lefty_WOHM]

22. Well, I think it's ridiculous and outrageous!

I had seen the bit about FL deciding the distance limits were only on election day, and the Reps were taking full advantage of that loophole, so I know what you're talking about. Perhaps some of these fine posters missed that tidbit. I'm glad you have someone there on top of things to defend him.

You raise good questions. What place was this? A library? Why did they hire a special security guard? Why charged w/ trespassing & not violating campaign law (if the issue was the distance thing).

Here in PA, apparently the distance limit is something like 10 ft, which is essentially right outside the polling place door. So I can't really relate to the whole distance issue. I had no idea everyone didn't have people standing right outside the door handing you pamphlets as you walked in.