My Florida election experience (yesterday)

[Not Me]

We have the ability here to 'advance vote' at libraries, so I went in yesterday to vote in the Florida Dem primary.
I have voted here as recently as last March (for Orlando mayor) and know that I am current on the voting rolls.

So I go up to the counter and give the person my name, address and DOB, along with my driver's license for identification. She starts typing, and typing, and clicking her mouse....and after about three minutes tells me I am not registered to vote.

WTF!!! Keeping my cool, I notice a phone on the desk and ask her to pick it up and call the Board of Elections for me as I am not leaving until this is resolved.

At which point a co-worker comes over and plays around with the computer and lo-and-behold, he finds my record.

Now I don't know whether to be pissed that they have such incompetent people (who would influence others to walk away) or whether there was something else going on. For the record, I am (of course) a registered Democrat.

What do you think?

[hang a left]

I think it is spooky.

I wish there was a way you could check your voter registration on line for these people. Although alot of elderly people don't have internet. I don't know the answer. I wish someone would figure it out and fast.

[HEyHEY]

1. I think you'll be getting a letter saying you've committed a felon soon

;-)

[NMDemDist2]

2. I'd definately report it to the local party and see if they have had

other complaints. They need to know either way...

[Sugarbleus]

4. I agree with you and AP...

REPORT IT. I would hope that the Dem leadership down there would make an investigation and/or let other's know what you went through...to be aware, like you were and not just go home.

[AP]

3. Get the worker's name and report to supervisor.

Send a letter saying that either the procedure is too complicated, or the workers are too incompetent, and that something like that should absolutely NEVER happen.

[Not Me]

5. Both good ideas...

-contacting Dem HQ and,
-informing Bill Cowles (elections supervisor) of the incident. At a minimum it was a very poorly trained employee.

[Ducks In A Row]

6. Any way to check your vote was actually processed?

because I'd be suspicious it wasn't

[Retrograde]

7. I know each state does it differently, but

doesn't Florida have ANY checks and balances?

Here in California, voters are sent a sample ballot and a voters' guide several weeks before the election: that's one verification that you're on the polls (and the former tells you where your polling place is, important as mine hasn't been in the same place for any 2 consecutive elections). Then, at the polling place, there's a printed list of all registered voters in the precinct posted so that anyone can read if they're so inclined. Doesn't Florida do anything similar?

I'm 50-50 about voting in libraries in advance. Here, if you want to vote in advance you have to either mail in an absentee ballot or go down to the county board of elections. On the other hand, a lot of our libraries are largely staffed by volunteers, and if that's the case with you I can see why there may not have been enough training provided.

BTW, the poll workers occasionally can't find my name on their printed lists even when I spell it out for them. Good thing I can read upside down so I can find it for them!

[Not Me]

8. I got the sample ballot (another indication that I AM registered)

and after marking the paper ballot (the type that has you connect the arrows next to the candidate's name) I inserted it into the scanning machine myself.